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Mims On Freedom of Speech vs. Censorship
December 18th, 2007
I think that from an artist stand point, this is not really from a public view, I think that times change. Maybe five years ago, people would have accepted to put half-naked women in their video. I feel like for me, I feel like classy is what works for me. Right now, because I’m mature, I’m 26 years-old, I feel like if I put something in my videos that’s not classy, it doesn’t define me. Maybe that doesn’t work for every artist. For me, I think classy is in and because classy is in and I’m a classy person, that’s what I’m gonna depict in my videos, nothing but classy. And as I mature, I shouldn’t have to go back into being about naked videos or having half-naked women, or people doing things in the video they don’t wanna do. I just really think it’s based upon your maturity level. If you’re having fun in a pool, I don’t expect people to be in a pool in jeans. It’s a sensitive subject, everything has its catch 22. Everything has its pro and its con. I just think we know what the difference between a video like “Tip Drill” is and then any video that might have somebody just actually being in the pool or something like that. It’s not a negative comment towards “Tip Drill,” ’cause I think when they played the video, it was an appropriate time. I didn’t see that video on in the day time, I saw it in the night time. Do I think that that’s Nelly’s characteristic, no? This is a brother that I see that is respectful. He’s polite. Maybe his maturity level has grown from that time till now. And I think that’s the catch 22 of it.
I mean, it’s a battle cause you do have freedom of speech. You have the ability to get what’s off your chest and that’s what music is about, expressing yourself. But at the same time, I do think that sometimes we need to really kinda fall back on certain things we might be thinking we want to say. I feel that 100% you do have a responsibility, so that we can teach a positive message. I don’t think every song should be that way. And it’s a catch 22, cause how do we censor what the children get to listen to? I think that job lies on the parents. But, it also starts in the studio to where maybe instead of a certain word on a song, maybe I can pull back on that one song and say “you know what, let’s not use this word.” I feel like hip-hop artists do have a responsibility to watch what they say in regards to what children are listening to.
I could not have said it better myself. A lot new artists are just plain biters piggy backing off of something they saw long time ago. I am an artist myself and I feel that it is beneath me to demean women and to just limit them to their body parts. The only time I want a women naked or half-naked is behind closed doors. For the artists who chose to still make those videos with women dancing erotic just to sell their garbage songs, it is definitely time for a change. Learn how to use creativity to add something new to music, don’t just steal. This is what is killing Hip Hop, the lack of creative spirit and the entertainmnet. It can’t always be about MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.
@Geri
You said it all
[...] Original post by kosorio [...]
First of all MIMS YOU ARE NOT A RAP ARTIST/HIP HOP….. YOU ARE A RINGTONE RAPPER. There is a distinct difference. You are in the same category with Hurricane Chris, Soulja Boi, RED MONKEY JEAN DUDE, etc and others in this category. Your (cough, cough) credibility and overall skill as a rap artist was displayed with your album. Guess what …..I use your cd as a coaster. I am ashamed to say I opened it. I hope none of that fake #h#t rubs off on me.
Instead of attacking video vixens and other rappers scenery in their video with your “classy” image of females in your video, try this. STEP YOUR RAP GAME UP. Expand your vocabulary, do a mixtapes, step your bars up, and geez stop doin blogs. This is nothin but sideways hatin.
To rebuttal you Gary. No disrespect but I don’t think that your standards of music are considered musically inclined if I may say so in response to your assault toward MIMS cd or him as an artist. MIMS is a great lyrical artist who as value in his words. His artistry in that cd has clout because it has a message. I don’t even listen to hip-hop/rap music like that and I found the cd rather gratifying. If you don’t agree with the brother don’t diss him or his music. Just plain disagree. On the video vixen and rapper note. You need to understand what they are saying when they allow that particular publicity to be aired concerning our people. The first thing that one not of our race would think is “whole” not “individual”. So if they are doing it on television then it represents our culture and last time I checked a hooch or black male salivating off of a young girl in a G-string did not gain RESPECT or positive RECOGNITION for the BLACK culture. It does not set our culture off as the prototype for most. It only stereotypes us and continues to slow our progress up the Cultural Social ladder.
mims is ugly!
