Responding to Jonathan Landrum Jr of the Associate Press

It's just funny to read what some writers think about rap music. In particular was the article from Jonathan Landrum Jr of the AP. He noticed that rappers seem to go to jail alot. No kidding.

"It's a ritual that seems to play out at least once a year in the rap community: A top star faces a criminal charge, and more often than not, is locked up at the height of their wealth and fame."

Once a year? Let's be honest, I can't recall a year where several rappers weren't arrested, on trial, AND in jail since 1994. I might have missed a year, but the fact is that modern rappers are addicted to jail like a crack addict to the pipe. In this same article Landrum notes T.I., Gucci Mane, Soulja Boy, and Shawty Redd all had their time before the law in 2009 alone.

Landrum asks the question

"After all these years, why are hip-hop's top stars still finding themselves on the path to prison?"

It's not a new question. The situation is not new. Many have tried to address this for well over a decade, and not a stitch of headway has been made.

"Hopefully this isn't a cycle that next year from now we're seeing our top rappers in jail," Elliott Wilson, founder of the hip-hop Web site RapRadar.com, says. "Ultimately, it is a black eye to the culture I'm passionate about. Hopefully, the artists of tomorrow won't make the same mistakes as the ones of today."

Is he kidding? Las Vegas wouldn't take a bet that said at least 1, hell 3 - 5 rappers, will be in jail, arrested, and on trial next year. Or any year. Because that's what the minstrel show is about.

From almost the day that N.W.A. was presented with thier gangsta rap sub-genre, the music industry has seen green. Gangsta rap is a cash cow, an addiction that they have peddled - laughing all the way to the bank. With this one genre they get to promote the very worst stereotypes of African Americans, drug use, violence, violence against women, and illiteracy without a hint of social anger directed at them.

Before there was Gangsta rap, rappers DIDN'T get arrested and put in jail on a regular basis. It was UNCOMMON for rappers to do many of the crimes we see regularly performed by these minstrels now.

But it's the odd coincidence that when rap was promoting parties, fun, and social equality and justice under the law the entire music industry considered it a fad. It was not a recognized, legitamate form of music until AFTER gangsta rap was created and promoted to the full power of the music industry.

But the minstrels get the benefit of the doubt from reviews and news organizations. They are excused for their actions

"While rap is a genre borne of the gritty streets, and drugs and violence have long played a prominent role, many rap stars find themselves facing their greatest - and sometimes their first - legal hurdles after they become successes, like Lil Wayne."

Yes, rap was created in the Bronx. But it wasn't about violence, drugs (ie pro-drug use), or a glorification of living like a criminal hellbent on dying with as many toys as possible. In fact it was about the very opposite of all these things. So that excuse falls flat on it's face if you know anything about the history and origins of rap music.

Slick Rick, Tupac Shakur, Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Remy Ma, Beanie Sigel, Shyne, Mystikal, C-Murder, Snopp Dogg, P. Diddy, Jay-Z, DMX, 50 Cent, the list goes on. Every single one of them had major legal troubles. Every one of them promote gangsta rap, and the worst of what rap can provide the masses. Only Jay-Z and P. Diddy have learned form their mistakes and moved (somewhat) in a different direction.

Perhaps Gucci Mane will add himself to the exceedingly short list of those that have learned

"Don't keep bumping your head against the wall," he says. "It's a serious situation. It's so many things that happens behind these walls. Think about how to avoid situations so you won't have to come in here." - Gucci Mane from Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, where he is currently serving a six-month term.

There is no surprise that modern day rappers are going to jail. They are minstrels for the music industry execs that pull their strings and look the other way as rappers violate one of the oldest rules of the street - "Don't get high on your supply".

The answer is not to excuse rappers for breaking the law. Nor is it to ignore the promotion of violence and drugs, or the sex fueled music videos. It's to recognize what modern rap is and what it does. A drug and addiction.

I don't feel proud of a person so stupid as to rise to fame because they are a criminal and can rhyme to a beat like any 6 year old can. Especially when that individual continues to live as if they are still a criminal on the streets, little better than a rabid wild dog. I also don't feel pity for a person to dumb to realize that they don't need to commit crimes when they have a bank account larger than many will earn in their lifetime, security, fame, and enough lawyers that they could avoid jail if they weren't so blatantly stupid and ignorant.

Rap music was, and can be again, a powerful voice of people and life that often is ignored and taken for granted. It is a vehicle that can be more than the sum of it's parts. It is not just one style or 1 image. It is more than just Black, or just the streets.

But rap today has been reduced to a simplistic, repeatative, droning, cacophony of minstrels pitching the whims of music industry execs like drug dealers on a street corner. Which shouldn't be a surprised as more often than not the "stars" of this "entertainment" form tend to be (former) dealers.

It leads me to this thought. Drug dealers are the scum of the earth. They peddle poison and death to anyone, including young kids, who has the money. Why, because we all know the how, have we as a society allowed this type of scum to become elevated to stardom and celebrity? These are by and large the very same kinds of criminal refuse you wouldn't let into your house or talk to your kids as they come home from school; yet people invite them into their homes via radio and music videos every day.

I don't question that modern rappers are prone, perhaps drawn, to go to jail. It's the natural consequence of being a criminal. What I don't understand, and hope to see change, is why anyone wants to support these minstrels any more than they would the crack dealer.

Listening to rap can get you 6 months in jail

There is no question in my mind that what is mainstream rap music today is a glorification to drugs, violence, and disrespect. Even so it is not illegal to listen to it. That is until today. Now, rap music can land you in jail for 6 months.

Yes, the mere act of listening to rap music can cause you to go to jail... if you live in Sao Lourenco, Brazil. Because Mayor Jose Neto has now outlawed this form of music being played during Carnival. It seems he feels that the music

"...incite violence and disrespect authority..."

Well I don't think there is a fan or foe of rap music that would disagree with the disrespect authority part. That's a core element in rap music since 1993 - when music industry executives figured out they could market rap to the inner city and make boatloads of money. And it's just an odd coincidence that the rate of teen pregnancy, high school dropouts, and youth violence among people of color increased dramatically since that time too.

As much as I dislike rap music, with good reason, I must say that I think Mayor Neto has gone too far though. Controling a form of art, as putrid as it may be, is nothing more than control of thought. Such an act should never be done by the government, anywhere.

Mayor Neto is correct, in my opinion, that rap music is a poison to society. That given the right atmosphere, like say a party where almost anything is acceptable and potentially possible, rap music fans will tend to find a way to create a problem where none exists. Especially those hard core fans that want to be 'ghettofabulous' and live a 'thug life' - in essence idiots.

Is the answer jail though?

I think not. It will give those who choose to be outside the society a justification for their actions. It will cause those that want a way to rebel without a serious belief in what they are doing a cause to follow. It will draw people to the music just because they are told to stay away from it.

That's one of the problems of gangsta rap (or what the music industry calls mainstream rap today). It thrives on the realization that it is poison. The execs that promote it know this and don't care because it's not their kids or neighborhoods that are going to crap. The minstrels that perform it don't care because they are selling their souls for pennies on the dollar literally.

I understand the view of Mayor Neto. I agree with his description of rap. But his solution seems too extreme. Still, at least he is doing something about it.

Flava Flav is back at VH1 - don't set your Tivo

I was going to write about Tiger Woods and his yet again record breaking feat, when I ran across a bit of news that stopped me in my tracks. It's news that I am sure Sumner Redstone felt was groundbreaking. hundreds of fans will be elated to know that... Flava Flav has a new reality television show.

Yet the king of VH1 "reality" programming will be back. But sadly this time there will not be a slew of morally corrupt, attention starved, stereotypical women or men on the program. That's right, instead of highlighting grown adults (particularly of color I'm sad to say) acting like complete fools for 15 minutes of fame the show will instead highlight kids in high school - likely also acting like fools hoping to gain 15 minutes of fame.

Of course the program is not focused on presenting the kids as buffoons. That's just the general way that people on reality programming wind up being portrayed. The goal is

"I just want to show the world it's never too late to get your diploma, and show kids they should stay in school and not wait until you're old to get it," Flav said. "Everybody sees me as this big love mogul. Now I got a baby girl, I've been there and done that and now it's time for the next episode."

Don't get me wrong, I commend most things that seek to highlight the importance of education. I want to emphasize that knowledge is the key to improving your life. But I neither believe nor trust Flava Flav, Sumner Redstone, and Viacom in getting that message out.

If this were an attempt to seriously promote education, especially to children of color, why is this not being presented on BET (which Viacom owns and Sumner Redstone controls)? If this were only about a positive message why not put it on broadcast television in primetime - because even with the lower viewership of broadcast TV it would still be available to a larger audience than VH1 will get.

Do I trust Viacom? Why should I. They took BET and removed all of its best features. They promoted the worst of music videos, of insanely stupid programming (remember Hot Ghetto Mess was their surefire hit idea), of the very least worth of movies (unless you think Soul Plane was unfairly overlooked by the Oscars). Viacom promoted Flava of Love at VH1, for multiple seasons, and then spun off even more brain-numbing spin-offs of the program. And let's not forget the decade+ long exclusion of music videos featuring African American entertainers - except Michael Jackson - at MTV.

As for Flava Flav, he has sold out in the worst way. Many younger readers may be completely unaware of how Flav got to become a celebrity. They likely have no idea what his enourmous clock is meant to represent.

