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.

Pimp Ken and Slut Barbie

I'm not sure how many people have heard what next year's new toy du jour will be. It's likely not what you think, and even less savory once you know.

The toy is the Ken Doll from the Barbie collection. In honor of the 50th year of Barbie dolls, Ken has a new line that is called officially Sugar's Daddy Ken Doll. You might have heard of it more commonly as the Sugar Daddy Ken doll. Or even perhaps as the Pimp Ken doll.



Now Mattel has made it clear that they do not agree with the renaming of the toy, geared to adult collectors.

"While the name of the doll does refer back to the dog, I think people are going to interpret it as they want to interpret it." - Mattel spokeswoman Michelle Chidoni

Really now? Mattel spends untold millions on market research for every toy they make. Every detail of the toys , from the colors used to the packaging, to the names are market researched and designed to click with their target market. There is no interpetation of a Barbie or Ken doll that Mattel has not envisioned and tested long before anyone in the world sees it.

Mattel knew this would be the reaction. In fact I believe they planned on it. Not only because they get free publicity, but because they want to stay relevant to how they see society.

It's the same reason that there was a pregnant Barbie, which lined up with the spike in unwed mothers and pregnant teens in the nation. It's the same reason they made a Tattoo Barbie, to match the ass stamp (or tramp stamp as some call it) that is now overwhelmingly popular among young women. In fact it is the same reason that Lawyer Barbie and Professional Barbie are things of the long ago E.R.A. past.

"We are a good brand and we inspire girls around the world to do amazing things, and we are very proud of who we are and what we are." - Richard Dickson General Manager of Mattel

Oh yes I can see how this is inspiring young girls. Matching Tattoo Barbie with her ass stamp and inhuman figure with Sugar Daddy Ken (or in this match up I like to say Pimp Ken) young girls are inspired to find a man to take care of their needs. To use a man via sexuality to gain material goods. To effectively become a cheap prostitute.

It's an image straight out of almost any rap music video. It's an image found commonly in movies of the last decade or so. It's a theme found on various CW television shows. And in case any young girl has yet to be infected from those sources - because they are too young - Mattel is there to usher them in.

Maybe I am making too much of this. Maybe most girls have too much self-esteem to fall into this trap. But most is not all.

In the same way some women are eased into anorexia because of media influences, and the way that getting a tattoo on the ass of a 16 year old is the current common way to express individualism, this doll and combination reinforce the worst of society. It's no different than the aforementioned music videos and pregnant Barbie. In fact, adding this to those elements and movies, television shows, and magazines I am unsure how any young girl might be at least subliminally unaffected by the image of dependency and prostitution that is being sold to them from all sides.

Is Mattel free to make the toy? Yes and they should be in a free capitalist society. That is not my point. Simple morality and decency should have prevented them from creating these doll lines in the first place. There are some things unworthy of selling for profit. This, to me, is a clear example of such.

Black Conservatives on television

I don't know how many people saw this on Friday. I think it was very important. I think that there are far too few that pay attention to the other Black voice in the Black community.



These days Black culture is a commodity up for sale. Various consumer products use it to sell everything. Politicians use it to get votes. The youth are sold it as the norm they should observe. Yet there is a portion of African Americans that are completely opposed to such an outright mental slavery.

Why is it that the youth of today are sold on the idea that they should got to jail? Why do kids think that the only way to make money is via illegal actions, rap music, or sports? How have we moved from creating some of the most important inventions in the world, and multiple scientific discoveries that have saved untold millions of lives, to (some of us) waiting to be handed money?

Not only that, but why is it that in a mere 40 years we have gone from a people that led the nation from a mindset of prejudice and segregation to that of subservience. Dr. Martin Luther King never advocated that, Malcolm X never believed that. Both men were conservatives, especially in the political world of today. Yet Conservatives that are Black today are shunned and rejected. Why?

I really don't understand why we have come to a place where intelligent Blacks that offer strong reasonable opinions, that differ from the Liberal mindset, are considered to have abandoned their race. I don't understand why just speaking American English is considered an insult to so many. It leaves me with my head spinning.

I know of some younger African Americans that have bought into the commoditized view of Black culture. They rush out to buy anything that is hip hop, they obsess over rappers and bling. They are the first to go to any movie that is Black-oriented - no matter the quality - the first to buy a big SUV while living in the projects, the first to get $500 jeans and/or Prada shoes while they can't pay rent. And they are the first to denounce the Black businessman that questions the economic programs of President Obama, or the kid going to college.

