-Get Rich Or Die Trying-

To me this film is just another example of what's wrong with the rap scene. Anytime I watch a rap video anymore I feel like someone is just trying to sell me Nikes, Cristal and Bentleys. Please, please sell me a lifestyle of guns, broads, and shiny ridiculously-priced watches. I beg you, Rap World. Sell me a life of empty materialism and shallow interests.

But it will probably make money, because there is a segment of the movie-going population that never gets tired of hackneyed gangster films starring the latest flavor-of-the-year rapper. There is a whole sub-genre of these rapper films and they are all terrible.

50 Cent has the charisma of a plank of wood. In fact, I would rather watch a tree with a gold chain around it than 50 cent.

There have been a few rappers who can give good performances in films. Tupac was one. Mos Def is another. But then again, they are/were superior rappers as well. Not producer- driven pitchmen.

Sorry about the negativity. This is just a topic that makes me frustrated and angry.
 
SilverWolf said:
Rappers are entertainers and a lot of rappers have the potential to be good actors, but the problem is with rapping they have to develop this persona and when acting they never go outside this persona.

This is exactly why they do not make good actors. I fail to see how being a rapper relates to acting potential. Strippers are entertainers, too, does that give them the potential to become good actors.

Being a good actor is all about being able to step outside your own persona. It doesn't matter what you do.

SilverWolf said:
How come comedians can act ? It's because they have to be diverse in their ability to perform and they generally aren't afraid to do something different and risk the possibility of looking stupid.

Yeah, these are some of the qualities good actors possess. Most rappers do not.
 
Most of the rappers persona that you see on TV and in their videos they didn't have it before they were rappers. It's something they created in order to sell records. Most people have the potential to be an actor. We act all day long. Lying is nothing but acting. When a bartender smiles at you and flirts and chats it up she's or he is acting. I also think that the reason why most rappers make bad movies is because they give them these type casted scripts that just play into their rapping persona as oppose to giving them something that forces them to work out the box. Now i'm no big fan of watching bad gangster movies myself , but there is a market and a genre for it. Just like Buddy flick's, kung fu movies, and action movies. For instance I really dislike scarface I think he made some really stupid mistakes.

But this is a great discussion
 
Isaac_Brody said:
Nope. But they make these films based solely on demographics. Hollywood figures it's an easy buck.

Just a thought, how does a movie about Fifty Cent differ from a movie about Ray Charles or Johnny Cash? I would say the difference is based on impact, ie, Ray and Cash have a more lasting legacy while Fifty Cent is here today.

I think this movie is the equivalent of doing a movie about MC Hammer. But a Hammer film would probably be more entertaining. Especially with all those parachute pants, huge entourages and Hammer becoming bankrupt because of his huge spending.

Or how about a Vanilla Ice film? Anyone want to see that? :evil:

Nice take Issac. I agree.

Ray and Cash lasted a lifetime; they were living legends and they actually said something with their music; they were musicians and artists and were the real deal.


Ray and Cash will be remebered a 100 years from now. 50 Cent will be on VH1's 2005 special in 10 years.
 
MojoTrancer said:
To me this film is just another example of what's wrong with the rap scene. Anytime I watch a rap video anymore I feel like someone is just trying to sell me Nikes, Cristal and Bentleys. Please, please sell me a lifestyle of guns, broads, and shiny ridiculously-priced watches. I beg you, Rap World. Sell me a life of empty materialism and shallow interests.

But it will probably make money, because there is a segment of the movie-going population that never gets tired of hackneyed gangster films starring the latest flavor-of-the-year rapper. There is a whole sub-genre of these rapper films and they are all terrible.

50 Cent has the charisma of a plank of wood. In fact, I would rather watch a tree with a gold chain around it than 50 cent.

There have been a few rappers who can give good performances in films. Tupac was one. Mos Def is another. But then again, they are/were superior rappers as well. Not producer- driven pitchmen.

Sorry about the negativity. This is just a topic that makes me frustrated and angry.

Great take.

I'm an average white boy from the suburbs but I fail to see this entire genres purpose. It glorifies to make the producers rich; and thats it. They dont give damn about little James the 13 year old who wants to be a gansta when he grows up.

Sad.
 
Isaac_Brody said:
Or how about a Vanilla Ice film? Anyone want to see that? :evil:

I did see that. The big fight at the end was hilarious. I think Mr. Van Winkle stole a few moves from the Captain Kirk Close Combat Manual
 
I do agree that they did make an impact and they are remembered for it , but to quote my Brother a rapper " You're only great when you're gone that how it is when you're rapping"
Tupac is very famous but what about Dr. Dre? do you think he made a bigger impact to rapping ? or Bruce Lee Do you think he's a greater fighter then any other famous fighter ?
 
