Thursday, May 03, 2007
What Does It Take? (Pt. 2)
Peace and blessings,
It appears that as a result of theChristian Defense Coalition putting pressure on civil rights leaders, and the controversy that has surrounded hip-hop lyrics in the midst of the Imus incident, folks are taking action. On the music side, Russell Simmons is now urging companies to censor some of the artists' lyrics, a bold move given the issue of free speech and expression that characterizes all forms of music and all artistic expression. On the business side, Rev. Al Sharpton plans on purchasing stock in Time Warner and Universal Music Group, so that he can attend the board meetings and advocate for the censorship of offensive and degrading lyrics.
Although these moves are a long time coming, I am glad that serious, concrete steps are being taken in the right direction. While we may applaud these steps, however, we must be careful as to not become complacent such that we think that by these and similar moves, the problem will be "solved." When I look at this issue in its entirety, I see a three-pronged problem that requires and three-pronged solution. Two of the three aspects appear to be addressed in the above examples. Russell and Sharpton's moves address both the artist (via personal responsibility) and corporate (business) aspects of the problem and solution. What area these moves do not appear to address (at least explicitly), is the issue of women (and young girls') choices to be participate in these videos, recite the very lyrics that degrade them, and purchase the music. A while ago I was told that the majority of consumers of mainstream hip hop are white people and women. When I thought about it, that made sense. I know from personal experience as a hip-hop fan that if I wanted an album, I could find it somewhere (bootleggers, internet) for free and probably before the official release date. For real hip-hop heads, there really was not a need to purchase an album unless you really wanted to support them, because you could find it for free (this was until they started cracking down on bootleggers and illegal file sharing). Before moving on, let me clarify that I am not supporting bootlegging or illegal file sharing, but I am simply talking about what I used to do in the past when I really wanted an album.
Ok, back to the topic at hand. The point I am trying to make is that unless we (males, females, old, young, as a community) address the factors that influence womens' choices to participate in these videos and allow themselves to be degraded in these videos, then our efforts to limit arists' offensive lyrics will only be partially implemented and successful. I'm not saying that women shouldn't be in any videos, because there are videos that present women in a respectable, "degrading-free" light. What I am saying, however, is that we cannot only address the corporate heads and artists without addressing, supporting, respecting, and caring our women as well. Moreover, it is difficulty for women who oppose these offensive and degrading lyrics to state a legitimate claim when their fellow sistas are willfully participating in the very videos the women are trying to denounce. A problem affecting the whole community requires a community-wide solution. Plain and simple.
"Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall." (Luke 11:17, NKJ AMP)
Now is the time for all of us to address this issue at many different levels. Not to point fingers, but to form a fist and knock out this problem once and for all. Check out thiswebsite clearinghouse for grassroots efforts to combat misogyny in music for more information and to get involved.
It appears that as a result of the
Although these moves are a long time coming, I am glad that serious, concrete steps are being taken in the right direction. While we may applaud these steps, however, we must be careful as to not become complacent such that we think that by these and similar moves, the problem will be "solved." When I look at this issue in its entirety, I see a three-pronged problem that requires and three-pronged solution. Two of the three aspects appear to be addressed in the above examples. Russell and Sharpton's moves address both the artist (via personal responsibility) and corporate (business) aspects of the problem and solution. What area these moves do not appear to address (at least explicitly), is the issue of women (and young girls') choices to be participate in these videos, recite the very lyrics that degrade them, and purchase the music. A while ago I was told that the majority of consumers of mainstream hip hop are white people and women. When I thought about it, that made sense. I know from personal experience as a hip-hop fan that if I wanted an album, I could find it somewhere (bootleggers, internet) for free and probably before the official release date. For real hip-hop heads, there really was not a need to purchase an album unless you really wanted to support them, because you could find it for free (this was until they started cracking down on bootleggers and illegal file sharing). Before moving on, let me clarify that I am not supporting bootlegging or illegal file sharing, but I am simply talking about what I used to do in the past when I really wanted an album.
Ok, back to the topic at hand. The point I am trying to make is that unless we (males, females, old, young, as a community) address the factors that influence womens' choices to participate in these videos and allow themselves to be degraded in these videos, then our efforts to limit arists' offensive lyrics will only be partially implemented and successful. I'm not saying that women shouldn't be in any videos, because there are videos that present women in a respectable, "degrading-free" light. What I am saying, however, is that we cannot only address the corporate heads and artists without addressing, supporting, respecting, and caring our women as well. Moreover, it is difficulty for women who oppose these offensive and degrading lyrics to state a legitimate claim when their fellow sistas are willfully participating in the very videos the women are trying to denounce. A problem affecting the whole community requires a community-wide solution. Plain and simple.
"Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall." (Luke 11:17, NKJ AMP)
Now is the time for all of us to address this issue at many different levels. Not to point fingers, but to form a fist and knock out this problem once and for all. Check out this
Labels: artist, choices, controversy, degrading lyrics, Don Imus, hip-hop, Luke, mainstream, media, videos, women
Thursday, April 26, 2007
What Does It Take? (Pt. 1)
Peace and blessings,
By now, I'm sure most of us have heard about the comments Imus made a few weeks ago. The fact that civil rights leaders came at Imus for his remarks and that he got fired was not surprising. What was surprising, in my opinion, was the fall-back that mainstream hip hop has experienced as a result. Note: I use the term "mainstream" to refer only to the more popular and accessible forms of hip-hop as portrayed on radio stations and music videos. Although I did not expect mainstream hip-hop to be criticized, I believe that this criticism is warranted. In the words of Sam Cooke, "it's been a long time coming." Inan interview with representatives form the hip-hop sites AllHipHop.com and SOHH.com,
the SOHH representative mentioned that the issue is about personal accountability on behalf of the record companies, artists, and everyone else. She also said, in response to the AllHipHop representative's claim that rappers put out offensive language because that's what consumers want (e.g. the supply and demand argument), that it is not that people want this music as much as they have grown accustomed to it.
If Imus would have made those comments a few years ago and mainstream hip-hop would have been under fire, I would have been in the camp of those like Russell Simmons and others who argue that people should point the finger at social inequities and not artists for the degrading lyrics within mainstream hip-hop. Although this position is a legitimate one, and in fact a true "solution" to the problem with artists' degrading lyrics does require that we correct social inequalities and opportunity structures, I no longer consider myself as solely a member of that camp. The more and more I listen to hip-hop and try to analyze their lyrics (both positive and negative), the more I realize that it is not just a social issue, but a moral issue. If society is entirely responsible for hip-hop artists' degrading lyrics, then the social and economic conditions through which these artists are (or were) apart of would shape ALL of their lyrics. However, this is is rarely the case. Most artists tend to show some awareness of the moral responsibility they have to uplift others, but this awareness is thwarted in two ways. One way is through the pursuit of money, such that an artists' album will have 90-95% of their album be about violence, materialism, and misogyny, and the other 5-10% be about something positve. While this may be influenced by social inequalities (e.g. using hip-hop as a way to get out of a severely impoversished condition), I don't think that it is the only factor. Another way that this awareness is thwarted is through distortion. Again, social inequalitities can play a signifcant role as growing up in severely harsh conditions can alter one's views on what is right and wrong. For instance, a person who did not grow up with their parents may feel that it is better to not trust anyone and only look out for oneself. Further, they may, through their music, encourage youth to do the same, and believe that by telling them to not trust others and thus to avoid serious, meaningful relationships, that they are "looking out" for the youth in a good way. Even in this case, I think that social inequalities are still only a part (although a significant part) of the problem.
In light of the recent discussions on the role of (mainstream) hip-hop in the denigration of women, and after watching
part 1,
part 2, and
part 3 of the Oprah show on this issue, I've gained a better understanding as to why I now belong in both the moral camp as well as the social camp. In my opinion, Russell Simmons, Kevin Liles, and even Common were quick to talk about the larger societal (social) issue, but danced around the issue of personal (moral) responsibility on behalf of the artists. No one will argue against the fact (at least I hope not) that the structural inequalitites that exists within our country and throughout the world play a significant role in the myriad of problems we face and will continue to face unless these inequalitites are addressed. However, I feel that while this is important, the greater issue WITH RESPECTS TO THE LYRICS THEMSELVES is what can artists do, and what are they willing to do, to put an end to these degrading lyrics. Talking about one's personal experience, and even the experiences of those in one's community is one thing. Portraying these experiences as absolute truths (e.g. "this is just how it is") to the point where the youth who are listening to this music are encouraged to seek out and glorify this experience is a different thing entirely. The solution to this problem does not lie in either the social or the moral realm, but in both. Society needs to change, but society can only change when the individuals within that society change. Society is made up of people, and because people change, then society can change as well. We determine what society should be, society does not determine who we are.
