It’s been a good two years since I last saw a music video of any kind. The last time I watched them regularly, Queen Latifah’s ‘U.N.I.T.Y.’ was a popular song and ‘The Box’ wasn’t a sexual slur. In olden times, a lot of hiphop music videos were visual representations of the narratives given in the songs. The really popular songs that the old folks didn’t like at least tended to have a story to them, and even ferociously conservative people like my father openly expressed an appreciation for the artistic flair and creativity of the videos and their expression*.
Figure 1: Goddammit…
Then last Friday rolled around. As Shabooty** and I waited at my place for more of our friends to show up for a night of drunken lunacy, this sand-dwelling fucktard turns my television to MTV Jams and fills my condo with the sights and sounds of the modern-day hiphop video for the next thirty fucking minutes. The following happened as a result:
- The value of my home dropped 50%
- My IQ dropped to 74
- I became a HUGE fan of eugenics
- I killed Shabooty - at least in one of several…
- …Nightmares I had featuring Lil’ Wayne proposing to my daughter
The music videos I saw on Friday were the most remarkably retarded cookie-cutter manufactured works of ‘creativity’ I have ever seen. I don’t remember who any of the artists were (with the exception of Lil’ Wayne, who I’ll deal with in a minute), but I do remember that each video borrowed from the same bag of reusable hiphop music video elements:
- Some asshole getting a haircut
- Some asshole ’singing’ or ‘rapping’ three inches from a chick’s face
- Some asshole in a barn or barn-like structure for no apparent reason
- Some asshole wearing a t-shirt with the name and image of a dead friend
- Some asshole with 40lbs of gold in his mouth constantly baring his teeth
- Some asshole dressed like an ex-con with easy access to glitter successfully seducing some professional looking chick
- Some asshole flaunting his ‘thuggishness’ out of spite in a country club, high end restaurant, or equally inappropriate venue
- Some asshole driving a giant SUV with spinning rims
- Some asshole constantly self-affirming his gangster status
- Some asshole flashing a giant wad of $100 bills at some doe-eyed chick
- Booty
Figure 2: Ruining black America, one shitty song at a time
Every single video featured one or more idiots, each more unattractive than the last, singing exclusively about vapid materialistic bullshit. This isn’t anything new - ever since Viacom dug its claws into hiphop the music has always included some degree of this. But what’s different now is that ENTIRE TRACKS feature nothing more than dudes talking about their haircuts, grillz, shades, rims, clothes, cars, and cars.
As much as five straight minutes of this shit in each video…over and over again…for thirty minutes. Despite the fact that watching it was more traumatizing than watching video of the human aftermath of car crashes, my psyche was pretty well postured to recover itself back to normalcy. Until a Lil’ Wayne video came on.
Anyone that’s watched MTV Jams this week has seen this video, because it’s the MTV Jams Video of the Week. In this video, the screen flashes green over and over again for thirty seconds until some ugly be-dredlocked overtattooed asshole jumps onto the stage and, for the next four minutes or so, runs around the stage at some live event jumping up and down and yelling at you in what sounds like a hoarse and unintelligible combination of Zulu, Farsi, Algonquin, and Cantonese mixed in with some good old fashioned tard-groaning. Seeing this idiot, whom I recognized as Lil’ Wayne after about 90 seconds, made me want to get on the phone and start donating money to abortion clinics in the south.
Figure 3: I’m going to get so much shit about this…
What amazes me, after seeing this video, is how much everybody loves this fucking guy. Every verbal assault I’ve ever made on Lil’ fucking Wayne has resulted in someone(s) rushing to his defense while failing utterly to give any valid reason why his very existence shouldn’t be a federal crime. His fame makes no sense to me, which is significant because I don’t hold the bar very high for what justifies celebrity. Case in point: Paris Hilton’s fame is entirely understandable to me***.
