Local stuff that matters to you.

Did you know about All the World’s a ... at Dallas Museum of Art today?

News & events for

Wednesday, November

63° F
Sunny in DFW

Multimedia:

Marketplace:

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

‘Song blamed for shootings’

by Blair Lovern

See the results without voting »

After the deaths at Club Angel in downtown Dallas early Sunday morning, The Dallas Morning News reports: "Song blamed for shootings." And columnist Steve Blow writes: "This time the link between the music and the dead is irrefutable."

Here's a hint from Aristotle, yo!: "Rhythm and melody supply imitations of anger and gentleness, and also of courage and temperance, and of all the qualities contrary to these, and of the other qualities of character, which hardly fall short of the actual affections, as we know from our own experience, for in listening to such strains our souls undergo a change."

Feel free to chime in with your thoughts below. I'd like to add something first: There's something missing in the "irrefutable link" between the music and the dead called "reckless jackass with a gun with problems that are so far beyond rap lyrics."

You can't slather over those problems with a blaming-music-for-murder, watered-down coat of paint. Music didn't give birth to a kid, music didn't feed a kid, music didn't teach a kid right and wrong, music didn't go over homework at the kitchen table, music didn't say "No" over and over and over to every kid's want or request, music did not instill any discipline, or work ethic, or dignity, or hope or faith or charity toward being the best human being possible.

Music is us. Good, bad, disgusting, beautiful, insightful, pointless, whatever - there is no separation. If Dallas police say the song "Put Yo Hood Up" was a trigger to the violence Sunday morning, I can comprehend that. That does not mean I must like it. Read the lyrics yourself.

But if there is a "poisonous streak that runs through so much of rap and hip-hop music," as Steve Blow writes, then that poison must be found somewhere else in the chain of life. Lil Jon and The East Side Boyz weren't on the other side of that gun Sunday. Neither were their lyrics. When it gets to that point in the human condition, condemning the music is beyond too late.

God bless Lendl Carey and Kenneth Haggerty and their families.

Staff
Verified User
Anonymous

ch0 says:

Well said. Rest in Peace.

Anonymous

3 years, 4 months ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

Blair Lovern says:

The Dallas Progress blog (courtesy Frontburner) tears Blow's and the police's argument down to the ground:

"According to people that I know that were at the party, these fights were occurring before the song was even played. This is based on 20-25 e-mails and notes I got yesterday. I personally know the DJ, and know him to be a positive guy that wouldn't knowingly touch off a riot."

http://dallasprogress.blogspot.com/20...

Staff

3 years, 4 months ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

Todd Maternowski says:

If you want some really, truly violent lyrics, listen to folk music from the 1800s. If you actually read the real lyrics to "Cotton Eyed Joe" or the "kid's" pirate song "Dead Man's Chest", it starts to become obvious that gangsta rap is just a natural progression of music about murder and mayhem that can be traced through old country thru to the folk songs of 100+ years ago. Why doesn't anyone ever blame old Johnny Cash covers for the altercations at Top Rail? Same subject matter, same results.

Staff

3 years, 4 months ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

Alan Cohen says:

Music has always been self-reflective. Point being - musicians that smoke a lot of weed are most likely to write songs about smoking a lot of weed. Those songs are most likely to connect with people that already smoke a lot of weed. They are also the songs that are most likely to be repulsive to those who are already repulsed by the thought of smoking a lot of weed.
I don't really know where this argument is going, but chances are if you listen to Sublime, you'll end up a stoner. I swear, its probably been proven somewhere. Or if it hasn't been proven, someone should actively try to prove it!

Staff

3 years, 4 months ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

Mike Orren says:

Amen, Blair.

This is an argument I've had countless times. Now I just point folks to Todd Snider's "Ballad of the Kingsmen" for the gist of my sentiments on this topic:

http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/sn...

Staff

3 years, 4 months ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

David Gouldin says:

It's chicken and egg. To quote High Fidelity:

"Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"

Do violent kids tend to listen to music with a violent message, or do normal kids become violent because of violent music?

The main point: CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSALITY!

... take a college course in logic, Blow.

Verified

3 years, 4 months ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

hakoop says:

Those Montague and Capulet kids got along so well until some jacka$$ minstrel started playing "Hey Nonny Nonny."

Anonymous

3 years, 4 months ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

Mike Orren says:

Sam's in agreement too.

http://www.dallasobserver.com/blogs/?...

Staff

3 years, 4 months ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

www_UrbanSouth_us says:

agreed

Anonymous

3 years, 4 months ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

lil_phill_OH says:

CRIP- SAY CUZ, IM GONE BE COO WITCHA TILL THIS SONG COME ON.

BLOOD- AITE BLOOD, AS SOON AS IT COME ON IM GOIN FOR MY PISTOL.

CRIP- OOOOO JUS WAIT TIL THEY PLAY IT! IM LET YA WHOLE CLICK HAVE IT!

BLOOD- AYE I THINK HE BOUT TO PLAY IT! THIS IS GONNA BE SO EXCITING!

*both on the edge of their seats when....."PUT YO HOOD UP"*

man please miss me wit all dat dat dere bs. they got into it way b4 the song came on mayne...or they prolly WAS chillin till somebody scuffed up they forces!

aint got nuttin to do wit jon...

Anonymous

3 years, 4 months ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

Alan Cohen says:

The most important thing Phil just said was that the fighting broke out before the song even started playing. That is exactly what Michael Davis is reporting over at the Dallas Progress blog ... http://dallasprogress.blogspot.com/20...