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Chicago Church Places Billboards Around City Denouncing “Trash Rappers”
Posted by KPope
A Southside Chicago church, Saint Sabina, has placed twenty billboards around Chicago denouncing rappers that claim to demean women and perpetuate violence.
Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe, Lil Wayne, Nelly, 50 Cent & G-Unit, Ludacris, and Chicago native Twista…”all negative rappers” are among the ten targeted on the billboards.
Rev. Michael Pfleger stated “If we are going to end the violence and the disrespect of women, we must fight every form of negativity, including the music industry. We urge the community to STOP listening to trash.”
This is not the first time, Saint Sabina has spoken out against a number of issues in the past, including racism, the retail sale of drug paraphernalia and grain alcohol as well as the rise of alcohol and tobacco billboards in the African-American community.
Chicago Residents/Visitors can locate 10 of the Billboards @:
87th & Vincennes 79th & Normal
79th & Ada 74th & Racine
79th & Ashland Halsted & Garfield
103rd & Wallace 79th & Western
119th & Wallace 107th & Michigan
115th & Forest 63rd & Wood
14th & Kedzie Keeler & Roosevelt
Kedvale & Ogden Fillmore & California
Hey, when all else Fails…just blame it on Rap Music!
What a cop out. Those churches need to put up billboards decrying the Chicago Public School System, or drug dealers in the neighborhoods, or the war in Iraq, or the unfair lending practices of banks, or the crooked politicians, or the crooked preachers. There are so many more things wrong with our community than rap music. I agree Pope. When all else fails, just blame it on rap music, but truth is, I don’t think they have tried anything else.
I would agree that you can not blame everything on rap music, but it can take some of the criticism. There are a lot of places this attention could be directed towards and rap music is one of them.
One thing that I will say about St. Sabina is that it is one of the few remaining black catholic churches on the South Side of Chicago and Rev. Pfleger(A white man) has come under heat many for standing up for his beliefs for that church and the community. The Arch Diocese has tried many times to close the doors of St. Sabina and through his efforts and the efforts of his congregation, they have kept the church open. I know the church has done a lof of things as far as bettering the community. Not sure that attacking rap music is the best use of time and energy, but the track record of that church typically is focused towards fighting social ills.
I like that the church did that. I dont think any member of that church will tell you rappers are the only ones to blame for the mistreatment of women, the rise in youth crime, or drug usage and sellin but I think taking a stand has to start somewhere why not there? Hiphop has a heavy influence on our culture and let’s face it it’s a lot of crap that some of these rappers are putting out that glorifies the negativity in the hoods. Rap music a lot of times is a reflection of society and in society, the urban areas in particular, there is a large amount of drugs being dealt and used, prostitution, murders, and poverty. At a young age these kids listen to music that tells them to get money cut women, I aint a rapper I’m a dope boy, and throw some D’s on that. When you come from an area where some of these things are prevelant and a lot of your peers are doing exactly what you listen to some of them want to be down with that. They feel that’s how to be successful. That’s how to be rich. Some parents arent doing their job of teaching the difference between entertainment and reality and it does make it worse. I also hope and pray that it doesnt stop there either because like Shak said they need to be protesting and decrying other issues like the War, corrupt cops, and as of June 8th the 30 murders of Chicago school children this past school year.
Kpope-
You wrote “This is not the first time, Saint Sabina has spoken out against a number of issues in the past”
So my question to you is, where do you come off seeing this as a last ditch effort insted of another approach at working towards correcting a very legit social ill?
Shakeer-
You wrote, “I agree Pope. When all else fails, just blame it on rap music, but truth is, I don’t think they have tried anything else.”
When you say anything else, do mean anything else as in speaking out against, and I quote “a number of issues in the past, including racism, the retail sale of drug paraphernalia and grain alcohol as well as the rise of alcohol and tobacco billboards in the African-American community.”
Unbelievable how brand new people wanna get when you touch their “sacred cows”–grow up, rap music isn’t exempt from constructive criticism it has earned for portraying a negative image of black males and females and promoting apathy towards our plight by valuing money over human life and worth–don’t you see those are the same values that enslaved us?–You all are surprising me how you talk about racisim but then ignore some of the MOST obvious ways it plays out in our society…but I guess you’d say all rap music is art cause you can bob your head to it, huh? You should be in agreement with correcting the problems within the industry, cause its a matter of self-worth and core values that we need to make our communities strong and bring us back to an accurate portrayal of who and what we are, embracing the affects of hate and making that what we are is so degrading on so many levels, so I hope your not offended, I just don’t get how you all not see that, and don’t tell me it’s just a conversation peice, because pointing the real issues may get a better response from your subscribers that just trying to find hot buttons to push.
Once again, I appreciate your comments. I don’t believe that this is a last ditch effort for St. Sabina. As you stated and from the church’s history we can see that this is not the case. I am taking a look at the bigger picture. Our society complains and blaims every damn thing on something (i.e-the schools systems, parenting, police, the community). This article is an example of–there is a problem…lets find someone or something to blame…so now focus attention on Hip-Hop, Rap and the music industry.
First off, I am grown up and have been living in and around hip hop culture since my early youth. Hip Hop is an art form…an avenue where poetry (lyrical content) intertwines with music. Turn off the RADIO and quit bobbin’ your head to DANCE HOP. HIP HOP is bigger than SNOOP DOGG, LIL WAYNE and RADIO ONE. I am pretty sure you have heard of Common, Talib, Mos Def, KRS-One and Dead Prez…if not then please visit your local music store and have a taste. These are all “positive” rappers who offer listeners vibes of black culture, history, street life, politics, etc.
I am definitely not offended and will always speak my opinion. As we spend time conversating/debating over the years, you will learn and see that with me its not about hot buttons, that’s just how I feel and one or two sentences usually sums it up. Cheers!
Great. So you can make a distinction between artist’s in Hip Hop and those who are just capitalizing on the industry’s popularity. Hip op in its purest form is art, but everyone now associated with that genre is not an artist–there’s a whole lot of perpatrators, and they are cause for criticism, IMO. So what I don’t get is how you can’t see that aside from artists, like the ones you mentioned, there are others who are selling more albums because they follow mainstream ideas and don’t care as much about the message. In that sense they are failing their veiwers–they’re public figures, don’t you think responsibility should be balanced within society? Schools, police, parents, who aren’t responsible with their power and abuse it by promoting self-hatred, discrimination, racism, materialism etc., are feeding a system that is designed to hinder certain people…and those people have to be able to see that and know how to combat the obstacles without devaluing others in the process—is it that you think that’s far fetched, cause if you can’t see that then honestly I don’t see how you can say anything about knowing the original hip hop culture.
[...] In an early post titled Chicago Church Places Billboards Around City Denouncing “Trash Rappers” it spoke of the Southside Chicago church Saint Sabina and it’s outspoken priest Michael [...]
Hey! Interesting insight into s Really Going On. I have often thought about this myself. I think listen to rap music is somewhat related. On Sunday I have the day off, so will look more into it.