Mos Def Arrested While Performing 'Katrina Clap' outside the VMAs

SweetHarmonics

Saturnal wrote:

Good thread. My favorite was someone calling Mos Def an "illiterate thug". Hilarious.

I agree. Not everyone can appreciate such hard-hitting introspect into racial sterotypes. I'm really impressed by the "baggy clothes are always used to concel weapons" comments, spot-on analysis that's just booming with credibility.

Abookamongstthemany

SweetHarmonics wrote:

I agree. Not everyone can appreciate such hard-hitting introspect into racial sterotypes. I'm really impressed by the "baggy clothes are always used to concel weapons" comments, spot-on analysis that's just booming with credibility.

I know! My jaw just kept dropping further and further down with each new reply...

MrBrian

Saturnal wrote:

Good thread. My favorite was someone calling Mos Def an "illiterate thug". Hilarious.

I'm glad he did that performance there. MTV no longer has anything to offer anyone except for souless, shitty pop music.

The reason it seems like they only play souless shit is because that's really all that people want?

and I think I gave a reply to that "illiterate thug" comment, but i'll say it again, They have mos def confused with W Bush

lalalalaaaaaaaa

MrBrian wrote:

The reason it seems like they only play souless shit is because that's really all that people want?

and I think I gave a reply to that "illiterate thug" comment, but i'll say it again, They have mos def confused with W Bush

I don't think people necesarily want it, they're just eating what is fed to them. There's a difference between music that is part of pop culture, and music that is part of artistic culture. The fomer is just much easier to sell than the latter.

MrBrian

Saturnal wrote:

I don't think people necesarily want it, they're just eating what is fed to them. There's a difference between music that is part of pop culture, and music that is part of artistic culture. The fomer is just much easier to sell than the latter.

I'm not sure if I fully understand this, "pop culture" is what's popular/contemporary yeah? It's mainstream. So modern america is perhaps very apathetic? indifferent? selfish? so the popular music refelects that?

Like Most mainstream music yeah? "artistic culture" is more in tune with what has always been good? timeless I guess the word is.

what happens when artistic culture fuses with pop culture? does it degrade it? I don't think it does. But then comes a good point you make about people just eating what they get fed (like bad music), why? why do they just eat it?
I think it's so much deeper in a person, it's like people are changing for the worse from the inside, I dunno.

I mean if peal jam were a new band, would they make it like they did in the 90's? I mean if they only formed in these times, if bob dylan, cat stevens and such were not from the 70's and their music came out now, would people listen to them?

I think i've perhaps gone off a bit here.

lalalalaaaaaaaa

MrBrian wrote:

I'm not sure if I fully understand this, "pop culture" is what's popular/contemporary yeah? It's mainstream. So modern america is perhaps very apathetic? indifferent? selfish? so the popular music refelects that?

Like Most mainstream music yeah? "artistic culture" is more in tune with what has always been good? timeless I guess the word is.

what happens when artistic culture fuses with pop culture? does it degrade it? I don't think it does. But then comes a good point you make about people just eating what they get fed (like bad music), why? why do they just eat it?
I think it's so much deeper in a person, it's like people are changing for the worse from the inside, I dunno.

I mean if peal jam were a new band, would they make it like they did in the 90's? I mean if they only formed in these times, if bob dylan, cat stevens and such were not from the 70's and their music came out now, would people listen to them?

I think i've perhaps gone off a bit here.

I guess I should re-phrase what I said. I think there is a difference in music that STEMS from pop culture, and music that stems from artistic culture.

On that note, I don't think artistic culture ever fuses with pop culture. I'd say they align from time to time, but they never fuse. I don't think there is such a thing. That's what the grunge era was...just an alignment. Those are always short-lived, and I don't think Pearl Jam would be popular today. They'd have a good underground following, but that would be the extent of it. Artistic culture is very out-of-sync with pop culture right now.

MrBrian

Saturnal wrote:

I guess I should re-phrase what I said. I think there is a difference in music that STEMS from pop culture, and music that stems from artistic culture.

On that note, I don't think artistic culture ever fuses with pop culture. I'd say they align from time to time, but they never fuse. I don't think there is such a thing. That's what the grunge era was...just an alignment. Those are always short-lived, and I don't think Pearl Jam would be popular today. They'd have a good underground following, but that would be the extent of it. Artistic culture is very out-of-sync with pop culture right now.

yeah true, "align from time to time" makes sense and I think we are over due for an alignment
---

SPEEDY MCCREADY

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

I know! My jaw just kept dropping further and further down with each new reply...