Just read your post John

"Great take.

I'm an average white boy from the suburbs but I fail to see this entire genres purpose. It glorifies to make the producers rich; and thats it. They dont give damn about little James the 13 year old who wants to be a gansta when he grows up.

Sad."


When I look at a lot of these rappers I think they're just running a hustle. If they come from hustling drugs for a couple of thousand to selling a songs for a couple of millions I think that 's smarter on their end and I'm not going to hate them for it. I do agree that some of them don't care about timmy and james wanting to be a gansta when he grows up but most of them didn't want to be gansta from rap.When you look at most rappers houses on Mtv Cribs what movies do they have in their house ? Scarface and the Godfather just to name some big ones.
Children have parents to teach them and keep them away from these things . I didn't really listen to music until I was 17.
 
SilverWolf said:
I do agree that they did make an impact and they are remembered for it , but to quote my Brother a rapper " You're only great when you're gone that how it is when you're rapping"
Tupac is very famous but what about Dr. Dre? do you think he made a bigger impact to rapping ? or Bruce Lee Do you think he's a greater fighter then any other famous fighter ?

It's hard to say if Dr. Dre has had a bigger impact. It's kind of two different things. Tupac is more of a Cult of Personality. People remember Tupac as a complete package. Image, music, and the rest. Dr. Dre is a great producer. Eminem and 50 Cent wouldn't be where they are without him. So I don't know. Tupac is a cultural icon, but then again Dr. Dre seems to have a nack for creating icons. But if you're gonna match them up by substance, then Dre starts to lose ground.

It's a tough call.
 
"Children have parents to teach them and keep them away from these things"

So Naive and spoken from someone who is not a father I'm sure. I guarantee when you have children your spin on this will turn

The everlasting question; Who are the role models for our children?

I try and be a role model to my 5 1/2 year old son; but I know for a fact when he's a teenager he's gonna take anything I show him and throw it out the window by fiat. It isn't the rap artist (artist, heh heh. They're just giving this title out to anyone these days arent they?) responsibility to be role models but at some point these guys do have to be accountable and realize just how they are influencing the youth.

I blame the record companies (White Jewish Guys) as much as I blame the artists.
 
John_Hudson said:
"Children have parents to teach them and keep them away from these things"

So Naive and spoken from someone who is not a father I'm sure.

The everlasting question; Who are the role models for our children?

I try and be a role model to my 5 1/2 year old son; but I know for a fact when he's a teenager he's gonna take anything I show him and throw it out the window by fiat. It isn't the rap artist (artist, heh heh. They're just giving this title out to anyone these days arent they?) responsibility to be role models but at some point these guys do have to be accountable and realize just how they are influencing the youth.

I blame the record companies (White Jewish Guys) as much as I blame the artists.

Very good point, John. Old white guys (I'll leave the Jewish part out) are the ones running the rap game when you get down to it. They would rather make this exploitive crap than support quality films showing a different side of urban life. films like Brown Sugar, The Brothers, and The Best Man. Is it that hard for suburban america to accept any other image?

Nope. Instead films like Get Rich Or Die Trying, Soul Plane, and White Chicks get greenlit. The Minstrel Show continues.
 
Oh I totally agree that rap artist , Video games , The media and anything that children come in contact with effect and influence them and by no means am I saying that because your children go out and do things and follow certain bad influences that as a parent you aren't doing your job or don't care. You also are correct in stating that I'm not a parent but I am a son and my father is my role model Not fifty cent or any other rapper , media personality or just plain out fool that i've encountered. Children do things that they want becuase they want to do them and the world is filled with pressures. Childrens friend effect what they do in my opinion more than rappers. The only thing I dislike is parents that blame everything on everybody else because they felt the need to let 50 cent , GTA and everything else raise their children besides themselves.


- Disclaimer : I am in now way saying that any individual person is not raising their kids because if you are and don't fit the profile then you are very much and happily excluded.
 
MojoTrancer said:
Very good point, John. Old white guys (I'll leave the Jewish part out) are the ones running the rap game when you get down to it. They would rather make this exploitive crap than support quality films showing a different side of urban life. films like Brown Sugar, The Brothers, and The Best Man. Is it that hard for suburban america to accept any other image?

Nope. Instead films like Get Rich Or Die Trying, Soul Plane, and White Chicks get greenlit. The Minstrel Show continues.

Could not agree more! Exactly. Give me more Spike Lee and less Soul Plane anyday.


I also say 'Any parent not actively involved in raising their children are sad.'

Most definately.

--

Disclaimer - The OLD WHITE JEWISH comment was directly meant to establish the dichotomy:

Young Black Male <> -- $ -- <> Old Jewish White Dude
 
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