Comments on: I don't know where to start.

I don't know where to start.

chunking express — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:22:45 -0800

The hip hop thread

By: BeerFilter

BeerFilter — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:25:58 -0800

Sometimes I wish we had a "foe" feature like on slashdot.

By: chunking express

chunking express — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:26:32 -0800

Rap music fills Merlin with the rage.

By: chillmost

chillmost — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:26:40 -0800

From Metafilter's own Michael Richards.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:27:09 -0800

I removed the derail completely. What a douche.

By: chunking express

chunking express — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:33:28 -0800

Thanks. For those who missed the party and are wondering what the fuss was all about:

Bitch, Bling, Nigger, Kill cops, Bling, Bitch, Ho's, Bling, Bling, Nigger, Nigger .................................... Bling, wordup Nigger?
posted by Merlin at 1:17 AM on August 25

Merlin: Was that really want you wanted to contribute to the discussion?
posted by lazaruslong at 1:34 AM on August 25

That's all rap music contributes isn't it?
posted by Merlin at 5:21 AM on August 25

I pop a cap in yo ass
posted by Merlin at 7:38 AM on August 25

Jesus Christ, what a total fucking failure this thread is. Wow.
posted by Divine_Wino at 8:22 AM on August 25

Jesus Christ, what a total fucking failure this thread is. Wow.

The thread is fine, it's just Merlin's "contributions" that are failures.
posted by sneakin at 9:04 AM on August 25

Is it 'cause I should have spelt it nigga?
posted by Merlin at 9:34 AM on August 25

No, it's because you are a dick.
posted by chillmost at 10:13 AM on August 25

By: mathowie

mathowie — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:39:45 -0800

Mind if I edit the post here? I don't want to have to look at "bitch, nigger, etc" for the next three days every time I load metatalk...

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:40:21 -0800

Merlin forgot the contributions of the Beastie Boys:

Jew ... beer. Brooklyn. Jew. Girls. Eggs ... Jews. Buddhism.

By: goodnewsfortheinsane

goodnewsfortheinsane — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:42:41 -0800

I hope Matt changes it into this ^^^^^^.

By: caddis

caddis — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:44:10 -0800

That is one of the biggest problems with today's hip hop, but there are much better ways to express your dismay. Hip hop used to have themes of frustration, anger and hope for the inner city, but now seems mostly to be about bling and misogyny. Yawn. Still, Merlin was just being a jerk in that thread. Looking at his posting history, it is just a string of that sucks!

By: caddis

caddis — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:46:58 -0800

Mind if I edit the post here? I don't want to have to look at "bitch, nigger, etc" for the next three days every time I load metatalk...
posted by mathowie at 10:39 AM on August 25 [+] [!]

I think we are better off facing prejudice and hate speech full on, rather than trying to make it disappear like magic. Shout it down, don't disappear it.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:48:52 -0800

You could always toss it into the thread instead of leaving it on the front page of MeTa possibly?

By: chunking express

chunking express — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:51:52 -0800

Please edit the page if you like.

By: chunking express

chunking express — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:52:47 -0800

caddis, i'm guessing you don't listen to much hip-hop. Just because they don't play interesting hip hop on MTV doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

By: Divine_Wino

Divine_Wino — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:54:56 -0800

Thanks Matt.

Caddis,
Merlin is not expressing his dismay at the state of hiphop like he's fucking Michael Eric Dyson or whatever, he's smearing shit on the walls and standing there proudly with one hand down his diaper. I hope he's not the point man for a sudden influx of 4chan teenage retards.

Is there a punk band called "Teenage Retards"? Why not?

By: absalom

absalom — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:56:12 -0800

chunking: they don't play any music on MTV anymore, do they? all my kids pick up their hip-hop on BET.

By: Divine_Wino

Divine_Wino — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:06:03 -0800

As long as we are on the subject, what is the brain lesion that causes people to flop into a thread about anything and announce that they don't like that thing like a petulant five year old child?

Does that happen in real life? Anyone ever have an adult walk up them while they're talking about sandwich meats and just say "I hate salami, god!"? Would you not just give them a huge purple nurple and shove them into the gutter?

Why is it especially prevalent with rap music? Why am I asking questions to which there are no answers other than "because some people are angry scared dickheads emboldened by the anonymity of the internet, Wino"?

Who wants a double stoli on the rocks?

By: Divine_Wino

Divine_Wino — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:06:57 -0800

up to them, of course.

By: chunking express

chunking express — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:07:12 -0800

Well I live in Canada, where MTV isn't allowed to play music period (as I understand things), but BET and Much don't seem to do a much better job of showcasing a more nuanced look at Hip Hop music. I mean, even if you want to argue that all American Hip Hop is now crap -- which is pretty ridiculous -- a lot of the stuff that comes from abroad is interesting, politically charged, etc.

