Stanley Crouch: What's the deal with 50 cent?

[ArbourParq1]

I disagree so much with Crouch, I respect him too. When he's on he's on, I recently read his "Considering Genius: and i liked bits and pieces. But that wall st analogy was ridiculous!!

[S2Cents]

I think Crouch is onto something.

[iscottm]

"i think he's on to something..." lol

[blitzgreg1]

Look at the corporate entities that make these rappers rich, you think they care about the negative sub cultural and corrosive effects of the music that their formulaic idiotic artistes put out? it's about the bottom line for them and that is profit. its effects are long term and would only get worst. its almost as bad as selling drugs to the black communities. The kids of these execs are exposed to quality culture and education i am sure.

[blitzgreg1]

Just perusing these comments and listening to the level of ignorance spewed it makes me question the quality of education in the United States. People in the black community need to start looking at the rest of the world a bit, the are becoming cultural inbred and degenarate. Money is neing made off of their bafoonery, and its sad. Some black artist are profiteering from the denegration of their own people. if some one makes a lot of money doing something then it must be good, right? sell drugs

[teentimeparty]

in 2006 Stanley Crouch wrote an article "MTV still clueless after all these years" where he attacked the MTV cartoon "Where my dogs at?" for showing Snoop Dogg with women with dog collars. Well it was Crouch who was clueless. Snoop did walk around with women with collars at an award show and the cartoon called his behavior degrading and that's more then Crouch wrote after the award show. His article helped cancel the show. No apology or retraction from the hack. He's still clueless!

[blitzgreg1]

Those who don't get what Stanley Crouch is saying lacks the capacity to grasp his message. Black people need to recognise how self destructive the culture that they embrace is towards them. If the black community truly has the artistic metal that thay have always posessed, they could surely offer more enlightened material as a commercial artform. If all were well, lil Wayne would have been laughed at as nonesense art. Is this the same people that gave the world Stevie, Prince, Jimi Hendricks?

[salvadorpringle]

@blitzgreg1 To everyone who defends Stanley Crouch please Google the article "Crouching Stanley, Hidden Gangsta" by Ta-Nehisi Coates of the Village Voice, then tell me what you think of him.

[blitzgreg1]

@salvadorpringle it's not about Stanley Crouch really. Love or hate the man, but what he says on this topic rings of truth. Its about the social health of the black community and it's bigger then him

[salvadorpringle]

@blitzgreg1 I just don't see how a guy who has a long history of violence, stupidity and sucker punching gay guys gets to get on a soap box and preach about morality.

[blitzgreg1]

@salvadorpringle You still don't get my point. You are letting a man with flaws like the rest of us distract you from the pronouncement that he made. you could hate a musician and still love his music. Stanley's message was not a misguided foolish one, he was spot on. A man is entitled to be foolish sometimes, but when we are foolish collectively it means we are in dbig trouble. Really hope you understand what i am trying to say

[blitzgreg1]

@salvadorpringle People are attacking his character without disputing what he is saying. listen to the truth of the message look around at what you see. maybe you are too close the problem to see it. Stanley has taken a brave stand against the opinions of the masses, and to me that takes conviction in ones ideas and thoughts. usually when everyone holds one position or way of thinking its time to question and examine it. Don,t live in a state of denial.

[salvadorpringle]

@blitzgreg1 I'm not attacking his character, because he has no character. Has journalism sunk so low that a windbag like Crouch has the right to spew his BS over the world?  The man when he is told that he is wrong and when it is proven that he is wrong will not admit it or retract it and the Daily News doesn't give a damn. Only in the field of journalism could anybody get away with his level of incompetence

[blitzgreg1]

@salvadorpringle If you are not refuting his character, what are you doing then? you haven't once commented on wether what he said at this particular occasion has any validity. you are still talking about the man and not the message. Wether he has no charater or not is highly debatable and a matter of who is looking. Don't take anything he says personally, step back and examine it and think about it critically and say if is way off or not

[salvadorpringle]

@blitzgreg1 He wrote 2 article attacking a cartoon Where My Dogs at? for showing Snoop Dogg with women wearing dog collars. He never mentions that Snoop does walk around with women on dog collars and the show called it degrading. He is quoted in every paper and the show is cancelled. Lisa Fager who lead the campaign to axe the show lists her favorite show on Facebook as The Boondocks. The 2nd episode of that show had a 14 year old black girl being urinated on and enjoying it. Total hypocrites!

