Editor’s note: Our big homey 40 DIESEL is blessing us with another one of his thought provoking and heartfelt drops. This joint is so good that I’m a little embarrassed because my grind here hasn’t been as profound. Well, that’s not entirely true either, but this is a damn good drop. I may need to post a picture of 40 on the DP dot com contributor’s page. I know just the one too…
Last week ByronCrawford dot com dropped a link from MSNBC about the current demise of cRap music in regards to his 21% drop in commercial viability. The article offered up many other points of why many are becoming tuned out to the music one of the topics being the oft-beaten dead horse of cRap music imagery. While reading a popular rap message board I realized how many of the people out there dismissed this has “hating” and threw out the knee jerk “Uncle Tom” and “Coon” to these black critics of the music. Furthermore, I came across the following rant from rap nemesis and classical Negroe extraordinaire Wynton Marsalis. Wynton hates rap music (ironically his brother loves it), so his scathing retorts in the article are more than biased however…
Where as I don’t agree with all of Marsalis’ statements if you don’t see some truth in his statements than you are lying to yourself. Also, I need to take issue with the notion that hating hip-hop as a black man is some sort of “self-hatred”. The sloppy group think that has plagued black people in this country for decades has done a great disservice to the collective “blackness” and as the only real form of “unity” that we seem to exhibit has often had negative effects such as Democrats taking the black vote for granted, those mentally enslaved by the corruption of the Black Church, the foolish notion that smartness is “selling out”, and other gross fallacies that have fostered and perpetuating ignorance amongst ourselves and the reflection of a people as we attempt to move in this multi-cultural society that were are a part of whether we like it or not. We stand at the crossroads with a black presidential candidate and the only Negroe responses in the mass media wonders if “Obama is black enough” and that Negroes love Hillary because of Bubba “who many African-Americans effectionately call ‘the first Black President'”. I mean that long running inside joke has made it to ABC News Tonight as a statement of fact to buttress Hillary’s standing? Pardon me while I’m starting to openly laugh myself to tears at our media portrayal. The crab barrel has gotten arguably more shallow yet the activity continues to increase…
This leads me to say that why when a black man has some sort of critique for some other black man its labeled as “selling out” or miscontrued as a forfiture of blackness? One of the most crippling elements that is retarding the development of black society in America is the overly emotional quality that cannot take criticism. Are we still that intellectually ill-equipped that any mere challenge of thought or concept warrants immediate retalitation rather than intellectual discorse? If this is the only way that people know how handle the most minute diagreement then we have to look at ourselves and wonder where we really stand as a society. Booker T. Washington was the first to articulate the needs for the newly found freed slave to gain entre in to American society, and that begat W.E.B. DuBois who responded in kind to what he felt were the flaws of Washington’s program and created the “other school” of black thought. Whether Martin vs. Malcolm, or even the evoutionary hip-hop leap of Busy Bee vs. Moe Dee.
Some of the biggest advances in thought and ideal were made out of someone critiquing the current status quo and changes were made. Its the nature of evolution. But let me clarify “critique” and “challenge”. Not this urban action music posturing based on faux saber rattling as a last ditch effort for self-promotion. Not martyring victims of their own ignorance who paid the ultimate price to whet the corporate hip-hop “reality” appetite. I’m talking about the engaging of thoughts and ideas that created the Harlem Rennaissance, and the mutli-angled struggle for civil rights….
But alas as I see hip-hop/rap rise from the slums of a burnt out Bronx and become a multi-billion dollar industry, so how we became lax. When did they start printing out the “WE MADE IT” party invitiations because I have yet to have one. It seems we’ve settled for a trifle of “success” just because we dominate media imagery regardless what the image is? Are we protecting ourselves that much that we don’t wanna rock the proverbial boat with the fear we may lose everything? And in our quest to do so we figuratively (and some times literally) assassinate anyone who dare challenge the great world of corporate hip-hop? Well label me traitor then because we still got a long ways to go and and it starts with these artists owning up to these label execs. These dudes gotta stop being the purveyors of this bullsh*t just because some old white in a suit tells them its gonna sell. Its time to own up and man up to what MAINSTREAM rap music has become. Because I don’t wanna hear people crying in 10 years about “What happened” just like black folks seem to be losing in other aspects of our lives in America.
This ain’t about Cosby, Marsalis, Stanley Crouch, or any of them. “Suck my d*ck” and “He’s an old coon” aren’t worthwhile defenses to people who can write essays about why they think you’re wrong. Educate and arm yourself if you wanna correct this and move out of that glass house before you start chuckin’ stones. Its about a generation learning how to be men with out sacrificing our manhood. Malcolm X once said “The Nation of Islam was the greatest organization the black man ever created and n*ggers ruined it.” Sadly that’s becoming hip-hop’s veritable epitath.