I KNOW...

cuz i do the same thing every time i read one of your replies.....

Milhouse VanHouten

PaperPlates wrote:

ignoring of course the reaction and possibility of a primarily urban, illegal gathering of people on a busy street corner where Katrina is the subject...

Nice euphemism, "primarily urban". God knows you have to be careful when a bunch of those "urban" people get together in one place.

Abookamongstthemany

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

I KNOW...

cuz i do the same thing every time i read one of your replies.....

why is that?

Abookamongstthemany

MrBrian wrote:

I'm not sure if I fully understand this, "pop culture" is what's popular/contemporary yeah? It's mainstream. So modern america is perhaps very apathetic? indifferent? selfish? so the popular music refelects that?

Like Most mainstream music yeah? "artistic culture" is more in tune with what has always been good? timeless I guess the word is.

what happens when artistic culture fuses with pop culture? does it degrade it? I don't think it does. But then comes a good point you make about people just eating what they get fed (like bad music), why? why do they just eat it?
I think it's so much deeper in a person, it's like people are changing for the worse from the inside, I dunno.

I mean if peal jam were a new band, would they make it like they did in the 90's? I mean if they only formed in these times, if bob dylan, cat stevens and such were not from the 70's and their music came out now, would people listen to them?

I think i've perhaps gone off a bit here.

I think a lot of it has to do with exposure. If you don't see these good acts then you might not know where to start. And many of these groups don't want to be comercialized on MTV so young people don't hear about them as much, if at all.

Pearl Jam and toast

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

I think a lot of it has to do with exposure. If you don't see these good acts then you might not know where to start. And many of these groups don't want to be comercialized on MTV so young people don't hear about them as much, if at all.

Also, most people who listen to pop music really don't care what they're listening to as long as it's on MTV and everyone else likes it.

Ask 'em..

"why do you like this?"

"oh, i dunno.."

Abookamongstthemany

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

Also, most people who listen to pop music really don't care what they're listening to as long as it's on MTV and everyone else likes it.

Ask 'em..

"why do you like this?"

"oh, i dunno.."

But maybe with a little stimulation those chains could be broken? It is sad to see so many young people be followers these days. They've forgotten how to express themselves w/o imitation.

Pearl Jam and toast

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

But maybe with a little stimulation those chains could be broken? It is sad to see so many young people be followers these days. They've forgotten how to express themselves w/o imitation.

I'm in high school and I know what you said is true.

I know very few people who defy that statement.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

why is that?

well....

you have mentioned that you dont think the police would have arrested clay,jessica,elton,madonna and the rolling stones had they done the same thing.....

so are you telling me that they went overboard and arrested the genius articulate poet mos def just because he was black??

or am i wrong here??

at first i thought you were just upset because they arrested him ....period...

Abookamongstthemany

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

well....

you have mentioned that you dont think the police would have arrested clay,jessica,elton,madonna and the rolling stones had they done the same thing.....

so are you telling me that they went overboard and arrested the genius articulate poet mos def just because he was black??

or am i wrong here??

at first i thought you were just upset because they arrested him ....period...

Yes, I think it is because he is black. But I am upset they arrested him from a fan's point of view, as well. Hopefully, this will bring some needed attention for the cause.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

Yes, I think it is because he is black. But I am upset they arrested him from a fan's point of view, as well. Hopefully, this will bring some needed attention for the cause.

i wonder if the arresting officer was racially motivated....

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1539981/20060901/mos_def.jhtml?headlines=true

Abookamongstthemany

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

i wonder if the arresting officer was racially motivated....

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1539981/20060901/mos_def.jhtml?headlines=true

Black cops doing the same thing is nothing new. They have orders and they follow them, also.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

Abookamongstthemany wrote:

Black cops doing the same thing is nothing new. They have orders and they follow them, also.

yes they do....arrest people who are breaking the law....

regardless of skin color....

Abookamongstthemany

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

yes they do....arrest people who are breaking the law....

regardless of skin color....

it's not always regardless of skin color. and this wasn't a situation where he needed to be detained.