Chaz,
You gave a great analogy. First and foremost your analogies beg the questions, (whom is being told the truth and why). This question puts telling the truth in its proper context. The soldier and the Agent would be putting their comrades in harms way just to save themselves from torture and death. I call them traitors because they would be selling out INNOCENT co-workers. Did Lucas sell out INNOCENT co-workers? So while the truth is the truth, it must be put in its proper context. I would not tell the truth if I knew it would get an innocent child/person murdered for example. However, I would tell the truth if it would rid the community of a murderer, $#**?%, etc etc. Proper context.

As an educated young woman I feel that I have the right to say that this man sounds very “dumb” He is speaking like he has a lot of book knowledge but to a person who has book knowledge, it is very obvious that he is just street savvy. I feel really bad for the state black men in general when I hear them speaking in this manner. Whatever happened to brothers like Tupac Shakur????? Thats what I want to know. Just because you come from the “hood” or the “gutter” doesnt mean that you have to act like it. And just because you have a voice, that does not neccesarily mean that you should use it all “willy nilly” learn how to speak, learn to articulate, educate yourself and then try to tell me something.

BTW Research will show you that latinos are not numerically the minority compared to African Americans. They out-number us by millions and always have had us beat as far as our percentage in the US population.

Felicia,
I am really unsure who you are speaking to or about in terms of being uneducated but what is “willy nilly”? We may have to question your education level, and your ability to articulate in proper english. Your comprehension skills are obviously lacking because no comment is really “dumb”, it’s just opinion, some of which could be based on fact and some on experience. Perhaps, even some on just plain common sense. In case you didn’t know, people do not need a degree to have or express an opinion. Neither do they have to have a degree to be correct. you can learn from anybody including someone who may not have a formal education. If you want to know what happened to the state of black men, you may need to look beyond Tupac Shakur, and maybe to Barak Obama as a better example. Tupac is a rapper who was gunned down after after gang beating a gang banger in the MGM casino in Las Vegas. Whatever happened to brothers like Martin, Malcolm, and Obama would have sounded as a more educated choice. Tupac was a great rapper who died stupid! He did nothing for the uplifting of his community alive or dead. Felica, you can not be serious. I guess nobody can tell you anything, just listen to a rap record with your super educated self, and get back to us.

This is the last comment that I will post regarding this rediculous article. First, “Willy nilly” is a comedic expression for doing or saying something withour reason, proper knowledge or purpose… I dont feel any less educated for using the word “dumb” because after all this is a forum where people can come to express their opinions right?? Also, my refference to Tupac Shakur was to compare the difference between RAPPERS with true knowledge and rappers without…. Do you comprehend??? Young it seems as though you are offended by my words and only those who are what I consider “dumb” get offened so question your intelligence…. In my comment I used quotation marks for all of the slang words that I used….. Did you notice that or were you too busy being offended by the truth? I dont mind if you question the level of my intellect, but question your own too…. Knowledge is power!

Felica,
It is nothing rediculous about the article. Vinnie did a good job expressing his thoughts, unless you are reading something else, your comprehesion is questionable, as well as, your self conflicting statements. Who crowned you the expert measurer of which rappers have “true knowledge”. No Felicia, i am not offended, you are not that deep to offend anyone on here. I didn’t know dumb and gutter were slang words. I thought they were words that when used in a certain context are turned into slang by not using them in their proper form. Bye Felicia, thanks for not coming back to share your superior wisdom with us. We are all in a better place for that, and that ain’t willy nilly! lol

WHY DID DEF JAM AND MAJOR LABEL EXECS SAY MY MUSIC IS TOO POSITIVE ??????

A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING BOUT UPLIFTING THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND STOP THE VIOLENCE. BUT WHEN REAL BROTHERS STEP UP TO THE PLATE TO DO SOMETHING POSITIVE THEY GET PUT UNDER THE RUG. I’M A EX-THUG FROM FT. LAUDERDALE , FL NOW I RAP ABOUT
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE THUG LIFE TRYING TO WARN OTHERS THAT THE THUG LIFE GOT A PR$CE . BUT THIS AINT POPULAR. SO IF YOU REALLY WANT TO STOP THE VIOLENCE IN YOUR HOOD SUPPORT POSITIVE MUSIC.

http://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DEVILHATERR8000

Rtest,
Just back off the road and noticed your last comment. I do not agree with the context theory. It’s about betrayal and individual commitment. In a war, each side feels they are justified or innocent. The Iraqi soldier doesn’t feel the American soldier is innocent. The Mexicans may feel it is foriegn intervention in their country’s business. The question then becomes whose truth are we talking about which is why I attempted to get away from the Frank Lucas model. Lucas betrayed his family, friends, and business comrades to save his own skin, he did not do that to save his community, and probably told lies and hurt innocent people in the process. But let’s not get too off track, this is really a conversation for another forum. Vinnie is making some great points in his letter and I support the positive in that.

