The rap excuse is a cliche, we're living in a society where the prevalent message is 'money over everything' anyway, or as we all refer to it as 'capitalism'. As cap eluded to before, the problem is structural not simply race. Black men are not in gangs because they choose to be (although I'd agree there's a small % that may feel inspired by that life). Until the problem of being a 'minority' isn't a factor this trend will continue. It's not just the black community that should 'sort themselves out', it's society on a whole. I don't dare to make excuses for people who don't make any feasible attempt to help themselves, but the section of people who are being abandoned by society are the minority. As exemplified by the London riots. Where there was a correlation between the poorest areas of London & high rates of rioting.