I'm listening to Lady Brown by Cise Star and Nujabes right now. Other people should too. It's not about bitches, guns, gangstas, or anything particularly negative.

By: XQUZYPHYR

XQUZYPHYR — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:08:36 -0800

I don't want to have to look at "bitch, nigger, etc" for the next three days every time I load metatalk...

We could all make some threads about fat people and/or George Bush thus creating many new MetaTalk posts very rapidly....

By: chunking express

chunking express — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:11:30 -0800

Divine_Wino, the sys-admins I work with do that. It's annoying in real life too.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:11:36 -0800

George Bush does not care about fat people.

By: cortex

cortex — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:23:19 -0800

Anyone ever have an adult walk up them while they're talking about sandwich meats and just say "I hate salami, god!"?

Yeah, actually. I avoid 'em when I can, but you don't always get to pick your co-workers.

also man I wish Phife and Q-Tip would lay off all that dang incessent copkilla rhetoric amirite

By: EndsOfInvention

EndsOfInvention — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:23:35 -0800

Bitch, Bling, Nigger, Kill cops, Bling, Bitch, Ho's, Bling, Bling, Nigger, Nigger

That's disgusting. He used an apostrophe for a plural!

By: Poolio

Poolio — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:34:26 -0800

Bitches Ain't Shit, yo!

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:37:25 -0800

You on point cortex?

By: quonsar

quonsar — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:39:20 -0800

i find it remarkable that that people champion the worldview when couched in a musical genre but squirm when it's spelled out in print, and even resort to howling about racism when someone does so.

on the other hand, even this fat, doddering old white guy knows hiphop <> gangsta.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:43:27 -0800

chunking express is a snitch!

By: box

box — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:45:23 -0800

Who's championing the worldview? On the contrary, it seems like people are lining up to point out that the worldview isn't as widespread and ubiquitous as mainstream media might make it appear. (Where have I heard that before?)

By: iconomy

iconomy — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:56:05 -0800

Is it 'cause I should have spelt it nigga?
posted by Merlin at 9:34 AM on August 25

This ho laughed. Sorry.

By: Divine_Wino

Divine_Wino — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:56:26 -0800

Dodder on you crazy diamond.

By: klarck

klarck — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:57:59 -0800

"Bitch, Ho's, Bling..."
Wait, wasn't that from the Mother Theresa thread?

By: lazaruslong

lazaruslong — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:13:27 -0800

Thanks, Matt.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:13:35 -0800

say, perhaps you could explain why a comment i made in a mother theresa thread in 2003 is suddenly getting faved? has there been a backreference to the thread recently?

By: cortex

cortex — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:28:46 -0800

There was a Mo Te thread Thursday, so that's probably what's up.

By: Bugbread

Bugbread — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:34:27 -0800

Astro Zombie writes "Merlin forgot the contributions of the Beastie Boys:

Jew ... beer. Brooklyn. Jew. Girls. Eggs ... Jews. Buddhism."

I think you misspelled "Y'all ... y'all. Yes. Y'all. Yes ...Y'all. Y'all."

Divine_Wino writes "Does that happen in real life? Anyone ever have an adult walk up them while they're talking about sandwich meats and just say 'I hate salami, god!'?"

When it happens around me (seldom, but occasionally), it isn't "I hate salami", but "Why are you guys talking about sandwiches anyway? Talk about something interesting." And it's just as annoying in real life.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:34:33 -0800

I've seen more music videos on Youtube in the past few months then I've seen on MTV in years.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:35:20 -0800

The East Coast version of Merlin's rap:

Little Debbie Honey Buns, Ring Ding, Koffee Cake Junior, Butterskotch Krimpets, Ring Ding, Little Debbie Honey Buns, HoHo's, Ring Ding, Ring Ding, Coffee Cake Junior, Koffee Cake Junior.................................... Ring Ding, Yo Yo Yodel, Koffee Cake Junior?

I kept the apostrophe in for authenticity.

By: soundofsuburbia

soundofsuburbia — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:45:55 -0800

I love Aesop Rock. With every fiber in my body. "The Greatest Pac-Man Victory In History" is so good it makes my teeth hurt. The way he just uses words beginning with "L", "S" and "D" in the second verse is pure genius.

Of course, this is tangental. But if I get a chance to champion Aesop Rock, I take it.

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:12:36 -0800

Actually, from Merlin's perspective, shouldn't it be spelled "nigra"?

Seems like there's a good argument to be made that some popular black artists, who are getting paid by corporations run by rich old white guys, are perpetuating and glorifying the worst kind of racial stereotypes since Amos and Andy and minstrel shows.

Merlin's comments, however, were not that good argument.

(soundofsuburbia: Yay Aesop Rock!)

By: nanojath

nanojath — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:35:55 -0800

Merlin is not expressing his dismay at the state of hiphop like he's fucking Michael Eric Dyson or whatever...