Listen to the things said in the video clip. Forget that it's on Fox News, forget about Glenn Beck. Listen to the words, listen to the people. Have you heard these voices in your community? Maybe you even heard it from Bill Cosby. Now ask yourself this, Why have you not supported these views and instead contributed the nearly $1 trillion dollars of Black buying power supporting those that would keep you in a line for food stamps - essentially economic slavery?

Why, in America, would Black Conservatives consistently be called sell-outs, yet entertainers that are followed and emulated and are merely high paid employees selling the denigration and commoditization of Black culture are seen as being pro-Black?

How can an African American that rises from poverty, gets an education even though in sub-standard schools, goes to and pays for college without a trust fund or family money, and creates a career - maybe even a business - so that they can raise their kids in a better life than they had be called a sell-out?

Maybe Black Conservatives don't agree with every word coming out of President Obama's mouth. Maybe they aren't Democrats. Maybe they speak well and have educations. And how does that make them any less worthwhile or Black? How does that make them so different from Dr. King, Malcolm X, or even President Obama?

I'm glad Glenn Beck did this show on Black Conservatives. I'm glad that finally the major media is acknowledging our existence. I'm glad that the Black community is now faced with addressing this segment of Black Americans. Because maybe now we can have some real discussions on fixing the problems we all face. At least until another rapper tells the Black community that jail is good, drugs are great, and abandoning their own children is manly.

The full video is available at www.mvass.com. Either way let me know your thoughts.

Lil Wayne - justice at last

So it has finally happened. An entertainer, caught red-handed with drugs and illegal weapons, has been convicted of the crimes. You would think that such an occurence was what should be expected in the legal system, but then again that would be forgetting the key word - entertainer.

I personally could care less about Lil Wayne, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr, as a person. I don't know him, nor do I have any desire to. His music is even less of a source of interest. Lil Wayne is a rapper, of some success but that says little considering the music genre.

The thing that matters to me is his criminality. Like a host of entertainers before his, especially in rap music, Lil Wayne has been given every chance to change his ways. At every turn he has taken those chances and thrown them to the wind.

But it is far past the time where the legal system remembers that entertainers, in any format, are just people. The law sees not their fame but their criminality, and they should be penalized just as anyone else is. Yet time and again they are not.

The list of entertrainers is huge, especially in rap music. DMX, Ja Rule, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, are but a couple of names that fly off the top of my head as I think about the entertainers that have committed crimes that would place you or me in jail for years (perhaps decades) and walked away.

Lil Wayne has been arrested with marijuana, cocaine, and guns on several occasions. Yet this is the first time he will be going to jail. The mind boggles at how he was allowed to be free after the first arrest, let alone several of them.

Why is this a big deal? Because Lil Wayne and so many others like him are an inspiration to the youth. Tens of thousands of kids imitate him. They try to mimic his life, style, and in some cases criminality. Because an authentic rapper is one that is a criminal.

Such a role model, whether Lil Waynbe of others are willing to be honest enough to admit that they are such even if they claim not to be, is a negative in any comminuty. The fact that crimes ordinary citizens would be incarcerated for are ignored for these performers reinforces that negative. Which is something that needs to end.

I don't think that the 1 year plea deal is fair for a criminal facing the multiple charges in multiple states that Lil Wayne has. But considering the multiple evasions of justice, it's a start. I can only hope that judges across the nation see this as a wake-up call when faced with a celebrity that cannot understand the law of the land.

Going to jail is not a rite of passage. Being a criminal is not an obligation. Crime, in any form, is not a path to fame or fortune. These are things that need to be clearly stated to all the fans of Lil Wayne, and rap / hip hop (where I feel the problem is most extreme).

Will this one conviction change the lives of those on a path to self-destruction in hope of future wealth? Maybe one or 2. But those are lives that now may become far richer, and possesions have nothing to do with it. And if more convictions follow, well that just helps that many more.

Lil Wayne has finally touched a bit of justice. I can only hope that this experience will improve his life and help him guide others away from what has lead him to a loss of his freedoms and Rights.

List of the going and the gone

Here was something that caught my eye. It’s just a list of the things younger Americans either don’t know or will never learn about. A reminder of just how old I am, and how much the world has changed.

A couple of the things that really struck me about this list of 100 things kids will never know includes:

Typewriters – which is how all my college papers were done, and I still occasionally use

Super-8 film and cameras – which is not a great loss, but is visually interesting

Walkman’s – do people under 30 even know what they are?

