Michael Eric Dyson speaks up for Hip-Hop

[thereason]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11829316

audio: http://www.npr.org/templates/dmg/po...hingId=11829316&ssid=&tableModifier=&mtype=WM

Michael Eric Dyson came up in the tough streets of Detroit. He didn’t grow up with silver spoons at the family table. His table didn’t have fine china and his path from then to now wasn’t clear of trouble and strife. He came up through the church and the world of academia in spite of his experience. Dyson confronted the same disadvantages that afflicted the folks in his neighborhood and that held so many brothers and sisters back. But these circumstances opened his mind to learning, and to a sense of justice that has driven him to succeed. Dyson could have been someone’s older brother on my block when I was coming up in the Marcy projects in Bed-Stuy. He could have been the teacher at a Baltimore high school who showed Tupac that there was power in knowledge and your people’s history.

Although he wasn’t there for either of us then, his preaching and his intellectual actions are there today for countless brothers and sisters, regardless of skin color, and regardless of who they pray to at night. He is there telling everyone who was born into a life that seems destitute and destined for failure that there is a way out. He is there reminding us all not to let our situation be an excuse when it can be a resource. Just as important, he is telling all of those countless people whose minds are closed by bigotry or contempt that hip hop is American. Blackness is American. I am American.

At this point it might seem hollow to repeat what has been widely said about Michael Eric Dyson: this gifted man is the “hip hop intellectual,” a world-class scholar, and the most brilliant interpreter of hip hop culture we have. But plain and simple that is what he is. He has shown those doubters and critics that hip hop is a vital arts movement created by young working-class men and women of color. Yes, our rhymes can contain violence and hatred. Yes, our songs can detail the drug business and our choruses can bounce with lustful intent. However, those things did not spring from inferior imaginations or deficient morals; these things came from our lives. They came from America.

The folks from the suburbs and the private schools so concerned with putting warning labels on my records missed the point. They never stopped to worry about the realities in this country that spread poverty and racism and gun violence and hatred of women and drug use and unemployment. People can act like rappers spread these things, but that is not true. Our lives are not rotten or worthless just because that’s what people say about the real estate that we were raised on. In fact, our lives may be even more worthy of study because we succeeded despite the promises of failure seeping out from behind the peeling paint on the walls of every apartment in every project.

Dyson came up from the bottom and told those on top what was up. He turned a light on our situation in this country and then he threw down a rope to lift us out. He started out translating between “us” and “them” and now he’s helping put together a world where there is only “us.” How many folk out there can talk about pimping in terms laid out by Hegel? Or use Kant to explain the way that prison fashion moved from the cellblock to the city block? Dyson drops the names of philosophers and scholars as easily as he does the names of artists on the latest mixtape moving dance floors in the clubs. Michael Eric Dyson has taken modern urban life seriously and brought the tools of so-called legitimate society to bear on a place that too many dismissed as unworthy of attention. Just by mentioning these cats in the same breath he levels a playing field that has always been tilted. He tore down the last “whites only” sign in the university and let all of us rush in to hear what the ancient teachers and scientists had to say.

Dyson stands up for poor folks and for street culture when other African Americans treat us with the same disdain that white society used to have for all of us. He continues to show us what the past can teach us about our present. It’s one thing for young people to see rappers making appearances on TRL or to see their records fly up the charts. But it is another thing for a young boy from the hood to go into the library at his school and check out a book on why his culture matters. Quite literally, Dyson has written that book. Money comes and goes, but respect can last for generations. Neither the IRS nor the changing taste of the public can take away what Michael Eric Dyson has given to hip hop: respect and a better way to understand ourselves.

 

[Cock Head Jones]

Cool drop. I wanna hear what dude has to say.

 

[JD Walker]

I stopped listening after he called Gay-Z and Nose "Geniuses".

 

[The Amerikkkan Idol]

I stopped listening after he called Gay-Z and Nose "Geniuses".

Jay-Z and Nas are geniuses. They have a skill in which 99.9999% of the world cannot equal. We may not like how they use their skill, but to deny their ability to bend and twist and flip words, phrases, and sentences is almost criminal.

