How Actors Get a Pass on This But Not Musicians/Rappers?

[wellingdowd]

Music has general been seen as a more personal form of expression. When you hear a song wether it's Rap, Country, R&B it's somebodies story or most of it is anyway. A good song can make you feel like it was written just for you, it can convey emotions in 3 minutes that a movie can in 2 hours. Movies are always embellished even biographies and documentaries. There are so many cuts and edits until they get the run time they want, the takes they want, the perfect trailer to run on tv. The actors and directors have to bring to life what is in a script, a movie goes through so many hands it's not even funny.
Also we see these actors in other roles, Ed norton was a skinhead in American history X he was also the Hulk, see what I'm saying, while as Ross has always been a heavy drug lord or jezzy a brick boy/trapper. This is what they are claiming is their lives and this is what they would have us believe. So when they spit it,it better be as close to reality as possible. Rappers have lost careers over being "fake".
I mean if you're old enough you can remember when the media came down on rappers for having guns on the album covers and in videos and the rappers tried to argue that they would award movies like Scarface, Goodfellas and the Godfather but then shit on them. Sly, Arnold, Willis and Eastwood heroes, but Snoop, Ice-t, Nwa thugs. needless to say the rappers never won this argument cause violence followed them in concerts, clubs, store promotions etc. While Sly could go to a movie premier without incident. Most rappers never admit to playing a character so here we are now when some of the hottest rappers out have to perform in flea markets because can't get insured to perform at larger venues.

And why would a white rapper try to reference a historical point by saying ******? What, back in the day we used to hang them ******s? or i'll never forget the day i voted a ****** in the white house. I fly my southern flag for every ****** shot? I don't know what they could tell me about my own peoples struggles that i could not hear from grandama or an uncle. 3rd base tried and it came off condescending "Black cats bad luck,Bad guys wear black, must be a white guy that started all that" also the young black teenagers were a group of white guys.( That's worse than just saying ******.)

 

[JerfyT]

Definitely agree with the TS, and I think rap is usually singled out because there's more story-telling in rap than most other genres. But yes, music should be viewed through the same lens as we view film. It's entertainment.

 

[Scarface!]

lol shit is not the same

 

[Legend24]

Because Acting and making music is not the same types of Art. Music is SUPPOSE to be self expression and when u act u become a character that SOMEBODY else created. It's just not the same and i will never see it as the same.

Music can tell other people's stories, it's not just limited to your story. Some of the greatest hip-hop songs were not experiences that the rapper went through, it was just something they wanted to write about.

Movies can be your own story... biographies.

You're trying to simplify the arts, you can't do that. And I never said they were the same...

 

[south4life]

Just like they always blame Hip Hop music for negative things in their music but, actors and actresses can cuss, fuck, smoke weed, do crack, walk around butt ass naked and kill.
But if a rapper talks about that stuff in their songs, they are considered negative and the actors and actresses are heroes to everybody.
Perfect example, Will Smith loves to brag about he doesn't have to cuss and say nigga in his songs but, all his movies he is cussing like a mutha, don't u think kids are influenced by movies also?

 

[Legend24]

Of course but thats still self expression ur expressing what u saw and what ur homeboy/homegirl or even Stranger went through... when u act alot of the time u dont come up with the story line or idea of the character ur playing. It's ur job as an actor to make that person come to life... 2 different forms of art...

Doesn't mean one art form should be held accountable and not the other. If one is going to be criticized for its "negative" themes, then the other should as well, regardless of where the concept originated from.

 

[Legend24]

Just like they always blame Hip Hop music for negative things in their music but, actors and actresses can cuss, fuck, smoke weed, do crack, walk around butt ass naked and kill.
But if a rapper talks about that stuff in their songs, they are considered negative and the actors and actresses are heroes to everybody.
Perfect example, Will Smith loves to brag about he doesn't have to cuss and say nigga in his songs but, all his movies he is cussing like a mutha, don't u think kids are influenced by movies also?

True, they toting guns in movies but they come blame hip-hop when violence increases just because we talk about guns? I've always believed that you're more inclined to mimic something if you witness it as opposed to just hearing about it.

 

[hrap-120]

Accountablility comes with responsiblity... I never heard ONE rapper in a interview seperate themself from the "Character" they're tryin to portray as a rapper. They claim that that is them... Denzel doesnt say that the cop in Training Day is him and he walks around with the same goatee and accent and demenor tryin to convince us other wise... If Rappers seperate them self and take responsiblity for who ever they are tryin to portray it would be a different story...

( I totally disagree with your opinion)

Hey sugar-baby, daddy been missin' you.

What color drawls you got on??

 

[Legend24]

Accountablility comes with responsiblity... I never heard ONE rapper in a interview seperate themself from the "Character" they're tryin to portray as a rapper. They claim that that is them... Denzel doesnt say that the cop in Training Day is him and he walks around with the same goatee and accent and demenor tryin to convince us other wise... If Rappers seperate them self and take responsiblity for who ever they are tryin to portray it would be a different story...

Good point but impressionable youth don't see a "character". They see a lifestyle on a screen, they see someone doing/saying something "cool". Sure they probably realize that the movie isn't real life, but they don't understand that trying to play out the movie in real life (or trying to mimic a character's actions) will lead to real life consequences. It doesn't matter if it's a character story in a movie or a real story in music, if negative messages are going to be condemned in one, it should be condemned in both.

 

[rip.dilla]

( I totally disagree with your opinion)

Hey sugar-baby, daddy been missin' you.

What color drawls you got on??

Nigga go hang urself...

LMBAO...wtfigoh???

 

[hrap-120]

Nigga go hang urself...

O.K.

