I wrote this essay right after the Don Imus scandal.. super old but somehow still relevant..
As a member of the hip hop generation, I have seen this movement morph from the forbidden music that denigrated women and reveled in the misery of urban black America into this universal language that is now a billion dollar industry and so it seems, back again. As a youth I grew up in the church, and I was instilled with certain precepts of hip hop music. Not only did I believe what I was force fed from the religious right regarding its content, but as a musician I thought it lacked instrumentation and musicality. But as the mc from the roots black thought once said “me and hip hop was a forced marriage.”
I remember the first time I heard Tupac “I get around” while playing Nintendo at a friend’s house. I also remember the first time I saw the video for “gin and juice” on Jukebox TV (also known as the box). I remember cutting class and listening to common “one day it will all make sense”, and the first time I heard “blueprint” riding down highway 34 and the first time I heard Talib Kweli “Reflections Eternal”. And how can I forget the day I heard “college drop out”. Now this is not a disc-ography into classic hip hop because there are so many other albums on that list, but each of these albums helped cultivate an affinity to this genre that also changed my perception of the world we live in. That’s what true hip hop gives to its listeners. Hip hop gives us an ugly truth that is not always embraceable because of its harsh presentation.
After the recent remarks of Don Imus I find myself defending this art form. Everyone wants to point a finger at hip hop as the catalyst for these remarks, mainly because Imus used hip hop lyrics as a defense for his comments. Critics are calling for the reformation of these lyrics because they view them as insensitive and misogynistic. I do not defend misogyny, but I defend the right to sale music. Women have been sex symbols throughout history and it will never change. SEX SALES!!! So will you mount a march against Maxim? Is that not objectifying women? I just want to know how can we blame hip hop for the cause of everything wrong in the community when the downfalls of the community gave birth to hip hop? Hip hop is a way to express the ills of daily life in urban America. We should not look to hip hop artist to be the moral compass of the community, but turn to these leaders of our community and ask them, where are the programs needed to combat the image of misogyny? We seek to destroy this image of thugism and sexism, yet we offer no tangible alternative. I know that the objectification of women is wrong. I know that not every black man is a thug. I also know that we can not tell a dying man how to live, but we need to offer life to that man.
They spend millions of dollars in charitable contributions to inner city causes, but how much money gets trickled down to the Englewoods, Cabrini Greens and etc. The very people that complain about hip hop’s influence are also the very ones who ride past these inner cities shaking there heads in disgust. Stop talking about what our youth need and roll your sleeves up and get your hands in the mud. Give your time to the youth so they will see a better way other what is glorified in hip hop. Where are the doctors and lawyers? In the nice suburbs living comfortable lives admiring the nest they have built for themselves, and there is nothing wrong with that. I commend traditional successful people on their hard work and determination. But do not sit on your moral high horse and question the character of others who have found alternatives ways of success. We need the black community to be a community. How can we tell people who have never had and was outcast and forgotten to watch the image they portray as success? Until we continuously show our youth successful people who were born and raised in the very same place as them, we will continue to lose this war. Not only will we lose this war but the heads of music companies, radio and tv will find another way to exploit people and still be wealthy.
No comments:
Post a Comment