Flav was a member of Public Enemy, a rap group that existed before gangsta rap was promoted as the only form of rap by music executives. Back when rap music was diversified, and positive political messages were empowering listeners - back when the music industry was calling rap a fad - Public Enemy was huge.

The rap group was controversial, but overall spread a message of empowerment and power of the people. They were political in a way similar to Malcolm X as compared to Dr. Martin Luther King. And at that time, the clock was meant to signify that time was running out. That people of color has to wake up and realize that they were becoming pawns in the political and societal goals of people that didn't care about issues in our communities.

Flav has gone a long way since those days. From protesting the minstrel show, to hosting it.

So given these facts about the key people involved in this "reality" program, do I think anyone will realize that Flava Flav is trying to promote education? I doubt it. But it does give me one more program, timeslot, and channel I don't have to consider in my choices of entertainment.

Ludacris gives away 30 cars via the Ludacris Foundation

There is no secret to the fact that I am not a fan of Ludacris. Nor almost any form of gangsta rap. And perhaps even less so of rappers as actors. But with that said, I do commend Ludacris with regard to his foundation The Ludacris Foundation.

Unlike most rappers Ludacris has done something to give back to the community and inspire the youth. While the amount of good this provides versus the lyrics in his songs is debatable, the efforts of his foundation are not. And that deserves attention.

Most recently the Ludacris Foundation gave 30 cars to people in need. The goal was to help these individuals with transportation as they strive to improve their lives. And that is something that I always commend.

The cars given did not include the title, registration and other costs involved with the car. Which I think is perfect as I disagree with feeding people fish, rather teaching them to fish is the best way. And this gift does that in part.

This gift of 30 cars is not the biggest thing that Ludacris could have done. Nor did he have to do more. But it does inspire, and hopefully it will inspire other rappers and entertainers to step above the low goal of attaining fame and wealth for no purpose beyond their own gratification.

Does this make me a fan of Ludacris or the commoditization of Black culture called hip hop these days? Not at all. But the fact that even from such mindless distraction some bit of good is sown is a glimmer of hope that it can all get better.

Now if Chris Bridges, Ludacris, can only get some acting lessons I might actually find him to be a decent entertainer.

Hip Hop and Washington DC – going back to the beginning

Rap and Hip Hop today has taken a huge leap backwards, which is actually a great thing to happen. When I say backwards I mean to the beginning of the entire genre of music. Back before there was the current mainstream of gangsta rap there were the diversified and influential styles of rap music.

From Grand Master Flash introducing the first serious rap song in 1982, The Message, there was a growth in the music that spoke to serious issues. This culminated in perhaps the strongest voice for political involvement and criticism from the rap hip-hop industry ever: Public Enemy.

They might not have been the most loved rap group among White America, or even people of color, but they were vocal. They took the entrenched political status quo and shouted for them to be accountable. They looked at African Americans and demanded we do better. That we become involved rather than be directed. And they had an effect.

In fact Public Enemy, along with serveral other rappers and groups, became such a force for change that the music industry stood up and paid attention. Their reaction has been denied for decades, excused and deflected. They found, pushed, and manipulated gangsta rap.

In the over a decade since 1992, gangsta rap has become the standard rather than a sub-genre it started as. It has almost entirely avoided any serious involvement in politics or political action. It has promoted violence, drug use, abuse of women, and crime. It has distracted the masses with illusions of wealth and giggling of female anatomy. The music executives did their job so well that even when leaders in the rap and hip hop industry tried to get serious about politics (2004) no one listened. And they were undercut from within with actions like that of Kanye West during the Hurricane Katrina Fund Raising efforts.

But then came President Obama. And the rap and hip hop industry rallied. Because President Obama is relatively young, a Democrat, full of promises, and most importantly (if we are honest) he is Black. And they jumped in with both feet, in an election more defined by a national breaking of the ultimate glass ceiling than most anything else.

Now I do not fault rappers or hip hop for this. I in fact am happy to see they have finally gone back to their roots and suddenly realized the power that was thrown away (or bought off) 17 years ago. The latest attempt to regain the past impact on politics is the Hip Hop Caucus.

The Hip Hop Caucus is a lobby group made up of rap artists, guided by the Congressional Black Caucus and supported in some issues by members of Congress. As of this moment they are seeking to have a bill introduced, with the support of Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Ed Markey. Their goals – green reform, education, re-entry legislation for prisoners, lessons on the Constitution in schools and funding for voter registration.

These are all good ideas (to varying degrees). The big question though is if Hip Hop is capable of making the transition back to where it started. Especially as the music genre continues on its path of glorification of violence, drugs, and abuse of women. Can it make money for music executives focused squarely on distraction of the masses, while encouraging the youth to become involved in the politics that shapes their lives?

I think not. To me only one master can be served at a time. Which means either Rap cleans up, potentially causing another backlash from the music industry, or the Hip Hop Caucus and other such groups fail.

“The decisions that we make now politically will affect the next generation and the generation after that. So we have to be involved. By speaking out, I end up speaking for poor people and a larger group all over the country.” – David Banner, rapper

The quote is a true statement. But as long as we affect the next generations with thoughts and images of exclusion from the mainstream of America, of living in a manner that is counterproductive to society in this nation, then all of the speaking out will be little more than static in the air.

Eminem's music video "We Made You" hits the mark

Have you seen the latest Eminem music video? I tried to get a copy of it but was unable to find a clean or available version. Still I was able to find the comments of Eminem on the video.



Now I am not usually a fan of modern gangsta rap. I have issues with most of they lyrics and visual representations that are the norm of the industry. But having seen this video I can say that I find it funny.

Television, pop stars, and instant celebrities all get a nice kick in the ass in this video. Something that is really needed. The instant fame and adoration many of the celebrities Marshall Mathers targets is worthy of the ridicule he presents. I’m sure that he will eventually be back in court over this one.

Still there is something really wrong in the world when we have so many media venues pumping out the degradation of men and women for no reason other than 15 minutes of fame. Or worse yet, celebrities and entertainers that are using this media focus to enhance their limited abilities.

The key to this video is the chorus, and also the title, “We made you.” Something that seems to have been forgotten among the entertainers of these days.

Another fun part is the fandom of Mathers when it comes to Star Trek. His play on the original classic’s look and feel is funny, though the constant throwing up of the Asian male throughout the video was too much. He really could have done without it.

And I know some will love his take on Sarah Palin. But I’m not sure that he is making the comment most expect. I don’t see him making fun of her as much as making fun of all those that are so obsessed with her and the media circus that has been placed upon her. She didn’t make herself a sex symbol, the media did that. The video seems to play on that hype.

Overall I think this music video has more going on than just the lyrics. It can be used to make a telling commentary on the state of society, the abuses of fame, the incredulity of how fame is created and dispersed, and the breakdown of an intelligent entertainment. That’s a hell of a lot from a kid with issues that are well known.

I may not like rap, but this music video is an exception to the rule.

Kings of Rap hosted by DMC of Run-DMC

The world of rap music originally had a diversity that matched the diversity of African Americans across the nation. That diversity contained in almost equal parts positive messages of empowerment and self-responsibility, fun, sex appeal, and the gritty reality of life some experience. That diversity lasted from 1978 until 1992.

In 1992 the thought of gangsta rap was created, and the music industry jumped on it like a crackhead on a rock. Within 2 years of its start gangsta rap had become the rap industry instead of just a part of the many genres within it. Along with this infection of rap came an acceptance of rap that had been denied since its inception. With that acceptance came large contracts, music videos, Grammy Awards, and inclusion by the media.

In effect the rap industry was commoditized, selling a corporate image of what was and was not Black culture. This image was plastered onto movies, television, music videos, and entertainment news. I will note that the number of African Americans dropping out of high school, and becoming single parents, skyrocketed at the same time that gangsta rappers (now just called rappers) were being lauded for arrests based on violence, drugs, and misogynistic acts.

But not everyone has agreed with the corporate view of rap, or African Americans.

It's taken some time, but now the potential return to the roots of rap music is in the works. DMC (Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC) is to be the host of The Kings Of Rap. This is a new reality television program. Unlike most reality shows featuring a rapper, this program is not to create more fortune for the rapper, or laud their questionable skills, or even reinforce their bloated self-image. Nor is it an attempt to find a way to scour the nation for moldable individuals that can easily be disgraced and discarded.

DMC states the idea as this

"There are so many talented kids out there who don't get heard or don't get signed because they're not controversial enough, or they're too positive. That amazes me. The spirit of hip-hop was always about changing the world or yourself, not with a gun or with denigrating or offensive words, but by being effective with your mind. This is a time when everyone is talking about change, and we as a country have the opportunity to make a difference."

That's powerful, because it's honest. This is one of the few rappers I've ever heard address the sell-out mentality that has become rap. What else can anyone call gangsta rap, when the industry refuses to allow non-controversial (ie. entertainers that are not ex-convicts, and are not being arrested for violence, drugs and so on) positive (ie. individuals that are educated, finished high school, and/or religious maybe even politically aware) influences in the music?

Do I like reality television programs? No. I find them to be insipid at the very best. But the prospect of a program that will help return the rap music genre to the diversity and richness that is the Black community intrigues me.

