Is rap degrating? Yes, some rap songs are degrating and just because a woman in a rap video is dressed in a short skirt or bikini and is almost dancing erotically; doesn't give anyone the right to degrade her. If I see a woman dressed in a bikini,washing a car to make a buck, I accord her the same respect that I would accord any woman. It's about respect for others and respect for oneself. Yes these rap artists are degrading themselves as well as women. They are portraying themselves as overly-hormoned adolesents who are too immature to understand and respect a woman and her feelings. Mind you I'm not saying that that's the way they are, I'm just saying that's how they are portraying themselves. They don't seem to respect themselves or anyone else. As for the racism, let's look at our Native American brothers and sisters, I think we can all agree that they, quite possibly, have had it the worst of just about any race in the Americas. Not only were they enslaved, but had their land taken from them. Yet many of the one's I have interacted with bared no animosity towards today's generation of white people for what happend in the past. I think that that takes great courage and I respect that. And words can hurt and badly just as they can make you feel like you're in the clouds. However, certain rap artists are just that, artists. They make with words what a painter makes with his brush and that's often how they feel at a given moment. Not that I'm trying to use that as an excuse, I'm just trying to help people understand why sometimes they write what they write. I have much respect for certain artists like Tupac and Eminem for that reason. Not that they couldn't have used a little tact with their words, but I guess sometimes; in order to get your point across; you have to use a "good hard slap" rather than a soft voice. But that still doesn't give anyone the excuse to put down anyone regardless of race,sex, sexual preference, or creed.