Oh yeah, fuck you to them ig’nant ass bamas who think it’s fun to get toddlers blunted… But thats a whole ‘nother story…
nice piece. do you think that a majority of people who dismiss the people who criticize hip-hop as “haters” are grown? for some reason i don’t. or they are supposed to be grown and are still walkin around with 6xl white ts and cursin’ up a storm. when reading various message boards and comments that people leave across the net it is pretty obvious we are not talking about the intellectual cream of the crop. i don’t think not being able to take a criticism is really a black issue as much as it is a youth issue. most of these kids out here have an inflated ego for no damn reason. many young people are walking around with a sense of entitlement when they haven’t really done anything. some of what wynton says makes sense, sure, but he is obviously ignorant when it comes to hip-hop music and lumps everyone into the same category as a 50 cent.
Very poignant stuff Mr. Dallas. It’s an old saying but it’s true, knowledge is power, arm yourself.
Good point about Clinton, if cheating on your wife and playing the saxophone are all it takes to make you black then they need to redo the census, but until then it’s jokes like that which become normalized, and then accepted as the truth after nobody knows any better.
I’ll keep my eye out about the whole blunted babies issue, that is pretty fuckin dumb. I’ve blazed with the neighbor’s cat a couple times, but he had a choice in the matter…
Lovely.
Peter,
I wish we were simply talking about ignorant kids; a number of black people with sense (or black people who are supposed to have sense) are so invested in the public image of black unity that they jump to defend the worst elements–but only when white people are watching; behind closed doors, they shit on ignorant black folks worse than do white conservatives.
Think Michael Eric Dyson. I hate to single him out because he is great when it comes to white privilege and he criticizes rap, but he is a fucking flim flam artist who panders to half wits with 2Pac tattoos.
Many educated black folks are so insecure about not being “black” enough, they bend over backwards to jump to the aid of people who, in all honesty, need to be left out to dry. Every time some asshole who’s been terrorizing poor black communities commits a violent crime and in the process gets hemmed up by the cops, they want to lead the charge and cry racism (notice that the only people who make a stink are the family of the “victim”and hustlers who call themselves “community leaders”). Then, when somebody is really brutalized by the police, the protests fall on deaf ears.
And I hear you about the “black” Clinton bullshit too. Morrison never should have said that shit in public; she should have known how Americans think too literally to understand the underlying point: that cultural-racial distinctions are meaningless. If the most powerful white man in the world exhibits all the standard tropes of blackness, then what meaning do they have? In all of the controversy about this comment, I never once saw anyone mention her short story, “Recitatif,” in which she paints two characters–one black, one white–with ambiguous racial stereotypes. That story alone should kill any notion that she was serious about Clinton being “black.”
Good piece 40 dawg.
It takes a mature individual to argue or accept criticism without getting defensive. Note I said “mature”.
Our people are afraid to grow up and handle responsibility. We shirk from hard work, education, and the truth. But we walk around talking about “keeping it real”.
Everyone with an opinion is not a hater but when you aren’t armed with the knowledge to stand up for your opinion….you resort to name calling.
I quote: “Some of that bullshit ya’ll pop chew it, I ain’t relating. If I don’t like it, I don’t like that don’ t mean that I’m hating.”
Thanks to the gracious host for posting my rant…
As a post script this really made me think about my current favorite rap record “Black Republican” by Jiggerman and Nas. What is the current modus operandi of the Republican party but to maintain the status quo and enrich the pockets of those around them. Of late it is a party that is based on preserving “the good ole days”, and as I theorize does the phrase “Black Republican” lend it self to the preservation of the current rap status quo. Are we to endure the “Black Republican” regime of President Carter (with Nas as his Colin Powell) and Curtis “Black Bill O’Reilly” Jackson purveying this schlock through his FOX/G-Unit Network? Are the cRap music proletariat simple the sheeple equivalent of the poor red-stater who side with the president and his regime/agenda even though there is no way it will benefit them nor be able to attain anything close to their socio-economic niche but still blindly love them?
I’m just saying…
Thanks again Dallas and all of those who’ve read, thought, and/or commented.
Four-Oh.
