DOES ATLANTA LIVE UP TO THE HYPE???

The people in Atlanta never seem to travel to far from the stereotypes.The seem to stay in their roles of what is considered the appropriate way of acting, dressing, and being "black." Many people in the south, especially African Americans in the south will not try something new until whatever it is becomes a popular trend, popularized by an hip hop artist, and then approved by hip hop culture.

I think back during the times of baggy jeans, and long white tees. My true
ATLiens, will remeber the popular song by Dem Franchise Boyz "White Tee," a song popularizing the trend of wearing big, long, tall white tees. This trend went on for a very long time. As average as it may seem to wear just plain white shirts, thats what we were doing in the south. However hip hop culture in the 90's everywhere, was very into baggy clothing until maybe 2000, artist like Kanye West change the mold. Hip hop culture started accepting preppy clothing. Kanye says, "Raulph Lauren was borin until I wore him." Which has remained true. However, the South is always late. Since the beginning of time, the south has been the last area to catch on to the trends. Remeber Industrialization... lol.. But thats another topic of discussion.

However my point is, in many other parts of the country, black communities have been breaking boundaries, stepping outside of stereotypes, and becoming involved in activities that aren't neccessarily part of black/hip hop culture, while the South has been lagging behind. Theres a big Afro-Punk Scene, Blipster (Black Hipster) scene, and Black skaters are popping up all over the place. This has been going for a very long time, YEARS!!!! Especially in areas like California, and some northern areas. But the South only recently decided that it was okay to look like a rockstar or dress like a skater, with Lil Wayn'es acceptance of Rock culture.

Since Lil Wayne has entered the scene many people in the South have grown dreads, bought guitars, got lip piercings, where skinny jeans, and put on the front of "Party like a rockstar" under the guise of the new trend called, "White Boy/Black Boy Swag."

Although I am happy to see the South catching up with the latest Fashion trends, it is JUST that! A FASHION TREND! Many of the people who have grown mohawks, where skinny jeans, vans, and other things attributed to punk fashion have not changed their mentality. It has been made apparent in the South that it is okay to change your style a dress punk, hipster, or like a skater, but its still not okay to act like them. So in other words, they may look like a duck, but they still bark, and play like a dog. They haven't embrace the different cultures or the different music, they have olnly embraced the style. However, they don't embrace the style to the full extent, Gauged ears in the South is still very uncommon, especially in the black community. They where the attire, but they have not accepted the piercings. That part seems alittle extreme. And when embracing these different style the still manage to not step to far outside of the box, by keeping their grills, and sagging the skinny jeans below their asses.

When I travel other places, theres so much diversity in the black community. You have white kids hanging with black kids, and black kids hanging with white kids. Black people can show interest in things outside of hip hop culture, without being ostracized for being different or being outcasted. But the South has remain the South. If you step to far out the box, you are considered strange, different, abnormal or a poser.

I was born in Atlanta and believe that it is is a great place to live and it offers many options, of places to go and things to do.However we must acknowledge that Georgia is still a very racist state, where interracial couples, are looked at with disgust. Race isn't a issue of the past. Therefore there is still alot of intolerance, and not too much room to step outside what is consider appropriate for somene "black" to say or do.

Atlanta is ranked as the gayest city in America! So I must have a greater chance then most to meet the girl of my dreams. So why do I still feel like my options for finding some like me who is apart of the homosexual community are so limited? Am I just not looking or do they really not exist.

I want to hear everyone's opinions. Prove me wrong..

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Permalink Reply by Dirty Sanchez on February 10, 2010 at 10:02pm

Dean, dearest Dean! I answered this question on DL in detail.
So on afropunk, I'll simply say...
because hip hopp influences most black youth. And they cant think for themselves.
I was teased mercilessly for my Vans in 7, 8, 9th grade. My "fat ass shoes"
Then it all got hip.

Can't do too much but pity the sheeple. Some people will never develop a sense of style, or an opinion for themselves.