Lil’ Wayne, however, just boggles the mind. He doesn’t have any real vocal talent (e.g. Mariah Carey), dancing ability (e.g. Ne-Yo), or lyrical genius (e.g. Teddy Riley), nor does he have overwhelming physical attractiveness to make up for a lack of other talents (e.g. Beyonce - see upcoming aside). The fact that Lil’ Wayne is famous (in a positive light) proves that the very ether of logic is being eroded, the cause likely being something cosmic. After all, we’re only a few years away from crossing the galactic plane again, and there’s no telling how close we may or may not be to a black hole.
Lil’ Wayne is proof that the world will end, as the Mayan’s predicted, on December 21, 2012.
Figure 4: Fear it.
Aside: Beyonce Cannot Sing
Awhile ago, Destiny’s Child received a Grammy and when they went on stage to accept the award, they harmonized part of their acceptance speech. This was apparently done to dispel rumors that Destiny’s Child has no real vocal talent, as if anyone else couldn’t gather up two other morons and have them harmonize for five fucking seconds.
Beyonce can’t sing. She just can’t. She sucks at it. I don’t care how many childhood singing contests she won - as an adult, she CANNOT sing. Ella Fitzgerald could sing. Sarah Vaughan could sing. Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey can sing. Beyonce, on the other hand, sounds like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Her voice is grading, nasally, whiny, and utterly devoid of anything pleasant.
Beyonce is to music what rugby is to a hemophiliac.
End Aside
*In my father’s parlance, this approval was given with an emotionally neutral grunt
**My clinically insane Persian friend, often referenced by the much more appropriate nickname ‘Asshole
***White America forever is, has, and will be enamored with the ‘heiress’ concept and anything else remotely related to fairy tales - no matter how much of a fucking asshole the benefactor is
Chris,
You have embodied every feeling I have ever had about Lil’ Wayne in paragraph form. Oh, but you left about the part about him being unbelievably gay, and people still flocking to ride the meat-pony like it’s going out of style.
An outstanding post, good Sir. I’d be interested to see what the rest of these knaves have to say about this one, and your respective responses to the comments.
Yes. Yes. AND FUCKING YES!!!!
I’m old. I remember when everyone HATED Lil Wayne and the whole No Limit/Cash Money Clique. Now all of a sudden he’s the second coming? of what???? How is anyone in hip hop supporting this dude with a straight face?
Kanye spent all of his “dead mommy” credit when he supported both Lil Wayne and defended Soulja Boy. A few years ago, both of them (Rick Ross, Sean FUCKING KINGSTON, T Pain, et al) would have been laughed off the damn stage now their buffoonery is being celebrated, lauded even! I’d rather set my teeth on fire than listen to any of them.
And it’s not even a ‘backpacker/underground” vs mainstream thing. That’s too easy. It’s a wack vs. good thing. Lil Wayne and his addicted to Children’s Tylenol ass is wack. Period. As excited (Lawd, yes!) as I was too see Maxwell, I was sad too because he wasnt’ up there to win an award, he was there to celebrate a legend. Who is going to be a legend in 20 years? T Pain?? Akon’s retarded ass? And if anyone says R. Kelly….
If I like Kanye West does that make me…
1. stupid
2. ignorant
3. mainstream
4. someone who chooses to like what he likes, and a big FU to anyone who disagrees
Serious (and or comedic) responses please.
PS - Who the fuck is Lil Wayne? He looks thirty plus to me.
Thanks again.
“be-dredlocked”? That’s new. Jukebox/The Box was the best. The same video requested 10 times in one hour!
Hip-hop videos started to suck after Hype Williams made Belly.
For the record: I hate Lil Wayne. Looking at him makes my ovaries disintegrate.
AND I overheard some 12 year olds talking about how sexy Lil Wayne is. What the hell?? On what planet is that shaved muppet looking troll sexy? He’s about as sexy as broken sewer pipe.