Cassette tapes and/or 8-tracks –see Walkman

3 networks on television – yep before cable there were just 3 major channels

An album – though CD’s and DVD’s may be called that, I mean the original vinyl discs

A television without a remote control, in black and white, and/or with a round dial

A phone that is not digital, nor portable

Television stations turn off for the night – yes they used to not be 24/7

A floppy disc – do they even have that for computers any more? Remember when they came in 5 inch size?

Atari video game systems and the joysticks they had – or Intellivision. There was another one too.

Reading books – an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an atlas, an almanac, or just a regular book for entertainment

Writing letters to talk to friends - For that matter, calling someone and having to call back because there were no answering machines, text, IM, and so on

Writing full grammatically correct, properly spelled sentences

Learning how to write in script

Life without a computer

Playing games on a board with people

Going down the block to use a payphone, or a payphone that you could close the door on

Being restricted to just 1 ringer sound

Doing math in school without a calculator – that includes trigonometry, algebra, calculus, and geometry

Slide rules – I don’t even remember that

A library card catalogue system

Paper wrapping on candy bars

There are many more things that the list at Geekdads has. A few things they left out include:

A time before music videos – buying a record just because the singers sounds good

Cartoons only being on tv for 2 hours during the week and 5 hours on Saturday

Banking hours being the only time to go to a bank

Pizza costing 55 cents

Beer cans with pull-tops

Soda and orange juice in glass bottles

No warning labels – on anything

One phone company for the nation – Ma Bell and it was cheaper

When being a soldier was an honor – still is in my eyes

Drinking was legal at 18

Using tokens to get on the subway in NYC – they cost a little as 50 cents as I remember

Not having to worry about school shootings, or the loner students, or child molesters

A time when rap was about having fun

Break dancing

Men wearing platform shoes

Growing afros 14 inches or more – not for braiding just the afro (men and women)

Non-digital clocks

Playing outside

There is so much more. Just imagine though what the next generation will not know or forget.

Obvious facts in teen health study

Do you ever read an article, about some scientific study about this or that, and you just say to yourself – “Scientists are just so stupid. I knew that.”

Of course scientists aren’t stupid. But some of the studies they do have to make you wonder. Like a recent study on 20,000 young kids. The study sought to see how kids feel about surviving. Were they optimistic or not about living to 35, and what choices did they make based on that outlook.

Scientists are shocked that some 15% of those interviewed over 7 years believed they’d never live to 35. I’m shocked they didn’t realize how common a thought that was. I mean I was very sure that I probably wouldn’t make it past 25. And that’s considering I was a far better than average student, not into drugs, ghettofabulous did not exist, I never joined a gang, plus I was working since I was a young teen.

Today I can see even more reasons that a person of color in their late teens might think they won’t make it to 35. Gangs are worse, drugs are rampant across the nation, music videos and rap music directly state they should be violent, addicted, criminals. Fewer kids are getting the educations they deserve, and more sources in society are telling them to give up on higher learning. I mean there is a huge societal influence that says a person of color should only hope to be ghettofabulous. All of that is separate of the fact that if you are a criminal, or just a person of color, there are seriously great odds [comparatively] that a police officer will abuse and/or kill you.

"Nearly 25 percent of youth living in households that receive public assistance and more than 29 percent of American-Indian, 26 percent of African-American, 21 percent of Hispanic, and 15 percent of Asian youth reported believing they would die young—compared to just 10 percent of their Caucasian peers."

Is there any surprise then that this study came out and “revealed” the obvious thought among people of color that they won’t make it to 35. Personally I think the shock is that White kids are also feeling these same thoughts of impending death, most from the same sources as those for the kids of color.

Back when crack hit the streets in the 80’s, I recall the lack of concern by police and elected officials. No one was bothering to do anything about that drug or the addicts initially. Not until White kids started to get addicted and drop dead. A couple of elected officials kids got hooked, and overnight there was news of the epidemic of crack. Just about 5 years after the fact.

In a similar manner this report is the same thing to me. 20+ years ago I understood that the chances of me dying before 25 was 1 in 4. In fact about 25% of my friends from elementary school didn’t make it to 25. At that time 2 decades ago I understood that the chances of me going to jail were also about 1 in 4. Again, at least that many of the kids I grew up with were in or had been in jail. That was the reality in the Bronx, and a decent neighborhood of the Bronx.

