The point is also that capitalists are thugs. >>> "Charles Brown" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 10/24/2007 1:44 PM >>> From his bio 50 Cent was a lumpen. "Thug" is a self-description of those in 50 Cent's genre. That's why I clipped the reference to 50 Cent out of the article. The vast majority of lumpen or thugs don't make it to capitalist. But the point is that the values sung about in thug music are capitalistic aspirations.
Peace in >>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 10/24/2007 1:16 PM >>> >> 5. 50 Cent In 2005, Fiddy told GQ he thought Dubya was 'incredible ... a gangsta'. He revealed he would vote for Bush if his felony conviction didn't prevent him from voting. 'I wanna meet George Bush, just shake his hand and tell him how much of me I see in him.' <<< Comment Elvis Presley identified as a lumpen proletariat. Phil Collins identified as a lumpen proletariat. Kid Rock identified as a lumpen proletariat. Was not Kid rock from an upper middle class home, meaning his dad owned a car dealership? Ted Nugent and Eric Clapton identified as thug: lumpen proletarian wanna be capitalists. 50 cent seems to me to be no "wanna be," but a very real capitalist and as a capitalist he is not any different from Michael Jackson or Elton John. Let's look at this: Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975),[1] better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper. He rose to fame following the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. 50 Cent achieved multi-platinum success with both albums, selling over twenty-one million records worldwide.[2] Born in South Jamaica, Queens in New York, 50 Cent began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s' crack epidemic.[3] After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot nine times in 2000. After releasing his mixtape Guess Who's Back? in 2002, 50 Cent was discovered by rapper Eminem and signed to Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre—who produced his first major commercial successes—he became one of the highest selling rap artists in the world. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo. 50 Cent has engaged in numerous feuds with other rappers including Ja Rule, The Game, and Fat Joe. 50 Cent has also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2005 and the Iraq War film Home of the Brave in 2006. _http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent) It is fairly easy to get caught up in the media campaign concerning drug use and sells, and/or illegal drug sales and talk of epidemics and all the stereo types present in American society. I would venture to say that the average seller of illegal drugs in American is neither a thug nor lumpen or crack cocaine dealer. The drug crisis and growing addiction and drug epidemic in America is 80 - 90% manufactured and driven by the pharmaceutical industry, without question. Alcohol remains the grand daddy of most drug abuse with an extremely long history. What can I say, I have a copy of 50 sound track 'Get Rich or Die Trying" and enjoy it very much along with all the old Motown stuff. 50 a capitalist flat out. Virtually any artist that sells 21 million copies of two albums or rather CD's is going to quickly be as Marx called it, "regarded as a capitalist." Elvis Presley a lumpen thug. I did not understand Elvis to be a thug or lumpen no matter how one defines the term as a class configuration. Lets look at a quick statement on his upbringing. Presley was born in a two room house, built by his father, in East Tupelo. He was the second of identical twins—his brother was stillborn and given the name Jesse Garon. He grew up as an only child and "was, everyone agreed, unusually close to his mother".[5] The family lived just above the poverty line and attended the Assembly of God church.[6]b Vernon Presley has been described as "taciturn to the point of sullenness"[7] and as "a weakling, a malingerer, always averse to work and responsibility".[8] In 1938 he was jailed for an eight-dollar check forgery. He was released after serving eighteen months, but during her husband's absence, Gladys, a wife who was "voluble, lively, full of spunk,"[7] lost the family home.[9] Priscilla Presley describes her as "a surreptitious drinker and alcoholic."[10] At school, Presley was teased by his fellow classmates; they threw "things at him—rotten fruit and stuff—because he was different, because he was quiet and he stuttered and he was a mama's boy".[11] At age ten, he made his first public performance in a singing contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. Dressed as a cowboy, the young Presley had to stand on a chair to reach the microphone and sang Red Foley's "Old Shep". He won second prize.[12] In 1946, Presley's mother took Elvis to Tupelo Hardware to get him a birthday present. Although he wanted a rifle, he left the store with a $7.90 guitar.[13] In November 1948. the Presleys moved to Memphis, Tennessee, allegedly because Vernon—as well as needing work—had to escape the law for transporting bootleg liquor.[9][14] In 1949, they lived at Lauderdale Courts, a public housing development in one of Memphis' poorer sections. Presley practiced playing guitar in the basement laundry room and also played in a five-piece band with other tenants.[15] Another resident, Johnny Burnette, recalled, "Wherever Elvis went he'd have his guitar slung across his back....He used to go down to the fire station and sing to the boys there....[H]e'd go in to one of the cafes or bars....Then some folks would say: 'Let's hear you sing, boy.'"[16] Presley attended L. C. Humes High School and occasionally worked evenings to boost the family income.[17] He began to grow his sideburns longer and dress in the wild, flashy clothes of Lansky Brothers on Beale Street.[18] Presley stood out, especially in the conservative Deep South of the 1950s, and he was mocked and bullied for it.[15] At Christmastime in 1952, he performed in the "Annual Minstrel Show" sponsored by the Humes High Band.[15] Presley received most applause—he sang "Cold Cold Icy Fingers" and gave an encore of "Till I Waltz Again With You."[16] Presley was also enrolled in the school's ROTC program.[15] _http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley) I don't know. At any rate lunch time is over. Peace Out. ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list [email protected] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list [email protected] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list [email protected] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