^ “cRap music proletariat”
i like that…
40 Says:
“the current modus operandi of the Republican party..to maintain the status quo”
Whats the modus operandi of the Democratic party? During the Clinton administration (and economic boom) more blacks were imprisoned than ever. He signed a bill so that crack users got twice as much time as coke sniffers. His war on pot was ridiculous. We all know his legacy in Africa. The man apologized for slavery but did nothing while millions of Africans were being slaughtered. He reversed the laws that prohibited dumping toxic waste in poor areas. Clintons welfare reforms did alot more to hurt poor ppl than actaully help. I could go on but the point is the Democratic party “modus operandi ” seems to be maintaining the status quo too.
^Southern Bred… I was not absolving the Democratic Party at all I’m just taking some philosophical freedom on the title “Black Republican”…
Just a few comments on Wynton and some of the comments.
The essence of jazz is improvisation. Ok, that doesn’t necessarily encompass all of what is definitive jazz. It depends on who you speak to. I am some what baffled by his and others argument of hip hop’s technical merit as a music form. Just listening to canons of the genre like Coltrane, Miles Davis and more importantly the prolific Herbie Hancock, you can draw so many similarities to the Roots, RZA, the Bomb Squad (P.E.), Outkast, etc.
Parliament/P-Funk, James Brown, Gil Scott-Heron, Last Poets and all-of-dem brothers were rappin (here and there).
> Divito, I wouldn’t dismiss W. Marsalis knowledge about hip-hop because his critique of hip-hop appears to be limited to popular cRap music. His argument is fueled with passion but he is not ignorant when it comes to the hip-hop genre.
> Yes, M. Eric Dyson tends to pander to cRappers and it is really sickening at times.
> Candice, what’s up with those generalizations? I’m not sure about the stats, but I do believe more African Americans are in the ranks of the middle class than in the ghettoes. So I really don’t think growing up, shirking responsibilities, hard work, and education are applicable traits. Notwithstanding record number of college grads, some economic progress like increases in home ownership, the popular culture, social-media pundits constantly pushing out certain stereotypes with unsubstantiated stats declaring the contrary. A little off topic but most comedians don’t have jokes about brothers graduating from college because it is not funny and most comics don’t have the depth to find a joke in a group of brothers graduating. People tend to relate easily to stereotypes so some comics don’t have to put an extra effort into their writing, just their performance and timing. So stereotypes persists, but I don’t accept them as truth because they are way off the mark.
– VEe!
^ Southern Bred, BIG CO-SIGN.
. . . and on the Clinton thing. Most people say that we prospered during his administration and those were the good times. Yet, most black people that I know that state this CAN NOT state at least 5 policies that his admin implemented that made him so great. I’ve once heard that he was the most ‘Republican’ Democratic President we’ve had in recent times. Like Southern Bred, I can go on . . . I’m just saying. Dem/Reps, same crap after a while.
** Note, I don’t support Bush **
While those same people (that I know), are quick to call out G.W. Bush won’t acknowledge his very ‘Democratic’ initiatives and bipartisan efforts throughout his administration. (Sure, the No-Child-Left-Behind effects will be felt for quite a while but the fool tried something ‘democratic’)
Whatever the case…Nas has definitely somewhat sparked an ember , hopefully we get the fire back to mainstream rap . Hip Hop itself needs a good energy bar for itself , hell why cant there be another element to it ….the opportunities are so vast, but how much time do we have before its too late?
Good Post 40!! Real Talk….Are we still that intellectually ill-equipped… I don’t think it’s a reflection of intellect but more of a mis-construed ownership of bad ideals. For so long the black community owned nothing but it’s ideals and culture. So we defended those ideals to the death. Even the bad ones, living the “keeping it real’ motto as you stated. and to be honest it is not only a black thing. If you look at the catholic church, alot of it parishioners know that there is a problem within, but most of them will defend it till death. Oiur community seems to be no different. All it will take is one to lead us…..
^Vee…I’m not sure about the stats, but I do believe more African Americans are in the ranks of the middle class than in the ghettoes.
that depends on what is now considered middle class, I know that I now bring home twice what my mother and father brought home, and I still live check to check. The average cost of a home in a ‘non-ghetto’ community is over half a million dollars. Most middle class people can’t really afford that. The middle class isn’t what it use to be. There are more ‘poor’ people toady than there was ever in American history (sans the depression). So while we have ‘come up’, it seems that the white has raised the bar again with a resounding SIKE!. So while I don’t necessarily agree with Candace, I don’t necessarily agree with you. I see both of your sides but there is more to it than that.
LionXL, yeah I know where you’re getting at. The levels of what is middle class ain’t what it used to be. Just like what is considered being rich (filthy) ain’t what it used to be.
