Exactly... We are accountable for the decisions WE make. No outside influence should be faulted for our downfall. Your last sentence completely removes blame from these artists. The only thing an artist should worry about as far as the community goes is distinguishing fantasy from reality. When Bruce Willis leaves the set of die hard he left John McClane behind. Fans of hip hop are often the ones who iron these personalities onto these artists as if they are real. These are personas period!
It's always to funny to me how rappers proudly boast one thing in the records in the name of being 'a real nigga', but when confronted seriously about their lyrics, it's affect on the community, or the validity of their message, they often resort to the "it's must music, it's just art" or "it's just what I say, it's not what I do", or my favorite, "i'm not telling these kids to do this." We are all accountable for the CHOICES we make.
