True? Unless you're a popular Bush supporter, you're not risking anything
He also said "I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says, 'They're looting.' You see a white family, it says, 'They're looking for food.'" That was true. I think the Dixie Chicks risked a little something when they stood up. West took the same risk.
________________________________________________________ "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S. Thompson tinymixtapes.com / The Skinny / PopMatters
Originally posted by m.leland: I'm getting really tired of people from other countries making generalizations about the United States based on whatever crap media they have in their own country. Do you honestly think you're getting an unbiased look into America, be it politics or sociology? Please. I'm sure it rivals how awful our own media is — except you can't turn on the TV here without another celebrity getting face time for the cause-of-the-month. It's how you MAKE your reputation here.
Um...I'm from Canada. It's not exactly a different country. All we do all day is watch what you do all day long; Much Music is all MTV programs now; We have two CNNs on basic cable; we cancelled the only Canadian talk show, Mike Bullard, for The Daily Show (and thank fuck they did). I have a summer cottage in Point Roberts, Washington and I've spent a lot of time there. I'm actually dating a law student from Las Vegas right now to boot. I don't know where you're getting generalizations about the USA from but I have as much info on Bush and West as you do from the same sources. I watch CNN and yell at it all day long and I too can't turn on the TV without seeing celebrities selling shit or tragedy. I haven't second-guessed the micro-culture of each town in the USA or anything but I think I'm more than qualified to give an opinion on a celebrity and the acting president. Pretty much everyone in Canada knows more about America than they do their own country (our history is very boring...you should read our constitution...zzzzz).
The National Guard was given "shoot-to-kill" orders for anyone wielding a firearm — black, white, pink, or green. No one went down there just to shoot black people. For fuck's sake. He's an idiot.
And why? Because the news was flooded with stories of how these blacks were running amuck, murdering and raping one another despite their grim predicament. Funny how when it turned out that the rape stories were total falsehoods and the Superdome death toll was closer to 4* than 40 (*at least 3 of whom died of "natural" disaster-related causes), it got much less coverage in the media.
Why? Because the notion that they were "reverting to savagery" (sound familiar?)almost served as a comforting factor to many. Sorta like, "well it's a shame they're dying like this, but look what kinds of people they are, anyway." And I did hear some people say "These people are out there raping and killing each other even more than they always do! It's a wonder anyone's going in to help them at all!"
It's easy to say, "Hey, they gave the shoot-to-kill order for blacks, whites, pinks, and greens!!!!" But I could just as easily give the order to kill all the animals (including dogs and cats) you find in a pig pen.
You only need to look in the headlines to see what I mean. One example would be the situation a couple of months ago, where the police chased a suspect through a low-income part of Harlem, riddling the entire neighborhood with bullets. People in their pajamas suddenly had to hit the floor to avoid getting their heads blown off-- without the foggiest clue as-to who was being pursued, and what for. Now, you tell me that if they chased this kid through Park Avenue, they would've sprayed the area with such abandon.
Again, that could easily be chalked up to disregard for the poor, whom, as statistics show, are predominantly non-white.
...so there you go.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: merqury,
Posts: 105 | Location: New York | Registered: 12 April 2005
It's easy to say, "Hey, they gave the shoot-to-kill order for blacks, whites, pinks, and greens!!!!" But I could just as easily give the order to kill all the animals (including dogs and cats) you find in a pig pen.
What the hell does that even mean?
Posts: 1652 | Location: Philadelphia, PA | Registered: 15 September 2004
It's easy to say, "Hey, they gave the shoot-to-kill order for blacks, whites, pinks, and greens!!!!" But I could just as easily give the order to kill all the animals (including dogs and cats) you find in a pig pen.
What the hell does that even mean?
Squint harder.
Posts: 105 | Location: New York | Registered: 12 April 2005
He still seems to be doing pretty good. He'll be on a lot of year-end lists this year.
________________________________________________________ "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S. Thompson tinymixtapes.com / The Skinny / PopMatters
I don't feel so strongly about Kanye. Him or his music. Personally I don't like his music, and Late Registration didn't change my mind. I have to admit I went through a phase with "Through The Wire". It was short-lived.
