While all is not well with the state of Hip-Hop, it is not this monster that the media is portraying it to be. These days in America we have been watching the growth of the art that is stronger that what we could have imagined. For years it had been growing in the inner cities, and then it moved to the suburbs, then into mainstream America. But for some reason the Hip-Hop culture has a stranglehold on America. The movement has blessed numerous people with money and stability in a world, where without it, they would have been nothing. This music is the only music where you see the most diverse crowds. Look at the demographics of a Hip-Hop concert versus a Rock concert. But why has Hip-Hop turned into a scapegoat for everything lately? Out in Cali, they “Ghost Ride” their cars, been doing it, then people start imitating what they see, and get hurt. Is Hip-Hop to blame? No, the kid who was doing it is to blame. Don Imus, who of course had the phrase of the year, called the Rutgers’ ladies some “nappy headed hoes!” Then every media outlet turns the tables and starts blaming black folk and Hip-Hop! How all of a sudden is Hip-Hop public enemy number one? On Oprah she had a two part Town Hall meeting, and as you can guess she is the farthest thing from Hip-Hop. Ms. Winfrey and I don’t see eye to eye. She talks bad to Ludacris, but endorses 50 Cent? She was correct about some of the problems in rap (violence, degradation of women, and the love for drugs), but some of her sources were clearly aimed against Hip-Hop! Oprah needs to use her power to understand Hip-Hop. But I guess when you still spending money from ’88 your view tends to be a bit different. People need to stop blaming Hip-Hop for their racist or sexist remark tirades. When Kramer went off what happened, “well rappers use the word all the time.” I’m not saying you should use the word, but don’t use Hip-Hop for an excuse for a racist tirade! When the two little kids were smoking weed on YouTube, guess who got fingered in that…you guessed it Hip-Hop! What I’m guessing is this, from now on when you get caught in a jam, and don’t want to blame yourself, just blame Hip-Hop! Teenage pregnancy on the rise, blame Hip-Hop! Failing education system, blame Hip-Hop! Homelessness and poverty, blame Hip-Hop! High cost of gas, blame Hip-Hop! The war in Iraq, nah don’t blame Hip-Hop, blame Bush for that one!