 

[JD Walker]

Jay-Z and Nas are geniuses. They have a skill in which 99.9999% of the world cannot equal. We may not like how they use their skill, but to deny their ability to bend and twist and flip words, phrases, and sentences is almost criminal.

Any assclown with a high school education can do what they do.

I'm not impressed. Never was.

Fools who think Nose and Gay-Z are geniuses have obviously never picked up a book.

 

[Professor]

Any assclown with a high school education can do what they do.

I'm not impressed. Never was.

Fools who think Nose and Gay-Z are geniuses have obviously never picked up a book.

I tried to give u the benefit of the doubt.....but why speak on things u'r not equipped to talk about. There is only one guy/girl who calls him/herself Thread Critic on the board we don't need a homothug "esque"(no offense implied) version of that as well.

If that's the case then where's u'r millions or how come no one has ever heard of ya cotton pickin plantation minded livin ass LMAO. Hating on their success till u'r blue in the face won't change u'r reality dude one bit. Get off that couch, get some dreams or ambition & some goals in life. Get that overall bitterness u have in u'r heart outta ya system son. It will improve that low self esteem u wear on u'r shirt sleeve u miserable try to disguise when posting on BGOL tremendously.

What I said might sound a tad bit harsh, but u need to fuckin hear it. Sugar coating will not help u in the long run.

Yorus Truly....Professor.

 

[JD Walker]

I tried to give u the benefit of the doubt...

And I tried to get in touch with your Moms to see if she wanted to star in my latest Snuff film. We've been playing phone tag, but don't worry, we'll touch bases soon and I'll send you the screener's edition.

Big Ups.

 

[Professor]

And I tried to get in touch with your Moms to see if she wanted to star in my latest Snuff film. We've been playing phone tag, but don't worry, we'll touch bases soon and I'll send you the screener's edition.

Big Ups.

LOLLLLLL!!!! What a riot. Hmmmm I'm just wondering when all of u'r multiple user/screen personalities are gonna show up. The only snuff film u'r gonna ever produce is with the same faggot whose always staring right back at u when u look in the mirrior.

 

[samh32]

I can't stand rap music now, but I think that the ability to ad lib thoughts into a rhyme is a true gift.

 

[Sangria]

Jay-Z and Nas are geniuses. They have a skill in which 99.9999% of the world cannot equal. We may not like how they use their skill, but to deny their ability to bend and twist and flip words, phrases, and sentences is almost criminal.

uh . no

there are many folk that have profound talent and ability beyond imagination left ignored and unappreciated. you praise mediocrity because you are told to.

 

[THA ILLEST]

good post ....!

 

[Costanza]

uh . no

there are many folk that have profound talent and ability beyond imagination left ignored and unappreciated. you praise mediocrity because you are told to.

Hahaha... I think Nas is an intelligent man who brings substance to his raps and has a great lyrical style. Jay-Z is also intelligent, but his music has never been, overall, about anything but money in his pocket and he just about admitted as much on Moment of Clarity. Jay-Z, even when its not strictly about the flow or a club song, has never come close to Nas in terms of subject matter. I wouldn't call either geniuses. Even when Nas has aimed his highest, he has made huge mistakes that would make us disrespect any journalist, but we hold the "ghetto reporters" to lower standards. (Proof: http://www.bgol.us/board/showthread.php?t=179099) And I could pull up some purely ignorant quotes from either if someone cares to actually claim either man as a genius.

Jay-Z, in his well-written introduction, praises Dyson as someone who "stands up for poor folks and for street culture when other African Americans treat us with the same disdain that white society used to have for all of us." Some blacks, separate from other by economic advantage, judge others harshly without empathy or understanding, no doubt. However, much of what has come out of the rap world in the past fifteen years is very worthy of disdain and Dyson's pandering can never shield profiteers like Jay-Z from this fact and only enables the further devolution of hip-hop.

 

[The Amerikkkan Idol]

You don't have to be intelligent to be a genius. James Brown had liike a 3rd grade education, but he was a genius because he essentially fathered the last 50 years of recorded music in America. You can be ignorant and still a genius. Genius just means that you have a capacity in your specific field that most of your peers do not and cannot reach.