A prime example of this point can be found in the history of people from African descent. If our actions and behavior are solely a result of our social conditions, then we would still be in slavery. In fact, we would have been complicit with the slavery system, such that we would seek out such a system if we had a choice, seeing that was all we knew. However, history clearly shows us that as a people, WE WERE NEVER defined solely by our social conditions. From the Nat Turners to the Mariah Stewarts, to the Nelson Mandela's to the Martin Luther King's, we have always acted (directly or indirectly) on our moral convictions despite society telling us to do otherwise. One of the main reasons I think that those mentioned (as well as countless others) always worked to change the social conditions that sought to confine them is because they recognized that, despite their own experiences, they had a moral obligation to make things better for those who looked up to and/or came after them. It became less about themselves and more about the welfare of others who would later inhabit this world. In King's famous "I have a dream" speech and also throughout his ministry (activism), much attention is often given to his goals for unity among the citizens of that time. Less attention is given, however, to his emphasis on the welfare and life chances of the children who would come after him. These are just a few exerpts of his 1963 speech to illustrate this point:
"Now is thetime to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid
rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of
God's children."
"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of
former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down
together at the table of brotherhood."
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content
of their character."
In closing, I think that despite the complexity of the problem with and solution regarding the degrading lyrics in mainstream hip-hop, a step in the right direction requires a fundamnetal understanding: Just as those who have come before us have never been defined by their social conditions and have worked to improve the life chances of those who look up to and/or would come after them, we must also realize that societies change because people change, and that we have a personal (moral) responsibilty to work to change things for the better. Not just for us, but for those who may look up to and/or are coming up after us. Not only are hip-hop artists targeted in this understanding, but due to their influence on the youth and their visibility, they are in the optimal position to take a stand and eliminate degrading lyrics. We can point the finger at society all we want, but until we as individuals take resonsibility for what we say to people and how we treat them, we will constanly revisit this issue to little or no avail.
What do you think? To what extent are the artists responsible for what they say? Do you think that individuals must change before society changes, or vice versa? Weigh in and speekonit...
By now, I'm sure most of us have heard about the comments Imus made a few weeks ago. The fact that civil rights leaders came at Imus for his remarks and that he got fired was not surprising. What was surprising, in my opinion, was the fall-back that mainstream hip hop has experienced as a result. Note: I use the term "mainstream" to refer only to the more popular and accessible forms of hip-hop as portrayed on radio stations and music videos. Although I did not expect mainstream hip-hop to be criticized, I believe that this criticism is warranted. In the words of Sam Cooke, "it's been a long time coming." In
the SOHH representative mentioned that the issue is about personal accountability on behalf of the record companies, artists, and everyone else. She also said, in response to the AllHipHop representative's claim that rappers put out offensive language because that's what consumers want (e.g. the supply and demand argument), that it is not that people want this music as much as they have grown accustomed to it.
If Imus would have made those comments a few years ago and mainstream hip-hop would have been under fire, I would have been in the camp of those like Russell Simmons and others who argue that people should point the finger at social inequities and not artists for the degrading lyrics within mainstream hip-hop. Although this position is a legitimate one, and in fact a true "solution" to the problem with artists' degrading lyrics does require that we correct social inequalities and opportunity structures, I no longer consider myself as solely a member of that camp. The more and more I listen to hip-hop and try to analyze their lyrics (both positive and negative), the more I realize that it is not just a social issue, but a moral issue. If society is entirely responsible for hip-hop artists' degrading lyrics, then the social and economic conditions through which these artists are (or were) apart of would shape ALL of their lyrics. However, this is is rarely the case. Most artists tend to show some awareness of the moral responsibility they have to uplift others, but this awareness is thwarted in two ways. One way is through the pursuit of money, such that an artists' album will have 90-95% of their album be about violence, materialism, and misogyny, and the other 5-10% be about something positve. While this may be influenced by social inequalities (e.g. using hip-hop as a way to get out of a severely impoversished condition), I don't think that it is the only factor. Another way that this awareness is thwarted is through distortion. Again, social inequalitities can play a signifcant role as growing up in severely harsh conditions can alter one's views on what is right and wrong. For instance, a person who did not grow up with their parents may feel that it is better to not trust anyone and only look out for oneself. Further, they may, through their music, encourage youth to do the same, and believe that by telling them to not trust others and thus to avoid serious, meaningful relationships, that they are "looking out" for the youth in a good way. Even in this case, I think that social inequalities are still only a part (although a significant part) of the problem.