[blitzgreg1]

@salvadorpringle Ok, you are still on about Stanley Crouch. I would concede to you that he is a horrible human being. Let's say someone else said exactly the same thing he said in this particular forum. Would you agree or disagree with what was said. If my house was burning down and the neighbourhood sleeze was the one shouting the call, it would not mean that my house isnt burning because the individual doing the warning has 'no character'.

[salvadorpringle]

@blitzgreg1 My final comment, because I'm bored with it too. If Stanley Crouch were a white guy who liked sucker punching black guys, would you still support him? He is a black guy, who has a history of sucker punching gay guys. I don't think you would be supporting him.

[blitzgreg1]

@salvadorpringle I have never been a follower of any man's rhetoric or doctrine, i believe in free thinking. Don't think i am here to give support to Crouch. I simply saw the validity of what he expressed. I would never agree with sucker punching any one; nice red herring though. havent heard you give an opinion on wether or not his comment rang of truth or not. Go in peace my friend, give more thought to this.

[blitzgreg1]

@salvadorpringle For me this wasn't a discussion about a man, namely Stanley Crouch, i am looking at the issue and what was said by the man. Wether he is a hypocrite or the anti-christ he was for me spot on this time. Consensus seems to be a big problem in the black community; most folks cant unify and agree on much

[daggakid90]

instead of talking about 50 cent go to these hoods and talk to the young people and convince them to keep out of trouble and leave a clean life. this is what i hate about these older folks they'd rather address the issue in a fancy place than educating kids and then they wonder why young people act the way they do. im not neceissarily defending rap but come on deal with reality head on

[whatshendrix]

@daggakid90

You need to modify your attitude.

[daggakid90]

@whatshendrix

until you come up with a solution

[daggakid90]

@whatshendrix

im just stating my opinion

[whatshendrix]

@daggakid90

Try modifying your attitude and come up with a new opinion perhaps?

[daggakid90]

@whatshendrix

you need to modify your attitude

[whatshendrix]

@daggakid90

How so?

[daggakid90]

@whatshendrix

my opinion is my opinion.deal with it

[whatshendrix]

@daggakid90

"this is what i hate about these older folks" - this is attitude, not opinion.

[daggakid90]

@whatshendrix

and? i didnt say i hate them did i

[whatshendrix]

@daggakid90

Ok... Just never mind, keep your "opinion" the same for the rest of eternity. Why should anyone care, right?

[Blkserpent1]

Perhaps the ugliest MoFo in the world. Being a token, he feels that he has to single handedly suck up to the white man. Pink lips, black azz. Couldn't get a bytch even if he was a dog cathcher.

[johnnyboy9to5]

i mean so your sayn Just some one doesnt talk proper engish and talks about gay topics "still" degrading the blackman is right?

[kbh4950]

Banking and corporate criminals reward the most ignorant and talentless hip hop stars such as 50 Cent and JZ because they are determined to continue to degrade African Americans and their culture. It is in their (banking and corporate criminals) best interest to dumb down African Americans and Americans in general because informed Blacks capable of critical thinking are too dangerous. 50 Cent and JZ are very rich but they are still narcissistic imbeciles.

[blitzgreg1]

@kbh4950 So spot on. Couldn't heve been more enlightened on this topic than what you just said. I totally agree. Was starting to think i was alone in my thinking

[FCntertainr]

Charlie Parker was called the 'scourge of society'! Miles was the 'prince of darkness'! Someone said if Bird did not play bebop he would have killed white folks! Tupac said if I was not cussin on this record I'd be robbing you ( and he went to Arts Magnets school). I have read mr. Crouches words since subscribing to DownBeat in 1975, and Bob Marley's organist says USA blacks are so worried about being equal to the white man they never came out to hear when they tour the big cities whites did!

