Guitarist for Rock Band Ratt Dead From AIDS (posted 6/10/2002)

Reuters via NYTimes.com ^ | 6/10/02

[Rodney King]

I think that this is false and totally biased

With all due respect, I don't consider David Lee Roth to be metal, although I suppose that is debatable. More importanly, however, you know absolutley nothing of the subject of which you speak. You know nothing about heavy metal, or the lyrics, whereas those of us here debating you are very, very familiar with it. Linking to wacko sites like you did earlier in fact weakens your contention that you know anything about the subject.

[Rodney King]

Good lord. What a loser study you linked me to. Some idiot from Winona State University? I read it, and I fail to see any support for what you have stated. You seem to very easily beleive anything that somebody writes that supports your position.

[Rodney King]

Oh, and by the way, Winona has a big brown beaver. If you were familiar with the subject area, you would know what I am talking about.

[Shade2]

In that case your reference to "95%" shows that you know nothing about hip hop, whereas I am very familiar with it.

[Rodney King]

In that case your reference to "95%" shows that you know nothing about hip hop, whereas I am very familiar with it.

OK fine. So its settled then. Heavy Metal is not Satanic, or evil. This is after all what we were debating about in the first place.

[Shade2]

Ok, that's fine though violence, the occult, etc. are prevalent in the music form. My real purpose in this thread is to really show the hypocrisy common on this site. Metal is not my preferred music but I understand that it is someone else's. I understand that not all metal songs have bad lyrics though many do. I understand that metal songs are often an outlet that doesn't necessarily entice the listener to act upon the lyrics. I understand that problem youngsters are often drawn to metal music while the music itself is not the root cause of the problems.

My problem is the double standard. While a thread about rock music and heavy metal can easily become a general chat about the various artists, any thread about rap music is practically 100% negative and involves portrayal of the music form's popularity as a sign of America's moral decay and the cause of all of America's problems. People make broad sweeping statements about all rap and all rappers being bad. If one believes this, fine, but how can one conclude this and not conclude the same about metal?

How can one discuss 50 Cent and ignore Bestial Devastation with songs like "Io Necrofilo", Megadeth's "Prince of Darkness", Blood Simple’s "Blood in Blood Out", or Funeral for a Friend’s "All the Rage"? These are a few among many.

You grew up listening to metal and therefore feel that you understand it and that it is not nearly as bad as many would make it out to be. I grew up listening to Kid n Play, LL Cool J, Run DMC, MC Hammer, Salt n Peppa, Heavy D, etc. etc., all of whom basically had innocent lyrics. I even enjoyed some of gangsta rap of NWA, Notorious B.I.G, etc. with the knowledge that the bad lyrics would in no way override my upbringing. Violence, drugs, broken families, etc. existed in the inner city well before rap became popular and would continue if rap no longer existed as long as we are influenced by liberal culture.

In my opinion, it is wrong to make negative EVERYTHING that comes out of the inner city and then exaggerate it on top of that. I don't like destructive lyrics in hip hop just as I don't like destructive imagery on television and destructive lyrics in other music forms as heavy metal. It is only right to be fair.

[trisham]

Welcome to Free Republic.

[cabojoe]

Back when the band was called Mickey Ratt I was asked if I wanted to play drums for them. I said no because I was running live sound at the time. A couple months later they were called Ratt, and were making some bucks. Sounds like I made the right decision.

[tame]

I don't remember hearing about this at the time. How sad.

I love that song "ROUND AND ROUND". Memories.

What about Quiot Riot? (...feel the noise).