In light of the recent discussions on the role of (mainstream) hip-hop in the denigration of women, and after watching
A prime example of this point can be found in the history of people from African descent. If our actions and behavior are solely a result of our social conditions, then we would still be in slavery. In fact, we would have been complicit with the slavery system, such that we would seek out such a system if we had a choice, seeing that was all we knew. However, history clearly shows us that as a people, WE WERE NEVER defined solely by our social conditions. From the Nat Turners to the Mariah Stewarts, to the Nelson Mandela's to the Martin Luther King's, we have always acted (directly or indirectly) on our moral convictions despite society telling us to do otherwise. One of the main reasons I think that those mentioned (as well as countless others) always worked to change the social conditions that sought to confine them is because they recognized that, despite their own experiences, they had a moral obligation to make things better for those who looked up to and/or came after them. It became less about themselves and more about the welfare of others who would later inhabit this world. In King's famous "I have a dream" speech and also throughout his ministry (activism), much attention is often given to his goals for unity among the citizens of that time. Less attention is given, however, to his emphasis on the welfare and life chances of the children who would come after him. These are just a few exerpts of his 1963 speech to illustrate this point:
"Now is thetime to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid
rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of
God's children."
"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of
former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down
together at the table of brotherhood."
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content
of their character."
In closing, I think that despite the complexity of the problem with and solution regarding the degrading lyrics in mainstream hip-hop, a step in the right direction requires a fundamnetal understanding: Just as those who have come before us have never been defined by their social conditions and have worked to improve the life chances of those who look up to and/or would come after them, we must also realize that societies change because people change, and that we have a personal (moral) responsibilty to work to change things for the better. Not just for us, but for those who may look up to and/or are coming up after us. Not only are hip-hop artists targeted in this understanding, but due to their influence on the youth and their visibility, they are in the optimal position to take a stand and eliminate degrading lyrics. We can point the finger at society all we want, but until we as individuals take resonsibility for what we say to people and how we treat them, we will constanly revisit this issue to little or no avail.
What do you think? To what extent are the artists responsible for what they say? Do you think that individuals must change before society changes, or vice versa? Weigh in and speekonit...
Labels: artist, children, controversy, degrading lyrics, Don Imus, hip-hop, inequality, Mariah Stewart, MLK, Nat Turner, Nelson Mandela, social, society, videos, youth
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
New Christian Hip-Hop Gems
Peace and blessings,
Below are a couple of recent gems to check out. The first is the music video "Who Am I?" by DA Truth featuring Tye Tribbett. The song emphasizes the importance of having all aspects of one's identity grounded in Christ, so that the legacy one leaves behind is one of inspiration and not denigration. It raises the ever-important question that personally I know I need to reflect on more often: "What type of person am I, and how do I want to be remembered?"
The next video is a promo for the group "Everyday Process." Some brothers put me on to them while I was in Chicago last week, and they are continuing to grow on my. They have that grimy, Philly/New York flow, which is right up my alley. The group's name represents the struggles and experiences that we as Christians go through everyday in our walk with God.
Any thoughts? Weigh in and speekonit...
Below are a couple of recent gems to check out. The first is the music video "Who Am I?" by DA Truth featuring Tye Tribbett. The song emphasizes the importance of having all aspects of one's identity grounded in Christ, so that the legacy one leaves behind is one of inspiration and not denigration. It raises the ever-important question that personally I know I need to reflect on more often: "What type of person am I, and how do I want to be remembered?"
The next video is a promo for the group "Everyday Process." Some brothers put me on to them while I was in Chicago last week, and they are continuing to grow on my. They have that grimy, Philly/New York flow, which is right up my alley. The group's name represents the struggles and experiences that we as Christians go through everyday in our walk with God.
Any thoughts? Weigh in and speekonit...
Labels: Christian, Christian hip hop, Da Truth, Everyday Process, videos
Friday, February 02, 2007
Video of the day: Common and Will i Am's "I Have a Dream"
Peace and blessings,
With the things that have recently been taking place in the news regarding MLK day, I figured it wouldn't be right not to include this song and video. Have a safe, blessed weekend, and speekonit...
With the things that have recently been taking place in the news regarding MLK day, I figured it wouldn't be right not to include this song and video. Have a safe, blessed weekend, and speekonit...
Labels: Common, hip-hop, I Have A Dream, MLK, music, videos
Friday, January 05, 2007
Media With a Meaning
Peace and blessings,
Below are a couple of videos that I think convey important messages. The first is called "when a gun draws" by Pharoah Monch, and talks about the consequences of guns, from the perspective of the bullet. I think it provides a powerful counter-narrative to the over-saturation of violence that is promoted in movies and music videos. Although i may sound corny for saying this, but a minor warning that this video contains explicit language and content, lol.