[MIKKAMETDIESTIKKA]

we are learning how to keep the mass under controle

[mobrownable78]

2:32 is right on. people on the outside think its reality

[94029374938402048]

this guy really needs to listen to Tribe sometime seriously

[bmuhamad]

I actually like this conversation.

[antoinelamond]

@yoyoyoitsnaynay, you do know all rappers do not rap about the stuff you mentioned right? Ever heard of the Lost Children of Babylon? See, you do not have to follow after commercial rappers (I no longer listen to them). There are also christian rap companies like Cross Movement Records and Reach Records. So. . .

[qgreen100]

50 is intellegent

[FATALNOTFICTITIOUS]

@qgreen100 exactly he picked a bad example....lyrics may not be scholarly but listenin to his interviews...50 cent intelligent

[blitzgreg1]

@qgreen100 intelligent but not wise. You can use intelligence to cut off your own head, but wisdom goes a little deeper and has to do with the responsibility attatched to intelligent descision making and thinking

[Lavaughn2]

there are whores bitches sluts and hoes that live in america why do you think divorce was invented because strong black women were divorcing their husbands because of these trashy women. this nigga sound like a reporter thats tryin to hide a true story from the world

[raze1974]

Instead of talking 50 Cent Down, talk Common or Talib up.

[SimonDB2006]

@raze1974 AMEN!

[Younggunzjr]

you are clueless just like stanley crouch

[RedSkullBeats]

dont get it twisted 50cent a smart dude, he knows how to play the market. dude has made millions. yeah his not exactly shakespear lol but as a business man he is very good.

[morganswirl]

crouch is a fuckin hack

[journalism101]

It's sad but at the same time, you're not going to change anything b/c you're not attractive to a mass audience like they are. And at the end of the day, people watch and listen to things that they don't apply b/c it's called entertainment. I can be a married man that watches porn that degreades the woman but that's not who I am, it's entertainment. People need to grow up and accept responsibility for their own actions and stop acting stupid! And children/teens are smarter than you think!

[Don1228]

Ask Michael Eric Dyson...he has NO problem with these people. What a buffoon...

[Tougemaster06]

Rappers, another example of the destructive force of the market. Rappers pursuing their self interest with no regards for their impact on society. A perfect example of the flaws of capitalism.

[yoyoyoitsnaynay]

i agree with Mr. Crouch. much of popular culture has a corrosive effect on our race. i used to like this music as a kid but i've learned better. it does no good towards bettering young people. i'm not a muslim, but like Minister Farrakhan said: "while we're moonwalking, other people are walking on the moon. we used to have singers called the supremes, the marvellettes and the miracles, now we have NWA and b---tches with problems!"

[harveysuperboy]

@yoyoyoitsnaynay Agree.

[4206changeobeir]

It always seems to amaze me the level at which our men justify these sell outs who are polluting our communities with this garbage. As long as they are making money doing it, it is o.k. To these people I would like to say, don't be mad about slavery or any of the injustices that followed. Hell, they were just making money. Step on the backs of black women and use the unenlightened sisters to reduce all the rest of us to body parts with no brains. The only thing that matters is the money.

[khalithistle]

ever read mingus' autobiography, stanley? how did you feel about its portrayal of women? moron

[spyderman57]

Stanley is a true brother who cares, these rappers not all are sell outs.

[gkipling]

Mr Crouch is a living example of what Marcus Garvey said " a black man worst enemy is the black man himself " . He's always criticizing these rappers yet he can never come up with a solution .

Seeing that what 50 cent is doing is so bad and I would love him to suggest how can a black man from the ghetto can have a net worth of $300m in the space of six years legally.

[FuckUtube2008]

you're a clown. i suppose i could ask you why you're so busy criticizing stanley crouch and not coming up with solutions? part of the solution to any problem is to first admit that you have a problem and to state what that problem is. well one of the many problems in the black community is these cooning rappers and the solution would be to get rid of them and you can't get rid of them without criticizing them, ding dong.

