[matwood]

#3 - Jay-z is a man who made his money ruining the lives of thousands by selling drugs, and millions more by being a horrific influence. He is a man who has admittedly attempted murder on more than one occasion. He is a man who has used and debased women proudly. He is a man of many transgressions. And I could look past all of them if he did not glorify them so.

So I'll assume you have been perfect your entire life? He raps about what he knows and who he his, and he wasn't perfect. If you have listened to more than a lyric or two off the radio you would hear him rapping about being young and stupid and growing up and maturing.

[gnaritas]

> If you have listened to more than a lyric or two off the radio you would hear him rapping about being young and stupid and growing up and maturing.

That doesn't make one praiseworthy; regretting your sins doesn't erase them. If he's really had a past violent enough that he's attempted murder a few times--and I don't know that that's true and am making no claim it is--then he's not worthy of praise no matter how good he is for the rest of his life, he still did it. Most people grow up without any such severe regrets. Most do stupid things while young, not horrible things.

[BrandonM]

Growing as a person and improving the human condition are some of the most virtuous things that one can do. Someone doing those things should not be condemned for life because of past mistakes.

Your expressed belief seems to reflect the attitude of the current American criminal justice system, a system that is very bad at rehabilitation: it tends to turn minor offenders into hardened criminals.

Any improvement is worthy of praise. Any contribution is worthy of gratitude. Denying that to someone because past mistakes is very disingenuous. Pretending that people are static characters like some bad sitcom is short-sighted and naïve.

There is no good and evil, only people with different motives. If you've never grown up wondering where you're going to live next week or where your next meal is going to come from, then you can't understand the thinking of someone who has, and you're in no place to judge their actions.

[gnaritas]

Any improvement is worthy of praise, that doesn't make the person worthy of praise. You don't just get to pretend the past didn't happen and the people you hurt don't exist. Some things are unforgivable and nothing can ever make up for it; ever.

Yes, people change and grow, that doesn't mean you get to leave your past behind and pretend it never happened. You murder someone, you're a murderer forever, not just until you realize it was wrong.

> There is no good and evil, only people with different motives.

I don't agree, though I'd never use the words good and evil, I'd use right and wrong and some things are objectively wrong.

> If you've never grown up wondering where you're going to live next week or where your next meal is going to come from, then you can't understand the thinking of someone who has, and you're in no place to judge their actions.

I did grow up that way, and I am in a place to state my opinion on their actions.

[Maascamp]

Try growing up where he did before preaching from your pedestal.

[gnaritas]

I'm sorry, do you know how I grew up? No, I didn't think so. Growing up in Brooklyn is not an excuse for bad behavior, nor did he have it particularly rough.

[megablast]

While I do not agree with the poster you are responding to, there is a lot of room between being a drug dealer and being not-perfect. All people aren't perfect, but most aren't drug dealers.

The problem maybe that he glorifies drug dealers to a certain extent. And I am sure you will agree, that we need less drug dealers, and need to make it less attractive.

[polynomial]

Agree. Let's start with the tobacco and alcohol industries, since our tax dollars are subsidizing them.