Prominent African American scholar Dr. Boyce Watkins talks about his recent article about the rapper Rick Ross, who used the name of Trayvon Martin in one of…
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Why black people must stand up to Toxic and Negative Hip Hop
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This is the realness; we’ve got to ask ourselves if we want people all over the world to see us through the filter of what they’ve seen in most hip hop and now R&B videos. And just as an aside comment, I am so not down with what I’ve heard a few people with radio shows and what not doing of late, and that is using the terms “Hip Hop” and “R&B” as if they are the same or interchangeable–THEY ARE NOT.
We need as renaissance revival of quality for both genres but PLEASE PEOPLE, they are not one and the same and I’ll be damned if the garbage that is called rap and Hip Hop these days taints the depth and true identity of R&B. You know when I think about it, it’s so reflective of the relationships between so many Black males (who personify Hip Hop) and Black females (who mostly personify R&B); it’s like when females lower their standards or act out of weakness and lack of training and give in to the male to please him, regardless of how degrading it is to her. Women would never have gotten to the place of calling themselves bitches and what not if males didn’t call them that first or if they had indicated to them in some way that doing so is unattractive. I feel that there are far too many females out there willing to be someone’s video or industry hoe or main bitch or whatever.
On the other hand, so tired of the lame excuse that, “If she act like a hoe she’ll be treated like a hoe” or “Men [insert whatever ratchet, destructive, degrading behavior here] because women allow it”; but let’s just use our intelligence here for a second: which comes first, the behavior, or the allowing of the behavior? The only real question of ultimate relevance in a conversation like that is: “Why do you have it in you to show your ass and give women your worst in the first place?” OR “Why is it the default mode of the male to mistreat and devastate and set horrible examples for females UNLESS someone places a first demand on you to do otherwise?” Most males when asked if their a good man or even without being asked, would say “Yes” or “Of course” but their ACTUAL BEHAVIOR in that they value and prioritize money over the ones who have been loyal to them and tried to steer them toward education, and the only ones who can provide them with a legacy to the point that they will disparage their honor and image on a global stage, that actual behavior is a gross and glaring contradiction and classic hypocrisy.
Look, White supremacist or ethnocentric people STILL want to destroy us; they’re doing the same ‘old divide and conquer shit, it’s just that we, ourselves are more complicit in the conspiracy and scheme than ever before–WE ARE OILING THEIR F-ING MACHINE AND IT MUST STOP NOW.
As consumers, with any product that any business or personified brand aims to sell you, you ALWAYS have a right to demand quality that serves a positive and productive and edifying vision of who you are and hope to be. We must defeat the cop-out-ass “artistic freedom” rebuttal we so often hear from cowards who refuse to use their influence and platform to denounce the defamation, ignorance, and degradation in our music by shutting the product down financially, period. Having the right to say something is not the same as having the entitled, unconditional right to publish that something on a worldwide stage–THER IS AND MUST BE ACCOUNTABILITY IN ART. And every possible expression is not properly defined as art by the way–some things are appropriate for public consumption, some things aren’t.
Well, enough, I said all of the above to say Black people need to collectively value ourselves more than the crumb money Whitey gives us for promoting ugliness and stupidity; we have enough economic pore to do our own shit and insulate our natural, distinctive art forms, protecting them from those who just want to co-opt, exploit, corporatize and commercialize what is ours for their own advancement and to our destruction.
he was also aiming as Papoose with that line as well.. Just for all those
that didnt know
lol all the arguments are more entertaining than the vid
Rap then just got soap opera. First off a TO dude is at the top? Canada has
always been soft. I year to go there to get away from the hectic NYS life n
chill. Stop all this sensitive shit and get in the ring and box. Really!
I like Kendrick more than drake. Honestly drake is a Pune. And Kendrick
knows how to rap. I especially like it because it sounds like the old rap.
kendrick stfu #teamdrizzy <3 ^_^
kendrick is just using drakes name to become relevant. kendrick is just
average and drake is the best so he doesnt need to say anything about
kendrick lol.
0 deserves most of his money. Drake is known for beats and flow, not
lyricism, not live performances, not doing freestyles, and not being a
talented MC. Yea his music sounds good, but it does not make Drake
talented, it doesn’t give him credibility, and it does not show that he
deserves to be where he is at. Drake is a hormonal, Canadian, Jew, actor,
nerd, bitch-nigga. He is fake. I deserve more money for busting my ass
every day. Call me a hater, Idc. Fuck Drake’s money, fuck his cars, fuck
his hoes, fuck his life. He can’t perform like Kendrick does live, and that
says something.
Yes sir Kendrick
Drake was scared to show up at the BET Awards if it was MTV he would be
there.
lol this generation must know shit about music then claiming he’s the king
of this generation feeding off you little dumb fucks like yourself thinking
his music goes hard hahaha
Kendrick is great…I respect him for what he did to the hip hop
community… He brought it back to life…and about drake and future, I
think drake is right.