Now, I’m going to have to call some connections to get tickets to Rock The Bells when it hits DC. I feel like I owe it to hip hop.
Fucking Soulja Boy and Lil Wayne. Negroe, llllll lick what like a lollipop? Your rancid looking ass?
I should probably go to sleep. Editing this book has me extra agitated. I feel like ole girl from the event page. I’m going to go make a drink so I can pour it on something.
1. Soldier Boy = Another one of Flava Flav’s (see: California Raisin) illegitimate children
2. Lil Wayne = The reason the U.S. deliberately forgets about sending aid to Katrina victims in New Orleans
3. Music Videos = reminders of the apocalypse
Man, it has never felt so good to be a bourgeois black person.
@ Bassey…damn, I thought I was the only one who thought Akon was retarded.
T-Pain in the ass and Sean “Baby fat” Kingston should be shot, alongside of Akon. Seriously. People are so busy shooting innocent folks like Sean Bell, when they could be doing justice to America as well as saving the black population by killing crap rappers and Bob Johnson.
Yes, I am an advocate for shooting stupid mother fuckers. You have a problem, oh fucking well.
By the way, a big “what the hell” goes out to the person that linked a Rich Boy video saying that he was making a difference by putting out a message in a song. If I could understand what the fuck he was saying, then yea, he might. But for the fact he sounds like Mush Mouth’s long lost little brother, I say we all chip in $20 each to pay for him to get a speech therapist for his impediment.
Knatural, I agree with you. Looking at Lil Wayne loosens my bowels too but the sad thing is that he has gotten so much better looking. AND he is better looking than Oil Slick (aka Flava Flav).
That said, I did like that little line: “She give good brain like she graduated from a good school…”
[walks away, hanging head in shame]
rupert murdoch’s tivo is subscribed to mtv jams…for when he has sumner redstone over for cigars, and they need something to laugh at.
I’ve mentioned this before, I don’t hate Lil Wayne, however, I feel he is highly overrated. I just cannot get into him. I just don’t know what the hype is all about. It must have to do with the lack of good artist out. He stands out.
I used to look forward to watching the latest music videos when I was a kid. They just don’t do em like they used to. And that goes for music and the wack videos that accompany them. I really do miss the 90’s. Rap videos are by far the worse. They make it possible to fit ass in every song even when the song has absolutely nothin to do with ass. Now if the song is about booty, thats one thing, but damn.
And Lil Wayne does look alot better than he used to- but he is still OOGLY.
Kanye gets my vote. I notice people like to jump on these “I’m not feeling this rapper” bandwagon. I will always be a Kanye fan. He is a rare talent in this now wack music industry. He might run his mouth a little too much, but you cannot deny his talent. I’m not big on 50 Cent either, but I’ve noticed him getting a big backlash lately too. I know some of the people claiming he is wack and not feeling him brought at least 1 of his CD’s or got him on bootleg.
LMAO! Wow…written right out of my head again…well except for a couple of things. I am old in music video world so I haven’t watched them consistently since most of today’s popular artists were in a play pen. And the few that I have seen have made me sad for todays youth. But I’m from the south so I hate the Lil Wayne of today…but used to actually like the Lil Wayne of yesteryear before he went all “hollywood” and tried to appeal to the masses, throwing his Southern style to the wayside. I hate that song Lollipop with every fiber of my existence. I also give Soulja Boy a lot of credit for what he did. He managed to turn a whole musical genre on its heels by posting a song and dance on You Tube. That’s powerful. Now a bunch of so called legitimate artist are mad at him because he managed to outsell and outshine them with a Casio key board and zero lyrical skill. My take on that is that means they need to step it up, not tear little Soulja Boy down. He’s a freaking kid for crying out loud. But the fact that he continues to try to make songs with said lack of lyrical skill is where I draw the line on my support for him. The dance was cute and catchy. But a catchy tune does not a legitimate artist make.
http://www.mysixcents.wordpress.com
Figure 3: I’m going to get so much shit about this…
The only reason you should get shit about that is by putting Africa in the equation with Lil’ Wayne. Shouldn’t that be Uranus (*juvenlie giggling* ) or the some country backwoods swamp not far outside New Orleans where he sounds like he came from?