Now Sangria, I'd like to thank you for your presumptuous and ignorant ass comment. I am not a fan of Nas or Jay-Z, but I think Illmatic(and most hip-hop fans agree) is one of the great hip-hop albums of all time. Jay-Z has shown a capacity to write whole albums in his head without even having to write his rhymes down on paper. These things are indicative of "genius".

Do they say and do some ignorant ass shit? Yes, but so did Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown, and we all agree that those dudes are geniuses. I may not like Nas and Jay-Z's music, but I aint dumb enough to think that anybody can write songs like "One Mic" and write whole albums in their heads that can sell millions of records around the world.

If you know tons of people that talented and "genius" you should start a record company and sign all of these people with the gifts of gab that Nas and Jay-Z have.

 

[bigreg2007]

You don't have to be intelligent to be a genius. James Brown had liike a 3rd grade education, but he was a genius because he essentially fathered the last 50 years of recorded music in America. You can be ignorant and still a genius. Genius just means that you have a capacity in your specific field that most of your peers do not and cannot reach.

Now Sangria, I'd like to thank you for your presumptuous and ignorant ass comment. I am not a fan of Nas or Jay-Z, but I think Illmatic(and most hip-hop fans agree) is one of the great hip-hop albums of all time. Jay-Z has shown a capacity to write whole albums in his head without even having to write his rhymes down on paper. These things are indicative of "genius".

Do they say and do some ignorant ass shit? Yes, but so did Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown, and we all agree that those dudes are geniuses. I may not like Nas and Jay-Z's music, but I aint dumb enough to think that anybody can write songs like "One Mic" and write whole albums in their heads that can sell millions of records around the world.

If you know tons of people that talented and "genius" you should start a record company and sign all of these people with the gifts of gab that Nas and Jay-Z have.

Well said brah. To bad these pompous, pretentious, self-rightous, fake intelectual, dick heads of the board, are too stubborn to admit they're wrong or that you have an accurate observation.​

 

[HeathCliff]

You don't have to be intelligent to be a genius. James Brown had liike a 3rd grade education, but he was a genius because he essentially fathered the last 50 years of recorded music in America. You can be ignorant and still a genius. Genius just means that you have a capacity in your specific field that most of your peers do not and cannot reach.

Now Sangria, I'd like to thank you for your presumptuous and ignorant ass comment. I am not a fan of Nas or Jay-Z, but I think Illmatic(and most hip-hop fans agree) is one of the great hip-hop albums of all time. Jay-Z has shown a capacity to write whole albums in his head without even having to write his rhymes down on paper. These things are indicative of "genius".

Do they say and do some ignorant ass shit? Yes, but so did Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown, and we all agree that those dudes are geniuses. I may not like Nas and Jay-Z's music, but I aint dumb enough to think that anybody can write songs like "One Mic" and write whole albums in their heads that can sell millions of records around the world.

If you know tons of people that talented and "genius" you should start a record company and sign all of these people with the gifts of gab that Nas and Jay-Z have.

Very good points there bruh!

 

[sitai]

You don't have to be intelligent to be a genius. James Brown had liike a 3rd grade education, but he was a genius because he essentially fathered the last 50 years of recorded music in America. You can be ignorant and still a genius. Genius just means that you have a capacity in your specific field that most of your peers do not and cannot reach.

Now Sangria, I'd like to thank you for your presumptuous and ignorant ass comment. I am not a fan of Nas or Jay-Z, but I think Illmatic(and most hip-hop fans agree) is one of the great hip-hop albums of all time. Jay-Z has shown a capacity to write whole albums in his head without even having to write his rhymes down on paper. These things are indicative of "genius".

Do they say and do some ignorant ass shit? Yes, but so did Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown, and we all agree that those dudes are geniuses. I may not like Nas and Jay-Z's music, but I aint dumb enough to think that anybody can write songs like "One Mic" and write whole albums in their heads that can sell millions of records around the world.

If you know tons of people that talented and "genius" you should start a record company and sign all of these people with the gifts of gab that Nas and Jay-Z have.

co sizzle!!

 

[Kubrick]

You don't have to be intelligent to be a genius. James Brown had liike a 3rd grade education, but he was a genius because he essentially fathered the last 50 years of recorded music in America. You can be ignorant and still a genius. Genius just means that you have a capacity in your specific field that most of your peers do not and cannot reach.