Do I find rap music worth listening to? Not since maybe 1994, likely earlier. Because not everyone enjoyed KRS-1, Public Enemy, Heavy D, LL Cool J, Will Smith, Kurtis Blow, Doug E. Fresh, The Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Erik B & Rahkim, Ice-T, Sir Mix A Lot, and the multitude of other rappers but they did have a choice. And there were more than enough styles to match the people out there.

The Kings of Rap may be more important for what it re-introduces than what it's ratings might be. Likely there will be little media coverage, and corporate promotion will be minor compared to that of Sean Combs, 50 cent, Snoop Dogg and other malcontents. Yet if it achieves what it proposes, reawakening the spirit that created rap and hip hop, then none of that matters.

I may not be a big fan, I may hate reality television, but I think I will check out Kings Of Rap on occasion just because I believe in its ultimate goal. How about you?

Snoop Dogg claims to be a member of the Nation of Islam

Perhaps it’s just me, but were I the Nation of Islam I’m not sure I would want to have Calvin Broadus as my spokesman. Broadus, known best as rapper Snoop Dogg, stated on Sunday that

“I'm already in the Nation, that's why I'm here," he said. "I'm an advocate for peace. I've been in the peace movement ever since I've been making music. My whole thing is not about really trying to push my thing on you. It's just about the way I live, and I live how I'm supposed to live as far as doing what's right and representing what's right. That's why I was here today.”

Really?

Now I don’t care if Snoop Dogg is a Muslim. Nor do I care about who the Nation of Islam has as its members. But I do dislike hypocrites.

If the statement of Broadus is to be taken at face value, then he is claiming to be a Muslim, as far back as when he entered the music industry. At that time we know that he was also an advocate of gang life, drug use, and violence. None of which are ideals that Muslims believe in.



We know that he was alleged to have been implicated in a murder in 1993. All of the music videos of Broadus contain misogynistic images, which is not a Muslim belief. Songs such as Gin and Juice advocate drinking of alcohol, a vice that is forbidden to Muslims. He had represented himself as a pimp and drug dealer in multiple media formats.

In the 1990’s he was arrested for cocaine and marijuana possession. Since 2000 he has had several drug arrests, and again found with unregistered firearms, as well as other illegal weapons. He has been banned from flying on British Airways and from performing in England due to violent fights in a British airport (and his history), he also was banned from entering Australia until December 2008.

All of these things are hardly the image any religious group would hold as positive. And from what I know, virtually every aspect of Snoop Dogg’s life is opposed by the Nation of Islam as well as Islam in general. So why Broadus would make such a statement bewilders me.

Broadus may be the worst Muslim ever, or he was seeking more publicity. Maybe he thought this would help the Nation of Islam, or help maintain his image of a thug. Or he could honestly believe what he has said.

Personally I find Snoop Dogg to be the worst kind of entertainer. A sell-out, an advocate of poison in the Black community, of disrespect to women. He is little more than a minstrel, performing under guidance of the strings of corporate controllers; an undereducated tool paid handsomely to distract from the real issues at hand. Considering that Broadus claims he is the

“leader of the hip-hop community”

it says a lot about what hip hop has become since 1992.

I am not a Muslim. I am not a member of the Nation of Islam. Yet I don’t need to be to believe in the values of a life not bound by ignorance, violence, or drugs. The desire to own my own business, help those in my community, support of education, and protection of the innocent are not just Black community concerns, but American ideals. And my anger to those that refute such things, as Calvin Broadus has and continues to do, is justified I believe.

So maybe the Nation of Islam is ok with Snoop Dogg violating the principles they hold as their core. Perhaps they too can accept his song and dance influence above their beliefs. But I feel that any organization that can gloss over the wrongs he commits in his quest for fame and fortune must also be questioned.

Still I am not a Muslim, nor a member of the Nation of Islam. Nor do I advocate the commoditization of Black culture that hip hop represents today. Maybe I don’t get it. And if so, I’m glad.

Hip-Hop Chess Federation - expanding minds and hip hop

I am often asked why, or more often criticized for, I have disdain of hip-hop. This is especially true in regard to gansta rap music. And my answer is always in one wording or another the following:

"I do not support anything that commoditizes Black culture and pigeon-holes African Americans. We are diverse, intelligent, successful Americans. Anything that detracts or distracts from that deserves to be reviled."

Put another way, I grew up with rap music. I enjoyed it as much as anyone, if not more than some, prior to 1992. It was up until that time that Hip Hop was still formative. There was a diversity in the sub-genres that fell under the cloak of hip hop.

There was political, social, and just recreational commentary. All at the same time. And there were positive messages being put out every day. Yet at that time, not one advertiser or the music industry itself would commit to rap and/or hip hop. Not until they found a way to package it and sell it as a negative. On that day it stopped being a fad (more than a decade after it had started) and was 'legitimate'.

Since 1992 there has been no reason to have anything but contempt for rap and hip hop, with the constant message of drugs, violence, gangs, and illiteracy being propped up as positives. Until I saw something today.

The Hip-Hop Chess Federation. The name alone drew my attention. I feared it was a gimmick meant to just drive more dollars to some corporation intent on denying the potential of Black youth. I'm glad to say this is not true.

Adisa Banjoko is one of the founders of Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF). The stated goal of this organization that

"We recognize that chess, martial arts and hip-hop unify people from multiple cultural, religious and social backgrounds. These black and white squares do not care what color you are or if you are rich or poor. The only thing they ask is that you come with your strategy, your patience and your skills."

I can and do respect that thought. To use Hip Hop and rap in such a manner is more akin to the roots of the genre and its intention of improving and enjoying lives. This is something that hip-hop has needed for over a decade.

Since it's inception in 2007 HHCF has had the support of celebrities and entertainers including DJ QBert, international chess Master Vinay Bhat, Casual from the Hieroglyphics, award-winning filmmaker Kevin Epps and martial artists champions Denny Prokopos and Alan "Gumby" Marques. Without huge fanfare HHCF has been able to fund over $10,000 in educational scholarships.

So when I am asked why I find sell-outs like 50 cent to be a insult to the minds of the youth, it's not because I don't understand hip hop. Nor when I question the commercial interest to limit the growth of minds via gangsta rap am I against rap music - the full scope of it.

When presented with the positive, spiritually and mentally beneficial aspects of hip hop, as found in HHCF I am a happy supporter. Were there more organizations like this, I'd never have a negative word to say.

Viewer comment about 50 Cent

Some of my long-time readers may recall that I recently commented on the MTV program featuring 50 Cent. I'm sure they would also recall my thoughts about this particular gangsta rapper.

"So Curtis Jackson will be getting a television show on MTV. Viacom must be drooling. The executives there must salivate inbetween laughter at the thought that a ex-convict, crack drug dealer, making them money legally. It’s such a dumb idea that it probably will work."

Well in that post I also had a Youtube video commentary.



Now that commentary received more than just a few vulgar comments. Few were in english and contained a full thought. But one did. And I present that well thought out, interesting comment.

"Dear VassMike:

In your youtube rant, you have brought up many good points, and others that are not so good, witch I intend to address in this letter.

First, you are right, the whole 50 cent show is laughable if not a bad idea. It probably promotes various bad influences, however, no more so then any other shows aiming for the same adolescent audience group. The same group that 50 targets to make his money. And it works, he is filthy rich.

As for your proposal that he does not know any business other then crack and rap, is mislead. He had many other business movements. Such as a clothing line, bottled vitamin water (which he sold to Coca-Cola for millions), and probably more. He is very skilled and knowledgeable in what he does.

The rap is an easy skill comment shows ignorance in the subject. Rap is not an easy skill, in-fact it is very hard. To create flow with rhyme, syncing with a beat, and remaining comprehendible is no easy feat. Hence, most rappers do not know how to do this.

50 Cent (not 50 Cents) chose his name because 50 Cent was urban talk for something, which I can not recall at this time. It is not based on dollar value. This is why its 50 Cent (singular).

Now, I am hesitant to mention this because I am not 100% sure on this, however, I will write it anyway. 50 Cent, I am pretty sure, had put lots of money into urban areas in an attempt to make "hood" life better, but kept it hush hush so that it would not tarnish his name. And by tarnish, I only mean in the sense to make him look soft and lose record sells.

As for the crack "poisoning" people comment, I would like to say, no more than Players or Demoria cigarettes. Tobacco and alcohol poison people. I seen parents buy cigarettes over food for there children. The very same thing you are smoking in your video. I understand it is a lesser evil, but an evil none the less.

Please do not take this letter as an attack. You seem to be a clean cut, self respecting, and political kind of guy. This I like about you. However, I just feel that your attacks should not be so much on 50 Cent, and more on the whole video game/movie/music industry that allows this "its cool to be a gangster" concept come into play.

I myself do enjoy such music/movie/video game violent concepts because it acts as an outlet for my aggression, its entertaining. But I do not act in such a manner in the real world. It is a shame though, for those who are influenced and act out as they do on TV. There just needs to be better parents.

Sincerely,
ShadowsAndGhosts "

My reply will appear as a comment below.

Rappers beware Senegal

Gangsta rappers in the U.S. should be happy that world tours don't normally include Senegal, nor any nations similar to it. As tough as they would like to say they are, and a few are indeed all the criminal low-life they propose to be, I imagine most would look quite bad skittering across the stage.