That aside about Beyonce was dead on. It’s amazing how manny pretty chicks stay around *cough* Cassie *cough* Ciara *cough* because they have pretty faces. Can’t these chicks just model?
“T-Pain in the ass and Sean “Baby fat” Kingston should be shot, alongside of Akon. Seriously. People are so busy shooting innocent folks like Sean Bell, when they could be doing justice to America as well as saving the black population by killing crap rappers and Bob Johnson.”
You didn not just suggest the killing of black men and reference Sean Bell? You did not make a joke out of killing black people
You did not.
Lil Wayne…well Im from the DEEEEEP South and I do like the beats of some of the music from home …as for Lil Wayne I own none of his music and cant usually tell you what song is out…I am a bit confused by his popularity though…especially after hearing some of the lyrics to one of his songs recently…I do like the sound of his voice though…sue me:-)
I wouldnt call him ugly…his lower jaw is just too small…micrognathia…which kinda throws off the rest of his face… a lower jaw implant would probably help with giving him more of a chin
my biggest complaint would be that he has actually compared himself to Malcolm X…and had the audacity to say that he is even more of a legend bc he is still living
purple drank or syrup or whatever the kids call it clearly kills brain cells
I hate rap. Period. I also hate country/western music.
How someone talking quickly over a beat is considered music has always been a mystery to me. Beside that, Lil Wayne looks like Flavor Flav’s cousin who went to jail and beefed up. He is a human pitstain. The first song I heard by him had this chorus: pussy, money, weed, and was extolling the virtues of each item. Yuck.
And Nick, you are stupid, ignorant and mainstream, but so are a lot of people.
I say this purely because you like Kanye West as I have no idea about your tastes or level of intelligence outside of that.
Despite how much of a fabulous performer Kanye West is, I really cannot forgive his public jackassery. If you’re gonna be an asshole, at least try to hide it and smile like a doped-up moron for the masses. Don’t act like being a dick is having a personality.
Awwww, ninasimone, don’t get me STARTED on Akon! I can’t believe that Negro made up a whole story about some crime/prison record. So THESE are the type of resume fabrications our generation aspires to? Sad, sad, sad.
“yelling at you in what sounds like a hoarse and unintelligible combination of Zulu, Farsi, Algonquin, and Cantonese mixed in with some good old fashioned tard-groaning.”
Hilarious.
I just wrote today, before reading your post, about Michael Jackson’s videos and the creativity they had (though he was also kind of fronting since he was and never will be a gangsta) but at least he was entertaining and told some sort of understandable story in his videos.
http://1219sibmtt.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-want-to-be-smooth-criminal.html
Oh and about your Beyonce aside, I’ll see your “Beyonce can’t sing” and I will raise you a “She can’t dance either” and she’s not cute enough to be that bad at singing and dancing and still be popular. I think Kelly was the best looking member of that group but they beat the self esteem out of that girl and she can’t even promote her own album without making sure everyone goes out and buys TWO of Beyonce’s. AND just to go on the thread, I think Solange is better looking and more talented than Beyonce. Yeah… I said it. And what? I think Beyonce is popular because she is so homogenized. I won’t go into the lightening of her entire body… Chris did it better in the archives.
And I like Kanye’s music. The man is a little bit much. I think he was someone who never felt quite good enough so he’s always making noise. I respect him and it’s because I think he knows better (based on who his parents are/were and how he was raised) I expect more from him than what he’s been displaying. I think he was both hugged too much as a kid and doesn’t get enough hugs as an adult. I’m tired… I know what I mean.