My main point was basically that those particular traits that stereotypically describes the African-American community (and you can also argue just what encompasses African-American) refer to a very small group, or better yet individuals. I might also add that anti-intellectualism, shirking this, that, the other and the third can be used to describe so many other ethnicities. But particularly, majority of folks just ain’t living in decadent, crime ridden communities. Shoot, the projects I live in used to crap but now it is aiight and getting better (some thanks to gentrification), and I know cats are not shirking education, including some older heads going back. Alas, there will always be ignit folks.
Yeah, there is more to it.
Lion, you must live in NYC. Because nowhere else in the country are you barred from purchasing a home in a middle-class neighborhood for not being able to fork over half a million dollars.
I would estimate that, by the standards of most of the country, there are approximately seven middle class Black people in all of NYC.
DESPITE THIS FACT…
Vee, no. There are NOT more middle class than poor Black people in this country (by the commonly understood meaning of “middle class”). 55% of Black households in this country can boast an income of greater than $35k/yr. Most sociologists define a “middle class” household as one with an income between about $35k and $55k. Meanwhile, there are more than two times as many Black households with an income of less than $10k/yr as households with incomes of $100k/yr or greater. And $100k is not even balling. That means Daddy works for the post office, Mama is a secretary at a small law firm and Junior works approximately six hours each weekend at $6.50/hr at Foot Locker. This is the sad truth.
As for the article, all I can comment on are my IMPRESSIONS of the author and the subject. I enjoy Wynton’s music for what it is, and respect him for what he does, but he needs a big, whopping dose of “Ho, Sit Down”. He has no business commenting on Hip Hop because, despite being friends with Hip Hop purveyors X, Y and Z, dude seems to know very little about the genre. I didn’t care much for the author of the article’s perspective, either. The drum comment he made inspired some hearty head-shaking on my part.
As for the blog’s posted commentary, I can cosign for most everything but the insinuation that it is somehow a common black belief that “smartness” is “selling out”. I have always been extremely intelligent, and at NO POINT has anybody Black every viciously insinuated that my intelligence or achievements constituted “selling out”: from the time I was bussed to the elite public middle school I was tested into on into my present adventures in law school. I have typically taken this stereotype of Blacks to be a pervasive white myth (up until this point, I’ve really only heard it from whites and extraordinarily oblivious/out-of-touch Blacks). Even in the most gully of ghettoes, nobody wants to be a dumb motherfucker.
*the 55% in the above post should read 45%
^Jen…born and raised….
I wouldn’t use the word ‘barred’ but it’s hella difficult. Actually my household is in that $100+ range, but it don’t mean spit in todays economics. specially when you have bad credit. Incidentally, why is it that most kids leave college with a destroyed credit history, before they even get started living? The times have changed…..
BTW, those so-called middle class numbers seem out of date and they may have been upped in recent years, but I’d have to check. Either way the times have changed….
Quick trivia..who wrote:
‘born and raised in the streets of brooklyn, it was three of us and we all good lookin…’?
This is a good post 40.
I’ll have to agree to some of the points Wynton made although I’m somewhat biased because I’m a fan of his (or just jazz music) for that matter. 🙂 Also, for the fact that my fam’s from Louisisana 🙂 🙂
We have been blogging about “crap rap” music for a few years now. I’ve visited message boards in the past with folks going back and forth about some of these whack @ss rappers. I don’t anymore. I like Nas and I’m glad he had the courage to put an album out speaking on the demise of hip hop. This is what I mean when I say these cats actually have some power, especially with the youth. He made a statement with his album and people either listened or at least they’re talking about it. Imagine if some of these crap rappers talked about something of importance/relevance instead of all this non sense and foolishness all the time. The constant ignorance/foolishness is the problem.
I checked some (I missed most of it) of the MSNBC special that came on Saturday before last and my jaw fell completely open. I couldn’t believe the network was allowing someone to speak on this issue, ON MSNBC!
^^Lion Whodini “Funky Beat”.
@Lion: the stats are from ’05.
Mo Good ish 40.
In reality middle class is more like 200K per year for a family of 3. -Elonomics-
Our people are afraid to grow up and handle responsibility. We shirk from hard work, education, and the truth. But we walk around talking about “keeping it real”.
^When I say this, I am not talking about most black people. I know that most of us are educated, work and are highly intelligent individuals. You guys know who I am referring too. There is no need to get technical with the percentages. I will leave all of that to you geniuses 🙂
I am referring to the portion of the black community that wants easy, fast money, is not focused on education as a means to improve and could care less about their fellow brother or sister.
These traits are not indigenous to black people. Every race has it’s portion that seem to follow a different path. As a black woman, I am addressing those in my race on this path and I stand by my comment.
^40..you get the no-prize!…