C'mon, Black People! #Nipsey

A rapper/community activist by the name of Nipsey Hussle was gunned down Sunday in Los Angeles.  I have a friend who put me on to Nipsy a few years ago.  Not just for his music, but for his cause.  Nipsey was forever trying to teach people in the black communities about wealth and health.

I go on Facebook and what do I see?  People arguing instead of reflecting on his life.  I've seen some of my FB friends fussing at one another over the following:

• "I can't believe you don't know who he is!"
• "You just started listening to his music.  I've been a fan since Day One!"
• "You don't know anything about the documentary he was working on!"
• "I bet you can't name three of his songs!"

These are actual arguments on FB over a man who was taken from his family.  Why put down people who may not know him?  Why does it matter when someone became a fan?  Why do people have to know his life's work?

Take the time to educate instead of ridicule.  Especially after the tragic end of a life of someone who was trying to help folks help themselves.

C'mon, people!  SMH.

The 1st Time I Felt Black Pride

Back in my teens in the late 80's, I developed more of a sense of pride in my race. It's not to say that I never had any, but it really didn't materialize from a knowledge perspective until in my teens, thanks to music. Specifically, rap music. 

A lot of 80's rap taught its black listeners that we were more than just second class citizens. It made the listeners understand that we were descendants of kings and queens. It made listeners know that there was value in our skin color.

There were quite a few artists who contributed to me blossoming in my blackness.  Listening to Public Enemy introduced me to the Black Panther Party and their contributions to black society. Boogie Down Productions educated me on how the legal system and school system have set black people up to fail. Ice-T educated me on life as a hustler and how the perceived "high life" was only temporary, thanks to jail or death.  There were a number of others I learned things from as well.

Once I developed that pride in myself, then I found pride in those who look like me. Especially black women.  I started to recognize that the media could not dictate what a beautiful woman was to me.  I saw the beauty in dark skin and full lips.  I understood what they represented in my heritage.  I went from falling head over heads for television's definition of beauty and started to appreciate so many of the natural beauties that I encountered regularly.  Who knew that music could give me so much data in which to research and learn about my true self?

Fast forward to today and 80's style of conscious rap is no longer played on the radio.  Despite its educational value to the black community, it's no longer mainstream.  Today's mainstream music usually contains wasteful and destructive messages.  Not just towards our communities, but towards our black women as well.

We need to find some way to reverse this trend.  We need to teach our youth that there's value to our black skin and it should be protected at all times.

25 Years Later We're Still Fighting The Power - @PublicEnemyFTP

I remember turning on the TV and seeing this video for the first time. I was mesmerized as a 16 year old to see the power within the video of a group of people coming together for a united front.  Even at such an early age I recognized what that video meant to me as a black teen.  It meant that there was still work to do to bring about equality in the United States among the races.  I had no idea how much more this video would mean to me 25 years later after Michael Brown and Ferguson, MO.

Seeing the unity that "Fight The Power" displayed in a rap video was nothing short of amazing.  This wasn't a group of rappers coming together on their own for a cause like "Self Destruction" or "We're All in the Same Gang."  This was a video about a rap group marching down the streets of Brooklyn during the time of a political rally and the people just randomly started joining in.  It was just recently that I found out that the neighborhood people showed up only by word of mouth.  There was no plan to have them all there.

I got on board the PE train with their first album, "Yo! Bum Rush the Show!" in 1987.  I was fascinated with the side of blackness they taught that I couldn't get anywhere else at the time.  Remember that this was roughly five years before people starting regularly using the Internet.  In fact, a majority of the black history that I learned as a youth came from listening to Public Enemy.  I would listen to their album and then go to my city library to learn about the people they mentioned.   Stokely Carmichael.  H. Rap Brown.  Huey P. Newton (Huey Freeman on the "Boondocks" series is named after him).  These were people that were never talked about in any history books that I read at school.  And regardless of how people felt about them and what they represented they were still a very important part of black history which is essentially American history.

The video also contained images that will forever be embedded in my brain of Angela Davis, Medgar Evers, Jackie Robinson, signs that encouraged voter registration, and most importantly, youth participation.  There were kids everywhere in this video.  Also, one of the most powerful scenes at the time was at the 6:00 mark when teenager, Tawana Brawley, was shown standing in all white.