And Soulja Boy being young is no excuse. I appreciate the “internet sensation” that he is. But he needs to play his position. Like my boy Bomani says, “read a muthafuckin’ book”.
@ Chaotic Diva’s comment on Rich Boy…I have to rush in to his defense…yet again…since Rich Boy is from my hometown (even went to my high school…. many years after I graduated though). Yes he sounds like Mush Mouth…and no not everyone from Alabama sounds like Mush Mouth or has a head like a sledge hammer….but somehow I can understand every word he says. Maybe it’s because I grew up around people with similar accents. The way he talks gives me a nice warm homey feeling. Makes me think of fried catfish and collard greens on a Sunday afternoon. And once you translate his Alabama speak his lyrics are actually kind of clever. Dangit I’m just glad that a male potential victim of the streets from Mobile Alabama managed to get out and do something with himself other than sit on the block.
“Awwww, ninasimone, don’t get me STARTED on Akon! I can’t believe that Negro made up a whole story about some crime/prison record. So THESE are the type of resume fabrications our generation aspires to? Sad, sad, sad.”
wow..hadnt heard that…but to think about it, its kind of insulting…was he trying to represent himself as a thieving/thugging/real gangster to show how “af-am” he is…since these lovely videos help to spread that message the diaspora over of who we are over here?
and yea africa nor “country backwards backwoods swamps” ( misquoting) are to blame for the insanity that lil wayne presents to the world…thank the makers of Robitussin and the weed man
Aw Tomatohead, Dont say that. Hip hop is my favorite music. It takes alot of talent and wordplay to do what a rapper does. Im not talkin about Soljah Boy or a garbage ass rapper like that. But putting wording together, making them rhyme, being on beat and actually having it make sense takes talent.
I was in DC this weekend for Carnival and all of us in the car were complaining about the current state of music. It hurts the head to know that the music of today is going to be considered “classic” in another 10 years, horrible lyrics and all. As much as I can’t stand Lil Wayne (sex symbol? wtf?), I won’t lie and say that I wasn’t dancing to “A Milli”. Can’t and I won’t.
I remember the days of The Box and Video Music Box up here in NYC when you couldn’t wait to see the new video that would come on and match up with what you thought the video should look like. Apparently, creativity decided to kill itself in the garage while the rims keep spinning.
I’m still grateful for VH1 Soul. A few times I was mesmerized with some of the vids because (1) it had somewhat of a plot and (2) people had clothes on. Amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdWOoL31IJc
Lil Wayne also admitted that he does coke. He said he is like a music genius and most music geniuses did or do drugs. He feels it adds to his creativity.
^^^^^not that those products are forced upon anyone…i think that combo of drugs is too blame is what I mean..his using them and then waking up under the impression that he is anywhere near a malcolm x or kwame toure
Rich Boy is not that bad. He actually does have a message in some of his songs.
Nice I guess my thing is that I didn’t grow up with it. Rap wasn’t allowed in the house (except for that one CD by Coolio that had his like, one hit song on it from Dangerous Minds that my mom loved for whatever reason). But we weren’t allowed to listen to it growing up because of the violence and sex that was explicitly “sung” about.
And I dunno about making rap sound good taking talent. I have male friends who mess around on their computer making beats and they randomly freestyle hilarious nonsense that rhymes, is on beat and makes sense. Even I messed around and did a freestyle rap once and it wasn’t half bad. Certainly not worse than some of the shit that passes for rap music thats on the radio.
He said what Nice?
Sigh.
I really hope that the kids aren’t reading/hearing his bullshit and thinking that they too must do that to be a real artist. Fucking hell.
Beyonce never could dance. How she gets put on lists for being a great dancer is beyond me because girl cannot dance. She can shimmy but she’d prolly die if she was forced to freestyle. Kelly was the prettiest until she decided to get that nosejob to look like a Barbie.
When did normal looking women and not models become played out in music videos? I want to blame someone but I don’t know who.