Now Sangria, I'd like to thank you for your presumptuous and ignorant ass comment. I am not a fan of Nas or Jay-Z, but I think Illmatic(and most hip-hop fans agree) is one of the great hip-hop albums of all time. Jay-Z has shown a capacity to write whole albums in his head without even having to write his rhymes down on paper. These things are indicative of "genius".

Do they say and do some ignorant ass shit? Yes, but so did Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown, and we all agree that those dudes are geniuses. I may not like Nas and Jay-Z's music, but I aint dumb enough to think that anybody can write songs like "One Mic" and write whole albums in their heads that can sell millions of records around the world.

If you know tons of people that talented and "genius" you should start a record company and sign all of these people with the gifts of gab that Nas and Jay-Z have.

Comparing Jaz-Z and Nas to Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix is blasphemous. Jay-Z and Nas are not geniuses they are extremely talented but truth be told there are other MCs that are better than both. True Jay-Z can compose an entire album in his head, but has any of Jay-Z's albums really had any substance? Nas is very talented but has not been consistent throughout his career. Neither has revolutionized the art form like Miles Davis did with Jazz or perfected their craft like a Charlie Parker on the sax. If anything you could blame the current downfall of hip-hop on them.

As great as both have been (Nas and Jay-Z) you can not bestow "genius" to their work. Determining musical genius is not relative to your peers, it's relative to your genre.

 

[JD Walker]

Charlie Parker, Ray Charles, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Miles, Hendrix, Prince, Reid, are all geniuses.

Nose and Gay-Z are not.

 

[Lattimore]

You don't have to be intelligent to be a genius. James Brown had liike a 3rd grade education, but he was a genius because he essentially fathered the last 50 years of recorded music in America. You can be ignorant and still a genius. Genius just means that you have a capacity in your specific field that most of your peers do not and cannot reach.

Now Sangria, I'd like to thank you for your presumptuous and ignorant ass comment. I am not a fan of Nas or Jay-Z, but I think Illmatic(and most hip-hop fans agree) is one of the great hip-hop albums of all time. Jay-Z has shown a capacity to write whole albums in his head without even having to write his rhymes down on paper. These things are indicative of "genius".

Do they say and do some ignorant ass shit? Yes, but so did Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown, and we all agree that those dudes are geniuses. I may not like Nas and Jay-Z's music, but I aint dumb enough to think that anybody can write songs like "One Mic" and write whole albums in their heads that can sell millions of records around the world.

If you know tons of people that talented and "genius" you should start a record company and sign all of these people with the gifts of gab that Nas and Jay-Z have.

I think you make some great points however I'm going to wait to see how history judges Jay Z and Nas before I compare them to James Brown, Miles Davis, and Jimi Hendrix (not that you compared them directly). In the world of rock, for example, big hair bands like Ratt, Poison, and Twisted Sister aren't seen, historically, in the same light as bands like The Eagles, The Rolling Stones and The Who. Even though all of the groups mentioned (regardless of when they were popular) were leaders in their respective genres, sold millions of records around the world, and impacted and drove the industry in their heyday. Not to say Jay Z and Nas don't have unique talent... just pointing out some parallels that exist in other genres and wondering if the same logic won't apply.

In the end the music Jay Z and Nas made will be what's judged- the same way people judge the music of Miles Davis, The Rolling Stones, The Who, James Brown, Jimmi Hendrix, The Eagles, and whoever else we consider great. All of these great musicians still get radio play and still sell copies of their catalogues... will Jay Z and Nas have similar accomplishments (measurable, of course, in line with changes that have occured in the industry).

 

[Lattimore]

Comparing Jaz-Z and Nas to Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix is blasphemous. Jay-Z and Nas are not geniuses they are extremely talented but truth be told there are other MCs that are better than both. True Jay-Z can compose an entire album in his head, but has any of Jay-Z's albums really had any substance? Nas is very talented but has not been consistent throughout his career. Neither has revolutionized the art form like Miles Davis did with Jazz or perfected their craft like a Charlie Parker on the sax. If anything you could blame the current downfall of hip-hop on them.