[gkipling]

So let me get this straight 50 cent made $300 million in six years . Stanly Crouch has not made $3million in his entire carreer and I am a clown for crtizing a man who has no suggestion only complaints about hip hop . wow! .If he has such a big problem with hip hop he needs to form his own record company and shut the fuck up and put his money where is mouth is

[FuckUtube2008]

just the kinda comment i would expect from a brain dead youtube troll. it's really pointless arguing with you, as your logic is about as sound as a 5 year old retarded child. you speak like a groupie who takes dicks up the ass for any celebrity with the biggest wallet. any attempt at a logical rational debate with you is clearly an effort in futility. happy trolling.

[learntwostruggle]

@gkipling How much 50 cent made is irrelevant.

[Younggunzjr]

@FuckUtube2008 i disagree with you. the problem in the black community is that people look to rappers and actors to raise the children when the parents should be. im black myself and im admitting that we all we do as black people is talk, criticize, and bring down. if we should fix this problem, we should start in the home, you have children raising themselves. rap is not the problem. and the main people that criticize are the ones who never try to clean up the streets. Criticizing never works.

[FuckUtube2008]

@Younggunzjr there are some people who blame the problems of the world on the rappers. i am not one of those people. but blaming the problems of the world on the parents is every bit as lame. the main cause of an individual's problems is the choices that individual makes. but we must also acknowledge that an individual's environment greatly influences those choices and the parents and the popular culture (hip hop) are BOTH apart of the environment. it's not an either or, it's both.

[Younggunzjr]

@FuckUtube2008 blaming the parent isnt lame. im being real and honest. there are not adults in the home giving these kids attention. i think blaming hip hop and movies on the reason why kids is having problems is lame. society is raising the children, not the parents. hip hop is a culture, but if there were parents there TEACHING them right from wrong and explaining, then the problem wouldnt be that big. NO HOME TRAINING. thats the problem. it starts at home

[FuckUtube2008]

@Younggunzjr you're clueless.

[90mv]

@Younggunzjr What if the parents did raise their child well and the rappers still have an negative influence on them then what ?

[Younggunzjr]

@90mv thats still the parents fault somewhat, but you cant blame the rapper to a certain degree. You have to blame the child too. That child knows right from wrong if that child was raised well.

[blitzgreg1]

@90mv If the parents raised there chilldren in secure loving environments condusive to personal growth and advancement, the kids would probably not be listening to much of these bonehead rappers. They would be experimenting with much higher artforms, maybe for example contemporary jazz fusions or more positive forms of creativity. By nature a smarter person would be more attracted to higher art. this would eventually cause the standard mainstream artforms to elevate their levels.

[klimes86]

3) Hip hop is much broader than 50 Cent. To take the supposed sins of one rapper and extend it to 2pac, Biggie, Nas, Jay Z, Wu Tang, Kool G Rap, Rakim, Slick Rick...the list goes on is just a lazy non - sequiter. There is a lot to criticise in hip hop but it is not a one way street of negativity.

[CorneliusMcGee]

Yea I'm a little sick of hearin this man's one-sided bullshit. He doesn't listen to the genre so he should stop pickin random artists from the "Top 8 at 8" to talk about. Those are easy targets that are out there to make a dollar and make some asses dance in the club. They don't define the genre at all. Shut your mouth Stanley.

[klimes86]

There is a lot of ignorance on display from Crouch here about hip hop...his argument is not new and it is frankly monotonous and boring. I disagree with him in thee areas: 1) his stereotype of 50 Cent as an idiot is wrong. 50 Cent is far more intelligent than Crouch gives him credit for. 2) the stereotype of white listeners as being interested in only image and following a trend is probably true but some are serious hip hop fans who do analyse the lyrics

[vampirekiller9283]

"some are serious hip hop fans who do analyse the lyrics"

lol.

[mdqxxx]

stanley cares about the soul and the spirit...he is saying there is something to protect in our souls and spirits.

[Illuminated7]

What Stanley Crouch illustrates is the dichotomy in the black community. The intelligencia within the community is ready to cut off the thug/gangster element . They hate rap ( as they understand it)becuase they see what it perpetuates. Remember this is the generation that called one another "blood"; the generation where the winos herion addicts and pimps on the corner ALWAYS told you to aspire for better. Now you have these fake thug telling you to be comfortble with your base self.

