Obama invites Rapper Common, who raps about killing cops, to a White House celebration

Originally posted by macman
So, Common has lyrics in his songs, which he wrote about killing cops and people are ok with this?

Are you familiar with his music? I cant recall the lyrics in question, and the article doesnt cite any of them, only saying it is 'reported' (by who?) that he does.

MEthinks you might wanna research your article a bit.

So if a white male were President, and invited say a white artist who sung about killing, say black activists people would be ok? I think not.

What a horrid, distorted comparison.

The problem here is that they are jumping on his lyrics without actually understanding them. The one single song in question that they are up in arms about is actually AGAINST these sorts of violent lyrics. He uses them ironically, then ends the song with a couplet about how we need to stop talking about these sorts of things if we want to build a better, less violent society.

Jon Stewart explains it best on The Daily Show.

Part 2 of Daily Show piece.

I wish Obama would've been in the White House during the Biggie/Tupac era. They could've all three sat down in the Rose Garden and hashed out the whole east coast/west coast feud. Word!

Hindsight is 20/20 I guess.

Peace

Originally posted by Dr Love
hashed

Ahe he he...=P

Originally posted by incrediblelousminds

Originally posted by macman
So, Common has lyrics in his songs, which he wrote about killing cops and people are ok with this?

Are you familiar with his music? I cant recall the lyrics in question, and the article doesnt cite any of them, only saying it is 'reported' (by who?) that he does.

MEthinks you might wanna research your article a bit.

So if a white male were President, and invited say a white artist who sung about killing, say black activists people would be ok? I think not.

What a horrid, distorted comparison.

Yes, I have heard his music and I am not impressed.
He has lyrics that promote violence against police. Unless we can apply Clinton type definitions, then what I stated still stands.

Originally posted by macman
Yes, I have heard his music and I am not impressed.
He has lyrics that promote violence against police. Unless we can apply Clinton type definitions, then what I stated still stands.

Please, show us these lyrics. They shouldn't be hard to find online. I'd really like to see them. I'm honestly not familiar with his work but the only thing that's been quoted by people like Hannity has been shown to be completely misunderstood by them (perhaps deliberately).

reply to post by ChicagOpinion


All 1 can say to those with an issue w/ Common is back check all of Commons albums then compare them to some of the more aggressive rappers of today and Common believe it or not ranks in the positive motivated crowd. He had it hard being fully excepted into the rap game somewhat because his flows didnt include the normal kill kill kill murder murder murder content. So as I said look at all his albums even read the songs and get a better image. He raps about some negatives that may get on peoples nerves negatives experienced in the Urban communities. Some of these negatives include cops killing urban community members. So if he didnt experience some of the negs. so many wish to run with in his rap content then he wouldnt rap about them. Rappers usually are speaking of things they experienced in their communities from Urban common to the 8 mile Slim or EM. SO basically whats happening here from a balanced view is people see Obamas wife trying to have poetry influences on youth and feel rap has no place. Yet movies which portray extreme negativity YOU SEE STREET KINGS OR BROOKLYNS FINEST are ok for the youth as long as nobody bothers the big wigs in HOLLYWOOD. All she was trying to do was show the kids where poetry can go from what I see. So many need to STOP HATEN FO REAL. I mean arnt there more important things to waste air time on then this. Like the Missippippi, smh people.


Check out:
Kendrick Lamar-HiiiPower decent even got some illuminati data for those worried about the music industry and illuminate
Or NAS-Patience-decent lyrics and the video is amazing Um sayen people there is only 1 judge and he see everything even hatred backed ignorance.. PEACE

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/288970719f66.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8764a58c87d7.jpg[/atsimg]

Early one mornin' while makin' the rounds
I took a shot of coc aine and I shot my woman down
I went right home and I went to bed I stuck that lovin' 44 beneath my head

Got up next mornin' and I grabbed that gun took a shot of coc aine and away I run

Johnny Cash - Cocaine Blues

Johnny Cash lyrics: "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die"! [sarcasm]Can you believe that man would be invited to the freaking WHITE HOUSE??? What has happened to this country? He's a freaking ex-con, for Christ's sake! And Bush awarded him with the National Medal of ARTS! [/sarcasm]

People, your hypocrisy and prejudice are showing! You should be embarrassed!

Common's White House Performance

Did you ALL forget this.

Why did Bush Sr. invite Eazy E to the White House? - Why did Bush Jr. invite Ozzy Osbourne to the White House?

Eazy E supported Bush Sr. because he was against censorship, something that Eazy E as well as numerous other artists struggled with during the 80's. Bush Sr. invited him to the White House, most likely for publicity, not necessarily because he liked his music. Bush Jr. liked Ozzy Osbourne's music and therefore invited him to a White House dinner ball. A famous quote also came to because of this, "Ozzy, Mom loves your stuff."

AND THE ISSUE IS?????????????????

UM JUST SAYEN

Originally posted by Ophiuchus 13
reply to post by ChicagOpinion

 

He had it hard being fully excepted into the rap game somewhat because his flows didnt include the normal kill kill kill murder murder murder content.