OMG1 Finally, an artist who has some sense. The way I see it, is that half naked women/men in a video are used as a distraction. They are used in order to hide the fact the artist are not as talented as they would like them to be so as an alternative they used “the distraction.” True artists want you to fully absorb what they are saying, and they dont need “distractions” to get you to listen to them and watch there videos.
hmm.. kayy i think that this is super good that mims is being respectful of women, and i think that its so good that hes trying to be classy. it makes mims look really good. and i really like his music, but this doesnt make sence.. its totally contradicting himself.
i dont understand.. mims is going agaisnt his own lyrics. in the song “like this” the lyrics are “If good girls get down on the floor/Tell me how low will a bad girl go/She probably pick it up drop it down real slow/Either that or she’s upside down on the pole”
isnt that kind of being un-classy ?
hey you are so ugly but when you do something nice you make me want to go of on you cuz its not me….
Okay, it looks like my comment is very necessary here. Judging by the amount of responses here, it seems like you are not relevant. Most artist have 20-60 response to there thoughts. Looks like no one really cares what you think. To be honest I didn’t buy the record … the singles spoke volumes. It’s a reason they call some artist one hit wonders … that’s usually all that we can stand to here. You have that appeal. This is Why I’m Hot was a hot track, everybody else killed that beat. Lil Wayne murdered that track on the Drought 3 mix tape. Thanks for that beat. Yeah my guy your a fiah ring tone artist. On a good note …. I’ll get all of your ring tones …. that’s it. Real Talk.
I agree with Aviana Atl_Ga. LMFAO it’s true no one cares. I disagree about the ringtones. I wouldn’t even purchase them.
For one watchin the show has opened my eyes to a lot but a lot of people need to under stand something teens like what they are hearing I’m 17 and listen to a lot of the rappers you down grade and nelly is one of my favorites even tho tip dril was a bad video woman wise its still only a video…I love the song it may have a bad messege but that doesn’t mean its a bad song people need to learn how to accept the fact people are gonna rap about ass and sex nelly isn’t the only rapper who has done videos like that I’ve seen worse. I hate how they jumped all over him for that video that was years ago he’s grown as an artist and if u can’t let the past go then ur just as ignorant as you try to make him out to be. Take 50 cent’s timp video it was bad but did u see him up there defending himself no TI and nelly came out and took all the heat for all the rappers give them credit they try but how can u expect them to make a change if the label don’t want them to give hip hop time and to the thing about ladies if u kno what u are no song or nothing any man say it shouldn’t affect u do yall honestly think that just cause most girls have ass we must see our selfs as just that …….
TONIGHT I CAUGHT ,END OF SHOW FIRST TIME VIEWING,WHILE SURFING CHANNELS COULDNT SLEEP! ONLY CONTINUED WATCHING CAUSE DYSON WAS ON!THEN BET SHOWED SMALL TALK WITH CORNELL WEST!WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LIKE WHOA, I HAVE SOME OF THEIR BOOKS ON MY SHELF.ALSO, I READ EVERY WORD ON COMMENTS FROM ARTIST, VERY GOOD DIALOGUE !MIMMS- READ SOME OF YA BLOGS – HEY IF EVERYONE LIKES YA THEN WE PROBABLY WOULD BE DREAMING . SHAKE THE HATERS OFF !I REALLY DONT KNOW WHO YA ARE, OR NOT-REALLY FAMILIAR W/ YA MUSIC ?BUT , NEVERTHE LESS IF YOU DOING SOMETHING POSITIVE WITH IT, TRYING TO MAKE CHANGES FOR THE BETTER THEN GOD BLESS YOU!
EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINIONS, WHY ?, CAUSE THEY’RE LIKE @ZZ-HOLES EVERYBODYS GOT ONE (EXCUSE THE PUN)! COMMENTS I REALLY ENJOYED WAS FROM ->KRS ONE , BEANE SIGEL, & CHAMILLIONAIRE! BET THANK YOU FOR PRODUCTION OF THIS SHOW , BUT I KINDA FEEL WHERE KRS WAS COMING FROM! THERE IS STILL A LARGE ENOUGH PORTION PROPAGANDA ,ADVERTISING MUNIPULATION AND THE LACK OF CONVERSATION CONTROL TO THE POINTS! NO-ONE IS PERFECT YA WANT THESE INDIVIDUALS TO CLAIM A CERTAIN DEGREE OF RESPONSIBILITY, HMMMMMMMM YA WANT PARENTS TO CLAIM THE LACK OF GUIDANCE GIVING TO THE RAISING OF THEIR CHILDREN, HMMMMMMM , YA WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO ADMIT TO THEIR SOCIAL INJUSTICES, HMMMMMMMMM OPRESSION- AND OUR DEGRADATION OF WOMEN, HMMMMMMM, HOLLYWOOD SHOULD DEFINATELY BE IN LINE FOR THEIR BACK-HAND PIMP SLAPP, HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! YA WANT HIP HOP TO SURVIVE, YA WANNA KEEP MAKING MONEY, DO YA WANT YA KIDS TO BENEFIT FROM YA ACCOMPLISHMENTS? WELL BET REMEMBER WE ALL PLAY A GARVE ROLE IN OUR OWN DESTRUCTION A LOT OF TIMES, BET TV- YA MUST OWN UP TO YOURS AS WELL, CAUSE 1 CENT-OR-1 TRILLION ANNUALLY WE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT! WAKE-UP WAKE UP W A K E U P ! SOME DONT WANT TO WAKE UP FROM THE MATRIX, CANT BE AWAKEN, SO MUCH THEY WILL FIGHT WITH THEIR VERY LIVES TO SAVE THE SYSTEM WHICH ENSLAVES THEM! NOW MARINATE ON THAT!!!!!!!!!!P O W E R TO THE P E O P L E! GOD BLESS!1
The way I feel as a child of God.
Im a human that dont make me know different from anyone no man.
What it all comes to is that America is Hip Hop. When you grow up as a kid the first thing you learn in life is Jesus Christ.
Which means We as human beings know the difference between right and wrong. Adam and Eve had a choice! “Human Kind” are still alive and kicken. We still have a choice.
PUBLIC SHOW > -Hip Hop v.s America-> ARGUMENTS
WHAT HAPPEN TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? Whether you wonna listen to me or not. Hip Hop Artist have a choice to a freedom of speech. Americans made and are still making machines that blockout anyhting that you dont feel is apropriate. Hip Hop Artist didnt make guns,drugs,money. “Every body knows what the human bodys look like”. Nakedness is not a sin. Adultry,Stilling,Killing,Lies,Gossiping,Jealousy,Not obeying Mother an Father,sayen Lords name in vain,not treating people as you want to be treated,dont use the Lords name in vain,and God said!”Dont obey no God before me.” As Humans we are one no matter what name we are given what we look like what color we are,nor what we have. I can express how I feel to other people. I have no right to disobey the Laws. I have no right to tell noone how they should live, what they should say. FREEDOM OF SPEECH You have a choice! Are you perfect in your life? _All Hip Hop Artist are not bad, neither are Americans.
Theres those who speek and theres those that have spoken. As a child of God when you speek or when you spoke was it for the better or the worst. What you speek or have spoke of is it a mager issue to help better lives of Americans after your voice leaves the earth. ‘REMEMBER” We have a choice and a voice to tell about ourselves. We can tell are whole life to the world and tell then the things that I went through. I dont have the right to tell another man how to speak,what to do for a living, but I can say I love U anit makes me feel better to tell how I feel about hip hop artist and Americans. SPEEK AND ARGUE ABOUT WHATS HAPPENING =KILL OR =KILL If you care you will send this to all you know. MUCH LOVE!
I applaud BET for trying to address the issue of “Hip-Hop vs. America” but the show lacked organizaton and direction. Also I think there should have been more rap artist other than Nelly and TI. I actually liked Nelly(he suprised me as to how intelligent he was)points alot. Heres the thing in any music genre you are going to have your negative and postive artist /groups. If everyone had a “postivie ” outlook to there lyrics hip hop would be BORING!!! Look dont get trapped into this mentality that everything in rap has to be postive. It doesnt, but it does have to have a balance. You will have positive rappers then your should have the same amount of negative rappers to balance out the status quo. The problem I have is it seems as if 90% of hip-hop these days are ignorant,coon imagery, shuckin and jiving going around and we dont see the balance. Sure there are postive artist out there but far and few in between. And on top of that the ones that have somehting positive to say cant get there record played on the radio without the payolla. Like Nelly said tip drill was on BET uncut it was an adult video. If he wants to swipe a credit card thru a girls but then so be it. But its up to the parents to teach there kids respect and right from wrong. there is negative imagery everywhere out there(hollywood) dont single out rap. I love hip-hop, I grew up on it living in the Bronx,NY I’ve seen the many stages it has gone thru. This is just another “stage” in hip-hop that will die down and some new kids will bring skills back to the table.Only thing is I hope it comes before the genre loses steam.