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Permalink Reply by Madamoiselle De Sade on February 11, 2010 at 6:11am

I agree.

Dirty Sanchez said:

Dean, dearest Dean! I answered this question on DL in detail.
So on afropunk, I'll simply say...
because hip hopp influences most black youth. And they cant think for themselves.
I was teased mercilessly for my Vans in 7, 8, 9th grade. My "fat ass shoes"
Then it all got hip.

Can't do too much but pity the sheeple. Some people will never develop a sense of style, or an opinion for themselves.

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Permalink Reply by Civilized Radical Films on February 11, 2010 at 11:23am

I disagree.

Mlle d. Sade said:

I agree.

Dirty Sanchez said:
Dean, dearest Dean! I answered this question on DL in detail.
So on afropunk, I'll simply say...
because hip hopp influences most black youth. And they cant think for themselves.
I was teased mercilessly for my Vans in 7, 8, 9th grade. My "fat ass shoes"
Then it all got hip.

Can't do too much but pity the sheeple. Some people will never develop a sense of style, or an opinion for themselves.

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Permalink Reply by Madamoiselle De Sade on February 11, 2010 at 11:27am

Good, that means I'm on the right track. :P

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Permalink Reply by Dirty Sanchez on February 12, 2010 at 1:41am

Perhaps most was a bit general (ha!).
So I'll say what i meant, most of the African Americans in my area that I observed in my youth were heavily influenced by hip hop in their style of dress. There were no alternative kids, save for the 4,5 white kids I went to high school with.

You know who's really stuck to the I'm-a-dope-boy-not-a-"jerk"-style as a whole? Black men from baltimore city.
Most in the area I lived in refused the rockstar/tight jeans trend with a burning hatred.

And I really wish Raheem DeVaughn would've kept the same rnb hippie, neosoul rockstar vibe he had on The Street Experience... but that's beside the point.

Sonic Speed Society said:

Dirty Sanchez said:
Dean, dearest Dean! I answered this question on DL in detail.
So on afropunk, I'll simply say...
because hip hopp influences most black youth. And they cant think for themselves.
I was teased mercilessly for my Vans in 7, 8, 9th grade. My "fat ass shoes"
Then it all got hip.

Can't do too much but pity the sheeple. Some people will never develop a sense of style, or an opinion for themselves.

Same here, when I was in 9th and 10th, Vans were just "Fat ass white boy shoes", wearing Cargos and anything that wasn't a white tee, Phat farm, rockawear, and nikes was cheap, geek, faggot or white boy shit.
I wouldn't say many black kids are influenced by Hip-Hop or can't think for them selves, but it is the truth FOR THE MAJORITY, I know girls who abosulutley hate hip-hop, and just listen to R&B, which is just as bad because it went from men with mens voices and sincerity to men with women voices and just sing about banging pussy all the time, no love, unless you're listening to new-old styled R&B which sucks unless you're listening to Neo-Soul , but even Raheem Devaughn seen it was bullshit, needed money, and started making songs like "Customer" which was still a good song, but more pop-rnb from his original style, same with Lyfe, life did the same.

But back on the subject, most black teens do listen to hip-hop and they're influenced by it, some people until their 20s can't find any real individuality, some in their 20s still ride the wave until they fall off, and the youth chews them up, spit them out and call them "Old Men". But they have a mind of their own, everyone has been there, you want to keep up and you don't want to seem old or out. So when Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, Lil Wayne, and The Shop Boyz(who aren't around anymore) started making Skull Gangs, talking about wallet chains and studded skulls shirts(which weirdly I haven't seen anyone in the punk culture wear yet), and then name dropping old ass 80s rock bands in their songs, which every black person knows subconsciously by one bored sitting through a VH1 show.