That's all rap music contributes isn't it?
posted by Merlin at 5:21 AM on August 25

More to the point he's just flat our wrong. If you believe that this is all there is in the world of rap music (sic, if in fact you believe that "rap music" is all there is in the world of hip hop) then you are so ignorant that there is no point in your participating in the discussion at all. Bill O'Reilly said this whole rap fad will blow over in a couple years anyway, right?

By: box

box — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:37:59 -0800

I thought that was Morton Downey, Jr.

By: porn in the woods

porn in the woods — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:43:25 -0800

My caucasian!

By: Arturus

Arturus — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:56:05 -0800

I'm sort of surprised at the hip hop hate, after the raging success of Thou Shalt Always Kill in these parts.

By: matteo

matteo — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:56:33 -0800

are getting paid by corporations run by rich old white guys, are perpetuating and glorifying the worst kind of racial stereotypes since Amos and Andy and minstrel shows.

well, it's not exactly an argument, it's the simple observation of an actual phenomenon. the fact that forty years ago the most prominent African Americans were MLK, Thurgood Marshall and Rosa Parks, and nowadays they're Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil'Kim is really not an argument, either -- it's a fact. rappers are in the business -- a well paid one at that -- of providing the perfect to fuel to the prejudices of the Bill O'Reillys of the world. as long as you entertain the white man, and play sports, it's all good for the racists -- you're harmless to the status quo. again, this is not argument, it's an observation. when black dissent is mainly represented by a fundamentally harmless comic strip instead that, say, by the Black Panthers, well, you just know that there's not much progress in sight for black people. they're just lucky that the gays won the title of most hated minority, so black people at least are now the second most hated

black entertainers or athletes know well that you just must not try to be, you know, actually controversial, because it's bad for business. and they'll wipe you out. anything else, you're free to do.

By: vito90

vito90 — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:57:35 -0800

soundofsuburbia - Aes has a new release coming out in the next week or two called "None Shall Pass". Can't wait to hear it. "Pac-Man" is one of favs of all time too.

I'm not burnin' bridges/I'm just bendin' 'em towards cats/that's worth the visits

By: matteo

matteo — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:57:56 -0800

(the comic strip I alluded to is of course the Boondocks or whatever its name is)

By: sneakin

sneakin — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:58:21 -0800

I am disappointed that while we can discuss being a male porn star like civilized adults the moment hip hop is mentioned, it's pee-in-the-thread time. I know the blue and green have different rules, but I was just really hoping not to see that kind of obnoxious shit just because it was a thread about hip hop.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 11:30:37 -0800

"rappers are in the business -- a well paid one at that -- of providing the perfect to fuel to the prejudices of the Bill O'Reillys of the world."

what does this sentence mean?

By: Samuel Farrow

Samuel Farrow — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 11:58:03 -0800

and can we make it biofuel?

By: It's Raining Florence Henderson

It's Raining Florence Henderson — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:12:58 -0800

Why does Merlin hate Peter Cottontail?

By: oneirodynia

oneirodynia — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:23:17 -0800

When it happens around me (seldom, but occasionally), it isn't "I hate salami", but "Why are you guys talking about sandwiches anyway? Talk about something interesting."

I am outraged that there are actually people in the world who think that sandwiches are not interesting. What has happened to our sandwich endorsing role models? Where are the Dagwoods, the Wimpys, the Earls of Sandwich to inspire today's youth?

By: Divine_Wino

Divine_Wino — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:29:30 -0800

I love sandwiches, they're incredible.

By: GrammarMoses

GrammarMoses — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:30:54 -0800

matteo -- Every day on my way to work I see this and every day it both wounds me and deeply pisses me off.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:38:40 -0800

I'm sort of surprised at the hip hop hate, after the raging success of Thou Shalt Always Kill in these parts.

I don't know why you would be. The very same people who were burning disco records at Wrigley's Field in the 70's would also be shaking their booty and letting the whole world know just how much fun it is to stay at the Y-M-C-A when it came time for their little sister's wedding.

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:41:52 -0800

Thou shalt remember that guns, bitches and bling were never part of the four elements and never will be.

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:48:51 -0800

Man, I loaded MeTa and thought that Chunking had posted here just to point out that he made a MeFi post (with a definitive article, no less!).

That it was just some random yobbo, and that it's got everyone so up in arms, both mitigates the WTF?-factor and reminds me that I should go outside rather than be caught up in all the piety.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:05:33 -0800

Pssst, matteo, you kinda forgot this guy.

By: Optimus Chyme

Optimus Chyme — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:10:25 -0800

hey remember when i got all mad because the admins were deleting comments

i think this is an exception just fyi

By: slimepuppy

slimepuppy — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:19:24 -0800

GrammarMoses, that picture paints a rather accurately bleak picture of the culture we live in. I'm a middle class white guy and that picture just gets my blood boiling... Is this what we wanted?