I didn't know people were affected that much by him. Positively or negatively.
This thread is fanastic. I, like Carlito, had no idea he was responsible for the shifting of so many blood pressure machines among forum users. He's really not that big a deal to us here - just another American rapper on the TV, but one who seems to speak about women and guns ironically . But perhaps his life don't match up with his musical sentiments. I haven't got a clue. They say Martin Luther King got his end away more than a porn star you know... Anway, moving on from that potentially explosive aside ( ) , I actually have The College Dropout on at the moment. I like it in general. I think Mos Def is far better at what he does than Kanye, in the field of what they seem to refer to as 'Alternative Hip Hop', but some of the tunes are pretty cool. I've really only listened to the record half-heartedly ever since it came out, and I always seem to have to do something when it's on. But I do prattle on...
Posts: 354 | Location: Havana, Cuba | Registered: 14 March 2006
I can't complain! Kanye West is the best Rapper ever! He is the greatest role model except my brother. He doesn't use much cuss words as other rappers do. I am glad he won a grammy for the College Dropout. He did so good on it! I would love to meet him because his great personality. Love his song Gold Digger and Heard'em Say. He went to New Orleans and talk about what bush did! Bush did horrible what he did. He knew about the storm and he didn't even care. Kanye West told what he did and they cut him off what he said about him. I think that is horrible. Kanye West tried to help out and motivate the New Orleans people. Keep on what you are doing Kanye West!
Posts: 13 | Location: Las Vegas, NV | Registered: 20 April 2006
Well this thread has been pretty enjoyable to read. People here either seem to hate him or think he's o.k. (some of you think he's a "one-of-a kind role model" but you didn't really convince me that you knew what you were talking about)
There are couple of things I'd like to note about Kanye. For one, someone mentioned this already, but he's a really LAZY sampler. It's almost as if he justs cuts and pastes the best part from a song he likes and puts beats on top of it without any thought. The original song is pretty much always better than kanye's. This is the case on Late Registration which from a production standpoint, is just horrible. This is partly the mastering engineer's fault, but all the different instruments on that song do NOT fit together at all. They sound like they're coming from different spaces and this is just irritating.
Second, his ego is gigantic. I don't think there has been so much ego in one man since Morissey. But I think that's what makes him interesting. It provides him with a unique perspective that we otherwise won't get from normal rappers.
My history of listening to music must be complete BS. I never once noticed that the production/engineering of Late Registration sucked, and I actually listened to it more than a dozen times. This is coming from someone who has listened to every Beatles album at least 300 times, but I guess George Martin kicks Kanye's Wannabee's asses.
"Naked Woman, Naked Man Where did you get that nice sun tan?"
Posts: 12874 | Location: Behind the Orange Curtain | Registered: 14 May 2004
I'd like to say that I think he's an excellent beat producer. Heart of the City remains my favorite Jay-Z rap song, evah! His ego is large, don't get me wrong, but to say that his is second to Morrissey is a little off. A whole part of hip-hop is cockiness, he's just playing the game. Asshole, on occasion, but again, no news is bad news. But role-model? Never. Though I've never met him personally, I know his half-brother (if you're reading this Trevor, I strongly dislike you), and he seems so stoked that he's almost truly related to Kanye but he never really talks about any time spent with Kanye other than "OMG he signed autographs for my friends". I like Kanye's music, his rapping is pretty weak, but his ego and marketing carries him through everything, much like Jay-Z.
Posts: 305 | Location: AVA | Registered: 24 June 2006
It is amazing the way some bash Kanye. The truth of this time and age is no one is going to listen to any rapper they cannot relate to. This includes young adults dealing with street violence, gangs, pretty boys, men that have been slapped aroung by there mothers and called stupid all thier lives, etc...Don't try to except a way of life you have never lived.
Metacritic Forums 
) , I actually have The College Dropout on at the moment. I like it in general. I think Mos Def is far better at what he does than Kanye, in the field of what they seem to refer to as 'Alternative Hip Hop', but some of the tunes are pretty cool. I've really only listened to the record half-heartedly ever since it came out, and I always seem to have to do something when it's on. But I do prattle on...
