Critique #5: nobody talks about the positive in hip hop

When I started to read this chapter the first thing that came into my head was my sorority. I only say this because there is a similarity between hip hop and greek life. One struggle greek life has is maintaining the devotion and dedication it has for it's work. I know people assume it is all about drinking and partying, but there is a lot of work we do for our community service events and philanthropies which we donate to semi-annually. It is very important because it is our duty as an origination to help and support causes which mean something for us. Causes which are the foundation of our beliefs. Now, when I say it is similar to hip hop I say that because it is. This chapter goes about discussing the difficulties artists have showing what they give back. The work that many hip hop celebrities bring to the table is generally ignored or drowned out by the content of their work. All the positive attributes of hip hop are undermined and ignored because of the image that it has. The questions of what kind of work do they do outside their music career, how do they spend or donate their money, what positives do they contribute are never really brought up. With black artists who contribute to philanthropic events and other important charities and organizations which are personal to them get undermined, it gets overshadowed by other celebrities who have a better image attached because of their work. Also, artists who do put money and efforts to causes which are valuable to them do have it publicized, they get the backlash of it being fake and are just doing it for attention. What people need to start realizing is that hip hop artists donate to causes because they can, and they have the money to. Most celebrities donate to causes for the same reason as many others do. The fact that a black hip hop artists gets scrutinized for donating to a charity and having it media centered is obscured. We have artists like 50 Cent, Chingy, Queen Latifah all creating their own foundations. I for one never heard of many of these charities and foundations before. So it's nice to hear. I never thought any less of hip hop artists because they did or didnt donate. This chapter was fascinating because people are attacking hip hop artists unfairly, when there should be attacks on celebrities as a whole. It has this whole, you can't judge a book by  its cover. I really liked this chapter because it discussed an issue I never really thought about before and it managed to bring it up in a way that really emphasized the importance of keeping an open mind and not being so judging.