Given the failures of elected officials and the campaigns to keep kids off of drugs – Nancy Regan saying no and a guy making breakfast vs. a criminal rapper on MTV surrounded by women, drugs, and money, guess which makes more of an impact to a teen – the growth of negative influences, and the promotion by the major media and entertainment industry of the “Ghettofabulous” and “Thug life”, I’m surprised the numbers are not worse.

If the scientists doing this study want to move things along, for a mere contribution to my site, I will give them my insight.

Change the music videos – no more mostly naked women jiggling, no more drug paraphinallia, no more violence. At least not until say 1 am.

Provide real funding to schools – no more books older than the students and teachers burnt out or incapable of teaching.

Ensure that when entertainers break the law they get convicted – No more multi-year delays, like R Kelly, or slaps on the wrist, like DMX and Snoop Dogg and so forth.

Convict corrupt police officers – Officers that kill innocent citizens need to get big press coverage and massive jailtime. Like ex-officer Johannes Merhserle who killed Oscar Grant – which the media has avoided like the plague.

Allow rap and hip hop to be more than the minstrel show – the genres were more diversified and positive when they started, but now are just cash cows of negative reinforcement

Actually spend money fighting drugs – it took 4 years for a crack house near my family members in the Bronx to be closed. Police rarely sweep known drug hangouts and locations (in my knowledge) daily. Major media rarely focuses on the death and destruction drug dealers are responsible for, instead highlighting the lifestyle and money. IE They talk about how much money and drugs were found, or the superficial material things a drug dealer may own, not that dealer X may have caused XXX people to die from drug overdoses and to live on the streets as prostitutes.

These are just a few ideas. But each is effective in its own way. Far more so than a study of the obvious or elected officials polispeak.

Akon assualts minor and get community service

Talk about the mixed messages rappers and the like are sending to kids today. Akon just got off scott-free and Soulja Boy is apologizing for his vulgar language. But overall I have to wonder why entertainers today seem so much more like children that never grew up than ever before.

Well maybe not all entertainers, that would be unfair. But in the world of hip hop and rap it seems to be exactly true. I mean how many times has DMX, Snoop Dogg, TI, and the rest been arrested? And I can more readily count the rappers that don't use foul language, on and off stage, since 1992 on one hand that do use it. Add to that the constant use and glorification of drugs and abuse of women. And these are the people I observe little kids reciting songs of and dancing to. But they aren't responsible for any negative consequences, of course.

But I don't understand how Akon, Aliaune Thiam, got his plea bargain. He admitted to throwing a minor off a stage and into a crowd at a concert. There was video tape of the event. There were officers standing next to him. His guilt was never in question.



Yet he got 65 hours of community service and a fine of $250. He apologized to the minor and his parents. That's it. Hello! Endangering the life of a minor and assault and he got just that with witnesses and video tape? Let a regular person try half that and guess how long you'll be in jail.

I have to believe that the only reason he walked on this is that some serious hush money went to the family. It may not be recorded as part of the plea but I bet it happened. That seems the only way an obviously guilty as sin Akon isn't in a jail cell awaiting his lawsuit date. And the woman that was struck by the child he threw into the crowd probably got a piece of that cake too. Because I can't see any jury not approving damages for that.

No wonder kids today want to be rappers instead of getting an education or a career. In the rap hip hop industry it is possible to live like a vulgar sleezy Peter Pan. Laws are parted like a knife through butter. Excesses of drugs and alcohol are ignored. Promiscuity is promoted from music video shoots to the stage and beyond. Hell, rock n' roll stars don't get all this treatment (well not as often, and not always to the benefit of record sales). This is the one industry where being a slovenly pig is an accolade and cash generator. Why grow up?

The Fishkill prosecutor and judge have failed the public. Not just their community but the nation. They have supported the idea that thugs succeed in the "ghettofabulous" lifestyle they glorify. That all their abuses of law and people is justified by the fact they have a marginal debatable skill. And because of this no child and no parent has won.

This was not justice. This was money. Because of the money involved justice was perverted and we the public have been sullied.

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.

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.

50 cent sell a new opiate to the masses

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.

50 cent, will have a program on MTV where people will compete in a business oriented reality program. Now my initial thoughts are these



Expanding on that thought I wonder what the competitions on this program will be. Who can take the biggest drag on a crack pipe? Who can stand longer after being shot? Who can run from the police on foot the fastest?

Perhaps I’m being too harsh. This high school dropout might actually be smarter than the things he has done in the past. He might have taken time in prison to educate himself. But I doubt it.