Now the reason I say this is because in Senegal a man of 70 decided to let a group of rappers performing on stage know how he felt about the lyrics they were spewing. He did so with a rifle. Suffice to say they stopped performing.

The reason for this incident was because the elderly man was offended by the lyrics of a particular rap. It dealt with a "cranky old man". The 70 yr old felt it was a disrespect to him, I am lead to believe. When the performers would not abandon the song, he opened fire.

I do not advocate the use of a weapon on entertainers. Not even for rappers that I personally find to be lower than scum for their admitted (and potentially over-glorified) role in dispersing poison (in the form of drugs) to communities. Not even for a horrendous performance. But I can see how the man could have been so enraged.

As I am aware, Senegal is not the most progressive nation in the world. I could be wrong as I have not been there and base this on the news I have seen. So that is a factor. But I have to wonder what would happen in the U.S. if parents and adults took a non-violent yet similar stance to rappers.

What if parents refused to allow their kids to buy the albums that contain offensive lyrics, or watch videos with allusions of drug-fueled grandeur? What if entire communities protested when admitted drug criminals performed in their area? What if felons of violent crimes and drug charges were shouted down when they get on stage and begin songs that promote the death of children by imitating or glorifying their illegal path?

Or on a more personal level what if parents stopped buying the records, and provocative clothing? Blocked the BET's from their cable channels, and monitored the songs their kids listen to? Wouldn't that be something.

Yes kids would still be able to listen to songs and rappers when they are out of the home. But that is a limited time. Unless you allow the child to roam the streets, even after 11pm at 12 years old, as I have seen in some places. Because parents have the power.

A child has no money of their own. They don't work. So either you are buying the trash for them or you aren't paying attention on what they are doing. Because if they have a new pair of stupidly expensive jeans that don't fit and sneakers that cost over $100 and you didn't pay for it you should ask questions and get involved.

But my main point is this. While the Senegalese man was over the top in his reaction, he had a reaction. In the face of apparent disrespect and dismissal of his complaint he did something. The wrong thing, but something. How many parents in America have done something? As I mentioned, by the number of kids roaming streets far beyond any reason, the number of those that dropout of high school, become single parents, get addicted to drugs, and die before the age of 25 they are not doing much.

Gangsta rap is a business like any other. Were it the equivalent of a pharmaceutical company it would have been recalled and banned due to its negative side-effects a decade ago or more. But this is the music industry, and unlike in Senegal many just accept the insults, profanity, degradation, and promotion of illicit drug use because 'it's just music'.

Rappers, like all artists, have the freedom of speech. I respect their right to perform as they choose. But that does not mandate an obligation on my part to listen nor provide them a financial incentive to continue. Even if they are Black or Latino. Call that my non-violent Senegal-style gunshot to the gangsta rappers.

Danger for kids on the internet

I have a nephew that is pre-teen, and is on a social network. Recently I found that he had made changes to his page on that site. And I was amazed and upset by what I saw. And I wonder if other children have done the same thing. [By the way, all the things have been since changed and discussed with him by his father - so he understands why they were inappropriate.]

One of the first things that was on the site was the fact that he had pictures up that showed him and his friends holding up the moronic 'westside' and other similar gang signs. Beyond looking as bad as anyone who does this, it alarmed me to think that some fool was trying to recruit him and his friends into the dead-end life that is a gang member.

As it turned out he and his friends had no understanding of what the symbols meant. They had just seen them many times on television and thought it looked cool. Which is the idea I suppose. But he also did not realize that fools that believe in this kind of lifestyle also might hurt or kill him and his friends, because it was an insult to their gang or he represented an invasion to their 'territory', or simply because he had no connection to their abusive, illogical, warped group.

Another problem was the fact that his age was incorrect. This was done because he and his friends did not want to be seen as kids. For some reason they felt that being their actual age was a bad thing. That they were left out of some major positive the website provided only to adults.

They had no idea that this minor act helped to put them in danger of the pedophiles and other warped individuals that surf the net. They roam around enough as is, they need no help in finding children. And when my nephew mentioned that he would never be tricked into meeting with or otherwise contacting a stranger because he is too smart - I had to remind him that many adults are far smarter and have more experience than even the highly intelligent boy he is.

But the really big things that bothered me was the ease he had in finding and using graphics from a site that had an altered image of Microsoft's Word package.

The Word graphic is a box that has the picture of 5 famous rappers on it. Each in a state of rapper ghettofabulousness. Underneath were the words "Yo it's Word (n-word)". This was thought to be funny. Yet when asked there was no reason why it was funny, it just was.

So I then asked a simple question.

"Does it make sense that all these rappers and people want to be 'ghettofabulous' but everyone in the ghetto, especially the rappers, all want to get out? How good can the ghetto be, and living a life based on the 'ghetto', when no one wants to be there - even with money - except drug dealers."

His answer was simple as well. "It doesn't make sense at all."

I then asked the really big question.

"Do you know what the n-word means?"

He did not. He had no clue, though he has heard it in music and movies. He just thought it was another word.

That might sound great to some but that troubled me. Because the meaning of the word has not changed. If the CEO of Procter&Gamble used it in a interview he would be fired and sued if possible. The same would happen to the record executive that rappers work for (many of whom will not allow that word to be used in their own home). Because the meaning never changed, no matter the color of who says it.

So I told him about the fact that the n-word was used to describe slaves. That it was used to describe people just like him and I that were treated worse than dogs. And I told him about all the people that died so that he would never have to be called that word. Like uncounted numbers of slaves, Blacks that fought in the Civil War, WWI & II, Korea, Vietnam. Men like Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. All those that died in the civil rights movement and so many others.

I told him the truth of the meaning of the word, and how it is defined in part as the single worst word in the english language. That to be called that has no comparison or equivalent come-back.

And then I told him how lucky he was to be alive today. Because he has never been called that. But I have been, as has my mother and father and so on. That he never has to fear being called that (I hope) because he was playing in school with a White kid, or because a White girl liked him. The world is mostly better than that, but not entirely.

And I told him the truth that the legal system once said that if a White person called a Black person that word, and the Black person hit them they would not go to jail. Because it was an incendiary term, a provoking term. And that's why the White owners of record companies can't say the word, but pay rappers to do it for them. And I asked him this

"How important do you think it is that the law was made about this word? How big a word do you think it is?"

He thought it very important. And he understood it in a very different and unfunny way.

I say all that to bring up this point. It's not enough to just watch what children are doing on the internet. We all, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents, need to be involved. We all need to explain why some things are wrong, and what the history of these things are. Because if we don't kids will use them, act on them, to their detriment.

A rapper with charity: T.I. and Thanksgiving in Atlanta

I have a problem. As is well known to long-time readers of my blogs, I don't like gangsta rap. I find the music to be repetitive, pro-violence, pro-drug, pro-illiteracy, pro-death. I find the entertainers to be some of the worst examples of what (primarily but not exclusively) Black men are and can be. In general I believe that gangsta rappers deserve to be locked-up in a jail cell like the felons they are and/or wish to be seen as.

That being said, long-time readers also know that I love it when celebrities and entertainers go out of their way to make a donation or hold an event that benefits those of us in need. I am especially pleased when that entertainer or celebrity is Black. And I hate it when the major news media ignores or demeans the act of generosity with negative news that is not relevant to the charity.

I think you can see where this is going.

T.I., Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., spent Thanksgiving in Atlanta. He was there with 22.000 friends that day. And not one gunshot went off, nor did any woman lose her clothes while shaking her ass for a camera. I have to say this because of the extensive history of T.I. breaking the law, involvement in fights, illegal gun possession and other such acts.

This was not a rap event. This was charity. And it was an apparently record-breaking act of giving, though not the first time this rapper has done so.

This Thanksgiving Clifford Harris raised $100,000 for Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless, and did so in 2 hours. He followed this up with volunteering to help serve the 22,000 people that were fed at the Atlanta Brave's Turner field.

This had nothing to do with the various community service requirements that T.I. has had to serve for his multiple violations of law. He did it because for all his faults he believes in charity. Such can be seen from his history of giving.

He has helped with Hurricane Katrina relief, worked with troubled youths at Paulding Detention Center, provided scholarships for single parent families at Boys and Girls Clubs, and giving away 200 bicycles to neighborhood children in the Boys and Girls Club in Atlanta. For all the things I don't like about the rapper, I must commend his acts of charity (the ones he has done without court order).

So here I am commending the charity of a rapper that deserves to be lauded for his selfless acts. Yet I am severely at odds with his history of violence and breaking the law, and the music he performs.

Perhaps this is an example that even the most insulting, crude and ignorant of people have redeeming qualities. Perhaps I am too harsh a judge of things that I find offensive and detrimental. Perhaps Clifford Harris Jr. is growing up and becoming a man; not in terms of his age or ability to father children but in terms of his actions in society.

Whatever the case, I am glad to hear of and mention the good work that was done for so many this Thanksgiving.

Movie Preview: Notorious

Well the trailer is out. I can see movie theaters in Brooklyn selling out in January. Because the film of B.I.G. will be out to start 2009.



I have some bad news though. The movie is probably crap. I’m not saying this because of my personal belief that gangsta rap music is garbage overall. Nor is it because I think any film glorifying a criminal – drug dealing loser – is a bad idea. I think this movie is bad because it’s coming out January 9th. Movie studios reserve that time of year for what they view as the worst films they have. It’s the equivalent of taking out the trash.