Common named bands, like Led Zepplin, Van Halen, ACDC, and they take punk style and try to name these bands, which shows how narrow their knowledge of these bands really are. Ask these guys who the Bad Brains are and you'll probably get one guy. You can't deny it's the influence of these "Rock Star" rappers and pop singers who are the reason these kids are going around wearing band tees of bands they don't know, tight shirts, wallet chains(which I've heard they've now deemed unfashionable) Vans and Allstars, which years priors was grounds for jokes on the wearer.

I sort of commend those guys who said fuck being trendy and kept their baseball jackets, baggy jeans, and white tees and won't touch a hot topic or an American eagle, they stand their ground, fuck being trendy. For me and some more people here(surely) I'll be here wearing my stuff, listening to my music like I was before the trend started.

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Permalink Reply by something else on February 12, 2010 at 1:16pm

I see so much wreckless msinformation aimed at the DMV area in this thread! Mothafuckas in DC and P.G. County are rockin' North Faces, Shooters and Nike boots, not the skinny jeans look...you know, like Wale and mothafuckas at the Go-Gos. Granted you might see some teenage niggas at Largo, Mitchellville or Potomac Mills rockin' that shit, but it's not as common as y'all are making it out to be. Niggas in DC and P.G. County were rockin' dreads before Weezy and all them dirty south niggas made it to Hollywood...Niggas that had cornrows a few years ago kept growing they hair, then dreaded it up. Simple as that. It was merely a conicidence that it got popular everywhere around the same time. Baltimore, I can't speak on it, it's like another state to me.

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Permalink Reply by Purple Star Haze on February 13, 2010 at 3:33pm

I totally agree with what you are saying and after reading what you have put here I have to say that you are right! I'm also from Georgia, and I haven't been home in while so I can't say what I've seen. But, I do know about the poser and wanna be rock stars because of lil wayne and kanye west trying to be accepted by the new found "white boy/black boy" swagger... I can remember when my cousin called me an outcast of my family and friends because I was in love with a woman and I listen to rock music. Plus I didn't want to dress like every one else.. So, that was a lil to much for her to handle I guess. But, I've come to know many copy cat rockers that only wear mohawks and lip piercings and think they are... PUNK! Tha'ts why have new friends..lmoa.. yeah ..but, In short people will anything for acceptance...

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Permalink Reply by Ghettopunkrocker on February 14, 2010 at 8:57pm

I've been to Atlanta. It doesn't live up to the hype.

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Permalink Reply by DuskTilDawn on July 20, 2011 at 7:05pm

I don't think it should be a problem that the look doesn't match the mentality, if a person wants a mohwak and piercings but spends all day listening to country they should be entitled to. Who says a certain genre of music owns a certain type of dress. Clothing just like some people feel about music, is a form of self expression. I have lived everywhere from Georgia to Utah and have been somewhat oblivious to who is doing or wearing what....... I currently live in Florida and have seen alot of black people surprisingly more black females then i expected with gauges, chest pieces sleeves, etc. going to punk and hardcore shows living the lifestyle. It would seem that because Atalanta is predominantly black it would have some sort or reverse non-diversity (not really sure what term to use lol) and people are not exposed to that lifestyle until they see it on television or you tube or what have you. It's not that they are copying and being fake, it's that they are becoming more open minded and embracing new styles and music. I guess that's my 2 cents :D

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Permalink Reply by DuskTilDawn on July 20, 2011 at 7:08pm

As far as Atalanta Living up to the hype, the only hype I heard is it has a lot of black people and a big LGBT community...pretty much seems that way to me.... BTW I love Little 5 points I was there last weekend. We need more places like that !

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Permalink Reply by taryn m on October 10, 2011 at 1:37pm

i feel ya, i used to live in georgia. the blacks there seem to ostracize you if you are outside of the "norm negro" as someone else said lol. norm negro is something you better assimilate to if you want black friends in georgia. but if you dont give a shit ...fuck it. anyway, you got to worry about the racist ass whites that wanna pack you in a prison after beatin your ass a thousand times. usually blacks band together against this common problem.