[mhking]

Blaming rap music for problems in society is as dumb as blaming guns for problems in society.

It's not a matter of blaming the music. It's a matter of blaming the glorification of the negativity that is celebrated in the music. The music - rap or otherwise - is simply a symptom of the attitudes.

However, I do lay blame at the feet of the artists when they continue to say it's OK to act like total idiots by continuing to mistreat women, do drugs, and act like thugs themselves.

And it's not a matter of being a "role-model" in form; it's that when they act like that, they themselves become part of that statistical problem.

No, I'm no fan of the music in and of itself. My taste in rap certainly falls into what most call "old school." And moreover, at this point, give me a good Jimmy Smith album, or some vintage Wes Montgomery and I'm just as happy. My tastes run the gamut. But when force-fed a continual diet of negative ideas, is there any wonder when negativity is what results from the listeners?

I mean if you hear "Slap that b*tch" from six different artists, back-to-back, 24 hours a day, how long before you think it's OK to do just that?

Anything - when taken to excess - is bad for you...

[hchutch]

The question is, though, "Where are the parents in all of this?" They hear their kid listening to that stuff 24/7, and they don't try to broaden his horizons, or tell him that stuff is not allowed in the house?

Also, I don't just listen to gangster rap. The two most expensive CDs in my collection are about as different as night and day. One is a first-edition "Body Count" by Ice-T (before Time-Warner backed down). The other, which is the most expensive CD in my collection is a Japan-only release that is pretty much innocent "bubble gum" pop music.

What I listen to depends on my mood. After 9/11, ther eas less "bubble gum" and more of that hardcore stuff. Other times, I listen to different stuff. Do I have favorite songs I listen to more than others? Yes, I admit that.

The rap music ain't the problem. Even the gangster rap ain't the problem. It's only a symptom - and the problem is parents don't keep an eye on their kids and tell them certain things are not acceptable.