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[Allmenjoi8]

There have only been three interviews in my life that I was excited to see this is number 4. Rev. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson is going to interview Floyd Mayweather on HBO in April. Dr. Dyson former Professor of Harvard and Univ. Penn and is at Georgetown Univ. will do a great job. He is from Detroit and this man does not ask easy questions. His debate with Dr. Cornell West was OUTSTANDING. I wonder what kind of questions will be asked. I hope Floyd take this opportunity to really show Floyd Mayweather and not the personality. I am sure Dr. Dyson will ask him about his jail sentence, relationship with his dad and other hot topics. Who ever thought of this gets two thumbs way up.

[neophyte7]

JZ GETS CREDIT for his small amounts of philanthropy, boys club appearances, etc... yet these small amounts of "give back" which are not covered by the media does not offset the REALITY THAT Jay Z is damned near 45 and still calling women bitches in his music. He exhibits zero consciousness and is not worthy of any kid's admiration. Here is a guy who is 45 and still makes references to drug selling in his music. Black male exploiters like Jay z are co conspirators in Black degradation. I don't care how cool he looks or how much money he flashes, or how much attention his jezebel receives in the media. He has sold drugs and false hopes to inner city kids, and shockingly grown ups. I was in a barber shop listening to 40 year old and plus Black men talking about Jay Z's American Gangster Album being a "life inspiration"!!! sad...

This post has been edited by neophyte7: Apr 3 2012, 06:41 AM

[Franchize]

JZ GETS CREDIT for his small amounts of philanthropy, boys club appearances, etc... yet these small amounts of "give back" which are not covered by the media does not offset the REALITY THAT Jay Z is damned near 45 and still calling women bitches in his music. He exhibits zero consciousness and is not worthy of any kid's admiration. Here is a guy who is 45 and still makes references to drug selling in his music. Black male exploiters like Jay z are co conspirators in Black degradation. I don't care how cool he looks or how much money he flashes, or how much attention his jezebel receives in the media. He has sold drugs and false hopes to inner city kids, and shockingly grown ups. I was in a barber shop listening to 40 year old and plus Black men talking about Jay Z's American Gangster Album being a "life inspiration"!!! sad...

So because he uses profanity in his lyrics, it supercedes his altruism? Because he USED to sell drugs over 2 decades ago, he can't ever try and be a role model. That perfectly illustrates the disconnect and hypocrisy amongst the generational gap. This is exactly why Trayvon Martin's incident with marijuana has become just as publicized and his horrific death.The notion that, because you've done some wrong, you don't get to say anything and you must wear this scarlett "I" letter for ignorant black man. Small philanthropy? I beg to differ. Any NYer and most people on the outside looking in know how big it is to perform at the garden. Jay Z sold it out within about 11 seconds. He donated proceeds to 9/11 victims and has continuously held a concert and done almost every year since. Trayvon Martin has become a national story but years ago, NY had it's own somewhat similar incident in the Sean Bell case. Well, thank to Jay Z, his children won't have to worry about how theyre going to pay for college. Furthermore, he's also set up a scholarship fund that's run by his mother. From 2003-2005, he sent 50 students scholarships in 50 states each year. On top of that, the foundation now funds college tours. Something that myself as long as my friends had a lot of trouble with when I was in HS and looking for a college to attend.He didn't just APPEAR at the boys and girls club. He and Beyonce' donated upwards of 5 mill AND he hosted a function with Warren Buffet to teach financial security.Don't even get me started on his Water for Life movement.

You should really school yourself on the man's life before you comment. He started selling drugs @ around 13. He grew up fatherless for most of his childhood, his mother worked double shifts and could not make ends meet. He was the youngest of his siblings and sought drug selling as income in the midst of the crack epidemic. Im not saying it's cool, but when you are the matriarchal bread winner and you're 13, I kinda get the urge to make money by any means necessary...especially when your mother's friends are buying. There's a difference between telling your story and glorifying negativity. Karrine Stephans glorifies negativity. She's looking to make a quick buck off of dick sucking stories. Sharing your stories with an audience that is much like yourself is totally different. While I didn't resort to selling drugs, as a NYer, I get where he's coming from. I get how it is growing up in NY when everyone on the outside thinks NY is all about Manhattan. I get what it's like when you step into "the city" and it's like a vacation compared to Brooklyn and Queens.

American Gangster was a phenomenal album because it was one of the few albums that dared to tell the gritty, almost embarassing side of drug dealing. Most rappers act as if they were drug kingpins when in fact they were selling nickle bags on the corner. Jay Z illuminated people on the struggles including how addicting it can become...almost as if you are a feind yourself. While he isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, to suggest that his sometimes profane lyrics eliminate all positive that he does, is unfair and ludicrous.

Same with Mayweather. People actually criticized him for publicly offering to pay for Joe Frazier's funeral. But has he ever gotten, or asked for acknowledgement for paying for Chicanito Hernandez' funeral? I think the more we harp on the negative and ignore the positive, we put the power in the media's hands to create people. HBO is a classic example.

This post has been edited by Franchize: Apr 3 2012, 09:03 AM