Put The Blame on Hip-Hop:

                                                                              

     In regards to statements made by MSNBC concerning the SAE frat's 'race' chant, I've done some reflecting and observation. Now I am left to wonder: Why does the blame always resort back to Hip-Hop? If you are not up to date, a video was leaked of SAE members on a  bus chanting in the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands" : There will never be a n***** SAE/ There will never be a n***** SAE/ You can hang ‘em from a tree, but it will never start with me/There will never be a n***** SAE. 

As the video went viral it didn't take long for Waka Flocka to see it and to take action:

                 

 Let me digress for second to point out the powerful and positive influence Hip Hop has can bring to the world. As shown above, Flocka stated, "When I first started doing shows it was all hood spots and all black people...Now it's white, black and brown people at my shows. All races partying having a good time and enjoying themselves peacefully". I'm just going to let that sit there.

Referring back to the initial topic, MSNBC decided to dig further into Flocka's statement and dedicated a part of their Morning Joe segment to viewing their perspective of it. When first watching the clip one might want to scream, "RACIST!" Or maybe one might think, "Yes! They are right! Hearing the N-word in rap music influences them to say that!" I understand both rationale. The person screaming racist translates their message as an excuse for the frat's racist chant. The person in agreeance takes it as if rappers can use the N-word then somehow expect white people who listen to the music not to say it?

When I watch something I try not to react immediately. My initial reaction was on the fence between the two rationales I provided. While it seem like they were trying to downplay the situation, I felt as if their words held some truth to it. After taking time to soak the information in, I decided that no, they are not racist. But they are still wrong. The way they mocked Flocka and how they said, "He shouldn't be disgusted with them, he should be disgusted with himself!, first lead me to believe that they were racially against him. Then I imagined my older family members mocking him as well and realized that they most likely didn't agree with his content of music, which is their prerogative. I then I began to think about how black kids first started using the N-word. The only way you learn a word is by using it.That means that they heard it from their parents and/or through music. You tend to say it the context you hear it in.

I then suddenly realized two important factors:

1.  The N-word referred to by some of the SAE frat brothers ends with an -er. The N-word used by black people AND some white people end with an -a. While some may argue that neither one of the words should be used, they both have a very different distinct meaning. The one ending in '-er' has a painful racial background and sting to it. The other one has been modified to a word of endearment. 
2.  Whether they use the 'N'-word or not is not the prominent issue at hand. The concern is towards the rest of the chant that gave that word it's painful racial power: You can hang ‘em from a tree, but it will never start with me/There will never be a n—– SAE.” The chant is talking about lynching a black person and not allowing them into the fraternity because the color of their skin.

It is possible to blame rappers and African Americans who uses the word around other ethnicity, for white people using the N-word (ending with an -a). I personally have white friends who uses it, but only around their black friends that they are comfortable with and knowing that the feeling is mutual. They might even say it amongst a group of the same link minded white people. To these group of people, black or white, they are using it as a pronoun for " a person". That person could be friend or it could be a person that cuts you off in traffic. But never is it because of that person skin.

 In Hip Hop music that uses the N-word repeatedly, they are never talking about killing that person BECAUSE of their skin color. It would be impossible to say that they do not rap about killing someone and using the N-word in the same sentence. But again I emphasize, it is not because the color of their skin. Yes, the usage of the word and who can say it and why they are saying it, is a very important topic that must be discussed. However that is not the prominent issue at hand. MSNBC Morning Joe segment dedicated to Waka Flocka lyrics and how they found it just as disgusting as the chant is something I do not hold them against. The more I review the video the more I see it as a case of cognitive dissonance.