I know there will be fans of current rap music that will hate to hear this. I am sure there are fans of this deceased drug dealer that still cherish his memory. I am obviously not one of them.

The fact that an ex-con, that sold death in a crack pipe, was able to become an entertainment star is a credit to the American way of life, and moreso to the ability and determination of music industry executives in promoting base images to the public. This movie, detailing the life of this small time hood, is only being made because of his sudden violent death. A death that occurred because of the most stupid reason I can think of; not over money or women or power, but because one group of drug dealing self-important entertainers thought they were better than another group of drug dealing self-important entertainers. In other words a pissing contest.

Do I think Christopher George Latore Wallace deserves a movie? No. Do I think a life that glorifies the business of killing people with poison for money and a life of degrading African Americans in society is worthy of a movie? No.

I have no doubt that Biggie smalls was loved by those close to him. I have no doubt that his mother cared about him. I have friends, both dead and alive today, that have served time in prison. Several lived lives that were less than stellar in their youth, and most paid the price of death for those lives. But to have a movie made about that, that seemingly highlights those moments of lechery and depraved indifference of life is bewildering to me.

What will this film feature? Christopher Wallace making a choice to sell drugs at 12, dropping out of school at 17 – because he preferred a life of crime, not because he had no other option. It should show him being thrown in jail for his crimes, and several arrests. It will show him performing, and gaining importance in the gangsta rap genre. It might show him attacking autograph seekers in Manhattan, or him beating friends of a concert promoter and robbing them. It will show him getting into a car accident and requiring him to need a cane. And the film will show Wallace being shot to death, and possibly place blame on someone for that shooting.

On balance I expect little to come of this film, except a renewed anger between West Coast and East Coast rappers. There is no beautiful moment to be expressed, no greater statement to be made. Christopher Wallace was not a great man, beyond his size. Biggie smalls did no great deeds. Notorious B.I.G. had no legacy nor made a lasting impact on life on this planet.

The film will make a profit, because this kind of film is cheap to make. How Angela Bassett was attached to this film is beyond me. I suppose she adds credibility to the film, and no doubt was the single greatest cost above or below the line. So it will make a profit, and possible start a trend of films about insignificant popular entertainers with no meaning or benefit other than to reinforce stereotypes and make tons of money for music and Hollywood executives.

It’s guaranteed you’ll hear more about this film soon. And some will try to spin this into a positive like politician’s polispeak about why the bailout will benefit America. But the honest thought is that this film does not deserve an audience, nor to make a profit. If you see it, you deserve to lose the brain cells it will kill and the waste of time it will suck from your life.

VH1’s Top 100 of rap music celebrates the positives of the genre

I just noticed something that really caught my attention. VH1 has compiled a list of the top 100 rap music songs. Now that is something that I am sure will create huge debate.

The main question is the importance of groups at the start of rap, the empowerment movement in rap (which was sadly short lived), and the gangsta rap genre that has now become the redundant and endless form that dominates music videos and radio. I for one have no love of gangsta rap, nor the performers that populate the genre.

In it’s birth rap was a celebration of joy. The earliest songs, which I recall from my youth, were not that long ago, just about 29 years now. They were about enjoying friends and good times. The groove was infectious and lead to the growth of the fledgling music format.

But like all things rap grew up. In fact it did so with a speed and determination. By the mid 1980’s until 1992 rap had a meaning. Not all rap, but a good portion of it. There was a pride in the Black community and it was reflected in the music. The music was an oral declaration of unity and progress. This too was reflected in the music videos of the art form, if you were lucky enough to spot one on television.

The first 13 years that rap music existed it was called a fad by mainstream music. It was viewed as a joke. It was diminished and tossed aside by the entire music industry, even though music executives would not dare to stop making the highly lucrative music. But throughout this time rap music was also something that the White masses of the nation neither understood nor craved.

Then there was N.W.A. and the music industry executives found what they had been waiting for. A guttural base expression of African Americans as impoverished, uneducated, violent criminals waiting to be unleashed upon the nation.

I realize, now and then, that N.W.A. was expressing yet another face of what many African Americans experience everyday in America. I understand that they were crying out about the less than American Dream life that was being shoveled into their lives. And there is no doubt in my mind that the intention was never to glorify violence and drugs, or women as sexual gratification objects. But I am equally sure that the music industry sought only that aspect of the sub-genre.

So in looking at the top songs in this sect of music, what should take prominience. The songs that have made the most money, the artists that were promoted most by greedy executives, the songs that hoped to unify and empower African Americans, or those that just celebrated life?

It seems that VH1 considered all these things in making their list.

The number 1 songs was found to be Public Enemy’s Fight The Power.



This song was the pinnacle of the empowerment genre of rap. It was the rally cry for involvement in voting, being active in the community, and making Government accountable to the people. It was just after this song came out that music executive ran to find a distraction, and flooded the airwaves with anything but another rap song of this nature and message.

Second on the list was the Sugar Hill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight



This is the song and group that started the entire music genre. It was the first rap song to burst forth from the nightclubs and basements of the Bronx out to the mainstream of the national airwaves.

Third on the list was the crossover hit by Run DMC Walk This Way.

[The video is blocked from being embedded on a site. Aerosmith has great lawyers it seems.]

So in the first 3 songs we see that the expressions of fun, respect, pride, and ability are the foremost examples of what all rap music really is. And I can agree with these choices.

The top 20 is rounded out by a mix of predominately these themes, with a sprinkle of the more modern, repulsive, generic, pedantic, and demeaning gangsta rap songs that have infected the airwaves since 1992. In fact going through the list you will see that the entire list is filled with mostly artists that ceased being played on the air the day that gangsta rap was born. That’s a statement indeed.

Now I’m sure some will argue this. They will note that Tupac, or Eminem, or Snoop Dogg, and others had meaningful and powerful songs. Some of them are on the list too. But like the law of averages, or probability, even the worst entertainers will eventually get it right once or twice. I mean even William Hung got to make 2 albums and stardom.

The list will be shown on VH1. I’m sure many will have different opinions. But I say that Public Enemy was the greatest rap group ever – both for what they said and what they tried to do. But Heavy D, Sugar Hill Gang, Erik B. and Rahkim, Digital Underground and a few others still make my favorites list too.

What Black Men Think: Youtube videos - 3.1.2008.1

A friend of mine made me aware of a video that I think deserves to get far more attention. You can find it on YouTube under the title "What Black Men Think PSA".

Several of these ideas and issues I have covered here and at VASS. But some things can never be said enough. Especially with the major media making a point of portraying every negative they can, as often as they can.

But don't stop with this video or my blog. Seek out the information for yourself. Learn and revel in the fact that we are all more than the music videos present. We are not limited to just being entertainers and athletes.



And then there is this video for those of you that like spoken word and probably hip-hop. In checking out the above video I found the following. What it says about gangsta rap is near and dear to me.

I warn you all that it contains profanity, the N-word (which I still hate, but if it is the means to convey it's true meaning I will acquiesce), and fully concieved thoughts. But I expect all my readers can handle that.

[This video was found at What Black Men Think]

Discussing 50 cent interview on Fox News

It’s amazing what money will make some people do. Some have sex for it; others sell poison (drugs) to children. The prisons are filled with thieves and petty robbers, and sometimes there are those willing to prostitute themselves just for a buck. In this case I’m referring to 50 cent (Curtis Jackson) appearing on Fox News with Neil Cavuto at 4:50pm Monday, to market a new line of Pontiac cars that he was involved in creating (in other words he put his name on it).

Considering the broad net cast upon Fox News, and the general mood in the gangsta rap industry for the channel I found it amusing that Jackson would appear. But then again, trying to sell the new Pontiac on BET wouldn’t really be possible.

1. There is no news program for him to be on
2. Gangsta rap targets young poorer African Americans
3. The rating suck as few really watch the channel compared to most other cable network programs (though I think they exceed CNN)

So I find it interesting that Jackson went on the channel to pitch the new car essentially to a more conservative, generally White, predominantly Republican, basically older audience. But since he is getting paid (no doubt a licensing deal and or record company perks I imagine) he goes where he is told. But don’t confuse gangsta rappers with sell-outs! That’s just not fair or Black, so I’ve been told.

For those that missed the interview, it was no hatchet job. It was fair and generally stayed on point about this promotion. I found it interesting that for a guy ranking #2 on the Forbes list of top rapper incomes, he only has 3 cars (he never mentioned if any were the car he was pitching). The modesty seems far from the persona he markets on stage, video games and that movie flop.

Which lead to a question about his film coming out next year, April 12th. Sadly I will find something more interesting to do than see him in the film, like take a nap, but I was shocked to hear that Mr. Robert DeNiro and Mr. Al Pacino are in the film. How did he pull that? It’s not like he has talent, nor is he having sex with the director (I presume) so I don’t know what got him the role. I am going to guess it’s a very minor role that will be marketed and hyped as if he were the lead in a $100 million film. No matter what you think of the guy, the fact is he is no Will Smith, or even an Ice Cube.