As great as both have been (Nas and Jay-Z) you can not bestow "genius" to their work. Determining musical genius is not relative to your peers, it's relative to your genre.

There is truth in here...

 

[Temujin]

Jay-Z and Nas are clearly hip-hop geniuses. There is no way you can be considered amongst the best at what you do and not be considered great.

Nas revolutionized hip-hop. The whole "keep it real" era is a by product of how personel illmatic was and how "real" it felt to the public. Jay-z revolutionized hip-hop marketing as well as the way Emcees flow on the mic. Jay-z amorphous style is copied by every Emcee out today. Jay-z (love it or hate it) was the first artist marketed as an ex-drug dealer turned rapper. This marketing image has been duplicated by 90% of the rappers since Jay-z came out. In regards to their influence on the hip-hop genre and the state of the genre before and during their careers there is no doubt that they are hip-hop geniuses. Out of the thousands of rappers that have come out with albums in the past 15 years why are these names still at the top of most hip-hop fans lists of best ever? Answer: because they are amongst the best ever and rightly considered genius.

The problem with our generation is we are a generation of haters. We hate everything about all those that suceed. It's sad that we can't give credit to anyone that is embraced by the public. As soon as the public likes them we hate them. We got to get out of that mentality and start giving credit when credit is due. You don't have to love them or love their art but you must be objective about their signifigance to the artform.

 

[AgentCreed]

if ppl can call r.kelly a genius why cant nas and jayz be the same? tho i think nas is more so a genius than jay.

 

[thalastdynasty]

Sometimes I think some of us have this lingering inferiority complex that makes us feel our culture isnt relevant. We have always been the most copied and therefore the most exploited class. We need to recognize those who acheive greatness. Im not a huge fan of Jay_z but he is a hip hop and marketing genius. And to JD you don't have a tenth of the credentials as Mr. Dyson who are you to act like a hip hop officianado. Douchebag.

There is a wealth of black artists who continue to push the creative bars and we need to stop being haters and applaud when we are succeeding.

 

[The Amerikkkan Idol]

I compare them to Miles Davis, Hendrix, and James Brown because of the capacity that they have. In my opinion, only Illmatic and maybe Reasonable Doubt will be judged kindly by history, but that is not because they lack the genius to have made better records. It will because they wasted and compromised their genius. Like I said before, genius is based on capacity, not just on work. If you put Miles Davis in today's musical landscape, he'd have to dumb down his music to sell more records too. It wouldn't make him any less a genius, it would just taint his legacy. He would still have the talent and ability, even if he chose not to use it.

 

[ruff-a-reek]

dyson tries too hard sometimes

 

[Kubrick]

Jay-Z and Nas are clearly hip-hop geniuses. There is no way you can be considered amongst the best at what you do and not be considered great.

Great not genius

Nas revolutionized hip-hop. The whole "keep it real" era is a by product of how personel illmatic was and how "real" it felt to the public.

No it wasn't, but that's such a nebulous point I am not going to attempt to argue

Jay-z revolutionized hip-hop marketing as well as the way Emcees flow on the mic. Jay-z amorphous style is copied by every Emcee out today.

Every emcee ? Really?

Jay-z (love it or hate it) was the first artist marketed as an ex-drug dealer turned rapper. This marketing image has been duplicated by 90% of the rappers since Jay-z came out.

Is that anything to brag about?

In regards to their influence on the hip-hop genre and the state of the genre before and during their careers there is no doubt that they are hip-hop geniuses. Out of the thousands of rappers that have come out with albums in the past 15 years why are these names still at the top of most hip-hop fans lists of best ever? Answer: because they are amongst the best ever and rightly considered genius.

Only people who do not really know what the term genius encompass think that. Once again name recognition does not equal genius.

The problem with our generation is we are a generation of haters. We hate everything about all those that suceed. It's sad that we can't give credit to anyone that is embraced by the public. As soon as the public likes them we hate them. We got to get out of that mentality and start giving credit when credit is due. You don't have to love them or love their art but you must be objective about their signifigance to the artform.