Morning Joe's Mika Brzezinski tried to clear up the statements made after a considerable amount of backlash saying that the lyrics of Waka Flocka had nothing to due with the influence of the chant. She knows that. But her previous statements said other wise. I believe that  it was her not wanting to deal with the real issue at hand which is  understand why these frat brothers felt it was okay to chanting about lynching someone. In former member's Levi Pettit apology statement he stated "I think I knew they were wrong, but I never knew why or how they were wrong...I’m not here to talk about where I learned the chant or where it was taught. I’m here to apologize for what I did". Pettit. For one the mass majority of the black community and a good amount of the white community could care less about your apology. Your apology doesn't bring answers. We expect you to apologize. That is how it works when dirty laundry is aired through the media. A better topic for Morning Joe's could have been why wasn't Pettit able to talk about where he the learned the chant and where it was taught? I must say again, you say a word in the manner you were taught to say it.

Rant session over.
Now I must take this moment to say their is power in music, especially Hip Hop. As I shown previously, people of all color attend Flocka's concert. That is a beautiful thing. Their isn't any other genre of music where at a concert you may see all different types of people, in equal proportion, all partying and having a good time together. I believe its important to find light in dark situations. The only way to come out of a dark place is to find the light.

It seems has if Kendrick Lamar is searching for the light with the release of his third solo album, To Pimp A Butterfly. The album firmly anchored in social consciousness pleads for peace and equality for all. Keep your eyes open for my review of this of this truthful Hip Hop album. Love and Peace.

ALL Music is Exploited--But Hip-Hop is The Worst

Whenever there is an issue with politics, justice and almost any other issue of the world, you can bet that money is involved. Money is essentially the 'root of all evil'. On this blog I have talked much about the exploitation of Hip-Hop. Money, as you can guess, is the root of this problem. Once artists like N.W.A and Ice Cube arrived on the Hip-Hop scene, there was an increase in sales for Hip-Hop. Dollar signs replaced the eyes of corporations. They decided to take that 'street life' theme and blow it up. The took the content about misogyny and flashy jewelry and made it to where it dominated rap music.

Before I go further, I must explain that rap music is not the only genre being exploited. Country music and Pop music (can you believe it!) are both victims of exploitation . For Country music, the corporations play on the stereotypes of country people: big trucks and getting drunk. For Pop music, it overemphasizes catchy hooks and melodies, and by sometimes having a corporation or political marketing agenda (which is a topic for another article!). Music today is a commodity. Ken Hirschkop, in the book Music and Politics of Culture, put it best: The diversity and innovation in performance and reception typical of popular music is erased when the music is abstracted and placed onto the capitalist circuit of radio playlist, promotional tour and record/cassette/CD sales. Even though he was discussing pop music, the concept does not excluded music genres as a whole. Anything produced has the opportunity to be exploited by capitalism. That is not to say that capitalism is bad. It is just a product of its own exploitation, but again that is another topic.

Music has much influential power. It is one of the strongest influential powers in the world. Why do you think corporations who have no love and desire for music spend so much time and put so much money into it. By limiting the content you are limiting its consumers to their own personal growth. However that is the difference between the exploitation of Hip Hop and the exploitation of Pop and Country music. The exploitations of Pop and Country limits its consumers from creativity and education of different styles of people. The exploitation of Hip-Hop results in those same limitations but more. Consumers of hip-hop, in terms of buying power, is essentially white. However it is directed towards and produced by African Americans. Generally speaking, African Americans tend to only listen to Hip-Hop or R&B but of course their are some exceptions. With that being said, the exploitation of Hip-Hop restricts an entire race. It is no secret that the Black community is in a deep rut. We have the most buying power but no assets. Generations of people who do not know their history. Black on Black crime. This is not to say that the exploitation of Hip-Hop is the sole cause of these problems but it adds to the fuel when it has the potential to put the fire out. I may be bias since I am an African American, but an exploitation that holds a race back from liberation is the worst exploitation of all.

When it comes to placing the blame for racial problems, many people throw shade at Hip Hop. Sometimes it is done rightfully so and sometimes it is not. Recently MSNBC reported that the disgusting racial chant by SAE fraternity is a result of Hip-Hop. Do you believe that statement holds some truth to it? Stay tuned and find out my opinion in my next article. Love and Peace.