[YouTube Link]
This is the first installment of Javid’s full length interview with Steve Stoute on his new book “The Tanning Of America”. In this clip Steve gets into the writing process for the book which he says took him 3 years and talks about what “tanning” means to him. Steve also tells the story of how Jay-Z’s famous “who’s the best MC, Biggie, Jay-Z or Nas” lyric raised his stature and recalls the time LL Cool J used The Gap to make a commercial for FUBU. And finally, he gives his thoughts on the digital music revolution explaining how Sony Muisic dropped the ball and what Jimmy Iovine saw in Steve Jobs’ idea for iTunes.
To be continued! Check out the preview HERE if you missed it!
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dope interview.
i like Steve…. no rah rah shit just intelligence… i will be buying the book at the end of the month…
Okay Steve. I’ll buy your book.
I think I may download this joint.
It’s crazy that he’s cool with Diddy after what happened back in 99. Not sure if I could hang out with a mothafucka after he beat me down with a phone & a bottle.
what happened in 99?
Stoute wouldn’t remove Diddy from a scene in Hate Me Now video final edit….and diddy put foot to ass…broke a phone and bottle over his head and threw some punches in there to boot.
Oh shit that was stoute? I forgot all about that
Dope interview/words of wisdom
This is a good look. To quote Murder to Excellence on Watch the Throne, “What’s up to Will? Shout out to O. That ain’t enough.. we gonna need a million more
“Kick in the door” Biggie flow…”
Keep it coming.
good interview, steve stoute is that dude lol
Shared values? What values are kids picking up from hip-hop? It’s ok to be gay and wear jeggings, I’m a gangbanger, I’m a stripper! You’ve done a great job pushing poison Steve. What goes around comes around. Hip-Hop is a big deception and look at what it did to the minds of our people (sex, violence, materialism, etc). The fact that white kids bought into it is nothing to brag about. They only “listened” we lived it and thats why our communities are in horrible shape now. Thanks Steve, nothing last forever soon black people will wake up and see the traitors that sold us out for a dollar.
If you can’t distinguish fantasy from reality, than perhaps you shouldn’t listen to rap music.
The same could be said for movies & TV shows.
I can watch former Gov. Ah-nold as “The Terminator” savagely kill hundreds of people, during the course of a two hour long movie & yet I somehow manage to not go on a killing spree afterwards. Hmmm…
I get the point that you’re trying to make, but, I also believe that the problems that we face within our community go way deeper and are far more engrained than what could be gleaned from a song that’s 4 minutes in length.
Hip Hop is merely a symptom of a much bigger problem.
It wasn’t an accident that created our situation… it was a well planned & executed plot to destroy our community… research the term “COINTELPRO” to get a better understanding of what I mean.
@Critical Thinker…You’re smart person, I can tell by your post. Now hear me out. The “distinguish fantasy from reality” argument is COINTELPRO. What you fail to recognize is every time Hip-Hop is criticized for its content our Programming kicks in and we defend it. How many times have you heard someone say “look at the Terminator” or what about “Movies and TV”? Does this address the issue of content, harmful messages and images that are being promoted in rap culture? If you want to take a look at the fruit that hip-hop produced go to WorldStarHipHop and watch the fights, the strippers, music made by kids that can’t hardly read. COINTELPRO took on many forms. Most people think it was just a divide and conquer tactic but after you divide you must put something in place to distract the people. The White man doesn’t want the black man to know his true significance, his history is the greatest story never told. Hip-Hop was a distraction that kept our eyes away from the truth of who we are as a people. I grew up in the culture and those 4 minute songs affected my outlook on life. You fail to mention that over the course of 10-15-20 years one has digested hundreds of thousands of 4 minute songs so do the math. It’s time for our generation to grow up and look back and analyze the affect rap music had on our values. I can distinguish fantasy from reality which is why I’m not impressed by pompous clowns like Steve Stoute.
I understand the points that you’ve made… but, it seems like you have some sort of beef or personal vendetta against Steve Stoute, specifically. If you do, that would certainly explain a lot.
Correct me, if I’m wrong, but that’s the impression that I get from this post and others that you’ve made.
Now a little about my backstory: I’m a man, over the age of 30. So, I grew up listening to hip hop. Yet, I didn’t allow it to form my value system. I could listen to a number of songs that expressed in great detail how to rob, kill, use & sell drugs, degrade women, etc… etc… but, I didn’t act upon any of those influences.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no saint… I made some mistakes along the way. But, I also had a decent upbringing and learned values that kept me from falling into the pitfalls that are so prevelant within our society today.
America has a culture of violence. It’s everywhere… in every genre of music & film. Why? Because, it’s used as a marketing tool, just as sex is. That’s what our economy is built upon; Fear & Sex, because, they’re both such powerful motivators. (But, that’s for another post.)
I said all of that to say that I agree that we’ve got to accept the responsibility to change our future(s) by being better teachers/role models to our children.
