Boycott the Footlocker

[mnmcandiez]

Well are you going to band target for using rap in their comercials? I mean a lot of stuff uses rap in their comercials,

 

[California Dreamin']

I said nothing about christian rap and it is obviously that none of you live outside of gated communities. I guess I came to the wrong place with this concern. Sorry to bother so many people that have obviously been lured into the rap world. Do me a favor though, watch BET for an hour. Then go to the mall and really listen to the way that the baggy pants wearing crowd talks and acts. Then post a reply to this thread.

There aren't gated communities here.
Anyways, I know someone who listens to what I call negative rap all the time. They have now chosen the lifestyle that's in the lyrics.
I don't know if the rap is to blame, it could be the people he chooses to associate with, television, anything... It doesn't have to be the music. He also stole a car, and he plays GTA for PS2, but I think at his age you know right from wrong, and blaming the video game... Anyways, my close friends listen to rap, I do as well (not as much as they do) but there are a few songs I do like.. and the music hasn't affected our life choices. I think if you are making conscious decisions, and know right from wrong (i.e. Stealing will get me in trouble with the law..) that music, television, movies and the like will not influence you.

 

[California Dreamin']

Kids are idiots. I was when I was in high school and junior high. Everyone thinks they're cool and need to fit in some category. Well, congratulations, you just attacked one out of many.

KIDS ARE IDIOTS?
I think that is a major generalization! I never tried to be "cool" and "fit in some category". I just think you may want to rephrase that.

 

[oneiric]

Sorry for the generalization. I edited it. : )

 

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

I like KJ-52, he's a rap artist, and he speaks out against the negative stuff that most secular rap musicians (using the term loosely) incorporate into the music.

If I have to use rap to witness to someone I will - just because I don't like the style of music doesn't mean that I won't use it if it is a way to get more people into the kingdom of God.

And yes, I believe there has been quite a few generalisations in this thread - keep it to a minimum guys!!!

Sasch

 

[shawnhawkins]

Well are you going to band target for using rap in their comercials? I mean a lot of stuff uses rap in their comercials,

Yes I will, any corporation that uses rap in thier commercials will not get my money.

 

[shawnhawkins]

Do a search on the lyrics of "three six mafia" the group that does the rap for footlocker. I warn you they are bad. The big picture is that while this group doesn't say anything bad in the commercial they are vile horrible violent sexist drug using scumbags. If you shop at footlocker then they will continue to hire scumbags like this. If you don't, and make it known to footlocker why you are not going to shop there then they will not hire scumbags like this anymore. When you buy from footlocker, you are putting money into the pockets of scum like three six mafia and you are saying through your actions that that kind of behavior is O.K.
Is this explaining the BIG PICTURE well enough?
They are a bad influence and your inactivity in this matter is saying to the world that they are permisable in this society.

 

[oneiric]

I'm doing my part by never shopping there in the first place anyway. I don't try and act ghetto, let alone going into a store and enduring it.

 

[Gil-Galad12]

Do a search on the lyrics of "three six mafia" the group that does the rap for footlocker. I warn you they are bad. The big picture is that while this group doesn't say anything bad in the commercial they are vile horrible violent sexist drug using scumbags. If you shop at footlocker then they will continue to hire scumbags like this. If you don't, and make it known to footlocker why you are not going to shop there then they will not hire scumbags like this anymore. When you buy from footlocker, you are putting money into the pockets of scum like three six mafia and you are saying through your actions that that kind of behavior is O.K.
Is this explaining the BIG PICTURE well enough?
They are a bad influence and your inactivity in this matter is saying to the world that they are permisable in this society.

But you have to look at the big picture. They have a great selection at affordable prices.