The second video is of Common's "I have a dream." It is off the soundtrack of the movie "Freedom Writers," which opens today. The trailer for the movie is also below. The video and message is dope for a couple of reasons. One is the emphasis it gives on writing as an avenue for personal and social change. Two, anything inspired by MLK deserves notariety. Enjoy, take care, and speekonit...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFeb4AH_NV8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoVLmRzwzZk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lejN7Ulh10s
Below are a couple of videos that I think convey important messages. The first is called "when a gun draws" by Pharoah Monch, and talks about the consequences of guns, from the perspective of the bullet. I think it provides a powerful counter-narrative to the over-saturation of violence that is promoted in movies and music videos. Although i may sound corny for saying this, but a minor warning that this video contains explicit language and content, lol.
The second video is of Common's "I have a dream." It is off the soundtrack of the movie "Freedom Writers," which opens today. The trailer for the movie is also below. The video and message is dope for a couple of reasons. One is the emphasis it gives on writing as an avenue for personal and social change. Two, anything inspired by MLK deserves notariety. Enjoy, take care, and speekonit...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFeb4AH_NV8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoVLmRzwzZk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lejN7Ulh10s
Labels: Common, Freedom Writers social change, hip-hop, I Have A Dream, media, MLK, personal change, Pharoah Monch, videos, violence, When a Gun Draws
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
"Greater love has no one that this..."
Peace and blessings,
The following is a link and video of a person who risked his life to save another's at a New York subway stattion. With all of the bad things we here about us doing to each other, it's a breadth of fresh air to hear about the good things. Especially an act of this magnitude. God is good, all the time. Until next time, speekonit...
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/commuter-saves-man-on-subway-tracks/20070103091809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command."
-John 15:12-14 (NIV)
The following is a link and video of a person who risked his life to save another's at a New York subway stattion. With all of the bad things we here about us doing to each other, it's a breadth of fresh air to hear about the good things. Especially an act of this magnitude. God is good, all the time. Until next time, speekonit...
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/commuter-saves-man-on-subway-tracks/20070103091809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command."
-John 15:12-14 (NIV)
Labels: commandments, John, love, man saves a life, New York subway station, videos
Friday, December 08, 2006
A few updates (More to come soon)
Peace and blessings,
I apologize for not giving the page much attention this past week or so, but what can I say? It's finals time. Once the storm is weathered next week, I will be back on my hustle. Until then, here are a couple of treats for you to enjoy. A great friend of mine sent me info on documentary directed by African American teenage girl, and it's about how black women view themselves. The film is entitled "A Girl Like Me." Also, I included a video on a study that was conducted either in 1968 called "eye of the storm." If you haven't seen it, I won't spoil it for you by telling you what it's about. Just check it out. I think the study relates to the documentary because the documentary includes the famous doll study, in which children were told to indicate their preferences as to which doll they liked, the black or the white doll. Let me know what you think of these videos, as they raise important questions about how perceptive and malleable young children and adolescents are, and what happens when they are "taught" to devalue themselves and others. Have a blessed weekend and speekonit...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGDMevuZZVM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJLUQzwCFIo
I apologize for not giving the page much attention this past week or so, but what can I say? It's finals time. Once the storm is weathered next week, I will be back on my hustle. Until then, here are a couple of treats for you to enjoy. A great friend of mine sent me info on documentary directed by African American teenage girl, and it's about how black women view themselves. The film is entitled "A Girl Like Me." Also, I included a video on a study that was conducted either in 1968 called "eye of the storm." If you haven't seen it, I won't spoil it for you by telling you what it's about. Just check it out. I think the study relates to the documentary because the documentary includes the famous doll study, in which children were told to indicate their preferences as to which doll they liked, the black or the white doll. Let me know what you think of these videos, as they raise important questions about how perceptive and malleable young children and adolescents are, and what happens when they are "taught" to devalue themselves and others. Have a blessed weekend and speekonit...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGDMevuZZVM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJLUQzwCFIo
Labels: A Girl Like Me, adolescents, African American, children, Eye of the Storm, media, news, race, videos, White
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Tavis Smiey's Interview with Venezuela President Hugo Chavez (plus more updates)
Peace and blessings,
Below is very recent interview with Tavis Smiley and Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela. Also, makke sure to check my archives, because I have started adding videos for some of the movies and themes I mentioned in those pieces. Most recently, I have made updates to posts I made in February and in June. Enjoy, and as always, speekonit...
Below is very recent interview with Tavis Smiley and Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela. Also, makke sure to check my archives, because I have started adding videos for some of the movies and themes I mentioned in those pieces. Most recently, I have made updates to posts I made in February and in June. Enjoy, and as always, speekonit...
Labels: Hugo Chavez, movies, President, Tavis Smiley, Venezuela, videos
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