Hip Hop Flip Flop:
I tuned in to a replay of BET's Hip Hop vs. America forum and was pleased to find that two key rappers participated along with professors, civil rights activists, authors, and even a former hip hop video model. As expected, the rappers pleaded their cases against charges that they are misogynists and gang bangers with horrible influence on America's youth and the country's public airwaves.
My heart grew heavy as I heard the exchange between a female writer for Essence magazine who is also a single mother and Nelly, an acclaimed rapper and activist for bone marrow donors. Nelly has recently come under fire for an extremely controversial rap video entitled: "Tip Drill" in which, among many offensive acts, he swipes a credit card down a female dancer's almost bare rear-end. In many people's eyes, male and female alike, this was considered a "last straw." Nelly defended his actions with claims that he was "having fun" and that the video was for an adult audience. He also noted his many other videos that have been tailored to "everyday" audiences and that it is not the job of entertainers to "raise your kids."
I understand that Nelly feels he is a scapegoat, and maybe he has been labeled as such, but my problem with his defense, is that he fails to see the bigger picture. Most of the women have a monolithic look, purpose, and role in these videos which mainly entails sexual gyrating in very little garment while the rapper refers to her as a "hoe" and a "bitch." There is no creative choreography that you may see in a Beyonce' or Jennifer Lopez video.
You are wrong, Nelly. This extends beyond "fun." Young black women are presented with these roles and told this is their ticket to excel in the entertainment world, pay for college, or support themselves and / or their children. Indeed, it is the female's choice to participate, but as a whole, African Americans in particular must not reinforce the stereotype that a black woman's best assets are her hips and her thighs. It is indeed a new form of slavery. Do not be hasty to detest the comparison lest we forget that the 18th and 19th century black woman was told her main purpose in life was to reproduce more strong slaves for the fields. She was often a side object of sex for her slave master. Sadly, the new slave master portrayed in many (not all) rap videos is the black man.
The executives and heads of these hip hop record companies are white males who sell 4 out of every 5 rap records recorded to a young, white, suburban, male audience. This image of oversexed black men who disrespect women, wear gun wounds as a badge of honor and brag of "bling and bills" is ingrained into the minds of white America, and thus becomes a new form of bondage for African-Americans. These young white men go out into the corporate world, and many are eventually sitting behind a desk to hire employees, and we want them to be objective. Yet, in their subconscious lies these images of African-Americans.
Isiah-Bad Lingua:
Isiah Thomas. How does this man still have a job? Not only were the New York Knicks 33-49 last season, but a jury of a Manhattan federal court decided that he sexually and verbally harassed a former female team executive.
I knew that Isiah would lose this case the day that he proclaimed he wouldn't stand for a white man calling a black woman a "bitch" but wouldn't be as angry if the same words came from a black man.
"...I'm sorry to say, I do make a distinction. A white male calling a black female a bitch is highly offensive," Thomas said. "That would have violated my code of conduct. Maybe I shouldn't go there. ... A white male calling a black female, that is wrong with me. I'm not taking that. I'm not accepting that. ... That's a problem for me."
As I stated in the hip hop flip flop section, this is exactly the mentality that hurts African Americans. Ironically enough, I will quote the deceased rapper, Tupac Shakur:
"Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies, that make the babies"