[petersmiff3]

about how he love his girl and dont want her to leave, dudes like this be the biggest hiporcites ,, i bet he goes home and beats his wife ,,, calls her names ,, hip hop stays under attack by you clowns no matter what we rap about even gospel singers get it ,, oh hes doing the devils music ,, no matter how hard we try clowns like this one and annyone whom agrees with him will always add to the burden of the black man.. our voice is dying ,, and black ppl are the cause

~larce~

[mykinfok]

What you rappin bout fool?

[petersmiff3]

this dude is talking out his ass so much ,, in the same note 50 cent did the 20 questions song where he was talking

[HighPacheChief]

It does in a capitalistic society. People just can't get through their thick skulls that a capitalistic system is amoral. The ONLY thing that is paramount in the making/production of money!!! Why do you think the government is in the drug business?

[mcmike1989]

I couldn't agree with Stanley more. He is right on the money. He truly cares about the situations black people are going through and dealing with.

[Romello4u]

Stanely Crouch is a fearless voice in the face of ignorance.

[supahsekzy]

@Romello4u FUCK stanley crouch, thumbs up if you agree

[supahsekzy]

When he says, "Do you think the Wall street guys are saying, man 50 cent could be in the firm!" He's fucking WRONG! Say what you want about lyrics of guys like Jay-Z or 50 Cent, but the one thing you can't deny is that they are excellent businessmen and proof is in the pudding: rich white people are throwing them clothing deals and Vitamin Water flavors left and right. Thumbs up if you think Stanley Crouch is a FUCKING RETARD.

[pattiejazz]

You are what you say if you don't think your guys aren't a part of Wall street - you are wrong, just look and you will find them, in black and white - whatever colour you like.

[supahsekzy]

@pattiejazz That made a whole lot of no sense.

[gregorybrian]

@supahsekzy Apparently you missed the part at the beginning where he talked about the value of boxes and wheelbarrows of manure.

[senjahcore]

@Romello4u Is Crouch willing to make the same "fearless" analysis of Donald Trump that he makes of 50 Cent and other hip-hop artists?

[salvadorpringle]

@Romello4u This man is the voice of ignorance. He has sucker punched book critics, who he has called "troubled queens". He has also assaulted 5 or 6 other people that I know and crashed a Jazz Award show that he was not invited to, then he ran on stage and bored the hell out of the audience with a drum solo. He's a joke.

[RicMo747]

Stanley is shifting the blame game onto white folks, as is always done. As if a white guy wrote 50's lyric for him. When do blacks, in particular inner-city urban males, take responsibility for their own actions. It's 50's lyrics, not the white listener. It's black rappers, and a lot of blacks in general who go around using words like "bitches" to refer to black women and "niggers" to refer to black men;

[Marbles471]

I don't know how you're interpreting Crouch's words that way. "Shifting the blame onto the white man?" How are you arriving there? That's not at all what he was saying.

[FuckUtube2008]

you're a clown ass white boy. you seriously need to go back and watch the video again you ass hat because he didn't blame whitey for anything. he merely questioned the idea that a white person could listen to lyrics like 50 cen'tts and actually not see blacks as inferior. how can that possiblyl be an example of "blaming whitey"? you're a moron.

[gkipling]

Fistly I am not going to stoop to your pathetic level of conversation . I feel sorry for you ,you know why . Why you are cursing everybody out 50 Cent is STILL making millions and not your dumb ass . Say your last words and rest in peace .

[gkipling]

ok so what do you suggest to do to make $300m in six years?

[FuckUtube2008]

i suggest you read the comment again and let it seep in.

[gkipling]

Just as I taught no solution . Continue in the foot steps of Mr Crouch and I gurantee you will end up just like him INTELLIGENT AND BROKE!!!!!!!

[FuckUtube2008]

so you've actually looked at his tax returns to confirm that he's "broke"? exactly how much money do you have in your bank account btw?