I personally have a 10 year old daughter and I don’t allow her to listen to hip hop (or watch certain tv programs), because, I know how it can negatively effect an impressionable mind.
Although, if she chooses to when she gets older, I will trust that the values that I’ve taught her will hold up and that she will steer clear of the same pitfalls that we all face.
Once we all share that same outlook then we will begin to move forward as a race and as a community. Regardless of any exterior obstacles that we face.
@Critical Thinker…thanks for sharing that. I don’t have a personal vendetta against Steve Stoute but I know what he represents. My main point was don’t believe the hype. The stories sound good but there’s a dark side to the business that most people aren’t willing to speak on. To your other point, we’re from the same generation and we had more of a foundation than this generation. I grew up on Five Percenters saying the Black Man is God while selling drugs, robbing and killing. For example, every hood had a Supreme, Justice, Prince, Born, etc. Pure nonsense and that belief system is what drove alot of hip-hops earliest stars. Our reaction to hip-hop was a little different because the culture was fairly new and we didn’t know where it was going. We lived in the moment and weren’t sophisticated enough to analyze any long term affects. We also had a more balanced crop of artist. This still doesn’t erase the fact that the music celebrated promiscuity, alcoholism, drugs etc. All the things you want to keep away from your 10 year old daughter. As you get older you’re able to recognize the intricate ways that hip-hop devalues our woman. Men were made to think B*&# ain’t S*&# but Hoes and Tricks, messages like this definitely affects your view towards woman. Even so called righteous songs like “Slow Down” painted our black woman as out of control whores and fiends. Some of them where but songs like this only exaggerated the problem. It made way too many brothers insensitive to the needs of our woman. We can’t survive as a nation if our woman don’t respect us and know that we would die to protect them. America’s culture of violence doesn’t have to become our culture. When we can separate ourselves mentally from popular culture we’ll begin to heal as a people. Peace my brother and my prayer is that brothers like us can bring about real change so your daughter never has to feel less than the African Queen that she is.
Shared values? What values are kids picking up from hip-hop? It’s ok to be gay and wear jeggings, I’m a gangbanger, I’m a stripper! You’ve done a great job pushing poison Steve. What goes around comes around. Hip-Hop is a big deception and look at what it did to the minds of our people (sex, violence, materialism, etc). The fact that white kids bought into it is nothing to brag about. They only “listened” we lived it and thats why our communities are in horrible shape now. Thanks Steve, nothing last forever, soon black people will wake up and see the traitors that sold us out for a dollar.
damn, this realness is making me have 2nd thoughts about reading the book now.
Save your money brother. Don’t waste your time reading about how one guy got rich convincing white executives he knows black people better than they know themselves. The economic downturn will expose alot and cause people to reflect. When our people wake up out of this hip-hop fantasy world guys like Steve Stoute will have to go into hiding.
you’re an idiot.
True indeed, but the question is: When will our people wake up?? I don’t see it, doggy. :’(
@OnTheRealThough….my brother, this forum can’t contain the truth of what is coming for the black race in future. I don’t want to open up that debate on here but know for sure that the descendants of former slaves will have their day. It was written and it will come to pass. I’ll leave you with one gem. Go see “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and overstand what that movie is talking about. History has lied to us and the truth will set us free. Peace.
Word the fuck up^ Truth
Beast
Co-sign, co-sign, co-sign ^^^^^ Student of Truth!!! Not only the Truth, but eloquently conveyed as well…
@Student of Truth…..The only problem I have with what you are saying is….Hi-Hop is roughly only 30 years old, so what about in the 70′s when the same ignorance was going on, or the 60′s or shit even when the first slaves were brought here. You will always have people who will strive to be better and you will always have people that thrive on ignorance. It happens in every culture not just our culture.
To solely blame it on Hip-hop is just another cop-out…..What lead Malcolm Little to be a pimp/thief/drug abuser before Islam? Damn sure wasn’t Hip-Hop. What made every 80′s black drug dealer kingpin in major inner cities become that? Wasn’t Hip-Hop.
I think you make a valid point but you also are generalizing everything negative about Hip-Hop and not the positives. You don’t know about how many people are doing positive things because of Hip-Hop, or how Hip-Hop feeds whole families who without it would probably fall victim to a life of crime. How Hip-Hop has placed a lot of minorties in positions to help others of every race and culture. How it is slowing down racism almost faster than the civil rights movement itself, because it is tough to hate someone of their skin color when you like their music. How if you are 50 something year old racist, teach your 15 year old to be rasict too when his favorite artist is Talib or Mos Def or Dead Prez or Andre 3000. That is a very tough thing to do.