@TomatoHead
“I have male friends who mess around on their computer making beats and they randomly freestyle hilarious nonsense that rhymes, is on beat and makes sense. Even I messed around and did a freestyle rap once and it wasn’t half bad. Certainly not worse than some of the shit that passes for rap music thats on the radio.”
So true. I had students in my class using their Apple computers and Garage band to make decent beats. And their lyrics, though just as shitty as the new artists, were actually as catchy as the big name artists — and just as much about not much of anything.
It just doesn’t seem that hard anymore.
I feel you Tomatohead, but there are so many options when it comes to rap- not all of it is nonsense. I can admit some of it is. I grew up on hip hop. I grew up in jazz and R&B as well. Some R&B music is a hot mess too. It can be just as formula- driven as some rap music if not more.
@chaotic diva- “T-Pain in the ass and Sean “Baby fat” Kingston should be shot, alongside of Akon. Seriously. People are so busy shooting innocent folks like Sean Bell, when they could be doing justice to America as well as saving the black population by killing crap rappers and Bob Johnson.”
killing your own folks?
you advocate killing black people cause they “shame” you (which is utterly ridiculous)?
i hope you were being facetious but even if you were, it is still unnerving for me to find the levity in such a “joke”.
Georica, seriously, don’t read this blog if you are so easily offended.
@ Nice
I think it is just (most of) the mainstream of all music that is crap. A lot of the “underground” music or music not played out on the radio or music that does not have bull shit videos can be decent. It’s just that they don’t get heard as much.
@ a.eye, absolutey agree. I get my new good music by word of mouth cause you wont hear it on the radio. But usually, I just listen all my old music- it still sounds good to me.
THANK YOU!!! Lil’ Wayne’s success continues to boggle my mind. I mean, I know people’s standards for music get lower and lower every day (otherwise, Soulja Boy would be living in a cardboard box in any given alley by now), but the level of Wayne’s success is just inexcusable! News Flash: Just because someone finds weird ways to rap (i.e. Getting all nasally for no apparent reason), that doesn’t make them deep and cutting edge…it just makes him a jackass. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, that Lil’ Wayne has to say is teaching the African American community anything it needs to know. Face it: The only ones benefiting from Lil’ Wayne’s music are Lil’ Wayne and his bank account….if he’s even intelligent enough to save all of his money in the bank.
And for the record, am I the only one who hates the fact that he’s in college? And am I wrong for thinking that anyone who aspires to be like a thug should steer clear of college. ALSO, am I crazy for thinking that college isn’t for everyone, and these people are only hampering the progress of people who actually have a place in college by attending for their semester or two of partying? Thanks for nothing Lil’ Wayne.
Also, I think Beyonce is a good singer, it’s just that she doesn’t have any real emotion, probably because she usually only sings about 2 or so different topics (relationships and her looks). And by the way, screaming =/= emotion.
Overall, the state of black music is depressing. There’s plenty of quality stuff out there, but thanks to Viacom, we’ll never know without looking for it. Oh well…*listens to Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and wishes she’d grace us with her musical existence again*
@ NIce, the old music is seriously still good. And most of it is timeless. Someone mentioned how this music today will be “classic” at some point. But it will be so easy to date it, unlike a lot of the older hip hop stuff people threw out.
Where DID Lauryn Hill go?!
And I agree with Bassey…Kelly is a much better pure singer than Beyonce. And she actually seems connected to the music she’s singing enough to give legitimate emotion. And Simply Deep was a pretty good album. It’s a shame that she never got the solo success that she deserves. Just a memo to Matthew Hussein…I mean Knowles; there’s enough room for both Beyonce AND Kelly to be successful, jackass.
Beyonce can sing, but her music is kinda high school. Her dancing is straight wild and all over the place. I think she is pretty, but too over-the-top. She has that Diana Ross/Tina Turner thing goin for her. She actually looks better when she has on less make up. She is talented tho. I not gonna go into Beyonce bashing so I will leave it at that.