[Stimchi]

this guy, wow. For someone who talks down on hip hop so much, he sure as hell don't listen to it. So what makes his opinions valid?

Truly he underestimates 50 Cent. He talks about his lyrics being disrespectful but he neglects to talk about 50's business sense. if you gonna talk about one thing talk about it all, Stanley. 50 does more than rap, clothing, vitamin water, books, video games..so yeah a Wall Street would like to do business with him, homey.

[victornewman06]

So what you're saying is that as long as he (50 cent) has a business savvy and market himself as such, it's all honkey dorey. People can say the same thing about slavery, there was a business savvy there...but that don't mean the shit is right. Granted, I'm not much of a fan of Stanley Crouch, but I agree on some of the things he say. Once we as people get out of this capitalist ideology that didn't give a shit about us to begin with, then the mental slavery will cease to exist

[Stimchi]

Dont fall for it. all im saying is think. Stanley Crouch knows who to target. 50 cent was a dope dealer, became a rapper, and is now making millions of his lyrics of his days of hustling. I look at it is, "thats one less drug dealer out the ghetto, good." You say the capitalist ideology dont give a shit about us, okay. Stanley dont give a shit either. he runs his mouth about hip hop but truly dont know shit about it. He is a house nigga being used to say things a white man can't say.

[victornewman06]

I see what you're saying on the one less drug dealer in the streets, but I see it as this: 50 cent's lyrics glorify, glamorize, and repudiates all the original tenets of hip hop (positivity, upliftment, black and brown empowerment in the face of adversity and socioeconomic hardships in urban communities). Now, I'm not saying that kids will listen to 50 and want to sell dope, I'm saying that the paradigm between hustling dope and success are too close to comprehend.

[victornewman06]

{cont} It almost presents this, "I can sell dope, save my money and become a rapper" mantra that kids want to emulate. There is no circumstances and lessons learned in what he raps...he glorifies and that's it, No moral of the story, nothing. On the other aspect, 50 cent, Lil Wayne and all these other clowns are Uncle Toms for their corporate slave masters...it works both ways. As far as Crouch, you are probably right, but at the same time, is he not right on some of the issues?

[Stimchi]

All im saying is, Crouch paints only one side of the picture. There are many sides of these artists he attacks. 50 cent may have a song called "My gun go off",but he also has a song called "God gave me style." If you read what Crouch says and not listen to these artists, you would think that these rappers are good 4 nothing coons, and thats not the case. People who are not into hip hop could give a rat's ass what it stands for (Oprah), so Crouch gives only one side and these people go with that.

[mykinfok]

To say dat makes it seem that Rap is not an issue for the struggles we face in our communities. Are you Black or white?

[Stimchi]

I'm black. Trust me when i say that Stanley Crouch is just an Uncle tom, he talks the talk but really dont give a shit. If rap did clean up it's lyrics, he'd be out of a job. Kevin Lyles was ready to whoop his ass when Stanley was talking crazy on the Oprah show. Believe me, he is a fraud.

[mykinfok]

Fair play, but he has a fair comment too.

Pac in hindsight was the realest nigga. Never gonna be anotha brave Blck man to stand up for us like Pac did.

Ain't no one in the limelight rapping knowledge anymore.

[isata88]

how old are you? Pac's era revolved in a split in rap music culture: the dying positive rap and the emerging negative rap. He played the balance to maintain his stature.

[victornewman06]

We have adopted an ideology that originally served to demean, denigrate, and demoralize us by using money as a tool for success. We have embraced the fact that rap music has become a warped sense of this "ipso facto" facade of capitalism (parading this clowns in the mainstream as success stories), and how the free market can somehow apply to and benefit urban life and the social ills that resonate from it (on a glorifying aspect). That's that bullshit!!!!! LOL

[stillphil]

Stanley broke that down !

There is NEVER a small audience for anything Black people do that makes White people feel "superior".

[damaliabrams]

Thank you for sending this to me. Very well-said.

[ocobham]

The old man has some very good points, especially the one about Obama's vs 50's authenticity

[mumbleora]

Remember young man, you don't get to be an old man being a fool...