So I’m not saying it does not have it’s faults…but everything has a negative and positive so if you are going to point out the negative please also point out the positive because whether you like it or not this thing that we call our culture and Hip-Hop is not going anywhere so instead of wanting it to go away let’s also play up the positives of it while trying to stop the negatives….Just my thoughts
@rapfan…I feel you and respect your opinion. I too was a rap fan and I worked in the music business. I have an understanding of the music biz that goes far deeper than just being a fan (no disrespect). My point is the overall affect of hip-hop has been negative to the black community. Ignorance existed in our community before we came here on slave ships. It’s that ignorance that caused us to be enslaved in the first place (much deeper topic). I don’t solely blame hip-hop but this forum was celebrating hip-hop so I added my comments on the subject. Hip-hop was the soundtrack to the drug dealing lifestyle of the 80′s much in the same way R&B, Funk and Soul made heroin dealers and pimps look cool. Music has a way of taking something negative and because our subconscious get caught up in the beat we totally dismiss the content. I can call your mother the B word and if the track is melodic enough you’ll be bobbing your head. The positives of hip-hop are an illusion. Dead Prez are socialist, Mos Def is confused as is Andre 3000, Talib and Common. These soft un-abrasive images of the black male makes us look weak. The so called champions of hip-hops alternative voice are non factors in the overall image of the culture. They only serve to offer up an opposing view to the fake gangster, drug dealer rappers and they’re grossly out numbered. If you know anything about them they’re just as misogynistic and void of values as 50 Cent and Rick Ross. They just hide it better…
So if I take all of what your saying is true…..whether as a fan or an insider(no disrespect because that means you were apart of the problem) then what is your solution, because music, whether it is the Blues, Rap, Pop, Jazz, R&B, Gospel…whatever genre has negatives and postives……What is your solution? And this post wasn’t about celebrating hip-hop, I didn’t think, but about Steve Stoute and his view of hip-hop through his book.
Rapfan – dude doesn’t have a solution. because solutions would give him nothing to complain about. COMPLAINING is his only voice. of course it’s the music.
The easiest way to spot a fraud is this: he always proposes an external cause to critical problems and thus EXTERNAL SOLUTIONS. I’ll give you examples.
FAT PERSON PROBLEM: I wouldn’t be so fat if it wasn’t for these hormones in food, or GMO, or it’s pesticides, or it’s commercials brainwashing into eating when not hungry.
FAT PERSON SOLUTION: Trainer, weight watchers, support groups, advocacy groups, facebook meetups. Anything except actually… you know – pulling that fucking donut out of your fucking mouth and working out.
black people have problems and it’s always external: rap music, drugs, the white man. it’s never internal. like family – good home training, the passing on of benevolent and useful culture to create a foundation resistant to the lures of popular culture.
people live vicariously through music and film. nobody reasonable ever blames porn for rapes because smart people realize that porn probably prevents 10 times more rapes than it causes. human beings have base desires and art (whatever your definition of art is) allows us to safely explore them. Sport allows us to safely explore our warlike instincts (sport is just war with no death and RULES). black people are adversely affected by rap but what of other cultures? japan is one of the greatest importers of rap in the world – yet if they have 200 murders in a year (for a population of over 160 million) the country is in a panic mode. why are black people so adversely affected?
families. no strong families. no strong culture – so a child replaces generational culture with pop culture. this has less to do with pop culture and more with where and what mom and dad are doing with lil buddy. just like slavery would probably never would have happened if black people didn’t help white people by conquering villages and trading the conquered to whites for goods. yes, we’re complicit in slavery and we’re complicit in our ills today – independent of rap. before rap we had a drug culture and so did R&B do that? Be fore that it was jazz much of which HAD NO WORDS. that was heroin black america – did jazz create that? fuck outta here.
We’re a powerful people if we’ll stand together and take care of our own instead of looking for boogiemen to blame like this asshole student of truth.
Peace the fuck out.
Well, damn… tell ‘em why you mad, son.
No, but, seriously — you went in on dude. pause.
Very well stated. You conveyed the point that I was trying to articulate.
@Anon…first I was an Idiot now you’re speaking on my behalf (lol). It’s funny your argument reiterated everything I said. You admit hip-hop is an external problem. The negative images in rap culture has contributed to many of the ills in the Black community. I’m more concerned about the murder rate in the hood than the murder rate in Japan. The truth is we take hip-hop alot more serious than other communities that are just fans. You can’t possibly think that I believe hip-hop is the sole cause of Black peoples inability to stand up and rise. I agree with you there are several external causes and hip-hop is one of them. I’ve yet to see you disprove that. You say people live vicariously through music and movies, my point exactly. Is it possible Professor Anon that external stimuli can eventually affect the internal environment? If you say yes then once again my point that the negative content in rap music has had an adverse affect on the minds of our people is proven. I didn’t mention any solutions because this forum wouldn’t allow me to elaborate and people like you would just jump in and twist my words. The solution will happen and you probably won’t be apart of it. Just keep watching your porn and don’t hurt nobody. lol
Although, I should add that I still believe that much of our pitfalls were created by design with the intent of destroying our community (Externally)… I completely agree that the solution lays squarely upon our own shoulders to remedy (Internally), by raising our children with stronger values/morals and being the example (teachers/role models) that we had/or wished that we had.
Agreed.
@anon…great point!