Jesus wept.

By: Haruspex

Haruspex — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:53:16 -0800

I hate it when rappers use Comic Sans.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 14:14:22 -0800

Where are the Dagwoods, the Wimpys, the Earls of Sandwich to inspire today's youth?

they up in yo crib pimpin' yo hos, nigga.

By: Kwine

Kwine — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 14:40:37 -0800

Incoming Hip-hop!

Maverick, you back them up with Merlin
on ready five.

By: nanojath

nanojath — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 16:13:29 -0800

Wait a minute, wait a minute, hold everything.

How the hell did someone who joined in 2005 snag "Merlin?!"

By: dersins

dersins — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 16:50:44 -0800

Because it's kind of a lame, cheesy name and nobody else wanted it.

By: cog_nate

cog_nate — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 16:54:05 -0800

Dat wack, my wizzle.

By: dismas

dismas — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 17:30:21 -0800

I put on my robe and wizard hat.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 17:33:49 -0800

I can't wait till Gandalf pops his head in to say he thinks Doowop is a drag. It will be a regular wizard's convocation.

By: puke & cry

puke & cry — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:11:28 -0800

Iceman got snagged up in 2001.

By: jewzilla

jewzilla — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:43:28 -0800

I like how that Sean John ad says "conform now" to the left Mr. Diddy.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:46:32 -0800

Because it's kind of a lame, cheesy name and nobody else wanted it.

Don't tell that to friend of MeFi Merlin Mann, or he'll bust a cap in your ass.

By: loquacious

loquacious — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:23:36 -0800

I put on my robe and wizard hat.

WHAT THE FUCK? I TOLD YOU NOT TO MESSAGE ME AGAIN!

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 21:22:15 -0800

This should give you the requisite energy to not care about anything that transpires on a web forum.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 21:33:30 -0800

ok, that was cool b-han. That almost makes up for the dreadful ketamine lyrics... almost.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 21:38:31 -0800

Ketamine is dreadful...don't go looking for that shit.

By: tehloki

tehloki — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 01:02:15 -0800

I think I'm going to abandon the whole martini thing and just start flinging jism willy-nilly. That's right. WILLY. NILLY.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 04:38:57 -0800

fandango_matt writes "Thou shalt remember that guns, bitches and bling were never part of the four elements and never will be."

Actually, much as I love Dan Le Sac, that's the bit of that record that always cracks me up. How does a middle aged Englishman get to lecture the world on what hiphop will or won't be? Guns, bitches and bling have been a pretty central part of the stuff that *I* like to listen to ever since NWA burst Straight Outta Compton.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 04:41:10 -0800

In fact, now that I think about it, guns, bitches and bling have been central to hip-hop since Stagolee shot Billy.

By: fourcheesemac

fourcheesemac — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 06:24:44 -0800

It's calm yet wild the style that I speak
Just deal with facts and you will never get weak in the heart
In fact you'll start to illuminate
Knowledge to others in a song let me demonstrate
the force of knowledge, knowledge reigned supreme
The ignorant is ripped to smithereens
What do you mean when you say I'm rebellious
Cause I don't accept everything that you're telling us
What are you selling us the creator dwell in us
I sit in your unknown class while you're failing us
I failed your class cause I ain't with your reasoning
You're tryin make me you by seasoning
Up my mind with see Jane run
See John walk in a hardcore New York
Come on now, that's like a chocolate cow
It doesn't exist no way, no how
It seems to me that in a school that's ebony
African history should be pumped up steadily, but it's not
and this has got to stop
See Spot run, run get Spot
Insulting to a Black mentality
A Black way of life or a jet Black family
So I include with one concern, that
You must learn

KRS-1 to the rescue.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 10:03:06 -0800

Ah, KRS-1. Is he still whining about Nelly stopping him from selling records?

Not saying there isn't a place for the teachers and philosophers, fourcheesemac. I'm simply saying that it's nonsense to deny the fact that the gangsta stuff isn't just as central a part of hiphop as that stuff is. Without it, you'd have no Snoop, no Dre, no Jay-Z or Biggie or Nas. The music would be a much sadder, less vital form than it is without that element.

But I don't hear anybody insisting that white artists only produce art about positive and life enhancing experiences? Why is that? I don't hear the media whining about Lou Reed giving birth to a generation of heroin addicts because he wrote about Heroin.

So how is it that when white musicians write about negative aspects of the culture they're depicting it, but when black musicians do it, they're promoting it?

By: mkultra

mkultra — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 10:44:44 -0800

Would have been much more interesting if it were by merlinmann.

By: yerfatma

yerfatma — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:05:10 -0800

On the plus side, I would have completely missed that post if it weren't for this. So thanks Merlin!
And you too, chunking