I obviously have a problem with unrepentant drug dealers that are glorified and promoted by corporations that wish to profit off of the worst aspects of the Black community. I dislike the fact that this sell-out will get pennies on the dollar to showcase a program where other people (inevitably mostly Black I assume) will run around looking foolish to make even fewer pennies on the dollar – if they win – all for the amusement and benefit of Sumner Redstone, Viacom, and such.

Think about it. In the 1970’s it became impossible for these people to make money degrading Blacks publicly. In the 1990’s they saw and developed the ability to continue to disenfranchise and minimize Blacks via a medium that was already there, rap. They created and promoted gangsta rap, using the worst representation of the Black community – drug dealers. In effect they now have Black minstrels that go out and say words (especially the n-word) that they can’t say for fear of lawsuits, and rap in money while watching music videos that allow them to envision their greatest fetishes.

Am I against 50 cent having a show on MTV, BET, or any cable or television channel? Unless it’s a program where he is promoting people getting cleans and sober, or having drug dealers apologize for the death and pain they create, no I don’t. Because anything else is the blatant attempt to profit off of his infamy and usability.

In 5 years Curtis Jackson will likely be a fleeting thought. He will likely be relegated to some top 40 playlist when radio stations revisit the past hits. He’ll pop up on a VH1 remembering the 2000 program. But likely that will be it. Because he is not memorable. He is not unique. He is barely capable of being called an artist. And with his loss of fame will go his money, I’m sure.

But until his 15 minutes are up, after he has been milked for every dime he can squeeze out of young White teens in the suburbs and the Black community, he will be dropped as fast as every other rapper you can’t name from the past decade that was once the top.

If you see this program on MTV - 50 Cent: The Money and the Power – know that you are filling the coffers of men that collect money for the buffoonery of 50 cent. If you watch this know that you are spitting on the graves of crackheads that died so that Curtis Jackson could wear the latest trend in clothing at one point in his life. Because every dollar and dime that goes to anything with 50 cent is another dagger in the backs of people Curtis Jackson poisoned and never looked back on.

But if you disagree, if you have a reason I (or anyone) should see this show, please let me know. I’d love to hear that argument.

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.

Ludacris is not Senator Obama - understand Sean Hannity?

Name one thing that is potentially deadly to the political ambition of Senator Barack Obama and involves the youth of America.

Ludacris.

Or at least that is what the news media would love you to believe. And when I say news media I mean at least Sean Hannity, that I am aware of right now. But I have no doubt that there will be more than just a few that will try to use rapper Ludacris as a weapon against Senator Obama.

The problem is that Ludacris has released a video where he is lauding Senator Obama, and disparages Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator John McCain, Rev. Jesse Jackson and President Bush – in a manner only rappers would believe to be decent.

Here is the video – WARNING – some individuals and parents may find this objectionable. (note there are several versions of this video on Youtube, I have selected the least visually insulting version)



I agree with most of the news media that Ludacris is a poor representative of Senator Obama. His use of foul language, the N-word, and implications of women as valueless sacks of meat meant for the base enjoyment of men are all things I denounce and disagree with. Were that the only implication in the news media I would have no problem with their assault.

But that is not the case. The words and images of Ludacris are being used to intimidate White Americans. As displayed on Hannity & Colmes the lyrics are matched with images that are obviously meant to imply ‘watch out for the crazy violent Black men’. That I do not agree with.

When Senator Obama first met with Ludacris in 2006 it was at YouthAIDS ''Kick Me'' campaign to raise HIV/AIDS awareness. If preventing AIDS is not a positive, what is? What is violent or crazy about keeping our kids alive and healthy? Nothing, and it’s why the national news media had little to say about their conversation.

After Senator Obama declared his intention to run for the Democratic nomination, months later, a Youtube video came out called Obama Girl. While it was whimsical I heard no comments about how negative this expression of pro-Obama support was beyond its less than serious nature. The media was not rooting out the backgrounds of the performers looking to show how dangerous Obama was at the time. Of course at that time in 2007 Senator Clinton was still expected to garner the nomination.

When Will.I.Am made his popular and catchy music video demonstrating his support of Senator Obama no one raised an eyebrow. Yet Will.I.Am is a member of a music group that has used lyrics that while not as explicit as those used by rappers, is no less suggestive. Of course Senator Obama was still expected to lose to one of the White candidates at the time.

But now that Senator Obama is the Democratic nominee, and another Black musician has voiced his support – well things are different.

But how?