Lauryn Hill is somewhere wearing clown make-up and costumes. I sill love he tho, I miss the good music. Now she is a pure talent. I think Kelly is ok, but I sense a little fakeness from her too.
That fakeness you sense is her trying to stay on Beyonce’s good side.
A little fakeness???
http://toppayingideas.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/rowland-implants.jpg
That is likely tru Educated. Now I dont think Solange looks better than Beyonce, but lets face it, they are all beautiful women. But no matter how hard they try, or dont try, they will always have to take a back seat to Beyonce.
Beyonce isn’t that bad when she’s singing classical opera-style music. Other than that she sounds manufactured. Like someone created her voice in a mixing room somewhere; it’s inauthentic but I can’t put my finger on what it is exactly.
And Miss Beyonce WISHES she was Tina Turner. She’s closer to Diana Ross/Deena. She can’t really sing, is pretty but not oppressively so and is easily marketable. I think she’s trying to make herself a legend like Diana Ross but it isn’t gonna happen. Even Diana Ross is a caricature of Diana Ross. The only way you can be a “diva” now is if you have a truly powerful voice and Beyonce doesn’t have that.
@ Tomato- hum fake boobs. I know Kelly had her nose done too- thats the norm now. Even MC Lyte and Peppa (salt n peppa) had their noses done. I dont get it. Perfectly fine women feeling the need to improve on the beauty God already gave them.
@Nice “Perfectly fine women feeling the need to improve on the beauty God already gave them”
But it’s not improving themselves. It’s making themselves fit in to what they feel the mainstream wants to see — white looking/ethnicity neutral images
Every time a Lil Wayne Video is played, an attractive woman decides to stop giving head. That’s how tragic his music is.
I know it is not really improving, just take a look at Lil Kim. It really is just to fit into a standard of white beauty. I thought we were so pass this as Black people. The truth is “they” really want to look like “us”. I dont get it.
@ Klysha…my family is from Birmingham. I have no problem understanding them…but him….he sounds like he’s slurring his words.
@ Tomato..thanks…too many people take web posts serious.
…as for those of you who are taking my post too serious, here’s a little knowledge for you:
Not only am I black, but I am cuban, AND native american…trust, I’d rather see white people shot over a fellow brown person. However, I wasn’t comparing the crappy people to Sean Bell, I made a sarcasm-based statement that simply means that society would be better without those people who are pouring mindless dribble into our youth causing them to be sub-par humans. Sean Bell did not do that and was killed by law enforcement officials for simply being black. Pretty much my statement is stating that killing someone who does a disservice to our people is not as bad as killing a black man who was actually stepping up to the plate (i.e. going to take care of his child and marryiing his girlfriend instead of being a deadbeat).
For those of you standing up for Lil Wayne, I’m sure he’s got a forum board so you can write love notes to and about him and post them. The man is garbage. Even if he does get his bachelors, that is not going to change the fact that his cocaine raps about his time spent snorting bricks with Lindsey Lohan is still not making any positive impact on the black community.
I’m so sick of seeing black people complain about how we are being held down by “the man”, yet we refuse to speak out against those idiotic people in our own race that do stupid shit that are really holding us down because we allow them to get away with it. And then you have the audacity to get mad at me because I say that our society would be better without them? This is not the 1920’s. We don’t need to tap dance in shoddy shacks in hope that some nice white person will give us a pass to perform at the white night club for table scraps. There are blacks that excel in music forms that are not crap rap. Look at Lenny Kravitz, Santogold, Jamelia (black UK pop singer), and even producers behind the scenes doing big things without selling out to crap music. We can do better…much better.
Lets be real here: if my family, which consists of 99% of the black population of West Virginia can somehow manage to own an entire city (no, literally), and have owned that land for more than 200 years, as mulattos and Native Americans, why the hell can we not realize that we can be doctors, and lawyers, and college professors and make constant salaries and still live the lavish lifestyle?
