“After many years of hip-hop as a nation we should have the sophistication to accept that their are distinctions between the corporate manifestation of hip-hop, sold as a commodity and package with sensational race, sex and violent imagery, and the hip-hop culture that kids are living everyday at a local level, which often doesn't dabble in that terrain.” ShouldYearsKidsCultureNationsSexLevelsRaceAcceptingShould HaveEverydayHip HopViolentLocalsHipsCorporateManifestationDistinctionHopsCommodityImageryPackagesSophisticationTerrainSensationalLive Everyday Author:Bakari Kitwana
“Locally lived hip-hop culture that is giving many of America's youth the tool they need to survive and thrive in America, in the face of public policy that have written too many young people off.” PeopleNeedsGivingAmericaFacesYoungCultureWrittenPolicyYouthToolsHip HopHipsThriveHopsPublic Policy Author:Bakari Kitwana
“These technologies can make life easier, can let us touch people we might not otherwise. You may have a child with a birth defect and be able to get in touch with other parents and support groups, get medical information, the latest experimental drugs. These things can profoundly influence life. I'm not downplaying that.” PeopleMayChildrenMightAbleParentTechnologySupportGroupsInfluenceInformationBirthEasierDrugMedicalDefectsSupport GroupsBirth Defects Author:Steve Jobs
“We need to look beyond the obvious. Yes, there are minstrel images in hip-hop. Yes, there are demeaning, anti-racist, misogynistic and homophobic representations. We could make the same case about the church and our government. But hip-hop, like society, isn't one dimensional.” NeedsLooksGovernmentChurchCasesHip HopObviousHipsHopsRacistRepresentationHomophobicDemeaningAnti RacistMinstrels Author:Bakari Kitwana
“Few places in American culture have made as effective a case for entrepreneurship than hip-hop. Hip-hop tells young people that our society is offering very limited options for youth. And that while society points to a radical decline in living wage jobs for youth and meaningful and affordable education, hip-hop is offering an alternative legitimate economy that is giving youth hope.” PeopleGivingMadeJobsYoungCultureCasesEconomyYouthHip HopMeaningfulEntrepreneurshipRadicalHipsAlternativesHopsOur SocietyOfferingDeclineAmerican CultureAffordableLiving Wage Author:Bakari Kitwana
“I feel as if I'm going through a mid-life crisis. I don't feel very attractive and it's like I'm frigid or something. I'm aging and it makes me very sad.” IfsFeelsCrisisAgingAttractiveVery SadFrigidLife CrisisMid Life Crisis Author:Kola Boof
“We live in a society that refuses to set a standard for what we will allow American entertainment to expose to our children. I think we need to set a standard that is entertainment industry wide, not just limited to hip-hop.” ThinkingNeedsChildrenIndustryStandardsOur ChildrenHip HopEntertainmentRefuseWideHipsHopsEntertainment Industry Author:Bakari Kitwana
“Hip-hop is contributing to American society's misogyny and racism, hyper-sexuality anti-Black representations. Hip-Hop isn't setting the standard for misogyny. No one reduces the presidency to misogyny, although we've had misogynistic presidents. No one reduces our government to being solely homophobic, although we have a government with a don't ask, don't tell policy for gays and lesbians in the military.” GovernmentAsksBlackPresidentMilitaryPolicyGayRacismStandardsHip HopSexualitySettingSettingsHipsHopsRepresentationMisogynyPresidencyContributingHyperAmerican SocietyHomophobic Author:Bakari Kitwana
“I'm not a poster boy for misogyny and I don't think hip-hop should be either.” ThinkingShouldBoysHip HopHipsHopsMisogynyPosters Author:Bakari Kitwana
“Hip-Hop's cultural movement is much larger than the corporate representation. The images most of hip-hop's critics point to are those manufactured by major corporations whether on television, via Viacom, or on the radio, via Radio One and Clear Channel.” ClearMovementTelevisionMajorsCriticsHip HopRadioHipsCorporateCorporationsHopsRepresentation Author:Bakari Kitwana