If your talking about teen issues I would have to say Stained and Korn.If your talking about just smart music I would say System of a Down,Tool,Radiohead,and one little known favorite of mine Circle of Dust.
DMX his first album. Nick Cave, anything he has done.
About Tupac: Well, the problem is that anyone can write an occasional positive lyric, but that doesn’t erase the mountains of mysoginistic and abusive filth that fills the rest of the portfolio. For example, the notion that “only God can judge me” is a position I don’t agree with: I want teens to become more judgemental, and have the boldness to say, “You know, those words, actions, behaviors, and abuses are just WRONG!” The problem I see is that too few are confident enough to stand up and oppose things that are wrong. I don’t accept a person who lives and teaches cruelly, but then throws up his hands and says “Only God can judge me…you can’t.” That’s a conformist and weakening posture. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to elevate a hypocrite into a role model. It’s like the abuser who knows how to turn on the charm and respect when he needs to convince people he’s really a good guy. About STP: about half of the teen females I work with are survivors of date rape, which females rate as a more profound terror than fear of being murdered. Why would I want to play a song that “almost makes you want to date rape?” Can you explain the purpose in that, or am I missing something here? Henry Rollins: Excellent choice. Clever words, generally positive, and boldly willing to expose the scams of liars and predators. Contemporary Christia nmusic: The message might be positive, but I wonder if it would be accepted by teens who are generally hardcore? Christian bands like Scaterd Few (HARDDDDD core punk), Circle of Dust (more aggressive than NIN) or POD are options, though. Generally, if the kids catch on that they’re being given sweetened music, they feel scammed and entrapped, and they roll their eyes. Which is a shame, because there’s something wrong when we defend music that uses abuse as entertainment, but mock music that becomes nurturing.
Ok, first off, “Only God can Judge Me” had nothing to do with what you think of him. That song has to do with his tribulations dealing with him being accused of rape. It also dealt with the fact that he was a “gangsta” rapper. He was simply saying that he’s an artist and that’s his way of making money…if you think that’s wrong…he didn’t care, as only God could judge him. You’re biting in to the media’s glorified version of Tupac as being a thuggish killer. You need to research more. Here is an example of a good song, “Keep your head up” and here are some verses. Now, you tell me, wasn’t he making stance with this song? This was during a time when every one else was degrading women in their lyrics. He took a stance.
“But please don’t cry, dry your eyes never let up, forgive but don’t forget, girl keep your head up” “and when he tells you aint nothin, don’t believe him, and if he can’t learn to love ya, you should leave him, cuz sister you don’t need him”
You know what makes me unhappy? When brothers make babies and leave a young mother to be unhappy, and since we all came from a woman, got our name from a woman and our game from a woman…I wonder why we take from our women, why we rape our women, do we hate our women? I think it’s time to kill for our women, heal our women, be real to our women…so will the real men get up, I know you’re fed up ladies, but keep your head up."
To all the ladies havin babies on your own, I know it’s kinda tough and you’re feelin all alone, daddy’s long gone and he left you by your lonesome…thank the lord for my kids even if nobody else wants em…cuz I think we can make it, in fact I’m sure and when you fall stand tall and come back for more. Cuz ain’t nothing worse than when your son wants to know why his daddy don’t love him no more. You can’t complain, you was dealt this hell of a hand without a man, feeling helpless, cuz it’s too many things for you to deal with it, dying inside but outside you’re lookin fearless…it’s crazy it seems it’ll never let up right? But please you got to keep your head up.
Again, this is from Tupac’s “Me Against the World”
“With all this extra stressin, the question I wonder is after my death, after my last breath, when will I finally get to rest…through this oppression, they punish the people that’s askin questions…and those that possess, steal from the ones without possessions…the message I stress, to make it stop, study your lessons, don’t settle for less, even the genius asks his questions, be grateful for blessings, don’t ever change, keep your essence, the power is in the people and politics we address. Always do your best, don’t let this pressure make you panic, and when you get stranded and things don’t go the way you planned it, dreamin of riches…in a position to make a difference, politicians are hypocrites, they don’t wanna listen, and from insane, it’s the fame that made a brotha change, it wasn’t nuttin like the game…it’s just me against the world.