No the problem with our generation other than being myopic, self-absorbed, sycophants is that we can't engage in any critical conversation without the word "hater" being brought up. Whenever someone disagrees with someone immediately the hater term comes out. I never said I hated Jay or Nas, nor can I deny their influence on hip hop (both good and bad). They both are great artists but they are not genius. Before you go throwing that term around you should study up on some of the other artists that are considered geniuses of their genre.
Also, especially in reference to Jay I think people appreciate his business acumen more so than his artistic integrity. That alone should negate any genius talk.

 

[The Amerikkkan Idol]

No the problem with our generation other than being myopic, self-absorbed, sycophants is that we can't engage in any critical conversation without the word "hater" being brought up. Whenever someone disagrees with someone immediately the hater term comes out. I never said I hated Jay or Nas, nor can I deny their influence on hip hop (both good and bad). They both are great artists but they are not genius. Before you go throwing that term around you should study up on some of the other artists that are considered geniuses of their genre.
Also, especially in reference to Jay I think people appreciate his business acumen more so than his artistic integrity. That alone should negate any genius talk.

Once again, genius is not what you do, it is what you are. It doesn't matter whether or not Nas and Jay's music is great or even if it's terrible. It's the fact that they have the god-given talent to be great that makes them genius. If the smartest man in the world pretends that he is an idiot in public, does that make him any less a genius? No. It just makes him a genius who pretends to be dumb in public. You get my drift. The people you consider genius, probably were geniuses, but they chose to exhibit their genius in their respective field. Had they not, they'd still be geniuses, because of their god-given talent level.

Nas and Jay-Z are not great artists. They've done some great stuff, but not enough to be considered great, but they are geniuses, because their talent level(that they often hide) is genius. It's too bad that Jay made the decision to "Dumb down his records to double his profits."

 

[kewlphucker]

For those who use itunes you can download the interview from the Democracy Now podcast from the podcast section .





Speaking for myself i sometimes put MC's on too high of a pedestal no longer will i do so they are entertainers but someone like Micheal Eric Dyson i will so if he wants to have Jay-Z And Nas add to his book more power to him.

 

[Imhotep]

bump

 

[Costanza]

You don't have to be intelligent to be a genius. James Brown had liike a 3rd grade education, but he was a genius because he essentially fathered the last 50 years of recorded music in America. You can be ignorant and still a genius. Genius just means that you have a capacity in your specific field that most of your peers do not and cannot reach.

It's hard for me to call someone with easily dismissed, ignorant views a genius (as I offered to demonstrate in my previous post).

My question, based on your definition...

Genius just means that you have a capacity in your specific field that most of your peers do not and cannot reach.

A genius at work? This guy?

I think your use of the word "just" shows that you know you're devaluing the word... Is that really all there is to it?

 

[D24OHA]

I'll say this, Jay is a lyrical genius. dude drops some jewels on his Cds hidden like Easter Eggs throughout his tracks. Man to be real 50 cent said it best "fans cant relate to Nas, he's like a teacher and fans arent tryin to hear all that" thats been a standard in hip hop an our culture for a minute (see colin powell pics). we only want so much; usually a tight ass beat with a few hot bars here and there. Jay realized this and as such he switches up his flow for the masses. white people and most of the blacks who still buy cds arent buying it for an education lesson. Its the new formula. and im not gonna get into the Greats but whoever you believe ('Pac, B.I.G., Pun, Jay, Nas or 50) they all followed a formula. They all didnt market themselves as best they could tho. undeniably tho, those that have and are have to be "elevated" to a higher level than just everybody else. Hate it or Love it 50 and jay have done that like no other artist in history. I mean damn you could say big daddy kane or LL or RunDMC or KRS or whoever were/are geniuses but greatness on the mic doesnt translate into sells. that sad new reality

 

[The Amerikkkan Idol]

It's hard for me to call someone with easily dismissed, ignorant views a genius (as I offered to demonstrate in my previous post).

My question, based on your definition...

Genius just means that you have a capacity in your specific field that most of your peers do not and cannot reach.

A genius at work? This guy?

I think your use of the word "just" shows that you know you're devaluing the word... Is that really all there is to it?

I believe that is a retarded comparison, but I'll go with it.

Here's what's defined as a genius by Wikipedia:

A genius is a person of great intelligence, who shows an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work. The term may also be applied to someone who is a polymath or a prodigy.

