Alicia Keys: Conspiracy Theorist?
 

AP



Alicia Keys

NEW YORK — There's another side to Alicia Keys: conspiracy theorist.

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter tells Blender magazine: "'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. 'Gangsta rap' didn't exist."

Keys, 27, said she's read several Black Panther autobiographies and wears a gold AK-47 pendant around her neck "to symbolize strength, power and killing 'em dead," according to an interview in the magazine's May issue, on newsstands Tuesday.

Another of her theories: The bicoastal feud between slain rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. was fueled "by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing."

Keys' AK-47 jewelry came as a surprise to her mother, who is quoted as telling Blender: "She wears what? That doesn't sound like Alicia." Keys' publicist, Theola Borden, said Keys was on vacation and unavailable for comment.

Though she's known for her romantic tunes, she told Blender that she wants to write more political songs. If black leaders such as the late Black Panther Huey Newton "had the outlets our musicians have today, it'd be global. I have to figure out a way to do it myself," she said.

The multiplatinum songstress behind the hits "Fallin"' and "No One" most recently had success with her latest CD, "As I Am," which sold millions.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,350916,00.html


I would like to see some proof on that...I don't know if I can co sign off on that one Miss Keys....

I somewhat agree with what she said about "gangsta rap."

While there were artists for decades who referenced their gangs and other "gangsta rap stuff" in songs for decades, the creation of a genre was very deliberate. And it isn't completely clear where the creation of a genre came from. Sure, Ice-T had the first real commercial success as a "gangsta rapper" but I'm not convinced that it was the rappers who led that movement (or even the people in the hoods). They wanted some of their stories told and for it to be accepted but the extent that that was allowed is still mostly up to those who allowed it.

On a related note, 2 Live Crew was banned in the USA for making music that is just run of the mill raunchiness now.

yeah...and my thing is, even if the government didn't 'invent' it...they sure as hell aren't stopping it and how it has permeated urban culture...especially since black consumers aren't even the biggest consumers of the genre now.

also I am keeping in mind that we still havent heard her side yet as to whther or not she refutes telling this to blender of in those are her words...so i will wait til then

She calls her ex-boyfriend "Voledemort." Alicia will always be cool, conspiracy theories or none. :cool:

I don't know about an AK-47 around my neck, but she's got something there. I'd need to here more from her specifically before I'm inclined to think about it more.

Unrelated to topic...I heard she's bi. That's totally cool with me. :cool: Notice that "No One" is gender-neutral.

For yeeeears.....

Oh...I don't care about A.Keys and whether or not she said any of this. She isn't the first or the last to say these things so they can be discussed on their own merit. :)

dang...we should have put this.....wait...let me go do it now....

Alicia Keys is in the closet.

I mean, Ice-T was the self proclaimed OG, and had one of the biggest influencing records of the whole genre, Original Gangster. I think the creation of the "gangsta rap" movement certainly had A LOT to do with the rappers themselves. NWA? Gangsta, Gangsta? Fuck tha Police? Straight outta Compton? I mean, these guys had graphic lyrics, a graphic image, and some pretty heavy beats for the time.............and I dig the shit out of it, haha.

I don't know, it just doesn't seem as deliberate to me as some may think. I think these guys wanted to get this "image" out there.

...yeah...even Wikipedia can tell you that.

The creation of the gangsta rap genre (we're talking about a genre of music and not a "movement" in terms of rappers wanting to talk about certain things in their songs) isn't mostly up to the artists. The music industry and the media generally don't operate that way.

Almost everything you see and hear in the media is deliberate. That doesn't make everything a result of a "conspiracy" but it's all deliberate. "Deliberate to accomplish what" is the question.

It's like a "chicken or egg" type issue. Were record execs just responding to the artists' and fans' interests or were the artists' and fans' interests in response to the money put into the creation and marketing of a genre of music? I don't know but it's interesting.

The record execs were responding to the money being put into thier pockets...

Think Dave Geffen, Mike Klein and Jerry Heller

You actually think the government could do that even if it wanted to?

Hmmmmmm

The US banned 2 Live Crew altho by todya's standards thier lyrics would be tame

Khia, Snoo Dog and Necro has been banned from Austrailia

Canada is working on banning 50 Cent because he promotes gun violence..DMX is already on that list

The government can ban whoever they want at anytime...they have banned not just rappers but country artists, metal...whatever...if it's determined to be a negative influence to somebody...best believe they can ban it....


Oh...and before you do.....try plain talking beofre yougo running off at the Court TV mouth.


Be nice to see you try holding a regular human convo sometimes....

I don't do lawspeak

BTW....take a gander at this link: http://www.freemuse.org/sw6907.asp

The government shouldn't stop it. That's not its place.

As I'm learning in my Community Counseling class this semester (well, relearning) follow the money. It leads to why the genre developed and was marketed after the emergence of a few successful artists.

Looked at your link: videos banned on MTV is different than the government doing something. Churchs and radio stations boycotting the Dixie Chicks is different than the government doing something. Maybe the larger issue you should examine is why MTV is more likely to ban sex than violence and the overall societal perceptions. It's not something limited to gangsta' rap.

Drole...and this where I am going....we as a society at large are selective as to what we want banned and to be quite honest with you and blunt...as long as rap culture doesn't start affecting affluent populations, it's no big deal...let thme listen to all the hip hop rap that they want....

other countries have banned hip hop artists because they state that the genre is having an adverse affect among the population so part of what we in the US need to be observant on is how long will it be before the USA starts taking the same stance...

On a somewhat unrelated note remember the big shift the media took after Nipplegate but yet and still you had Diana Ross feeling Lil Kim up and Madonna kissing Brittany on MTV and no one batted an eye.

The FCC lost thier minds afterwards because of the 'adverse affect' people said it (Janet's performance) had on kids.

yet and still kids at any time could tune in on an act of violence.

This is why I said IF the gov't wanted to they could act, but they aren't,instead they are leaving it up to the parents to do it (which in some cases, parents should)

it's almost and dmaned if you do and damned if you don't situation.


wait...i just remembered law and order is on

And of course while watching the 7pm episode it starts off with someone getting shot up in a diner...and not 5 mins after I finished typing my ETA up a kid blows his brains out...and it's only 7:15 pm.

Drole...something to consider

The American media has been slowly letting the genie over the bottle over the past 1/2 century

Think....

50 years ago married couples on TV slept in separate beds, 25 years ago the same beds....today you can find an interacial gay couple almost in the nude in bed in 8pm time slot (not trying to be offensive to gay people...just trying to make a point!)

50 years ago it was all about gee willikers and aww shucks....25 years ago....you heard damn....20 years ago joan Collins gave bitch a brand new meaning and today unless you are watching a paid premium channel you wont hear shit or fuck (altho I still think about the South Park episode!!) and depending on the show you can hear the n word.

I can go on and you see where I am going with this...it's just that when it comes to who should be allowing what it's a 2 faced beast...on one hand the FCC limits certain things but appears helpless to stop others....

yes....the responsibility falls mostly on the parents but when we are talking about parents who are desensitized and raised on most of this also...who can really say?