Tawana was part of a huge rape case back in 1987 when she accused six white men of raping and defiling her.  Although it was ruled in 1988 that she made up the false allegations against her accusers, she has always stuck by her story and said that the rape occurred.  Seeing her smiling and participating in the video was a sign that she was still standing strong with the support of the black community.  The community had her back.  That sentiment was also shown in Spike Lee's movie, "Do The Right Thing," with a scene that displayed graffiti on the wall that said "Tawana told the truth."  I can still remember the applause in the theater when people saw it during the movie.

"Fight The Power" would prove to have an impact on the consciousness of many people of all colors as it depicted how black people came together to promote unity.  Another important part of the video to note is that it showed how blacks can be peaceful yet firm in making an impact on society.  Despite the "nervous" police presence according to P.E. front man, Chuck D, there were no incidents.  Not one.

Enter 2014.  Music has changed tremendously.  The only people rapping about political consciousness aren't on the radio.  Gone are the days where KRS-1 is rapping "Why is That?" or Gang Starr is dropping knowledge on "Who's Gonna Take The Weight?"

I'll continue to hold on to old school rap although I know it's next to impossible to pass down to younger generations.  They just aren't buying into things from back in the day.  However, I'll do what I can to expose them to conscious rap with hopes that it catches on.  I won't let Public Enemy die with my generation.

So, click on the video below and "Fight The Power" in 2014.  We still have a long way to go.
 

Jay Z vs. Harry Belafonte

It' been a couple of weeks now, but it appears that I have more to say on this Jay Z / Belafonte argument. We touched on this subject on the radio show, but it's still getting a lot of press. Here is what happened for those who are unaware: performer and Civil Rights activist, Harry Belafonte, publicly called out Jay Z and Beyonce for not doing their part in regards to Civil and Human Rights. He basically stated that with their presence, they could accomplish a lot.  Jay Z responded by dissing Belafonte in a song from his newest album.

Here's my take: Belafonte didn't have to call out Jay publicly, but I don't have a huge problem with that. This country became as great as it is because people challenged others to do great things.  However, I do have a problem with how Jay Z handled it. Dissing an 86 year old Civil Rights activist in a rap song? What are you, 12? You can't even address the man like an adult or release a statement?

Some of you are saying, "well, just because he's 86 doesn't mean that he can't get dissed!"  I totally disagree with you and that line of "thinking."  The fact that he's 86 is the main reason Jay Z should have handled this differently.  You don't treat older people like you do younger people.  And if you don't believe that, then punch an old man in the face and see what happens to you.  The cops will throw you a "blanket party" on the way to the jail house.

Older people are treasured in other countries, but that's not the case for the United States. Regardless if you sacrificed your life for the freedom of others, fought for equality or the right to vote, there are plenty of young people out there ready to push you out of the way. "You had your time, now it's my time. Never mind the fact that I can prosper today because of what you did 50 years ago."

That's beyond sad and ignorant to me. Harry Belafonte grew up during an era when people tried to leave the world better off than how they found it. Jay Z comes from a generation that tries to leave the world with enough money as humanly possible.  Because of attitudes like that, the world is spiraling out of control.  Companies are steadily sending jobs overseas.  Politicians are more corrupt than ever.  Racism is still rampant around the country.  We still have plenty of problems in this country, but no one with the stature of Jay Z is willing to risk speaking out against it.  After all, why alienate people and ruin the opportunity to turn $600m into $650m?

Belafonte comes from a time where a "village raised a child." So, being chastised by someone older other than your parents was commonplace. Respect was something you worked for to earn the title of "man" or "woman."  Jay Z comes from a time where parents instruct their kids not to listen to other adults.  Respect is expected just from existing.  You can even call someone a "hubby" or "wifey" without being married.

So, there's a huge gap in thinking in just 40 years between Belafonte's generation and Jay Z's.  I'm from Jay's generation, so I'm one to not criticize him for how he lives his life.  He says that he's a "symbol of hope" to many.  That may be true.  It's not true in my case, but it could be true to others.  Besides, what he does with his money and his time is his business.  But, I do have a problem with him calling out a real hero.  Jay Z calling Harry Belafonte a "boy" and dissing his contributions to the world is the equivalent of Lebron James calling Muhammad Ali a "has been."

Jay Z donated to Katrina victims and participated in eradicating water shortages in the world.  He also became a pioneer in how money is made in the music industry.  Harry Belafonte was a successful singer and actor.  He bankrolled Dr. Martin Luther King's family when he was on the road.  He bailed MLK out of jail.  He helped finance the Freedom Rides and more.  All of this ultimately led to black people receiving their Civil Rights.