This is just another entertainer that supports Obama. This is just another expression of that support. And it has nothing to do with Senator Obama or his policies. This does not reflect on Obama’s intention to get out of Iraq, or reduce energy prices, or implement a national healthcare system. It’s just a guy saying he likes Obama more than McCain in a bad way.

Yet according to pundits I have seen and read this is Obama’s problem. As if he was singing the song himself. And others have stated how this song does not reflect the social morality and family values of middle America.

But Obama isn’t singing the song. Ludacris has nothing to do with his campaign. And the most recent data states that more than 55% of all rap music sales are because of White youth throughout America. So obviously it must match up with hordes of family values throughout the nation’s White families.

The point is that I can understand debating the policy issues of Senator Obama. I can respect supporters and detractors that have substantive reasons. But to play on stereotypical fears of racial ignorance is insulting and unwarranted.

Yes Ludacris went way too far. Yes he should apologize for the attacks he made. It’s true the Obama campaign denounced the video. But what does any of this have to do with Senator Obama besides the fact that both men are Black?

Sean Hannity was wrong for the manner in which he presented this news item. He was wrong to imply the racial component as he did in his program on July 30th. He too should apologize for the over the top suggestive presentation that he provided. He is no less wrong than Ludacris. And the news media needs to stop trying to create Rev. Wright fiascos for their ratings and newspaper sales, just because a Black entertainer – or just a person in general – supports Senator Obama.

Snoop Dogg in Country Music: a bad experiment

Oh my… I have seen everything now. Snoop Dogg has made a country music song, and a video to go with it.

Now as your shock subsides I will present the video to you



This video was dedicated to Johnny Cash. Somehow I don’t think he would be pleased with the song itself. Perhaps the idea would have made him smile though.

I have no problem with an artist crossing over to a different genre. Many of the greatest have done it and quite well. Ray Charles is perhaps one of the best known for his ability to convey emotion while introducing a new style of music to his listeners. Johnny Cash notably did so with his powerful rendition of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails.

But Snoop Dogg?

Well in listening to the song I can say there are several positives. Sadly there are several negatives that are what has made Snoop Dogg popular.

The music is fine if not a bit simplistic. It’s catchy in an older style of country music flavor (which is more my favored style). The vocals include a large helping of Willie Nelson, thankfully crowding out the fact that Snoop Dogg cannot sing. But the combination mostly works throughout most of the song. And that’s all the positives I found.

Now if you actually listen to the song, it’s not really country music to me. It’s basically a drug dealer talking about pimping his girl to get high. I’m not overly-familiar with country music today, but I’m not familiar with any entertainer that promotes such a thought in their music. It is what I would expect from Snoop Dogg though, and I don’t think it’s what Johnny Cash would have like.

Cash told stories of life, and mistaken choices that often involved abuses of alcohol and/or drugs. He was anti-drugs, and his music tried to uplift the spirit. I’m not saying he was the most cheerful of entertainers, but he was meaningful. Snoop’s My Medicine is not.

Looking at the visual presentation, perhaps the worst aspect is watching Snoop Dogg try to hold a guitar. He looks lost. He makes it quite apparent that he has virtually no musical ability, unless playing Guitar Hero counts. Slightly less unappealing is his country-esque clothing. The cowboy hat is ok, but some of the outfits just don’t work. He looks as silly as the song deserves to be considered.

My ultimate problem is the wording. Snoop Dogg seems to be trying to bring country music to the same guttural level that rap music has fallen to. His reference to his girlfriend being less important than the money for his drugs disturbs me. It’s not presented as a person with a serious problem, but as a fact of life that is enjoyed. I have a problem with that.

This is a fluff song. There is nothing to it, besides the hope of the promoters and music company executives of gaining higher sales for their respective artists and music genres. I don’t think Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash or country music are in any form of desperation for listeners. Thus this was an experiment.

On levels this experiment works, on many others it fails. Hopefully there will be others that can pick up this idea and make it really work. Blending country music and rap makes sense. Both depict stories of life and lessons learned. Both are grounded in life today. But gangsta rap is an exaggerated aberration of the reality that exists, and country music has no equivalent. If it never gains such an extreme I think it will be the better for it.

Otherwise the CMT Music Awards can expect to be giving out awards to entertainers starring in videos of women in Daisy Dukes - that the women of Hazzard wouldn’t go outdoors in – riding a horse while villainous black hats shoot down lawmen while singing/rapping the glory of selling drugs.

