Letter to the President

Todays movie was definatly not what I was expecting from the title. It was a true example of what Brasco and you had been explaining hip hop to be. It is real and a way of life, that was made very evident from the interviews and people in the movie.
One of the things that stood out to me when watching the movie was actually said in the beginning, David Banner said, " Rap acually talks about the state of America, but America makes it sound a lot prettier." After he said that it got me to thinking, wow he is right. Most people don't pay much attention to the lives of the african americans in the hood. A lot of people of power who could actually help them try to sugar coat everything and make it not seem as bad as it really is. In todays world it is not a place of happiness or a place where everyone gets along, or for that matter truly a place of free will. That is just how the people of power want other people to assume.
I find it very disturbing to hear that our own police force was also contributing to the crime and deaths of african americans. For the way everyone talks about the United States that is not the kind of place we really are. When one of the people said that in a rap song they were trying to tell everyone that the police were doing this but no one would listen it was said to hear. Just like rock or country is to some people this is the kids who grew up in the hoods' way of communicating to everyone else. And when people talk about how bad and inappropriate the songs I think they have a choice not to listen but shouldn't tell them they can't sing it. The truth of the matter is that they are not just making these songs up it is what they have lived and saw while growing up. When I think about that and then listen to the words of the song it now longer is whether or not it is positive or negative it is how can we try and help kids not have to grow up and see this kind of stuff or live that way.
I personally don't know how half of the successful rappers have made it as far as they have, they have to have tons of will power. I think if anything they should be looked at for not being another statistic and making something of themselves. To have to see your own mother get arrested at such a young age and practically have to raise yourself I can imagine that you might not have the nicest things to say about cops or people for that matter.
After the movie ended I first had to sit back and actually take time to absorb all of the information that I heard. Some of it I could not hardly believe. To have the odds against you your whole life I can't imagine what that would be like. I am looking forward to becoming more informed about things like this and other areas of hip hop I don't even know exist.