Is Music Addiction Taking Over Our Lives?

[mattmns]

Life in the ghetto is played out, it is the same old story. Hell, KRS-One was homeless, lived in shelters in the Bronx, and when he made Criminal Minded back in 86-87 you didn't hear him whining about that crap. He didn't go around getting high like Common, he educated himself at the library.

edit... If you don't listen to rap, why are you commenting on it yomamma ... ?

 

[JamesU]

because this argument is pointless...an attemt to end you people saying the same old things over and over ;)

 

[mattmns]

True it is quite pointless. I'm just tired of the "ghetto."

 

[Cyrus]

Life in the ghetto is played out, it is the same old story. Hell, KRS-One was homeless, lived in shelters in the Bronx, and when he made Criminal Minded back in 86-87 you didn't hear him whining about that crap. He didn't go around getting high like Common, he educated himself at the library.

edit... If you don't listen to rap, why are you commenting on it yomamma ... ?

What, who said common goes around getting high? Do you even have a clue what common is about?

He is considered "positive" rap.

You are arguing from an ignorant point of view!

You need to stop man, seriously. Your just saying things now.

If you want to listen to people outsmart each other, then you don't listen to rap, listen to freestyle battles that's not what rap is about (necessarily).

 

[mattmns]

In the lyrics you posted...
-------------
Life and death law around us
Four pounds and pounds a verb from out of towners
It's hard to stay grounded
We stay high, that's why old folks down us
-------------

Maybe I misunderstood what he was saying.

 

[Cyrus]

Read some more of his lyrics

{Common}
After bein' 25, you know, just trying to survive in the world
Bout to have a little boy or baby girl. Who knows?
Anyway, just when you start gettin that little age and experience to you
You start thinkin about stuff...tryin to make the right moves
So bust it out, this is what I was thinkin, check it

Yo, the education of the Lon-chicka-Lonnie Lynn
Began, began with time
Bein my bloodline is one with the divine
In time brotha, you will discover the light
Some say that God is Black and the Devil's White
Well, the Devil is wrong and God is what's right
I fight, with myself in the ring of doubt and fear
The rain ain't gone, but I can still see clear
As a child, given religion with no answer to why
Just told believe in Jesus because for me he did die
Curiosity killed the catechism
Understanding and wisdom became the rhythm that I played to
And became a slave to master self
A rich man is one with knowledge, happiness and his health
My mind had dealt with the books of Zen, Tao the lessons
Koran and the Bible, to me they all vital
And got truth within 'em, got to read them boys
You just can't skim 'em, different branches of belief
But one root that stem 'em, but people of the venom try to trim 'em
And use religion as an emblem
When it should be a natural way of life
Who am I or they to say to whom you pray ain't right
That's who got you doing right and got you this far
Whether you say "in Jesus name" or "Al hum du'Allah"
Long as you know it's a bein' that's supreme to you
You let that show towards others in the things you do
Cuz when the trumpets blowin, 24 elders surround the throne
Only 144,000 gon get home
Only 144,000 gon get home
Only 144,000 gon get it baby

Chorus: Cee-Lo

I've lived and I've learned
I have taken and I've earned
I have laughed, I've cried
I have failed and I have tried
Sunshine, pouring rain
found joy through all my pain
I just want to be happy with being me

{Cee-Lo}
Let me voice my concern
So many of my fellow brothers have given themselves a title
That their actions didn't earn
Our ignorance is in the same breath as our innocence
Subconciously, seeking to find an impressionable mind to convince
I've finally come to the realization why Black people in the worse place
Cuz it's hard to correct yourself when you don't know
Who you are in the first place
So I try to find the clue in you
But evidently, White folks know more Black history than we do
Why're we bein' lied to? I ain't know our history was purposely hidden
Damn, somethin' in me want to know who I am
So I began my search, my journey started in church
It gave my heartache relief when I started to understand belief
Hustlin was like a gift spent my share of time in the streets
Taught me survival from this evil I'm just going to have to deal with
And I felt like a fool when I tried to learn it in school
It almost seemed like a rehearsal when the only
Science and math are universal
Takin elder advice, read the Bible, the Koran
Searched scrolls from the Hebrew Israelites
Hold on, this ain't right, Jesus wasn't White
Some leads were granted with insight
and it's all in the plan, but it took me some time to overstand
He still created with the imperfection of man
So, with followin' I disagree
By no means have I forgotten or forgiven what's been done to me but
I do know the Devil ain't no White man, the Devil's a spiritual mind
That's color blind, there's evil White folk and evil niggas
You gon surely find there's no positivity without negativity
But one side you going to have to choose
Any chance to speak I refuse to misuse
So how can you call yourself God when you let a worldly possession
become an obsession and the way you write your rhymes and
Can't follow your lesson
If a seed's sown, you make sure it's known, you make sure it's grown
If you God, then save your own, don't mentally enslave your own
If you God, then save your own, don't mentally enslave your own
If you God, then save your own, don't mentally enslave your own

Well, I've lived and I've learned
I've taken and I've earned
I have laughed, I have cried
I failed and I have tried
Sunshine, pourin rain
I found joy through my pain
Just want to be happy...bein me
Bein me

And stop saying things that are NONSENSE MAN!

 

[Cyrus]

In the lyrics you posted...
-------------
Life and death law around us
Four pounds and pounds a verb from out of towners
It's hard to stay grounded
We stay high, that's why old folks down us
-------------

Maybe I misunderstood what he was saying.

What, you think every rapper does what they rap? Give me a break.

 

[mattmns]

Well who is to say that he is positive then, because he raps things that may be positive (as you said, "you think every rapper does what they rap? Give me a break.")

 

[Cyrus]

...

I am done, bye bye.

 

[Cyrus]

Well who is to say that he is positive then, because he raps things that may be positive (as you said, "you think every rapper does what they rap? Give me a break.")

And BTW WE does not mean him. WE means young black people.

so yea, you did misunderstand him.

 

[mattmns]

We: 1. Used by the speaker or writer to indicate the speaker or writer along with another or others as the subject

If he did not want to include himself in the group, he should have used "they." Though from what I have seen of his lyrics, he thinks "they" means "their," so maybe he should check out a dictionary.

 

[Cyrus]

You just don't get it do you? Rap is NOT the written language. If you think it is, then you are under the wrong impression and you should stop listening to it. Go listen to a NAS CD, you could make the same argument towards NAS, yet you like him.

 

[mattmns]

I am not saying I don't like Common, I have never listened to anything he has done, so I have no place to judge his music. My goal here is to show you how silly it is to judge an artist from strictly lyrics and a sample from iTunes which is what you have done with Rakim.

 

[Cyrus]

I just bought "I know you got soul"

If this song stinks, your a dead man.

 

[mattmns]

That is a good song. Though, if you have GTA: San Andreas, you could listen to the whole thing on there for free. If you are going to listen to Rakim, give it a few listens to sink in, some of his lyrics/word/rhyme-plays are very complex. Listen to My Melody and you will definitely see what I mean.

 

[Cyrus]

Go listen to commons album

One day it'll all make sense.

http://www.napster.com/view/artist/index.html?id=10474224

 

[mattmns]

I am going to buy Like Water for Chocolate in my next cd purchase. Today is monday, I thought it was the weekend. I guess I will buy it now.

 

[Cyrus]

No, that one is not that good!

Buy Be, or one day itll all make sense

BTW, common is not new. Hes been at it since 92'

 

[JamesU]

you people have been arguing for 3 days, and 4 pages

 

[mattmns]

Too late already bought it, but from the reviews, they all seem good. If I like it I will check out One Day.