I've scanned through a number of these posting replies, and it seems to me that a point is being missed here.
Hip hop is valid music in many ways, but we are hearing a lot of the downside of life and endorsement of criminal behavior.
This is nothing like the work of the great Motown artists and the soul music that came out of Philadelphia and Memphis.
I was involved in the NYC music industry back in the '60s and even then, criminals, drug dealers were attempting to take control, which is something they've now obviously accomplished.
Because country music in Nashville has been more devoted to its religious roots and religion has played a big role in the life of country artists, the criminal element has not been able to take hold as firmly as it has in cities like NY, LA and Chicago.
Our black brothers also come from religious backgrounds, but because so many of them grew up in ghetto neighborhoods and in conflict with the local police, they have fallen prey more easily to the criminal life, and their music today echoes that involvement.
It's easy to criticize, more difficult to understand, and even more difficult to offer solutions. Read "The Ice Opinion" by Ice-T and you may begin to understand the situation.
As for what to do, I have personally made a fairly thorough study of hip hop and rap, and have created my own similar sounds with messages that encourage the listener to rise above the criminal mentality and live a life worthy of praise.
And ps: I totally love country music; the very first record I owned was a Gene Autry version of "Red River Valley" on red plastic.
Tom Fair, Los Angeles