Chris Brown attacks retailers for 'blackballing' new album

[samthrax]

Originally Posted by LikeAWillow

But have we seen any evidence to say that he was rehabilitated? I was serious when I said that he should donate his profits to a women's shelter. He needs to man up and really show that he doesn't condone a culture that institutionalizes violence against women and that he laments having participated in it himself. Can you imagine what a strong statement that would be coming from a rapper? The only vocalized statement I can think of in a popular rap song that even comes close to showing regret for what these men talk about is Eminem's "When I'm Gone": (rapping about his daughter Hayley) Then turn right around in that song and tell her you love her/and put hands on her mother...whose the spitting image of her/ that's slim shady, baby, slim shady's crazy/ shady made me."



You seem to be making an argument about consumer's rights, but there's an equally powerful argument of seller's rights. If I owned a retail store, I wouldn't stock an album by a man known to have done what Chris did. That's my prerogative. Brown is more than able to sell his album off of his own website, and if the fan base is there, the album will sell. If consumers choose to frequent my store less because of the stocking decisions I've made, that's the risk I run as a private owner.

EDIT:

I just want to add that when I mention misogynistic rap lyrics, I'm not in any way advocating for their censorship. I can respect songs like "Kim" as artistic expression. It's certainly passionate, and you can the feeling from it that it's a cathartic experience for the artist and some of the audience. I just wish we didn't live in a society that produced men who needed to let out their desire to murder their wives.

Feminism is the radical idea that women are people, and all

Kind of completely off topic but what does it say that there is TONS of positive hip hop out there and the derogatory music is what's popular? I'm a fan of "underground" hip hop and top 40 music constantly blows my mind. "Birthday Sex"? Really? Rolling my eyes.

I'm not really disagreeing with anything you're saying I'm just bringing up other (what I deem) valid points. I'm glad you brought up the other side of the argument by bringing up seller's rights cause I was thinking it when I wrote up my previous post. heh. I said before, I don't think he's grown or learned a whole lot from this experience. I understand your point in saying that if he had displayed any kind of growth from the situation it would be worth giving him a second chance.

Could he have done more to convince the public he's matured from the situation? Yes. Is it really our place to judge and prohibit him from making a living? No. I guess I never realized the big boxes (Target, WalMart, Best Buy) had developed enough of a conscious to decide not to carry his album. That's what I'm kind of taken back by.

Now, I'm not saying those are the stores that refused to carry his album. I'm just using them as an example. But besides local stores, who else sells music nowadays?