Although the term is sometimes used to denote the possession of a superior talent in any field (e.g., Roger Federer may be said to have a genius for tennis or Winston Churchill for statesmanship), in many instances the term is used specifically to denote an exceptional natural capacity of intellect in areas of art, literature, music, science and mathematics.


So, I guess if Roger Federer is a genius in tennis, then maybe Kobayashi is a genius in competitive eating. Could you do that? I don't think so, but as far as Nas and Jay-Z, I think they would fit into the "exceptional natural capacity of intellect in areas of art".

Like I said, just because they don't use their genius, doesn't mean that they aren't exceptional in their God given gifts.

 

[Costanza]

I believe that is a retarded comparison, but I'll go with it.

Here's what's defined as a genius by Wikipedia:

A genius is a person of great intelligence, who shows an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work. The term may also be applied to someone who is a polymath or a prodigy.

Although the term is sometimes used to denote the possession of a superior talent in any field (e.g., Roger Federer may be said to have a genius for tennis or Winston Churchill for statesmanship), in many instances the term is used specifically to denote an exceptional natural capacity of intellect in areas of art, literature, music, science and mathematics.


So, I guess if Roger Federer is a genius in tennis, then maybe Kobayashi is a genius in competitive eating. Could you do that? I don't think so, but as far as Nas and Jay-Z, I think they would fit into the "exceptional natural capacity of intellect in areas of art".

Like I said, just because they don't use their genius, doesn't mean that they aren't exceptional in their God given gifts.

What I was getting at was that I think the word genius is being overused into meaning nothing if guys like Roger Federer and Kobayashi are considered geniuses. I think the very first part of that definition--a person of great intelligence-- is the core meaning of the word and a basic ingredient which should be respected.

"Like I said, just because they don't use their genius, doesn't mean that they aren't exceptional in their God given gifts." If they don't use it, how the hell do you know it's there???

My comparison wasn't at all retarded; you're projecting how it made you feel and then admitted it applies perfectly with the way you're using the word. The looseness of this definition makes geniuses out of Jay-Z, Kobayashi, Roger Federer, Paris Hilton, Rick Barry, and myself, the master masturbator.
I'm not going to devalue the word that way-- no "hidden" geniuses, no one-trick ponies... the filter of "great intelligence/intellect" therefore allows the word to actually mean something when I use it.

 

[The Amerikkkan Idol]

What I was getting at was that I think the word genius is being overused into meaning nothing if guys like Roger Federer and Kobayashi are considered geniuses. I think the very first part of that definition--a person of great intelligence-- is the core meaning of the word and a basic ingredient which should be respected.

"Like I said, just because they don't use their genius, doesn't mean that they aren't exceptional in their God given gifts." If they don't use it, how the hell do you know it's there???

You don't know it's there, but it's there. Like I said before, genius is not what you do, it's what you are. Do you know how many kids right now are failing out of high-schools in Amerikkka that are geniuses in their respective Right. Nas and Jay-Z had a genius in rapping, but for people like Einstein it was physics(he did flunk math). For another guy it might have been mechanics, or he could be like Rain man, who had absolutely no social skills, but could memorize a whole phone book. There are people who never ever leave their houses, who are geniuses, but nobody ever knows it.


My comparison wasn't at all retarded; you're projecting how it made you feel and then admitted it applies perfectly with the way you're using the word. The looseness of this definition makes geniuses out of Jay-Z, Kobayashi, Roger Federer, Paris Hilton, Rick Barry, and myself, the master masturbator.
I'm not going to devalue the word that way-- no "hidden" geniuses, no one-trick ponies... the filter of "great intelligence/intellect" therefore allows the word to actually mean something when I use it.

But Roger Federer is considered a genius. Michael Jordan is considered a genius too. Tiger Woods. I showed you James Brown, who is considered a genius by most, but didn't have but a 7th grade education and went to prison twice, beat his wives, and did drugs. I don't know what skill Paris Hilton would have to be considered a genius, but if you can find one, let me know.

You have your personal definition, but I've shown you people who are defined as geniuses in their respective fields who are not Stephen Hawking, or Prince, or Miles Davis. All you have to be is elite in you specific right, and you are a genius in your field. That's the definition.