Your thoughts on this?

I see kids adopting so much african american culture in todays society that was started among low income african americans in heavily populated inner city african american neighborhoods.

Why would someone want to be something they are not ? Especially if they were born among a totally different social class?

I'm not talking about white kids whatever that grow up in the inner city.

I'm talking about white kids born into money and live in some really nice suburb with all these opportunities, and then they decide they think speaking uneducated and dressing with the pants below their waste is cool.

Thats not cool. Thats called being a poser. WE unfortunately as a society has made that acceptable and mainstream. I don't fucking know why.

Its like a Tiger trying to be a fucking elephant.

Most don't try to be black

Most rap albums are purchased by suburban white kids who come from money. They speak the same slang that they hear on those albums and in rap videos. Bitches, hoes, bling, are just some examples of words that originated by rappers who came from the inner city.

A prime example is Eminem,but he's the best at what black people are known for in the music industry,which is rapping.. Dont get me wrong i love Eminem but alot of white kids try to be like him..

In England we call then Wiggers..

Its popular culture pal. people been copying it since elvis.

What Elvis did was not ghetto.

The stuff today is glamourizing ghetto culture.

Why is this even popular ? WTF?

Miley Cyrus just put out a video of herself dancing a dance that was created by inner city african american girls. It is called Twerking. Last time I checked she comes from money and not the ghetto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twerking

Not sure what you mean by ghetto, but Elvis was inspired by early R and B music which was sung by black people, even the DJs of the time thought Elvis was black when they heard his very early songs.

What i meant was that kids have been copying whatevers or whoevers popular i.e music, entertainment for a long time. Why is it popular? just is. To be honest its not even hip hop culture thats even popular anymore. Its these skinny jean wearing motherfuckers i can't stand like lil wayne and a lot of these new rock bands.

I understood your previous comment, i was refering to Snickers..

One of life's greatest mysteries.

I guess it proves that many people are born a certain way and want to be something else deep inside. You can't help the life you are born into, you can only choose the path and groups you want to associate with.

Miley Cyrus obviously thinks that african american culture is hip. Even though she looks like a total moron and poser. Five years from now she probably will say "Why the fuck did I do that?"

i was referring to snickers as well pal.

Let's discuss this more in a context of history, stating for the fact that this phenomena is not new in American popular culture on either sides of the cultural landscape.

What annoys me is when i see white people with there jeans half way down there backside. If only they knew what that symbolizes..

Yes but 50 years ago, black culture wasn't based on the ghetto and glamourizing a crack dealer who is now a rapper. Today it is.

haha, my mistake..

It happens in every culture, the black kids who try and act white are dumped upon and called Uncle Toms! However at least those kids are trying to better themselves! The white kids are playing the rebel role pure and simple.

Well i like the shoes, but other than that i dont have any clothes that make me look like a nafrican.

Some kids need see it as their identity.... So whatever, shit doesnt bother me.

What I want to know is...what the hell difference does it make? People like what they like, and they emulate who they want to emulate. Don't waste your time and energy worrying about how other people want to dress and talk.

No it's not.That's one section which for various reasons some people across the political and racial spectrum like to pretend is the entirety.

I always hear this, and maybe a lot of white kids do buy these rap albums, but it's not like a lot of black kids are listening to rock, metal, country, or classical. Black kids are certainly buying these rap albums too.

Exactly EastHarlem!! During the heyday of jazz music during the 1950's, you had Jewish musicians trying to imitate and play like giants, Coltrane, Miles and etc.. Have you ever seen the film Bird with Forrest Whitaker?

".but it's not like a lot of black kids are listening to rock, metal, country, or classical."

*I disagree!! There are many black kids who listen to these different genres' of musical traditions, and I was one of them. Along with my Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC 12inches, I had Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Steely Dan, Frank Sinatra (my grandmother loved Frank S.) albums as well.

In his initial rise and even thru his heyday Elvis bought many of his clothes from Lanksy's, a Beale Street Memphis clothing store which primarily catered to black musicians.

http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/the_king_and_i_bernard_lansky.shtml#sthash.vArdhTag.dpbs

The Elvis pompadour was also a copy of the black process which itself was a copy of white hairstyles. So there has always been sharing and copying, credited or uncredited, from respect or envy.

To his credit, Elvis was quite open about his musical, performance and sartorial influences. And this wasn't missed by the White Citizen's Councils, who attacked Elvis and rock-n-roll in language that's not too dissimilar to what we hear today.

Sometimes I wonder if some of you make to much of things...did you ever think that this may all be just the norm- I want to be different then what my parents or society wants me to be?
Long hair, short hair, no hair, Tattoos, piercing, there is always someone doing the opposites of what others are doing. The hippies of the sixties, are a perfect example of this.... anti something, anti everything....break the rules, break the norm....I want to be free from THE MAN. WE are young we don't have to follow or listen to those old folks!

Back in the 70s George Carlin put out an album on which he talked about is neighborhood. On one track he stated that if a black guy hung out with a group of white guys on the corner for a month, at the end of that month the black guy would not have adopted any of the white guys' manners or speech. On the other hand, if a white guy hung out with a group of black guys on the corner for a month, at the end of that month the white guy would have adopted a bunch of the black guys' mannerisms and speech.

Exactly. Why is that?

I think it's because teenagers want attention. Dressing up as black gangsters makes them feel like they're also some tough gangster from the ghetto.

I wear a tracksuit and a leather jacket. And practically most of the Russian/Slavic youth does it.

"Many" in terms of numbers? Maybe. "Many" in terms of proportion? I highly doubt it. I think you're the exception that proves the rule.

I think what is considered urban and hip hop in terms of dress has changed drastically from the early 2000s of baggy tees, outrageously baggy jeans and Air Force one's. A lot of so called "rappers" today are wearing skinny jeans. Throwbacks (according to Jay Z are out) and baggy tops are out. I remember guys would wear like 3XL white tees around about 2004 lol.

White kids wanting to be urban african american?!?!?!I mean common this is so 90's stuff or should i say this so yesterday.....whats next?!Do you think that teenagers these days smoke too much weed????