That’s right, I know it seems hard some times, but a… remember one thing, through every dark night, there’s a bright day after that…so no matter how hard it get, stick your chest out, keep your head up and handle it.”
i can see your point. and i have to agree. he was a 2 sided man, as we all are. sometimes he felt this, sometimes he felt that. and he wrote lyrics from both sides. as far as “only God can judge me,” i think those are words to live by. i stand up and speak, i make sure i am heard. that is my way, and if you dont like it, big deal. you dont pass my final judgement. at least that is the message i get. but the other groups are double edged swords, as well. rageful, but sometimes a wonderful method. rage is not a bad thing, but can be a horrible thing. if it takes over, you are doomed. everything has two sides. but, this is your group, and you know more about what you are looking for and why. i was just tryin to throw out somethin that the kids may be familiar w/ and may be more likely to listen to. but, if they tend to be more hard core ‘punks,’ then i doubt they would listen to rap w/o puking. anyhoo, good luck again. when does this start? how many kids are you dealing w/? and make sure to keep us up to date on how things are goin.
More about Tupac: No, I’m not buyiung into the media’s glorified stereotype of him as a thug killer. I’m taking Tupac at his word: it’s his OWN stereotype of himself as a glorified thug killer that I’m taking seriously. He put that image out for himself. And I am researching him; I’m impressed with a couple of his songs. My optimism becomes frustrated when I realize he appears more to have stumbled into that message than to honestly believe in it, given the balance of his sexism and drug glorification. I can’t understand why certain performers will put every effort into appearing violent, abusive, and addicted, and yet protest that they’re seen in exactly those ways by the world around them. Lauryn hill is really impressing me with her points of view on this, esp. “Forgive them Father” and a few others.
Henry Rollins “Shine” is VERY impressive. I think I’ll use it, as well as two of Tupac’s songs (one positive, one negative, and then inquire about why the contradiction). I researched Master P, too: number of times women are “bitches” on one CD: 90. Number of times women are “women”: zero. The message is clear.
Remember, this is NOT about my accusations toward certain music. I am not intending to make any statements of opinion or to preach on it. I am simply trying to help youth develop the skills to examine for themselves, and understand hte messages they are getting, both pro and con. After all, I really like the music of NIN, which is quite abusive in sections too. So I'm not trying to cleanse and bleach the music scene or anything, just broaden the awareness of the diversity--and occasional inconsistencies--in messages.
I understand your points, but once again, he didn’t portray himself as anything other than what he was and that’s why he was and is still popular. The man came out of the worst conditions you can think of growing up and yet he still did something positive. Granted, he talked about “bitches” and “weed” but that was simply the type of environment he grew up in so that’s what he talked about. Janet Jackson was quoted as saying that “tupac was a sweetheart” and many other women have said the same. HE was an artist. Just as WWF wrestlers portray an image that may not be exactly how they are…they do it because it makes them money. Well, like Tupac said, “if this rappin brings me money, then I’m rappin till I’m paid.” If I had the chance to come out of a negative life and make money by rapping about my trials and tribulations and what I see that goes on around me, I’d do the same. Tupac didn’t glorify drugs, abuse, or anything of that nature. He always expressed that he hated those that beat women. He merely rapped about what went on around him and what people in mainstream society didn’t want to hear. Do you really think he would have went 9 times platinum by rapping about how wonderful life is and how he has a boring lifestyle? No, he did that because it’s what people wanted. Anyhow, he also did countless charity concerts and in fact, that’s where he was on his way to the night he was murdered…to raise money for a children’s organization. He was also getting ready to start up a youth basketball league where the kids had to maintain a “c” average in school in order to stay on the team. He worked with the “make a wish foundation” many times as well and never refused anyone.
He summed it up best in his poem “The Rose that Grew from Concrete” where he basically expresses his frustration with those that constantly attacked him. He said in an interview "If a rose grew from the concrete, of course being impossible, it would be an amazing thing, right? Well, you wouldn’t sit there and talk about how the petals are scratched and how it’s crooked and doesn’t look right…instead you’d marvel at the fact that something so amazing happened…a rose grew from the concrete. So instead of attacking him and pointing out things that people thought were wrong with him, he wished they could see that he made a positive when he came out of the worst circumstances you can imagine. He was homeless, fatherless, his mom was on crack, he was beaten up repeatedly, grew up in the worst projects or the “gutter” as he calls it, and this was before he even became famous…which is when he was shot five times, charged with rape, etc. Sure, he was a thug in certain aspects, but he also did many positive things.
ANASTACIA - PAID MY DUES
Machine Head- Death Church
Biohazard - Urban Discipline
Biohazard - Man With A Promise
Sepultura - Roots Bloody Roots
Sepultura - Attitude
Thin Lizzy - Suicide
Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation
Detatchable Penis