Errrm, correct me if I'm wrong, but I listen to a lot of Hip-Hop and tend to find the MS nonsense tends to flow around girls, money, booze and cars? rather than killing and murder...These days anyway....The roots of HipHop have been forgotten about(not saying that the roots are killing and murder, they are about telling a story and delivering a message) because its too easy to churn out the same song over and over, with the same beat, same flow, same autotuned crap chorus and same lyrics. But then I suppose thats what the mainstream listeners want to hear/are force fed, as its making the record companies millions...=/

this went a bit off topic but couldnt contain myself.....also, not having a go at you at all, what you said was pretty accurate...just not that bit...=P

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Early one mornin' while makin' the rounds
I took a shot of coc aine and I shot my woman down
I went right home and I went to bed I stuck that lovin' 44 beneath my head

Got up next mornin' and I grabbed that gun took a shot of coc aine and away I run

Johnny Cash - Cocaine Blues

Johnny Cash lyrics: "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die"! Can you believe that man would be invited to the freaking WHITE HOUSE??? What has happened to this country?

He's a freaking ex-con, for Christ's sake! And Bush awarded him with the National Medal of ARTS!

People, your hypocrisy and prejudice are showing! You should be embarrassed!

Common's White House Performance

In all fairness to Bush (and I'm no Bush fan, believe me!), Johnny Cash is awesome. Also, much like Common's poem, which is really about saying "no" to violence, Cash's song that you quote above is as well. It ends with the lyrics:

The judge he smiled as he picked up his pin 99 years in the Folsom pen
99 years underneath that ground I can't forget the day I shot that bad bitch down
Come on you've gotta listen unto me lay off that whiskey and let that coc aine be.

So, basically Cash and Common are doing and saying the exact same thing!

Originally posted by LifeInDeath
So, basically Cash and Common are doing and saying the exact same thing!

That was the point of my post. I guess I should insert a sarcasm tag.

I totally support both presidents inviting who THEY choose to participate in THEIR poetry night.

Johnny Cash is cool, I agree. And from what I've learned about Common since this story came out, he's pretty cool too.

Originally posted by macman


Yes, I have heard his music and I am not impressed.
He has lyrics that promote violence against police. Unless we can apply Clinton type definitions, then what I stated still stands.

What you say doesn't stand, because you are clearly lying about listening to Common's music.

You claim that he has lyrics that promote violence against police, yet you cannot cite one. Even in the odd chance that he did, it still means little because there's this thing called the Constitution that protects his right to do so. Pathetic.

reply to post by Matti420

See what I am saying is I have been listening to it since single digit age back during the golden age I will call it when Run D MC were coming out ect ect. And I watched it switch to the Gangster era of rap when that's all you heard from NWA-Ghetto boys-CMW ect during the early 90s Common came in during the end somewhat of the Gangster rap era when Do or Die and Twista were shining for Chicago He was not following the kill kill kill method back then when he first came out he was approaching the game some what conscious of how music effects the youth and you heard it in his music w/ Erykah Badu and I think another RnB female. This is what I meant about him not being part of that era of rap. Now the rap game just got past the platinum era and Ice age of rap kinda speaks for itself in what you mentioned with the ladies-money-cars-houses-jewelry-boasting beyond any need and Common still maintained his integrity. He just recently got into the more mainstream when Kanye West put him on. Hope that clears up more of my content.

Originally posted by macman
So if a white male were President, and invited say a white artist who sung about killing, say black activists people would be ok? I think not.

What a disgusting display of double standards.

You have white males (namely Bushs' Senior and Junior) that have invited Eazy-E [a well-known gangster rapper that sang "# the Police"] and Ozzy Osbourne to the White House, yet you want to talk about a disgusting display of double standards? Surely you jest.

reply to post by Ophiuchus 13


Blee'dat, Nah'msay'n?...=P
Thanks for clearing that up. Star for you =]

This is just more political trolling by the idiocracy of the right-wing. They have no problems with singers like Ozzy or Johnny Cash and their controversial lyrics, but if it's a rapper OMG it's the end of the world.

I'm a fan of all three, Johhny Cash, Ozzy and Common. They all use lyrics to convey emotions or scenes of hardship, or the vicious cycle of drug dependencies, or inner city life, etc. Johhny Cash even did a cover of Nine Inch Nails "Hurt" about drug addiction.

These are ARTISTS, they express themselves, sometimes in controversial means. Getting all butthurt over it only shows your own insecurities - which may or may not be the point for being controversial in the first place.

Either side, left or right, that complains about an artist, controversial or not, being invited to the WH or any institution, should stand in front of a mirror and see the face of hypocrisy.

reply to post by atlscribe


While yes, most of his songs do not promote this, and some even talk about not calling women derogatory terms, the song dedicated to Assata Shakur, a known and convicted cop killer speaks volumes.
And spare me the "he is innocent crap" or the ploy of bad environment. That is BS for another debate.

While I do like the music of Cash, I do not see where he should be at the WH, as this is the People's House, and not all enjoy the music of Cash.

And yes, I know and fully understand the difference between Rap, Gangster Rap and Hiphop. Been around it all a long time.

I don't care what anyone sings about, as I am for freedom of speech.

Originally posted by macman
While I do like the music of Cash, I do not see where he should be at the WH, as this is the People's House, and not all enjoy the music of Cash.

So, are you suggesting that everyone who gets invited to the White House should be approved by the entire populace of the US? That's preposterous!

I don't care what anyone sings about, as I am for freedom of speech.

Yeah, sure you are...

OMG he rapped about killing cops!?!? Thats terrible! (Sarcasm ends here).

Did you know Obama used Coke and Marijuana in his earlier years?!?!

Common has a very wide variety of songs and it doesnt mean he's going to sing about killing people or cops.