One of the things that I absolutely loathe in this world, outside of world hunger and any waste of semen that feels that Jim Jones is in the least bit talented - is fake humility, an obviously cocky person who says all the right things just so people won't see him for the insufferable prick that he really is. Well, most of you already know that I'm an insufferable prick - but I just hope that I'm not exhibiting the same sort of fake humility when I say that I'm always sincerely stunned whenever a person reaches out and tells me how much they dig my writing. I'm fully aware of my criminally low self-esteem that comes with this gut that blocks my view of an already unimpressive phallus - but I'm just pleasantly surprised that anyone would forgo triple penetration smut-sites and gossip blogs for a few fleeting moments to read one sentence of my drivel. That being said, one of the handful of people that read my random ramblings reached out and asked me how I felt about Nas titling his album "Nigger" - I proceeded to type the following: "Personally, I have no problem with it, especially if Nas takes it upon himself to create a socially aware piece of art that makes the title of his 8th studio album more than just a cheap political stunt." Then I hit "send".After a few minutes passed, answering emails, watching sports highlights, and earnestly patrolling work-unfriendly websites where women lacked gag reflexes and smeared delicious looking chocolate all over themselves - I hit her back with the following response:
"I know that you asked me a simple question that only required a quick and rather pedestrian response, which I initially gave you - but I have another take on Nas and him naming his album "Nigger". I seriously doubt that this is the reason Nas is doing this, but personally I see it as one of the biggest chess moves an artist can make when it comes to confronting "black leadership" in this country. When all the charlatans and used car salesmen with an agenda come out of the proverbial woodwork and raise complete hell, pace in front of the record label with unimaginative picket signs, steamroll Cd's, and get more face-time on cable news than Laci Peterson - that would be the perfect time to confront them, rattle off about 45 different life and death causes that are drastically affecting the black community, and openly and sarcastically wonder why they are wasting their time obsessing over a word. Put those ambulance chasing scumbags on front-street! OK Crystal, I'm done - I promise" Then I hit "SEND".After I had bombarded Crystal's inbox with my nonsensical ramblings, and started to think more about the proverbial clusterfuck that is Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton - the wheels in my head started to turn, lubricated with only conspiritorial thoughts that make 2nd shooter theories and the government inventing AIDS to eliminate black folks seem like something easily found in an Encyclopedia Britannica. I was wondering, since most black folks with the good sense that god gave them see those two men for what they really are - does anyone ever get the feeling that they are double agents disguised as civil rights leaders, actually doing the black race more harm than good? Just think about it, whenever you have those two "Barney Fife's with a soapbox" immediately out in front of a legitimate black issue or tragedy - their mere presence automatically makes a legitimate issue that should get the nations attention seem kind of suspect. Its almost like fighting Superman while he has a big brick of kryptonite in his pocket, sure he's a formidable opponent, but you don't have to take him as serious as usual.
5 comments:
I am actually doing my ethics presentation on this very issue in my grad class.
How are they up in arms about the 'N' word and letting the country pass on let's say Dafur?
Not to mention Nas is being questioned about naming his CD 'Nigger', meanwhile David Chase, Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola (All White Artist mind you), H. Rap Brown, Dick Greggory, Randall Kennedy (Black Artist/Writers)who all use the word in the title of a book or gratuitously in their movies/T.V. shows get a pass in the name of art?
Is rap music not artistry?
Where's the ethical conundrum? How as a black preacher are you making more noise about a rap album's title (the contents of which you have no clue of) than you are with African people being murdered by thousands daily?
As Cameron Giles so eloquently said it Mason Betha during a hot97 interview.... "You are supposed to be a Reverend!"
I dunno. "Is rap music not artistry?" Today, you mean? No. I don't think so. Not compared to back in the day... and not for nothing but the "N" word wasn't bantered around rap music as easily as it is now. And they were SAYING something back then. KRS didn't use the word--didn't have to cuz he's eloquent.
I'm no fan of that word, and I told my Sun if EVER hear him use I'll jack him up, no matter how old he is. I was on the subway, and these young brothers were talking about "nigga who?" and "DIS nigga" and "DAT nigga" and the 60 or 70-something black woman standing next to them winced in pain. For all of our fathers and mothers and grandparents who marched on Washington or got hosed or chased by police dogs so that they wouldn't be called "boy" and "nigger", I think we're slapping them in the face.
And P.S., as a New Yorker, I like Sharpton. Yeah, he makes mistakes and has a big mouth, but at least he speaks up and tries to do something, rather than sit on his @ss apathetically like most people do. Jackson though, yeah, he's the devil...
Don't want to start a flame, but my quintessential issue is not with the artistry or state of hip-hop or justification of the use of the N-word, but how is that more important than people dying, economic disparities, etc.
Oh and Sharpton's alright with me too, even though he was doing commercials for predatory lenders in Richmond two years ago...Cameron "You're supposed to be a Reverend!"
both rev's are agents with wires...
sharpton has admitted to this .... he wore a wire for the FBI back in the day when he dressed like a pimp...
jackson still hasn't answered the question: why were you the first at MLK's side when he was shot with a hand in a bag?
To say yeah...
Actually I agree with you somewhat. Except I think it's equally important... how can we care about someone else when we don't care about ourselves?
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