Is the U.S. Hanging with the beat of the world? Or are we a step behind?

The US is right where it wants to be as far as what they call hip-hop is concerned--like you said--murder, drugs,stealing-- they are well ahead of the game promoting this, because they are sure not promoting yours--positive--Are you kidding-- why do so many
african american girls middle school age have std's
because the fake hip-hop scene is promoting this and that's what they hear (programmed (subliminal) constantly and people like us, who are somehow not hypnotized by this bulldookey because we can see how they gave flav a show to take the focus away
from what is really real (you said it on your cd)
so yes, when people in Trinidad, or Nigeria, Bahamas
think it's ok to call us Nigger because all the so called hip hop artists that they are exposed to are constantly calling us that, or they see black women looking like sluts, of course the US in on par, because that is exactly what they want the rest of the world to see.Yes, i know people in these places, i live in miami. Would a tv station that displayed real hip hop be supported by us? Do we really want change, or is it just easier to stay with the status quo and continue searching for artists like yourself?

I've been around the globe a little. India, West and East Europe, Australia, Mexico and Canada of course. Like it or not, in these places, the musical common denominator you can't escape is house/techno- whatever you want to call it.

Love,

Hoper

America(as in government wise) isn't intuned to Hip-Hop's Real message's or Music ingeneral only it's people feel the real value of it's knowledge That Hip-Hop exstend's,even now...

Wow. I'm surprised there haven't been more responses to this. An honour to have a direct exchange with you, Chuck. Props to you and Current.

US is behind, plain and simple.

Eventually, the best of world hip-hop culture will largely be experienced/created/consumed outside the US.

This is what happens when the desire to create sincere expression through art is usurped by the desire to acquire "bling".

mene, mene, tekel, upharsin

I believe hip hop has transformed cultures across the globe. As for the nature of that transformation, I believe mass media/communications has somewhat skewed this transformation, by the very nature of how the art form is represented, what types of content are chosen for broadcast across the major mediums (i.e. the sex, bling and flaunt of excess in hip hop videos on MTV). I'm a firm supporter in the soul-conscious rhyme revival that is taking place from artists like Zion I, Crown City Rockers, Common, Blackalicious, Ohmega Watts, Guru, (Talib & Mos Def of course!) and hope that these artists, and others like them, get the opportunity to spread more of their art around the world as I feel it will have a more positive impact across cultures then the existing content that tends to be the focal point that is promoted in the mass media.

I think these lyrics from 'The 6th Sense' are appropriate:

"how many souls hip-hop has affected
How many dead folks this art resurrected
How many nations this culture connected
Who am I to judge one's perspective?"