I dont believe in stifling an artists creativit, I believe an artist should feel free to create poetry that draws from personal experiences as well as ones imagination.
Some of hiphops greatest story-tellers used their vivid imaginations to craft remarkable stories that you could easily envision through their descriptive words.

I agree with Legend24 when he says both should be equally condemned in regards to movies and music..they are more intertwined than people want to accept.

 

[wellingdowd]

I love hip-hop through and through but it doesn't help your case if you rap Murder was the case and then catch a murder charge or rap tear the club up and then have a shootout at your after party. Rappers will go out of their way to craft an image of a drug dealer, pimp, street dude,gangster whatever, and claim that it's all their reality not someone else's reality that they are presenting. Say what you want but let's not be naive people judge other people, even people that don't want to be judged. Rappers talk so much shit that when they meet real street dudes they have an image to uphold and that's When keeping it real goes wrong. Like i posted earlier Actors are seen in different roles comedy, drama, whatever and usually playing different characters. Musicians are not.(not talking about rappers acting) No one will step to Al Pacino like he Scarface talking about you ready to go to war!

 

[icame4wo]

Directors and actors get a creative pass on shit, but rappers and other musicians don't get the same courtesy. Examples:

White men go around dropping "nigga" in movies in the interest of historical accuracy but if a white rapper tries to drop some historical knowledge in one of his tracks, he couldn't even think of using the word (not saying they should or shouldn't be able to use it, just pointing out the inconsistency).

Movies come out about street violence, spousal abuse, rape, etc and get lauded for amazing performances. Rappers drop tracks talking about their violent past (don't confuse this with those rappers that condone and encourage violence) and they get criticized for their violent content.

A specific example. Eminem drops the track "Kim" on MMLP and gets criticized for writing a story about killing someone. Screenwriters write about serial killers (fiction or non-fiction events) and get praised for their accuracy and detail.

Some white friends asked me... How do you listen to that Eminem song and not be disgusted by it?
My response: Same way you watch that Silence of the Lambs movie and sympathize with the guy who eats people.

Movies are extended a non-criticized freedom of expression beyond that of music's. Thoughts?

most people dont watch movies hundreds or thousands of times. maybe like 8 times if they like it. with music its different. who wants their mind filled with garbage that can just pop into their thoughts at any given moment? think about it. when you turn 60 do you want 3 am in head? why cant rappers seem to make song that dont deal with violence? either for it or against it? go to wordlstar and look at the effects of these stupid songs and movies. they got thousands of clips of all kinds of things hollywood and rappers taught them. it aint like we born with this. look at that fishburne chick talking about she want to be like kim kardashin. they breedin whores, killers and rapist. its cool if you see is as entertainment but most people dont even when they think they do. let somebody get mad and then next thing you know they acting out some crazy bs they seen. "where were the parents at?" idk but your music was there.

 

[Ounceman]

Another thing i never understood was comedians also get a pass for being vulgar. my mother would laugh hysterically at some of the most obscene and lewd jokes told by comedians but will get mad and tell rappers to clean up their act for saying the exact same thing

 

[Maximus Rex]

What I trip off of is how "Hustle and Flow," got all of this critical acclaim and Terrance Howard gets nominated for an Oscar, but Three 6 Mafia gets commended for making a song about struggling pimp trying to come up rapping, when the fucking movie is a about a pimp trying to come up rapping. "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp," is supposedly demeans women, but having a bitch sucking dick for a microphone is legitimate artist expression?

 

[NothingButTheTruth]

Accountablility comes with responsiblity... I never heard ONE rapper in a interview seperate themself from the "Character" they're tryin to portray as a rapper. They claim that that is them... Denzel doesnt say that the cop in Training Day is him and he walks around with the same goatee and accent and demenor tryin to convince us other wise... If Rappers seperate them self and take responsiblity for who ever they are tryin to portray it would be a different story...

I love hip-hop through and through but it doesn't help your case if you rap Murder was the case and then catch a murder charge or rap tear the club up and then have a shootout at your after party. Rappers will go out of their way to craft an image of a drug dealer, pimp, street dude,gangster whatever, and claim that it's all their reality not someone else's reality that they are presenting. Say what you want but let's not be naive people judge other people, even people that don't want to be judged. Rappers talk so much shit that when they meet real street dudes they have an image to uphold and that's When keeping it real goes wrong. Like i posted earlier Actors are seen in different roles comedy, drama, whatever and usually playing different characters. Musicians are not.(not talking about rappers acting) No one will step to Al Pacino like he Scarface talking about you ready to go to war!

Cosign, these guys answered your question...

 

[Brian B.]

i made a thread bout this the other day

 

[Brian B.]

Good point but impressionable youth don't see a "character". They see a lifestyle on a screen, they see someone doing/saying something "cool". Sure they probably realize that the movie isn't real life, but they don't understand that trying to play out the movie in real life (or trying to mimic a character's actions) will lead to real life consequences. It doesn't matter if it's a character story in a movie or a real story in music, if negative messages are going to be condemned in one, it should be condemned in both.

I did a track the other day talkin a lil bout that

here it is

http://www.zshare.net/audio/791222564350fa0a/

 

[babel]

Simply put- Denzel doesn't go everywhere acting like Alonzo Harris. This let's even the dumbest of the dumb know that's not the real him. Rick Ross or Jim Jones, etc... go EVERYWHERE portraying the same character, whether it's a talk show, parade, or your grandmom's b-day party.

 

[supaman4321]

The difference is actor's don't tell everybody that their movies are "the realest" and they really went through that or that's how they really are when the camera's stop rolling they are, key word: ACTING!. Musicians are actors as well I don't have a problem if an artist wants to flex their creative muscle and make a song about something that they may have never seen or went through but want to make a song about, my problem is when they do these things and when the mic's NOT recording try to portray themselves as somebody that they aren't. That's the difference.