While this was ongoing, Neil Cavuto referred to a conversation he had with Mr. Sean Combs. They showed a brief clip and the difference in the style between Mr. Combs and Jackson was stark. Mr. Combs looked professional, sharp, casual and wealthy in his suit. Jackson looked like he was just at the gym and paid too much for the quality he had on.

But I digress. Neil Cavuto asked a question of interest about how gangsta rappers are all trying to go mainstream, getting into movies and pretending to be actors. The question was, and I paraphrase both the question and answer,

“I notice that there seems to be a move away from the violence and more to the mainstream. Are you moving away from the violence?

[50 cent] It’s not a move away from aggressive content. Success removes us from the environment, we aren’t writing about those things as much. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there or that someone isn’t writing about it. We’re just not around it.”

Again, I am paraphrasing. If anyone can show me an official transcript I will gladly correct the wording, but the essence has not been changed. And “aggressive content” was exactly the term Jackson used. He was coached very well by his PR people. I was almost impressed by the ex-convict. The subtle change in terminology changing violence, which is what, is advocated and accurately describing the actions described in gangsta rap, to aggressive content implies that his lyrics are no worse than a game of touch football. Talk about spinning a scenario in your favor.

And it’s interesting to note that for the most successful rappers, the ones most in favor of the n-word, being ghetto fabulous, and living the thug-life, (in general) are the ones that have left the ghetto, and lead lives mostly without any connection to the actions they continue to promote. From what I interpreted from Jackson’s words, he believes that essentially the top and longest running rappers are fakes since they have no connection to the events they proclaim rap is meant to ‘keep real’.

[Why do people keep saying that? What does it mean? Keep it real. Like you can fake life. Like there is a choice in being alive. This isn’t the Matrix, when stuff happens it happens. The statement is ignorant, a result of minds refusing to stretch to find the words that actually convey the thought in their head.]

Now add to all this the fact that Jackson likes Senator Hillary Clinton, because he liked her husband. What President Clinton has to do with her holding the Presidency makes no sense to me. She did not gain experience in running the government by osmosis, nor did she have a real power or position when she was First Lady. And her policies, if you can figure out what they are, seem to not match his.

Of course, like most I’ve noticed in support of Senator Clinton, Jackson is strongly against President Bush. When you call the sitting President “without compassion” you clearly state your reasoning. This is not a good reason to pick the next President though. President Bush is not going to run again. He is not going to be elected again. The logic runs false.

And how dare he call any sitting President “without compassion”. I may not agree with all the actions of President Bush, but that is not the same thing as to insult the leader of our nation. I can respect that Jackson may want to bring the troops home, but I also realize that this ex-convict is hardly the most astute political thinker.

While President Bush may be slightly more articulate than 50 cent, he is advised by far greater minds, and has always acted in a manner that seems to be guided by a belief that his actions are in the best interest of the nation. Disagree if you wish, but there has not been a successful terrorist attack in this nation to date, several attempts have been made but all were thwarted. And the economy, while not perfect is good.

All in all I found the interview interesting. Curtis Jackson left me unimpressed, his efforts to sell whatever increases his personal wealth left me unfazed. I was amazed that he found himself in a film with quality actors, and learning his political beliefs just makes me hope he keeps them to himself in the future. But it was a fair and mild interview.

Nas insults every Black American with one word Part 2 - 10.16.2007.3

Continued from Nas insults every Black American with one word Part 1...

Recent Congressional hearings have gone virtually unreported, with entertainers, media corporations, and radio stations all denying any culpability for the content that is made or any negative effects it my encourage/create. With no one to blame, and pressure from the media seeking to blame someone, individuals like Nas are perfect targets. I can’t say I’m sorry when he chooses to adorn album covers with language depicting the worst insult known in the English language.

Nor can I feel pity for a genre of individuals that appear virtually incapable of avoiding legal difficulties. Take the most recent act of idiocy, the arrest of TI (Clifford Harris Jr) for illegal gun possession. Now that may not be a big deal, virtually every rapper has been arrested on a similar charge, Mr. Harris took it to the next level with an attempt to buy machine guns and ownership of multiple assault rifles and handguns. Can anyone explain why he would need this? And how many other rappers have been arrested this year alone? 2 dozen or so? And how many repeatedly, perhaps a dozen? Or am I low-balling the numbers?

The lack of discipline and personal responsibility displayed by the gangsta rap genre is bewildering. The use of the N-word, multiple arrests for crimes ranging from assault to drugs and more are just too much. Some may disagree on whether my argument of their being sell-outs is accurate, but I cannot see how any might dispute that in the current form and the exclusion of any other format, rap is hurting the Black community.

Mr. Creekmur is correct that 1 bad act does not invalidate 1 or 2 good acts. But when we look at the balance, I see dozens of bad acts and barely a handful of good.

We need change. Not by Congress, or from some corporation. We need to take action ourselves; because that is the only way we will see things improve in a meaningful way. If not, I fear that in 15 or 20 years we will wish for the respective charm of what we have today.

So when Nas releases his new album with a title that blatantly insults every living and dead African American, I would suggest not buying it or getting the bootleg or download. Or is that too much to ask?

Nas insults every Black American with one word - 10.16.2007.2

Oh the joy I feel in knowing that Nas will be shortly debuting a new album. I have no idea what his album will contain, but if the title is any indication of the content I have no doubt that this will be an insult to every African American. How can I say that unheard? Because the title is reported to be the N-word.

[If you play the following video, be aware it states the N-word multiple times, but I feel it makes my point.]



But going beyond this. I felt bad when Mr. Chuck Creekmur, was brought onto Fox News for the Big Story and was asked to defend Nas and this blatant use of the N-word. One point that I think needs to be paraphrased

“Many of our elected officials have done bad things, that does not invalidate the good that they have done.” – in reference to the positive songs by Nas as opposed to the more media targeted negative songs

[When you read this Mr. Creekmur, you can contact me for any correction if needed.]

But the problem I see is not just Nas and the low quality songs that he performs. As I’ve noted before

“I’ve long said that executives are laughing as they go to the bank to deposit the money accumulated from the work of Ja Rule and other rappers. They are making boatloads of money (literally) for words they would never use in public (as Don Imus learned) by having rappers say it for them. And all it costs them are pennies paid out to the performers. That by definition sounds like a sell-out to me.”

I understand and respect the fact that the First Amendment allows the artists to say words like this. At the same time I realize that the courts noted that certain words are inciteful and incendiary. I realize that there are consequences of words and they are not always what one might expect.

Gangsta rap and rappers are not the cause of all the ills of the Black community. But they are part of those ills. They condone and actually promote the worst problems our children face everyday. Unprotected sex, drug use, illegal activities, and a general aversion to education. Not one of these things is good for the Black community, yet they continue.

Continued in part 2...

Congress discusses gangsta rap music Part 3 - 9.26.2007.5

Continued from Congress discusses gangsta rap music Part 2...

So the net result of the Congressional hearings seems to be that the executives claim they aren’t responsible for the poor portrayal of African Americans. Rappers say they aren’t responsible for the content they produce and they are simply reflecting the neighborhood some of them used to live in. Record companies aren’t responsible for figuring out what is good or bad, and to do so is censorship. Basically most disavow any responsibility in any aspect of what they do. But no one wants the government to step in. That would be censorship – plus it will destroy profits. But how can the government not step in if no one else will be responsible?

I believe in the First Amendment, even when I disagree on how it’s used. I also believe in personal responsibility. If rappers want to sell-out (and I think they have), and corporate executives want to continue to profit, they should at least be honest that that’s why they continue to put massive amounts of garbage out targeting African Americans. Drug dealers are honest about what they do and why, for the money. Gangsta rappers and those that nearly exclusively promote them should be at least as honest. It would be the manly thing to do, and they all want to be men right?

Net net, nothing changes. Lots of talk, everyone gets to say they did their thing, and no one changes the flow of money. Unless you do something. Write a letter, a blog, or don’t buy a record or watch a channel and program. Stop the flow of money, and I guarantee there will be swift change. Until then sell-outs will keep cursing while using drugs and using their fame to shield them from being thrown (back) in jail. Corporations will continue to suck up money for letting someone curse you out and saying words they would get prosecuted for saying. And the youth will be drawn down the vortex just a bit more.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Congress discusses gangsta rap music Part 2 - 9.26.2007.4

Continued from Congress discusses gangsta rap music Part 1...

Perhaps the funniest part of the Congressional hearings is the arguments made by corporations. I don’t mean funny ha-ha. Executives constantly like to say that they don’t control the content that gets out their. ‘It’s the other guys fault.’ Yet they spend millions to promote this exclusive form of rap music. The spend tens of thousands to create music videos of a particular style only. They flood airwaves with this singular format since 1992, and they have reaped tens of billions of dollars if not hundreds.

The other common excuses are that this is no different than the outrage against Elvis in the 50’s and the Beatles in the 60’s. What crap. Elvis may have wiggled his hips (which they found suggestive and objectionable back then) but you never saw him smoking a crack pipe. Elvis had bodyguards, but you never heard of shoot-outs between him and say Frank Sinatra. For all the wives, women and possible affairs Elvis may have had, you never heard him speak disparagingly about any woman. The only similarity was that when Elvis started, like rap, he was shunned because he was different. 15 years later he was treated as the norm, and some considered him conservative. Rap started out being called a fad, and until the emergence of gansta rap stayed that way. 15 years after gansta rap started it is not a fad, but it is nothing like Elvis either.

