By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Rapper Nelly didn’t have the best luck when he released his latest album “M.O.,” and the album debuted to weak first week numbers. Some suspect the album didn’t do well because the rapper didn’t have a hit single to generate buzz for its release, however, Nelly hasn’t loss motivation although that the numbers weren’t good. Instead, he’s been doing lots of press in an attempt to get people interested in his new music, and it’s a strategy we’re thinking he hopes works considering he still loves recording music and wants his longevity in the music industry to continue.
Nelly recently stopped by Larry King Now, and the rapper opened up about lots of topics in the interview. One topic he spoke passionately about was the high percentage of black men in prison, and he gave an interesting theory on why he thinks so many black men are currently behind bars. He also made it clear that he feels the issue is way more complicated than drugs. He tells Larry King:
“I think education is very important. I also think self-esteem is very important. And I also believe that hope is very important. And I think in a lot of these communities, we lack all three of those. We lack the education. We lack the employment and we also lack the hope that we can do it.
“It’s a lot easier to give up than it is to stay focused. So in a lot of these situations that we do have, it takes all of us. And when I say all of us, it takes the whole country to build us up out of a situation like that. It’s just not about that community, it’s not about this community. It’s about all of the communities coming together.
“Drugs are a huge problem anywhere. I think it’s a little bit bigger than just drugs.”
The entire episode will be available on Ora TV and Hulu at 2pm PST.
Do you agree with Nelly? Check out the clip below:
I liked his answer. I think education would keep so many people out of prison. A lot of them just can’t fathom that there’s much more out there than selling drugs and being a thug. It’s sad.
I agree 100 percent. But I do think drugs plays a bigger role than he wants to admit. I mean didn’t he sell drugs before he started rapping? It is a big trap for a lot of black men.
I’m riding with Nelly on this. If some of these young men in the hoods had a decent education, they wouldn’t even want to sell drugs. I got guys I went to high school with who are locked up and a lot of them wished they went to school and got an education.
It’s the environment. If a child grows up in an area where a lot of people are selling drugs and not getting an education, nine times out of ten they will take that path. A lot of them think rapping and sports are the only way out of the hood. Education doesn’t even come up in the conversation and that’s a real tragedy.
Nelly has an album out?!
LOL.
Stop it. LOL.
Good answer.
Nelly and Ashanti are really trying to make some comebacks huh? I can’t believe he only sold like 20,000 albums. That’s terrible.
When the public moves on, we move on. That’s why folks are coming out with albums every year now. They don’t want to be forgotten.
Nelly brings up valid points and I have to agree with him.
The lack of a quality education plays a huge role in the problem, but the disinterest in education plays an even bigger role honestly.
Let’s be honest. Getting an education isn’t glamorous. But society has made being thug/gang banger and drug dealer look so glamorous because of all those mobster movies and rap music that puts it on a pedestal. So a lot of these young men are growing up and feeling like school isn’t “cool” and they want to be hip and live a lifestyle that isn’t as nearly as glamours as the movies. They figure it out when they get like 15 years in the pen.
Exactly! Until we do more to praise people who go to college and make something of themselves more, a lot of young black males aren’t going to be interested.
Very good answer. I have to say he hit the nail on the head.
I agree with Nelly when a person is educated they have a different mind set, instead of selling drugs as away out they set their sites on good jobs and living good….