It seems like, for race relations, the early 90s (say 1990-1995) were tense, if not outrightly violent and bitter, divided. The biggest case of the Century, as it was called, the OJ Trial, divided America amongst mostly racial lines--and 1995 is when I see culturally the 90s racial divide culminating; After '95 race relations simmered down for the rest of the decade and took a backseat to other issues.

:o

No way Jay.  "outrightly violent and bitter,"  No. It was just the same old tired crap, with some incidents but nothing crazy.  If you ask me it is getting scary now.

It seems like, for race relations, the early 90s (say 1990-1995) were tense, if not outrightly violent and bitter, divided. The biggest case of the Century, as it was called, the OJ Trial, divided America amongst mostly racial lines--and 1995 is when I see culturally the 90s racial divide culminating; After '95 race relations simmered down for the rest of the decade and took a backseat to other issues.


Um, hello?  LA Riots?  1992?  A little more important that stupid assed OJ.

Yeah.

Also, Rodney King.

Pretty much, the OJ Simpson trial, the Rodney King beating, and the L.A. riots only added more fuel, to what was slowly bubbling under, until it became bigger and more combustible.

For a lot of people, the events of that time period, are still fresh in their mind, not unlike the events of 9/11 are still fresh in people's mind today.

:o

No way Jay.  "outrightly violent and bitter,"  No. It was just the same old tired crap, with some incidents but nothing crazy.  If you ask me it is getting scary now.


I agree that things are much scarier today.  There is a strange undercurrent in the air that I personally have never felt before.  People that I never would have suspected of being racist before have an ugly side to them, and issues that never would have seemed racial suddenly are. 

This isn't to take anything away from the Rodney King verdict, or the L.A. Riots, but to me that was a totally different thing.  I can't really explain it...I just know how I feel.

Tupac, in many of his albums, talks about racial injustice in America.  I presume most rappers during that era was pretty much doing the same, though it could be something unrelated.  Were there rappers in the 80s that wrote songs about the white man holding them down?  I'd imagine anything close would be Run DMC.

Tupac, in many of his albums, talks about racial injustice in America.  I presume most rappers during that era was pretty much doing the same, though it could be something unrelated.  Were there rappers in the 80s that wrote songs about the white man holding them down?  I'd imagine anything close would be Run DMC.


The first group that springs to my mind is Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, especially "The Message."  
   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Message_%28Grandmaster_Flash_and_the_Furious_Five_song%29

And I'm SURE you've heard of Flava Flave, but you probably don't know that he was a member of one of the most groundbreaking hip hop groups of ALL time: Public Enemy.  They were popular in the 90's, but started out in the late 80's.    


http://www.publicenemy.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Enemy_%28band%29

I agree that things are much scarier today.  There is a strange undercurrent in the air that I personally have never felt before.  People that I never would have suspected of being racist before have an ugly side to them, and issues that never would have seemed racial suddenly are.  

This isn't to take anything away from the Rodney King verdict, or the L.A. Riots, but to me that was a totally different thing.  I can't really explain it...I just know how I feel.


it was pretty much isolated, and there was an ability to ignore it, now it is pervasive.  


The first group that springs to my mind is Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, especially "The Message." 
   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Message_%28Grandmaster_Flash_and_the_Furious_Five_song%29

And I'm SURE you've heard of Flava Flave, but you probably don't know that he was a member of one of the most groundbreaking hip hop groups of ALL time: Public Enemy.  They were popular in the 90's, but started out in the late 80's.   


http://www.publicenemy.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Enemy_%28band%29




Public Enemy!

Um, hello?  LA Riots?  1992?  A little more important that stupid assed OJ.

Yeah.


I know about the LA riots, which is why I said it was at times outrightly violent. I'm saying that as far as visible racial division, OJ (for the 90s at least) was the ultimate culmination of it--after '95 you don't really see the racial divide being as visible as it was in the early-mid 90s with Rodney King, LA, OJ, etc.