Jay Z changed the way rappers do business in the rap game, but Harry Belafonte changed the world.

Who do you think owes the apology in this scenario? 

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte (1954)

Hip-Hop Sell Outs

Hip-hop has always been about creating trends, but they've taken it to an entirely new level now.  In fact, it's not trending, it's advertising.

Back in the day, Run-DMC had a song called "My Adidas" and they professed their love for the shoes they wore without laces.  It was very rare that an actual product was marketed in most rap back then because rap was in a different place at the time.  Rap was about self-promotion of talent and / or provoking thought.

Today's rap is about the promotion of materialistic things than anything else.  CNN reported that out of the top 30 hip hop songs on the Billboard charts, 27 of them mention the name of a vehicle, 22 mention miscellaneous products from clothing to rims and 19 of them mention a brand of liquor.  The liquor companies stated that they don't market products to minors, but that they do reward hip-hop stars with endorsements for promoting their products.  That appears to be half of the problems in our inner cities today.  A focus on materialistic things and alcohol is being pounded into their ears on mainstream radio to our kids.

In contrast, the top 30 country songs on the Billboard charts revealed 7 miscellaneous products (mostly blue jeans and power tools), 4 mentions of liquor and 4 mentions of vehicles. Check out this article for more info on rap's influence on our youth through their brand promoting. Here's an excerpt from that article:

Alcohol companies, of course, are happy to get the recognition, but it seems that many singers are also tangentially involved in the alcohol business. Jay-Z, for instance, owns a percentage of Armadale Vodka while Snoop Dogg was the face for Landy Cognac in 2008 and, not coincidentally, sang a song about it called Luv Drunk.

Now, studies are saying that US teens hear three brand names for every hour of rap music they listen to. Given that the average teen listens to 2.5 hours of music per day, your average kid is hearing 8 alcohol brand names daily.

Some people say American teens are listening to a lot more than simply 2.5 hours of music, suggesting that they hear up to 34 alcohol brand names every day while they listen to music that promotes a "luxury lifestyle characterized by degrading sexual activity, wealth, partying, violence and the use of drugs."

It is no coincidence that the brand names that are most frequently mentioned are also the ones the teenage drinkers seem to prefer.

Today's rap deserves its own genre.  Something to separate it from the artists who came along over 25 years ago and made it mainstream.  We have Conscious Rap (Public Enemy, KRS-1), Booty Music (95 South, 2 Live Crew), Gangsta Rap (NWA, Eazy-E) and Mainstream Rap (MC Hammer and Fresh Prince). Don't get me wrong. People in the 80's wore gold ropes and drove nice cars, but that wasn't the focus of their lyrics. They told stories of life in the hood, exposed racism and political loopholes or bragged about how lyrically talented they were.

Also, I don't want to lump all of today's rappers into this materialistic corner I'm painting. There are some rappers who are truly talented in today's rap game despite what they're rapping about: Paul Wall, Lil' Wayne, Eminem, Kanye among a few others whose names escape me right now. But a majority of the people I'm referring to who aren't all that talented and / or push products every chance they get: P-Diddy, Soulja Boy, Gucci Mane and Rick Ross. Some of the songs may be catchy, but they're really not saying anything when it's all said and done.

I'm wearing a lot of jewelry, so therefore, I must be talented.

Now everything is about what I'm drinking/smoking/wearing/driving and how many women I'm banging. Music videos with rented women, homes and cars (you don't think these guys really own mansions and Lamborghinis, do you?). I don't know if we'll ever see again a powerful video like P.E.'s "Fight the Power," a collaboration of artists to perform a modern day "Self-Destruction" or even come across a mainstream group similar to the X-Clan.

Is this what rap has become?  No.  At least not to me. If this is what these artists want to do, then so be it. But, don't allow it to be on mainstream radio where anyone of any age can gain access to listen. Even HBO won't show a Rated: R movie until after 8 PM when kids are supposed to be in bed. Put restrictions on this music so I don't have to worry about my eight year old god son singing songs about Ciroc.

I refuse to call today's hip-hop "rap."  Call it "commercial hip-hop" or "ad rap," but don't call it rap. Contributing to the destruction of our youth all for the sake of a buck?

A bunch of hip-hop sell outs.




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