Who let the dogs out?

Dan, I have to disagree a bit. I hate it when hip-hop gets blamed for everything bad in America, but I don't think Bryan Burwell is adding to that in the article you linked to.

I think Burwell's argument is that "street cred" is what led Vick to be a millionaire-superstar-athlete by day, and dog fighter by night.

Hip-hop is obsessed with authenticity. We want our stars to all have street cred. They are not allowed to leave the hood, leave their old friends, or even leave their old habits behind.

Burwell writes:

"somewhere between Jackie Robinson and Michael Vick, things got all fouled up. "Street cred" became the anthem of the modern black athlete, this misguided notion that the only way to appeal to the young demographic of the sneaker-buying public was to adopt the negative attitudes of the thug life popularized by black hip-hop/gangster rappers. According to the 18-page federal indictment, Vick is accused of sponsoring the sort of gruesome dogfighting enterprise that is readily identified as a part of the dark side of that culture.

So that's how someone like Michael Vick came into existence. He got hijacked, and we all let it happen."

I cosign that. Burwell does get way off in his last two paragraphs, but I'll ignore that for the sake of my point.

Probably because I read some many hip-hop blogs I've become weary with the way we respond to some of the well meaning people who criticize hip-hop. Bill O'reilly should be slapped around when he talks about rap, because his motives are shady, and his reasoning flawed. A columnist like Burwell should be engaged, not dismissed, because we trust that he's trying to be sensible and fair.

damn ........... ive seen the connection between hip hop since day of the dog.......... DAMN YOU HIP HOP!!!!!!!! man i could care less what the mainstream says about hip hop.....
isnt anyone else tired of haveing to explain it to people that dont get it?
i say let the fools walk blindly all there lives and not know what thier missing......
thier loss

OH SHIT 4 POSTS............
my bad

Hip Hop music is being defined by any and everyone who has watched MTv for less than thirty minutes.

Poverty, Unemployment, narcotics, guns, poor education, the breakdown of the family structure, and a general lack of hope are the roots that cause SOME artists and athletes to behave the way they do.

The values of street cred, no snitching and authenticity were not birthed with Hip Hop, they were expounded upon in the public space. You can trace these values back to any organized crime operations which preceded Hip Hop.

That dog fighting shit has nothing to do with Hip Hop. It was just bad decision making. I guess we just make the assumption that Hip Hop music is automatically the guiding force in Vicks life and thus led him astray. Dude is a grown ass man theres no need in creating excuses for his lapse in judgement or anyone elses for that matter.

and if were blaimin anybody for cock fighting its blues...... just a feelin..... and isnt that all it took to condem hip hop as the devils offspring in this republican run society we live in today?

This thing got nothing to do with hip hop. I feel bad for Vick though, seems white people love dogs more than they love poor people. not saying killing dogs is cool, but this shit is way over the fucking top.

This thing got nothing to do with hip hop. I feel bad for Vick though, seems white people love dogs more than they love poor people. not saying killing dogs is cool, but this shit is way over the fucking top. they need to get on that jena 6 miscarriage of justice thats about to go down.

I can't believe they're trying to distract us from the fact that white people have seriously fucked the NBA. The NBA is the best product in the world and they stepped all over it and then left it in alley. Those old Spur pizza hut jerseys were bad, and tom chambers unstoppable lakers vs. celtics move seemed ridiculous, but now we know that the nba past is way more fucked than steroids. Patrick Ewing is sitting in Englewood incensed over all those Jordan calls. Everytime the ref blows a whistle he's blowing it for the white devil.

first!!!!!111111oneoneonefiveminusfour@@@@RoFl I heart L2 FWD:FWD:RE:RE:PLS PR1NT OMG I'm first!!! LOL C====3

hi