 

[unjustwar]

The Footlocker uses rap in thier commercials. I am a Babptist and I have convinced my family and friends to boycott the footlocker for thier choice of ad campaigns. Rap is greatly responsible for the corruption of todays youth. As christians, I urge you to join me in hitting this corporation in the wallet for adding to this ongoing problem that plauges the youth of today. I have e-mailed the Footlocker concerning this and they don't seem to want to pull the rap spots. Thank you for you attention to this subject.

wow look on the charts.... Rap is at least 75% of the charts for MTV etc etc. Rap is what attracts teens. Marketing is trying to attract the younger generation (me) America's God is money and i doubt any corporation would care.
I personally think Rap is a form of expression. Cussing, drugs, sex, whatever ... its what people resort to when they are in poverty. I listen to rap because of the beat... i kinda block out the lyrics. Heard of eminem ? he talks about horrible things but its a lot more meaningful than a lot of country or pop lyrics ive heard. haha and gil i love your quote... Americans could care less if Footlocker was directly helping drugs dealers as long as the prices are cheap

 

[shawnhawkins]

wow look on the charts.... Rap is at least 75% of the charts for MTV etc etc. Rap is what attracts teens. Marketing is trying to attract the younger generation (me) America's God is money and i doubt any corporation would care.
I personally think Rap is a form of expression. Cussing, drugs, sex, whatever ... its what people resort to when they are in poverty. I listen to rap because of the beat... i kinda block out the lyrics. Heard of eminem ? he talks about horrible things but its a lot more meaningful than a lot of country or pop lyrics ive heard. haha and gil i love your quote... Americans could care less if Footlocker was directly helping drugs dealers as long as the prices are cheap

I think the opperative term in your post unjustwar is i KINDA block out the lyrics.
You people still don't get it. And cussing, drugs, sex whatever....Did you look at some of 3 six mafia's lyrics? It is all in there. And these people are rich. They are rich and using dupes like all of the people here that think that, "oh I just listen to christian rap" or " I just KINDA block out the lyrics" but there wouldn't be christian rap if there wasn't gangsta rap and do you have magic ears that can block out words and not music? The lyrics are still getting through. Get real people, tolerating it even a bit, is very dangerous.

 

[selune]

I think the opperative term in your post unjustwar is i KINDA block out the lyrics.
You people still don't get it. And cussing, drugs, sex whatever....Did you look at some of 3 six mafia's lyrics? It is all in there. And these people are rich. They are rich and using dupes like all of the people here that think that, "oh I just listen to christian rap" or " I just KINDA block out the lyrics" but there wouldn't be christian rap if there wasn't gangsta rap and do you have magic ears that can block out words and not music? The lyrics are still getting through. Get real people, tolerating it even a bit, is very dangerous.

Granted lyrics to gangsta rap are awful. However your statement that there wouldn't be Christian rap without gangsta rap is far from true. For example, ages ago many different civilizations created pasta around the same time. It wasn't one leading another to this tasty treat. I believe that rap music, and other genres for that matter, are created when people explore what they can do with their voices/instruments/stuff around them...To lay the downfall of civilization on one particular thing as you are doing is ignoring so many other aspects.

 

[LilAngelHeart]

Blaming rap for the corruption of today's youth is like blaming McDonalds for obesity in America.

Just a sidenote: There are plenty of Christian rappers around today. Are they to blame as well? Plus you're labeling an entire genre of music, without caring to specify.

LOL! Yeah, I was going to say what about the Christian Rappers.

 

[LilAngelHeart]

Yes I will, any corporation that uses rap in thier commercials will not get my money.

Coke a cola uses rap. McDonalds used rap, heck just about everything even Target used rap, the list can go on and on.

I don't like hard core rap, but Christian rap and rap songs that actually make a worthwhile point without being hard core, I see nothing wrong with it from a Christian stand point.

 

[steviedee]

hahahaha! Rap may be a horrible excuse for music, but don't go and blame the genre for corruption. Blame lyrics of any kind of music if you're on a hunt. Reuben is a Christian rapper...go and scold him too.

Well, I work around this stuff 5 days a week. I also have many friends who are middle and High School teachers, who "would" blame rap for quite a lot of the problems with today's inner-city youth. I'm not going to blame it for "corruption," but it has done NOTHING for these kids and young adults. It has a very deleterious effect on them.

2 weeks ago, I asked three groups of inner city males between 18-30 to name me all the beers they could on today's market. Most were able to name 7 to 15.

Then I asked them to recite the 10 Commandments. The most any of them could name was 3. They can all give you the words to the top 10, but can barely get through the "Our Father."

 

[steviedee]

I said nothing about christian rap and it is obviously that none of you live outside of gated communities. I guess I came to the wrong place with this concern. Sorry to bother so many people that have obviously been lured into the rap world. Do me a favor though, watch BET for an hour. Then go to the mall and really listen to the way that the baggy pants wearing crowd talks and acts. Then post a reply to this thread.

