Local afterschool program hires gangster rapper

JustAliceJustAlice 1,308 Posts
edited May 2006 in Strut Central
Im looking for some opinions and views on the following matter.Watch this story here and let me know what you think:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtRBYo66C...ndid%3D23683533There is a non-profit musical program called Ethos in Portland that teaches afterschool music classes for free in several schools in the city. Many MC's, DJs Artists and Musicians have dontated time and money to this cause, it is also funded by tax payers.A local tabloid journalist Dan Tilkin @ KATU got access to an interview with one of the teachers in the program and the director of Ethos by telling them it was going to be a positve thing. The teacher is a 20 something year old Rapper named Craziness. He owns his own label called FinalCut and produces NW Rap artists. The reporter had to have obtained permission from all parents of the kids in the interview, I'm assuming by lying and saying the story was going to be positve. In turn, he used the footage in a ridiculous Expose' on how Portland tax payers are funding a gangster rapper to teach our children. This is one of the stupiest things Ive ever seen on small town TV. You could say the same thing about any Rap Star, Sports Hero, Pop Star Etc who gives time and money to charity and non- porfits. Take for example Snoop and his Football program. Does his negative lyrics and message in his music take away from the fact that he donates to childrens causes?? A lot of ( famous and not famous ) Artists have started NP's with thier money and work towards the postive especially when they have a real connection to the streets. What is wrong with trying to bring something to the community? Jailed inmates make contributions to society in many ways, Ex-gang members hold forums to discourage violence. In recent months Young Buck donated $25,000 to the Nashville Alliance for Public Education. 50 Cent's G-Unity Foundation also donated a $100,000 grant to support the relief efforts surrounding Hurricane Katrina. The list of donaters and celebrity NP's is endless. Should an artists work and personal life limit contributions he chooses to make? I guess you could argue that these Kids can and will got to his website and listen to his music. As you could already guess, he has a myspace account. But couldnt you do that for practically any Rap Artist? Should we be picking and choosing who can or cant make contributions to the community? In some ways..Yes I supose MJ is a good example of this BUT then Shouldnt we be questioning every personal moral effect of every person who donates time and money to childrens causes?? If we did that there wouldnt be any childrens funds, programs and NP's. Is thier money not green enough for them??I feel this reporter made something out of nothing and is unable to look at the big picture. I feel it is wrong he USED the kids and thier parents in this interview for a personal supposed journalistic gain by lying to them which is F*kd.I want to contact the reporter but the station website is like so 1994 and there isnt a contact number, email or blog for this reporter. Also the story itself is no where to be found on the website...which is totally I now there are a lot of teachers and parents here so weigh in on and show me some different views.

  Comments


  • a 20 something year old Rapper named Craziness.

  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    a 20 something year old Rapper named Craziness.

    That's Crazy!


  • sonofsamsonofsam 680 Posts
    i was a photojournalist for a TV station for about 3 years, and bullshit like this is why i got out of that industry... almost every one of these type of local reporters is just trying to get some attention so they can move on to the next market and make more money... i don't really have a problem with doing that, we all want to make more money and have a better job, but they do this kind of story just to stir some shit up... controversy = recognition... they run stories like this, leaving people who are actually trying to do positive things in the community in their wake, and then bounce after a couple of years to a bigger market... even if he was initially trying to do a positive story about this guy, i promise you a producer or news director saw it, and said "we need to use this angle about his violent lyrics"... notice at the end when he points out that the guy didn't want them to run that story, that shit doesn't need to be said, it's just a way to add fuel to their own fire... i'm sure the promos for that story were like "ARE YOUR CHILDREN BEING TAUGHT BY PIMPS AND KILLERS? THE STORY ONE GANGSTER RAPPER DIDN'T WANT YOU TO SEE! PLUS, PETER SMILEY HAS YOUR 5 DAY FORECAST 2 MINUTES EARLIER THAN THE OTHER STATIONS. THAT'S 2 MINUTES THAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!"

    i learned that MOST TV reporters are just people that wanted to be movie stars, but they are not talented enough/too ugly, and shit like this is just a way for them to get more "famous"

  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts
    There's enough controversy in the world that reporters shouldn't don't have to create false controversy.

  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    Local News = 1/2 hour of vapid nothingness.


    "A local man is murdered on the freeway, plus we'll be live at the 2006 doggy fashion show! All this and our zany weatherman at 8!"

  • BeatChemistBeatChemist 1,465 Posts
    This is sad.

    Why can't news outlets spend more time covering real issues, instead of creating their own bullshit stories??

  • Special_EdSpecial_Ed 315 Posts
    Whack as fuck.

  • JustAliceJustAlice 1,308 Posts
    Well, I'm glad that some of you agree with me on this. I was just so pissed from the moment I saw it and even more pissed that I couldnt find any contact info for the rookie reporter so I could vent my anger to him personally. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

    I'd stll like to hear from some of the teacher folks on here.

    Did you notice that the stats in the classroom and homework from this guys program had an improvement rates of OVER 50% !! Obvioulsy the program works...its just so silly the reporter had to dig so deep to make an ass out of himself. My hope is that the parents get mad. The school board basically already told this reporter to go to hell as well. I hit up the rapper and asked him for the reporters email address too. Have to wait and see.. Thanks again everyone!

  • pcmrpcmr 5,591 Posts
    This journalist is afuck. He knows the program is good and creates this twobit piece to get smoe attrention. I really beleive in these types of afterschool programs having worked in them myself. The guys is adding non necessary drama to a perfectly good situation

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Ethos is a well respected program in Portland. I have no doubt that Ethos, like any other group that works with children run back ground checks on all volunteers and employees.

    If this gangster rapper, was a gangster, then he would have never passed a background check. But he did. Did the TV sation catch him cussing or promoting drugs and guns to kids? I have not watched the vid, your word is good enough for me.

    Any way my point is that Ethos will weather this storm. Ethos is good, TV News bad.

    The first Night Owl Record Show had Ethos as our charity.

    Dan

  • Danno3000Danno3000 2,850 Posts
    That reporting was infuriating. The journalist is a douche.

  • d_wordd_word 666 Posts



    "connected to the streets"

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    I'd like to see KATU to start doing some undercover reporting on the achievement gap for students of color here in portland public schools. Shit has been an issue since I was in elementary school three decades ago and literally nothing has changed. Yet school administrators continue to draw salaries that would make Monsieur Craziness envious.
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