Felicia Felicia really nice to meet ya
hey felicia am i educated yet

hey day is right its not these parents fault some is but not these kids out here get in da rong crowd and they do the wrong things and the wrong tyme and place dont blame the parents blame yourself it aint nobodys fault but your i undersand if you say you lived in a getto hood dat dont mean nuttin you can changed yourself but them kids out there want people to see them as hard asses but listen ya it aint got ta be like that at all look ya stand up support wat you go to do iight but do it in a successfull way not a negative way stand up be proud of wat you are but make somthang worth it just because kids run the streets it aint nobodys fault they choose ta do they want to be grown as every body elese listen ta them let dem speak they got ta do it and also you

hey and one more thang dont live it if you aint got it but if you got it den live it keep it cool ya peace

The way the welfare systems is set up, when a girl gets paid to have kids what do you expect.

HERE’S THE DEAL. THE EFFECTS OF WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IS HALF OF WHAT’S TO COME BECAUSE WE ARE ULTIMATELY GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND THE WORLD. THE FADS OF MUSIC AND WAYS OF LIFE WILL BE OVERWHELMED BY THIS NATION’S WILL TO SURVIVE.

I think it’s about time we have a black president..and the fact that peoplein the hip hop industries are speaking about it. Now we need to teach our children abot this history..and show them how proud they should be! But people need to stop takin advantage of well fare and other government opotions! You need to learnto be adults and learn responsibilites and to get up and get jobs. Also to learn that with choices come consequencs…I’m not from the hood but my family was always just making it check to check..but once I was 15 my parents taught me to get up and get a job. If i wanted money or needed money I had to work for it. We have 52 apple trees I had to pick up all the apples every week and mow the lawn, do dishes just to get $5.00. But it taught me to become independent and kept me busy. It’s easy to make money..ask neighbors if they need their lawn cut, rack leaves, shovel snow…it’s a start..jsut believe in yourself and make goals and don’t stop till you get there!!!

I think Vinny was right on with the things he said. We truly need to step up and provide a better situation for our youth to survive in, if not than we’re creating the same messed up enviroment we have been exposed to. It’s time to stop blaming everyone else for out problems and stand up like a man and do something about our problems. We need more positive role models in the hoods instead of the drug dealers our youth so often witness.

You know nemesis920 you made some good points about responsibilities and getting jobs. I know first hand about working as a young kid growing up. I remember working the summer youth program at 14 and making checks to help my mom who was single at the time. I even had to catch the city bus and pay the bills for her with the money I made. I think a lot of people out here may have criminal records or just may be in a situation that distracts their norm. Most times children loose out on a lot of things. To some people your statements may seem like you’re trying to preach. You had many blessings in your up bringing like maybe 2 parents and a harvest of apples or something. In this day not everyone’s neighbor is going to be open to a cutting yard deal If they have a lawn. There is so much going on out here that our society is beginning to be more defensive than cooperative.

Felicia, hon, just seen this post and had to comment. Since knowledge is power, learn how to spell before you start criticizing other people. (ridiculous
) And all of what Vinny said was true and he made a lot of valid points. The sad thing is people like you , who wanna critize somebody who actually has something worthwhile to say. Getting off, on the fact that you can post a comment. You didnt have anything deep to say or even enlighteneing thank u for not making another comment.

you is hoottttt

Yep, us black men need to step it up. First, we need to smile in our photo, and stop looking so hard. And admit we need help. Ask for directions.

Once again it’s throw the black man under the bus. Are we having fun yet???

Now that Naughty by Nature has made money from the very things he is preaching against he can now speak about black men and assume we are just like the trash he hangs out with.

How about black men stand up to these one sided arguments that paint us as uneducated animals and paint women as innocent bystanders of there circumstances.