Shawn, I AGREE with you. I worked with the gangs in LA. I worked in delinquency areas for years, including jails, and work with inner-city guys now who are on Probation and Parole, and I've done this stuff from NY through the Midwest, out to LA, and back East again. I probably know every drug dealer in the city. Most of these guys have no father, no male to emulate, didn't value education or reading and writing, and quit school; now, they are virtually unemployable except in menial positions, and live in very poor areas, and are under an unbelievable amount of peer pressure. It's ruff for them to stay indoors 24/7 and isolate themselves when practically the whole neighbourhood is the same. There are a lot of negative things about these guys, but I'll tell you one thing: they are loyal friends, and underneath some of the glitzy exteriors are some very, VERY hurting, unloved boys. My guys all pray in a group, and NEVER have I had one of them refuse. They will listen to, and enjoy, Christian videos. I showed one of the Brooklyn Tabernacle videos last Friday, and 2 of the guys were crying.
I KNOW how they act and look. But, I dare you to get to know some of them. You will like what you find, I bet.

 

[LifeToTheFullest!]

It's obvious that you all just don't see the big picture.

Aaaaahh, the 'ol 'If you don't see things as I see them then you are wrong' argument.

I suggest you specifically identify which artists you believe to be the problem, and cite specific instances where they are directly responsible for societies ills.

Put away the broadbrush, nothing in society has ever been solved by making sweeping generalizations towards different groups. If you want to boycot a company for any reason, go right ahead, but don't expect everyone should share similar views and join in.

BTW, many movies, tv adds, stores, etc., use rap music for their own purposes, how did you select Footlocker as your target?

Personally, I don't shop at FL b/c their prices are too much for me.

Regards

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

Shawn, I AGREE with you. I worked with the gangs in LA. I worked in delinquency areas for years, including jails, and work with inner-city guys now who are on Probation and Parole, and I've done this stuff from NY through the Midwest, out to LA, and back East again. I probably know every drug dealer in the city. Most of these guys have no father, no male to emulate, didn't value education or reading and writing, and quit school; now, they are virtually unemployable except in menial positions, and live in very poor areas, and are under an unbelievable amount of peer pressure. It's ruff for them to stay indoors 24/7 and isolate themselves when practically the whole neighbourhood is the same. There are a lot of negative things about these guys, but I'll tell you one thing: they are loyal friends, and underneath some of the glitzy exteriors are some very, VERY hurting, unloved boys. My guys all pray in a group, and NEVER have I had one of them refuse. They will listen to, and enjoy, Christian videos. I showed one of the Brooklyn Tabernacle videos last Friday, and 2 of the guys were crying.
I KNOW how they act and look. But, I dare you to get to know some of them. You will like what you find, I bet.

I'm very glad I saw that, steviedee. It helps to get to know people before completely dismissing them out of hand; doing that wastes tremendous opportunities for reaching out in the name of Christ. (I admit I've been pretty remiss on that, but that's a whole different issue.)

As for Shawn, the old 'ad hominem' thing isn't helping your case any. Saying things like 'You just don't get the picture' and 'it's obvious that none of you live outside of gated communities' is really quite uncalled for and contributes nothing to your argument. Although I can understand your frustration, lashing out like that just isn't the way to handle it.

As for rap music itself... I would agree that much of the industry is pretty sordid, but I'd consider it a symptom rather than a cause of societal ills. After all, we do live in a fallen world.

 

[shawnhawkins]

It is a fact that around 1992 the statistics for drug abuse and anti social behavior went up about 300 percent. Just about the time that Snoop Dog and Tupac and all of the other gangsta rappers came on the scene. Just about the time that it hit really big. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together. Granted, rap is not the only cause of the downfall of todays youth, but, it is the major cause. I can sum it up in one phrase. "WHITE GUYS WEARING DOO-RAGS" Need I say more?
I truely believe that the denial that I am seeing here is a serious problem.

 

[selune]

Aww hun, I remember rap well before these fellas. Back it up to the old school of Run DMC and the like in at least '86 (even before that, but I wasn't aware of music as much before that). Face it, society has been in a downward spiral since, let's see, the fall of man. We can work to make it better, but playing the blame game isn't helping. *sarcasm on* I say let's boycott Italian food, because of the excess of the Roman empire!! Does that help anything?