Executives like to say they maintain standards and support the community. I say where? Philippe Dauman believes

“We have a responsibility to speak authentically to our viewers”

His manner of authentic speech? Read-a-Book. Music videos of the most graphic nature – shown on BET - that are so extreme the other music video cable channels his corporation owns would not play them. Programming of such a poor quality it’s insulting to think anyone would watch it. When was the last time you saw a movie by Lawrence Fishburne, Denzel Washington or Morgan Freeman on BET? How many times have you seen a movie about rappers, drugs, violence and women barely clothed only seeking sex – like Soul Plane – on BET? I mean it’s not like BET own Paramount Pictures and has an entire movie library that they can access to provide quality movies with. It’s not like they are a multi-billion dollar international corporation that could afford to create original programming that stars or prominently features African Americans that are not drug dealers and rappers (Like the Blade series on Spike, Eureka on SciFi, or the Shield on FX).

Oh thank you Philippe Dauman and Viacom for deciding that the only original programming that should target African Americans are College Hill (laden with profanity and violence), Hot Ghetto Mess (I don’t care that they changed the name it’s still exploitative), and a never ending variations on ‘Flava Flav needs a ho.’ [I should apologize for calling some of the women involved in the various Flav programs ho’s – but I won’t.]

Continued in part 3...

Congress discusses gangsta rap music - 9.26.2007.3

So what else have you not heard about? What might the major news media, particularly the cable news networks, have considered less than newsworthy? We know that the news about Ms. Megan Williams of West Virginia barely deserved 3 minutes, that OJ Simpson demanded 4 days of virtual non-stop coverage, and the 13 year old in Virginia has garnered 2 days of college so far. But what is too mundane to be covered?

How about the Congressional hearings on the language and images used in gangsta rap music. Did you know that on the 25th the House was holding hearings? I bet most didn’t.

The discussion included present and former rappers, music industry executives, and of course our friend Philippe Dauman of Viacom (which owns MTV, VH1, and Black Entertainment Television). The various personalities discussed their views and in some cases justification for gangsta rap.

Rapper Levell Crump, known as David Banner – who ever that is, defended his use of foul language

“I'm like Stephen King: horror music is what I do…Change the situation in my neighborhood and maybe I'll get better.”

Well isn’t that special. Gansta rap is horror music. I couldn’t agree more. But at least there are choices and varying degrees of horror in movies and books. More importantly rap music should not be defined in such a narrow and limited manner.

Rap started as an expression of fun and having a party. It evolved to include personal views on life, and political statements. It wasn’t until 1992 that music companies started to promote, virtually exclusively, the current concept of what rap is. It just happens to also be the most profitable form of rap music for corporations, luckily for the single-mindedness of their choice for promotion.

And then there is the desire for someone, other than Crump, to fix his neighborhood. What a cop out. If he wants a better neighborhood, he can stand up and fix it. Asking someone else to change the situation is no different than asking the government (whom I presume he was inferring) to provide individuals with welfare so they can languish both socially and economically, I feel. It’s a poor justification for taking advantage of other African Americans. I find it no different than the excuse that someone will sell drugs because if they don’t someone else will.

On the other end was rapper Master P, Percy Miller. He provided an apology to women for his songs and lyrics. He noted that he wouldn’t let his own kids listen to the work he had done previously. I’m not surprised. I’ve heard that many rappers and executives in the music industry would never allow the use of words and references they use in their songs to be used or applied in their homes or to their families. Kind of like the old saying among drug dealers, ‘Don’t get high on your own supply.’

Continued in Part 2...

Democrat and Chronicle editorial response Part 2 - 9.24.2007.4

Continued from Democrat and Chronicle editorial response Part 1...

Another part of the dropout rate could be seen in the inability of many rappers to speak English, some making up words and virtually a whole language rather than learning how to use their native language. The lack of educated gangsta rappers (who are seen as role models by some) also adds to the motivation of dropping out. Add to that the implication of violent crimes being more ‘manly’, lucrative, and preferable to honest work and you have another factor.

I would note that the prison population has increased, and the proportion of younger African Americans in jails, since 1992. Equally of note is the number of drug related crimes that they are in jail for.

In America, famous individuals are role models for those that wish to follow someone. Regardless of the denial by celebrities and entertainers, they are role models. Given that, we have seen a move from figures like Michael Jordan to 50 cent since 1992. Where Mr. Jordan represents a successful businessman, with a college degree, no criminal record, and worldwide fame, we see 50 cent as a convicted drug dealer that used violence as part of his daily actions, and was a victim of that same violence. 50 cent has made use of his violent past to glorify and promote his lifestyle. Which is a better image?

Language is the verbalization of thought. The ability to communicate those internal thoughts is reflected by that verbalization. As abovementioned gangsta rap ignores actual language on a regular basis, and uses the most simplistic grammatical format even when inappropriate. This is a limitation of communication, which affects verbalization and thus the mind.

The acceptance of gangsta rap, since 1992, and its strong connection to illegal drug use implies a public acceptance of drugs. Much as the use of alcohol and cigarettes was found to be a massive influence on the public, and thus not allowed on television or in magazines for decades, the same correlation can be found in gangsta rap music.

Because of the language used in rap music, people internationally are lead to the belief that such terminology applied to African Americans is common and acceptable, as they have no context or comparative information to counter that belief. As I have often heard, ‘Why is that a bad word? They say it in the videos all the time. Isn’t it right?’

Perhaps these reasons and others are too subjective for JWilliams and others. Perhaps there is no smoking gun, and they cannot connect the actions in one place and the results in the other. But I believe there are. More importantly I believe that even if there is a potential for these items to be related, it has too much of a potential harm.

Much as there has not been definitive connections of lung cancer to smoking (there is not) or heart attacks to fast food, a reasonable person can fill in the gap. To think this is merely a politically correct issue is to accept that children taking drugs, having multiple children to multiple fathers out of wedlock, violence in various forms, and lack of education as rhetorical issues. I for one cannot.

Some might say the acceptance of rap is no different than the acceptance of smoking, or calling African Americans the N-word, or lynching for looking at the wrong person. Each was considered acceptable at one point in this nation’s history. Thankfully they are not today, though I do not agree with such an extreme view of gangsta rap. To minimize the importance and impact of this genre of music is to ignore the impact it has.

I submit this as the last piece of proof. If gansta rap was of little importance, with no impact on America or the Black community, why do so many companies spend millions to promote it and reap billions from it? That’s not politically correct, that’s economics. And if economics prove anything, it’s that someone is paying a lot of attention.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Democrat and Chronicle editorial response - 9.24.2007.3

Wow. I’ve heard various reasons why some defend gansta rap, but never one quite like this.

At issue is the editorial by Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. In this they comment on the public pressure that has been placed on this genre of rap music, and commercial organizations (such as Black Entertainment Television) that profit off the promotion of this genre.

“While speaking with one's wallet is a powerful tool, it doesn't mean society should abdicate its responsibility to hold rappers and music executives responsible for much of the junk that passes for hip-hop music these days.

The fact that Black Entertainment Television, one of the major enablers of violent and misogynistic music, has decided to put together a three-part series, Hip-Hop vs. America, is another telling sign of what public pressure can do.”

The response by JWilliams at 5:04am is what struck me. Somehow JWilliams felt that this is a non-issue. Specifically

“…what consequences there are of gangster rap's prevalence, you certainly cannot quantify them; you in essence have no idea about how bad or good gangster rap is, only your pre-conceived dubious notions…”

I wish to provide some of those quantified consequences. Some of my reasons are based in the facts that have been widely reported, others just my personal observations. I’m sure most will be qualified as ‘dubious notions’.

The emergence of gangsta rap began in 1992 with N.W.A. This form of rap promoted the use of drugs and the violence found in that lifestyle. That is not to say that police violence and injustice in the legal system was not also addressed, but the preference was to these issues.

It can be noted that the growth of gangs, such as the Bloods and Crips went lock and step with the growth of this music format. It is accepted that the primary income from these gangs is drugs and violent crimes.

It has been stated for over a decade that gangsta rap denigrates women. It promotes the image that women are a commodity, without souls or a purpose greater than the sexual gratification of a man. View any current rap video and you can see that. This constant barrage of worthlessness creates an environment where women can have a lowered sense of self-esteem. That can result in a multitude of issues, from eating disorders, to lack of education and beyond.

One aspect of the lowered self-esteem is the perception that education is not a positive in a woman. This goes hand in hand with the thoughts that a man is above a woman, and that a woman should not be more educated than a man. That is one factor in the current 50% or greater dropout rate today, I believe.

Continued in Part 2...

The trouble with Isiah Thomas - 9.18.2007.3

So let me take a break on the growing appearance of a set up on the OJ Simpson case. There are other bits of news that are of interest and I want to touch on a few of them.

One of the more odd things is the lawsuit facing the New York Knicks. I’m not a big fan of basketball, so when I ran across this news today, I was surprised. Perhaps it’s old news, or completely covered by the OJ saga and the Britney Spears drama. (Ms. Spears seems to have been busted on using drugs in front of her kids. If it’s true, then I’m glad she does not have her kids.) It seems that Mrs. Anucha Browne-Sanders felt sexually harassed by Mr. Isiah Thomas during her time at the Knicks. She further alleges that she was fired as a consequence of this harassment.