Rap is so boring, i listen to 90s rap and im glad kendrick lamar tryna
spice it up a notch in the rap game i like how he entertain us by getting
on rappers making competition btw each other cause thats how rap was back
in the day. Your goal was to put out better songs then artist, bestest hit
singles and be on the charts why you think 80s rap , 90s rap are still
better then music today in this generation? Cause back then everybody wanna
be a MC in the golden era now rap just so boring rapping about swag, money,
clothing line cars and dumb punchlines im glad kendrick lamar tryna wake
these rappers up talking bout money. I sulute my boy kendrick bringing back
that roots
Kendrick is a great rapper and so is Drake. I respect Kendrick for spicing
up hip-hop once again because I was about to stop listening after this
year. Unfortunately, Kendrick’s body of work is not as vast as Drake’s.
Kendrick only has one major album to date. If he drops 2 more hot albums
then he’ll definitely be in the runnings for best Hip-Hop artist in my
book.
If Tupac and Eazy didn’t die Drake, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West
(most likely JayZ too) would be working at McDonalds, probably. Oh and I
doubt Nicki would be twerking either.
Kendrick KILLED drake in two secs lol
The dilemma that we have as blacks in this country is that we’re a minority
and more importantly a weak race in terms of material resources and status.
When you’re living under this type of situation your very existence will
always be threatened from all fronts. Blacks have to pull rank, and
solidify their family and cultural life and reinforce that with economic
independence. With that foundation, we can be more in control, and closely
monitor anything that will undermine our interests and existence.
I qustion the motives behind Dr Watkins choice to set himself up as social
commenter on a multitude of topics. He reminds me of negro school teachers
I’ve had in the past.those teachers attitudes were stated simply,”Ive got
mine “(ie, education, home, car, hobbies, life).Those negros belived
themselves examples of the direction black people should pursue. I feel Dr
Watkins commentary is just his personal criticism of black people whom he
feels should be more like him.and it’s not been revealed to me how he’s
much different than the black politicians, entertainers, or athletes, he
criticizes.
Great discourse. Yes, we should have balance in Hip Hop. Positive lyrics to
offset the negative. Why not sing about Black history, education, work and
business.
Wow! You said a lot of powerful things but one of the best was ‘when you
sell your soul to make money, you aren’t going to hell, you’re already
there, and taking folks with you’ (something like that). Amen.
People say Hip-Hop is dead… It’s not dead… It’s alive and well. And
it’s suffocating black culture/mindset/futures
Powerful message bro! You are so right about the music industry pushing
the same message. I’m tired of hearing about money, bitches, drugs, cars,
etc. To be honest, I cannot watch BET anymore, or for that matter
television. Man, I’ve gotten to the point where all music, except jazz
instrumentals, is destructive to our people and WE (so-called blacks) must
put OUR reckless artists in check. Thanks for sharing bro! Keep up the
positive work!! You got my ear!
You should be embarrassed to call yourself an academic. Rick Ross the
former drug dealer lost the case against Rick Ross the rapper with regards
to him stealing his name. If you believe Rick Ross the rapper stole Rick
Ross the former drug dealer’s name. You also believe Nas stole Escobars’s
name, 2pac stole Makaveli’s name and Roc-A-Fella Records stole Rocafella’s
name. Stop tearing down black artists and mobilize people to go after the
corporations. Rick Ross the rapper has done far less damage than Rick Ross
the drug dealer who could never undo the damage that he has caused to black
people. You also mention that Rick Ross’s music causes crime. Where is
the statistical evidence for that? This vlog sounds exactly like a Fox
attack piece.
You know fully well that Hip hop music has a parental advisory label for a
reason and it’s up to parents to be role models.
I think that the gloves have come off the powers that be and they hellbent
on destroying the black community and the poor of other races are
collateral damage. Music has very powerful spirits and those spirits are
being used to control the masses of teens world wide. They pump the
messages of getting high, partying, having large numbers of sexual
partners, illicit drug use, and just not giving a damn about anything in
general. Now all the teens run around trying to emulate rappers suck as Kid
Ink in his latest video with Chris Brown called “SHOW ME”.
How sad that video is.
The problem with hip-hop right now is there is a lack of balance. Even in
the early 90s and late 80s when gangsta rap was becoming more powerful, we
still had a number of “positive” groups in the mainstream. Now days, we
don’t have that.
Always on point and informative…..thank you!
BRAIN POISON!
#OccupyHipHop
+Boyce Watkins Music of substance and real cultural commentary significance
(that also doesn’t come off as corny) from any race is lacking. I miss acts
like Arrested Development, Joe Public, Monie Love, etc… There are still
some artists of substance such as Lupe Fiasco and Immortal Technique.
Rick Ross went on The Breakfast Club to try to explain his Trayvon Martin
verse and it made absolutely no sense at all!! And everyone just went with
it. What??? Is going on here??!!
Called it again. We need a civil war in the black community.