There are youth out here today who’ve listened to Rap Music all their lives and have never once hear a positive, progressive, Pro-Black message coming from the Art. I’ve had youth tell me that music with a positive message is what White people listen to.
We allowed our Oppressors to flip our culture and use our own expressive arts as a weapon against us.
Black people need to understand that Culture ain’t about entertainment and aesthetics, especially in a time of war, or under genocidal oppression, culture is about survival, resistance, and liberation. No people who lose or surrender their Culture can ever hope win any conflict or liberate themselves.
When you decide what’s attractive or entertaining to you, you are making a political decision/statement as much as your are making a personal choice.
I’ve been going back and fourth with some youth and all I’m seeing is psychological causalities in the war for the minds of our youth, and these goddamn Hip Pop/ Shit Hop/ Minstrel Rap artist are our Oppressors most deadly weapon, they are driving the Death Culture!
I just has some young Black women tell me about how Nicki Minaj rapping about screwing coke dealers (in exchange for shopping sprees) is empowering to Black woman; no lie.
It’s not just the current generation, this shit started with my generation, back in the late 80s and early 90s. Growing up in a subsidized housing project I saw how the music influenced, directed, encouraged, and even provoked antisocial and criminal behavior in my peers; yes, the Minstrels are responsible for the shit they say and should be held accountable because what these Shit Hip “artist” say directly influences behaviors in our community!
It is much worse now than a just decade ago, however. I remember The Source Magazine did a critical article about A Tribe Called Quest’s releasing the single I Left My Wallet in El Segundo. The article stated that we need Hip Hop to remain focused on serious issues, not on such empty tracks like “…El Segundo.” I swear! If you agree or not with that stance, can you imagine any Hip Hop publication taking that stance today, especially the Source?
Once at a DJ Quick concert and after a set of rapping about “Black Pussy,” and other shit, a Sister yelled out “DJ Quick, say something positive,” and he responded; “Shut up Bitch,” and the crowd ran his ass off the stage.
So there was an effort in our community so sustain the positive elements of the culture as expressed through Hip Hop, but we were no match for the Billion Dollar Corporate Media conspiracy to degrade and commodify our culture and our community.
“The sell you death on their pursuit of Benz and Lexus!” – Wise Intelligent
We have to make take a personal stance and not consume Minstrel Music, and also speak out, and take more aggressive action to attack these Shit Hoppers or we will lose another generation to their Psychological and Cultural Assaults. It’s that serious at this point.