When rap came out 30 years ago I thought it was just a fad

As they say....some here ’doth protest too much’ ...Get over yourselves with this (is it or isn’t it, racist) crap! It’s music. Take it or leave it...don’t feel compelled to convert others. Never in the history of the ’Internet forum’ has someone convinced someone else to change camps, on polarizing issues. Unfortunately, most seem to participate only to speak, not to listen.

Although I happen to enjoy rap on my high end system...(especially Scarface, FWIW; ) the people defending it sound as desperate to me as those criticizing it.

P.S. Taters...you got me...I tried to resist...but you got me. Well played, my friend.

Tosta wrote:

"But that’s not the issue here--the issue here is whether it’s proper to call someone a racist based on comments made about music. That’s some pretty heavy extrapolation."

I did not call op a racist. I said there were racist under/overtones to his rhetorical post. If you go back and read his subsequent comments, they go beyond his original question, which is, and I quote: "Now it seems like it dominates the music industry, movies and fashion. MY ONLY QUESTION IS WHY?" (emphasis added)

Clearly this is not his "only" question. He has started at least one other thread about the same subject.

He seems obsessed. His "only question" was answered early on- as if it even deserved to be taken seriously. His "question" is purely rhetorical, and my sense is that Taters is a provocateur, a mischief-maker. He is easily entertained.

Some people have too much idle time. And yes, including me- Heck, I could be tube rolling instead of responding to this thread! :)

I have no more to say. I’ll leave it to the rest of you to sort it out. RAP on, or not....

ps, he and calvinj have each started multiple threads and appear to be arm-wrestling over the merits of rap.  It's gotten into discussions of racism and elitism.  I didn't say it at the time but I felt the thread about snooty audiophiles was actually elitist  in tone, but coming from the OP himself.  I'm sure they're both good guys but I did find it all a little weird at times.  But I digress.
If you call a person's statement racist, what does that say about the person who uttered the statement?  What kind of person makes a racist statement?  And why/how do you read racism into statements made about an art form?  Who wants to discuss music with people who brand your comments "racist" when you're just discussing the elements of music?  Not me.  And that is absolute--I do know my thoughts and feelings.  Absolutely.  You, on the other hand, do not.  Absolutely.  

@ps +1 I'm out. Exiting

RAP is CRAP!  BS with a BEAT!