Now I’m unfamiliar with the allegations and details. I have no idea how she believes that this is worth $10 million. Sexual harassment cases are difficult to understand and often way over priced at trials. I’m not saying she wasn’t harassed, nor that she doesn’t deserve compensation. I just don’t get to $10 million.

But the part of the case that does trouble me has nothing to do with that. It’s the video tape interview with Mr. Thomas. One part of the video has Mr. Thomas asked if he thinks it’s bad that a White guy calls a Black woman a b****. His answer is yes, very. The next question is the troubling part. He is asked if it’s bad for a Black man to say the same thing to a Black woman. His answer was, and I paraphrase,

‘I’m sorry to say this but it’s not the same. I just don’t think it’s as bad. Though I do think it shouldn’t be said to any woman.’

[Just found the video after writing this. I will not alter what I said. I feel it still applies. Oh, the quote is only 1:08 long, the rest is a commercial]

Now what the hell is that about?

This derogatory term does not improve in any manner based on the color of the skin of who spoke the term or who they said it to. The only way that it could be considered ok, or better, is if one accepts the mentality (or lack thereof) found in gangsta rap music.

Now some will say, ‘There it goes. Attacking rap again.’ Actually in this case yes I am. It’s fitting. Because only in that form of music and the lifestyle it directly promotes, is such derogatory terms considered acceptable. The pollution of minds that it creates seems to be quite pervasive as it has reached into the American culture affecting the perceptions of a 46 year old man that is college educated and basically otherwise professional to my knowledge. That’s sad.

I understand the argument that derogatory words used by Whites against Blacks harkens back to Slavery and the entitlements White have still 400 years later. I do not argue that aspect of the statements. I have great concern over the perceived allowance of this kind of speech when directed at people of the same race.

Now I say this is gangsta rap’s fault, let me define why. Men of my age or older were not raised speaking to women, of any race, with such disrespect. In fact many men, were raised with strong mothers that would never stand for such a comment directed towards them, or uttered by their children (grown or not). Men were look upon harshly when mistreating women, whether they were from uptown, downtown, or the ghetto of any city I am aware of.

It was not until the recent 1990’s when such language entered the public in a consistent manner. It was not until the advent of corporate sponsored gangsta rap that such language was allowed on the airwaves. Prior to that time, rap never referred to women negatively, and even those songs targeting a specific woman such language was not used. It wasn’t until the small minds that spout gangsta rap were promoted did such drivel become part of the mainstream. It’s become so common that those born into gansta rap (roughly 30 or younger) have been programmed to accept these comments, like N***** and B****, as compliments not unlike a slave being called the same terms, or a Black man being called a ‘boy’ up until the late 1970’s. [Yes, it was common in many places to call a Black man ‘boy’ that recently. It’s not ancient history and I guarantee it still happens, because I have been addressed as such in my adult life. Not that that went over well.]

Since Mr. Thomas is older and knows better, and I would guess was raised to be better, my only conclusion on why it is any degree of ok for any man to call any woman a b**** is gangsta rap and its forced exposure in every medium.

If anyone can give me a logical, thought-out reason why gangsta rap is not the root of this evil, I would be happy to hear it.

Until then, I again say we need to do something about this vicious downward vortex that gangsta rap is, as I see it.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Does rap / Hip Hop sellout the Black Community? - 9.14.2007.1

Yes men. Uncle Toms. Sellouts. What do all these have in common? In the case of Hip-hop and rap music, the argument can be made that they all refer to the artists and entertainers that perform in this genre. Perhaps not all of them, nor all that they perform/produce but enough to be somewhat generalized.

Why might this be said? Well there are a couple of reasons. First there is the weakest reason, sometimes said as ‘I think you protest too much’. Basically the more defensive an individual is, especially when faced with a simple question, the guiltier they seem. How this might apply to gangsta rap (the near exclusive format of modern rap and hip-hop) would be in the responses various performers have made to the question of the lyrics used in their songs. A recent case in point is Ja Rule,

"And if it is, then we need to go step to Paramount, and f--king MGM, and all of these other motherf--kers that's making all of these movies and we need to go step to MTV and Viacom, and lets talk about all these f--king shows that they have on MTV that is promoting homosexuality, that my kids can't watch this sh-t," he continued. "Dating shows that's showing two guys or two girls in mid-afternoon. Let's talk about s--t like that! If that's not f--king up America, I don't know what is."

The defense seems to be, ‘It’s not my fault, blame someone else. They are worse.’ The protest ignores the question of what Ja Rule has done, and thus his responsibility, and tries to blame others. Now I agree that the media does have culpability. I’ve long said that executives are laughing as they go to the bank to deposit the money accumulated from the work of Ja Rule and other rappers. They are making boatloads of money (literally) for words they would never use in public (as Don Imus learned) by having rappers say it for them. And all it costs them are pennies paid out to the performers. That by definition sounds like a sell-out to me.

But that is not the only reasoning given by rappers and hip hop artists these days. There are also those, such as the ever quotable and ‘high’-ly educated Snoop Dogg and Fatman Scoop, who seek to redefine the terms they are using. Creating a lexicon much like the one used by Don King, they claim that they have redefined the meaning of words that have existed for decades and centuries before they were ever born.

In essence the argument made by Scoop was that the meaning of the words used by rappers and the youth of the nation today [I believe he means specifically African American youth but that is a guess] is separate of the meaning that has endured for centuries of use and is still maintained today.

If we were to follow this logic, the world-wide meaning of words are all incorrect, and their barely educated ‘I think it means this, and you are stupid if you disagree’ mindset is the only answer. Take Snoop Dogg’s definition of ho –

"It's a completely different scenario," said Snoop, barking over the phone from a hotel room in L.A. "[Rappers] are not talking about no collegiate basketball girls who have made it to the next level in education and sports. We're talking about ho's that's in the 'hood that ain't doing sh--, that's trying to get a n---a for his money. These are two separate things. First of all, we ain't no old-ass white men that sit up on MSNBC [which announced Wednesday it would drop its simulcast of Imus' radio show] going hard on black girls. We are rappers that have these songs coming from our minds and our souls that are relevant to what we feel. I will not let them mutha----as say we in the same league as him."

If his comment makes little sense I interpeted it as

But in looking at the comment made by Mr. Broadus I come to understand that he states that any Black woman that is not in or graduated from college, that is living in a predominantly African American neighborhood, that is not earning a middle class income is a ho. If these same African American (actually he does not limit this to only African Americans) women seek a successful Black man [though he does indicate their search is based solely on the economic status of the Black man] and have not achieved equal status on their own, then these women are ho’s.

Defending the livelihood of his superiors, the executives that run the record companies and pay him a portion of the money that his sales gererates, and following the path their corporate ad designers have laid out in the face of community disagreement likens itself to a Yes man to me.

In the cases I have pointed out, and many others, we see a systematic response. The medium that once held massive diversity (there were songs by Run-DMC out at the same time as Public Enemy, N.W.A., and Da La Soul) is focused on a highly destructive and profitable genre. A new crop of entertainers are ‘found’ and promoted heavily (read solely) in this format. When the genre is accused of inciting harm to the community it is targeted to, those same entertainers are used to defend it. What does that sound like to you?

I will not say that gangsta rap cannot be made. The First Amendment guarantees that. But I will say that the exclusion of any other stylesis wrong. I will say that those defending this music genre, denying any responsibility for what they have put out on the airwaves and how it will affect the children and community, are at the least short-sighted. They are making money off the backs of the community and that is wrong. Much like a drug dealer I see it as inflicting harm just to make some money for themselves and 10x as much for the big bosses. I feel its just not worth it.

Before Ja started talking out the left side of his mouth, he might have taken some time to come up with a better argument. Perhaps focusing on the film studios for the limited roles available to Black women, as in, why do Black female actors always end up playing roles of prostitutes, drug addicts, welfare mothers, etc?

Gays aren't the reason that many Black families live below the poverty line. Lesbians aren't the reason that our prisons are overflowing with young Black men and women. Can't blame gays for the senseless gang violence in the our neighborhoods that is and continues to take the lives of many Black men. And it's unfair to blame gays for the number of Blacks that are unemployed in America. Oh, and gays weren't the reason that in 2003, he punched a man in Toronto for shouting at him in a crowd because of the 50 Cent feud. Nor were they the reason that in 2004, police investigated whether a feud involving The Inc. led to fatal shooting outside a nightclub party hosted by Ja Rule. Now were they?

And I can’t lay all the blame on the entertainers. The harm being inflicted is partially their responsibility, but also that of the parents that allow their kids to be immersed in this cultural addiction. This auditory crack reaches children in part because, as Jasmyne Cannick correctly states:

Now if you ask me, that's what's contributing to bringing down Black America. Our kids are being taught from a young age, by the lyrics of rappers like Ja Rule and by parents who care more about bumpin' their song, than the effects that hearing those lyrics day after day have on their children.

Sellouts, Yes men, and Uncle Toms. Perhaps they are not the well spoken, well dressed, hard working people that are often persecuted by some in the Black community. Perhaps their individual voices are not the ones we should be concerned about but the ones that are promoted, televised in music videos, and propped up like minstrels before us.

This is what I think, what do you think?