Think it can’t happen? Let this video catch on and music execs will do to country music what happened to all other forms of rap except gangsta rap.

But what do you think of the video?

Review of Jeff Johnson speech at Ithaca College - 2.28.2008.2

When I first noticed a piece of news about Jeff Johnson speaking at Ithaca College I honestly didn’t think much of it. I had never heard of the man. But after reflecting on the college, which was a mere hour or so away from me, I decided to really read the announcement. From that I learned that Mr. Johnson was more than just some entertainer but was a recognized influence on hip hop and youth activism.

I also found out that he had worked with Black Entertainment Television, on the program Rap City as Cousin Jeff, and then later in the Jeff Johnson Chronicles. In all honesty that lowered my still unclear opinion of the man, and drove me to go to the event in hopes of discussing the actions of BET with Hot Ghetto Mess (now called We Got To Do Better) and the less than positive representations of Blacks by the cable network (owned by Viacom) with him.

Prior to going to the event, I read through the biography of Jeff Johnson via the website of his management team. Again, in all honesty as an opponent of gangsta rap, I was not encouraged by the endorsement of Source Magazine or the BET collaboration. At the same time I was interested by the fact he had been the only American reporter to interview Africa’s first female head of state, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Liberia. Add to that the fact that he was a former National Youth Director for the NAACP and appointed by Russell Simmons as the Vice-President of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network.

There was more to the man than what the association with rap and BET may make some 40 year olds conclude. And I’m happy to say that I miserably under-estimated the ability, sincerity, intelligence, and communication skills of this man. I was impressed not just because I had foolishly almost closed my mind to what he could be and was awoken to the fact that I nearly allowed my own prejudices to miss this event, but because of what he was imbuing the students at Ithaca with. He gave them more than hope or polispeak; he gave them a motivation to seek out their own purpose and the drive to make a difference.

I have already spoken about the students at this event. Let me tell you about Jeff Johnson’s speech.

First of all, Mr. Johnson is an excellent orator. He has a command of the stage that few I have heard have. And he isn’t shy. Not in the subjects he discusses, the message he wants to convey, the examples and images he draws upon, nor in the desire to get feedback from his audience as he talks to them. I want to be clear; he doesn’t talk at the audience but speaks to them.

The first clue to that came when Mr. Johnson bypassed the podium and stood before his audience and asked if we could all hear his voice. While the room was of decent size (easily holding over 200 people at a guess) there was no question that his voice filled the room. A good sign and more comforting than watching someone shielded by a podium.

Mr. Johnson started off with the Black community’s struggle with Black History Month. The fact that there are too few programs on people of color (the preference of Mr. Johnson when referring to Black Americans, being inclusive to all the heritages that make up what is the Black community but also used to include all non-whites) and noting that Black History Month currently exists on a superficial level, ignoring it’s inception as Negro History Week, why it was created and what it has evolved into.

As Mr. Johnson stated

“Blacks have been patriots longer than citizens.”

And that the Civil Rights Movement was ‘gangsta’ because never had so much changed without violence and revolution, and Civil Rights purpose was the change of Laws and Policy in this nation. Only a true gangster could effect so much change without rising up arms to do so. And they raised a generation of children that couldn’t fight.

Yet one of the problems in 2008 was that the children of the Civil Rights Movement have an identity crisis that is separate of civil rights or BET. It was because of 2 things, the ending messages of Civil Rights. I will try to paraphrase it

“First, I don’t want you to fight like I did – go to school, get an education (and lose your minds).

Second – [in a whisper] If you don’t tell people you are Black they might not know.

Both of these things can be found in the personifying an image of Blackness connected to hip hop rooted to Africa that doesn’t reflect Africa and has nothing to do with being Black.”

Read that again. It’s very powerful, and I fully admit I do not give justice to the way and full scope of what Mr. Johnson said on this. I’m giving you a paltry couple of seconds’ summary of at least 10 minutes of conversation that was far more intense. But the point is there I believe.

From this point the speech went on to discuss the split that occurred in hip hop and the emergence of rap. Like many recognize, prior to 1992 the rap industry was about social commentary. That not only included groups like Public Enemy but also much of the tracks from N.W.A. Right up until the album, The Chronic.

At that point a new model for rap was created, funded by White people while Black people (or people of color) danced to it, and had record companies saying ‘Pimp stuff sells thus we sell it’. And that was the first time, after the last track of the Chronic album was out, that people started to say ‘I don’t listen to what they say, I listen to the beat.’

Jumping forward a bit Mr. Johnson then went on to discuss how the grandchildren of Civil Rights Movement have less power than the parents of the Civil Rights Movements (meaning slaves) and how we buy into the lie that Dr. Marin Luther King would have had the same dream from 1965 to 2008.

Another point that I agreed with and struck the audience was the thought that there is $100 million dollars being spent on a statue of Dr. King that ½ of Black America can’t afford to go see. Or that less could be spent, or a matching funds campaign could be made, to fund schools across America.

At a later point Mr. Johnson stated

“Black History is a time where our obligation is to share with the world our history. And if we don’t know it, it’s just a party celebrating our ignorance.”

As I mentioned Mr. Johnson is hardly reserved in the points he makes. And that is a good thing as the comments are needed. The impact and repercussions of what he is discussing are real events and inaction that is in the Black community today.

By confronting the youth of today, especially those that are people of color, with these realities, and reminding them of the ability and power they have to change the world around them he helps to improve America for us all. We can play chess as if it were checker and wonder at our repeated losses, or we can plan and act and win. And often those that are just entering the adult world can have the biggest and longest lasting impact. Because they shape the future and present, and live with the consequences.

I will not claim to do justice for the speech of Jeff Johnson. There are many elements that I have not covered, and others I have paraphrased, perhaps poorly. But I will say that my understanding of his message, and the ability that he has to positively impact the youth of the nation is more than just a pleasant surprise.

I may not agree with every aspect of what he said, that is not important. But I will say that many would find benefit in hearing or reading a speech by him. Even better to be there as he give his words the power of his voice.

I look forward to speaking with Jeff Johnson in the future, if possible, and passing that conversation on to you. But until that time I suggest that you look into him via his website at jeffsnation.com

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 - 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...

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?

Conservatives vs Rap, maybe Part 3 - 9.7.2007.3

Concluded from Conservatives vs Rap, maybe Part 2 - 9.7.2007.2

I think it's quite clear that the difference between the two is explicit. To try and justify a subgenre that promotes the very things that Malcolm X spent his life fighting against is unfathomable to me. To say that the difference between these two individuals is nearly misplaced rage and content is like saying the difference between oil and water is only the color of the liquids. I am angered and mystified how anyone could compare the civil rights leaders of the 60s (that actually lead the people) to the spoiled, materialistic, and predominantly convicted felons that comprise rap music today. I further believe that it doesn't take someone that has conservative or right-leaning political feelings to realize this conclusion.

Rap music is under attack today. There is no question on that. But to oversimplify the case by saying that it is merely the efforts of the conservative right to remove this form of music is to belittle the reason why rap, and by its connection hip-hop, is under attack. It is not only the conservative right that feel that the use, or perhaps I should say overuse and in some cases exclusive use, of four letter words in songs is inappropriate. It does not take someone right of center politically to recognize that lyrics supporting drug use and dealing, violent crime, disrespect of women, and lack of education are not something good for children to hear. It may be a fantastic marketing tool to have scantily clad women bouncing their rump, but it's far from fantastic to make it a common cultural activity to do such.

Min. Paul Scott ends his post with the thought that he hopes to give Mr. Bill O'Reilly nightmares of being abducted by gangsta rappers and being forced to watch BET continuously for two days. Perhaps it's my age, but I too would find such a situation a nightmare. I have to believe that it's the prevalence of music videos, and the marketing techniques of Viacom that make anyone find such an event troubling.

Rap music has long had the potential to be a positive force in the black community and the nation as a whole. Hip-hop has had the opportunity to allow young people, especially those that are African-American, to express themselves and take pride in their community. These are not new ideas. Conservatives did not try to stop that. The fact is rap music sold out; the cost was the improvement of the black community. The result is gangsta rap. If you disagree with that listen to any song by Public Enemy and tell me where they promote crime, degradation of women, or wasting money on frivolous baubles. Also consider this, how much money were Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Blow and Public Enemy paid combined. Take that total, and compare it to how much Kanye West, 50 cent, NAS, or virtually any other top gangsta rapper makes today individually. Consider how much higher the dropout rate for African-Americans have become and how many more young black women become single parents.

Maybe it is conservative or right-leaning to not want children to grow up with a value system that places platinum teeth, above being a father. Perhaps it's unrealistic to expect kids to grow up without trying every drug they've seen in a music video. It may be non-liberal and anti-left to think that the children of today will go farther in their lives with a solid education than if they spend their time locked up in jail.

Perhaps.

This is what I think, what do you think?