Black parents are NOT stepping up. And because they’re not stepping up, I pledge to say outlandish things that sound so backwards and racist until these ignorant mofos figure out that what they’re doing and supporting is truly ruining our chances of progressing any further than the Jim Crow mentality that we can never be as good as whites or Asians at anything.
(sorry about the long post, but I was on my soapbox)
Black people own land in West Virginia?
Yes Ma’am. Its far off country land with one McDonalds, but yes ma’am.
the realities of our situation..the mentalities…the complexities.. frustration with that does not make it okay to make a joke of killing black people. In what way does that help? Drastic, hateful statements do not equal power or revolution or inspiration to change..so
Denied! That card is not accepted here.
* my heaven includes a place where negroes do not feel the need to post their combinations and percentages ( not done yet) detailing their unique heritages….especially when it has NOTHING to do with the conversation…my heaven includes a place where people realize the difference between nationality and ethnicity…and race of which there is only human….sigh*
but it is cool to know something about black people in W. Va.
“Not only am I black, but I am cuban, AND native american…trust, I’d rather see white people shot over a fellow brown person.”
not trying to pick on you ChaoticDIva or at you but how old are you?
It wasn’t a “drastic, hateful” statement it was a hyperbolic joke alluding to the fact that people like Sean Bell who were just trying to do right get killed while people who do everything wrong for the black community keep on living and are praised for their niggerishness.
@ nina, 22
@ Tomato: thank you!
And for the record, I posted my ethnic breakdown to show that there is absolutely no racism coming from this mouth in regards to blacks. If you need to see a photo that proves I am a brown girl and not some extreme white person, that can be arranged.
(reason being, if anybody was reading the black women thread, they would see the comments made by a black woman who we initially thought was some crazed white girl)
CD, i didnt think your comments were racist ( though i did get that why you added your breakdown) I just thought they were callous, insensitive and just to be honest kind of a mockery to the people who get gunned down in our lovely country.
i get the frustration. i share it
i have a rather different definition of what is racist. your post didnt fit my definition
“It wasn’t a “drastic, hateful” statement it was a hyperbolic joke alluding to the fact that people like Sean Bell who were just trying to do right get killed while people who do everything wrong for the black community keep on living and are praised for their niggerishness.”
Yes it was a drastic and hateful statement—to wish that somebody’s sons be murdered??!!???! Murdering black people is not fodder for jokes no matter the level of their buffonnery(sp)…it just isnt. Your argument is flawed. Murdering them ( seriously??!!!!) wouldnt change a damn thing as they will simply be replaced. It also cheapens the death of men gunned down to jokingly wish the same fate on somebody else. Gold star for you and your use of hyperbolic though
How about some reform and education?
I cant believe Im actually discussing why its not okay to joke about random killing of black people. I sooo love my people…to bunches.
mockery of….before some keyboard gangster comes ready to correct me….eff the typing erros..its early morning and i should be sleeping
You still don’t get the point though. No one is saying that we should be killing anyone. It’s like when someone does something stupid to you (pulls your hair or something, I dunno), and you use the expression, “I could kill you!” You don’t literally mean that by any stretch of the imagination it’s just saying something stupid to get attention.
No one wishes someone’s “sons” will be murdered and no one literally means that they should be killed. I don’t know why you can’t understand the logic of that.
And I’m not sure if you were being facetious with your “gold star” comment, but I just write and talk that way. I’m not a layman. Sorry.
Or layperson, if that is less offensive.
@ nina… it would be on a different scale if I were talking to white people about the same thing. No, murder is not right, however, talking to fellow black people, that’s what it takes to get their attention.
Yes, we all want to go about things the diplomatic way, but we’ve been doing it for so long. And to be frank with you, no disrespect to their mothers, but if as mothers they truly cared about their children, they would teach them alot better than they are. No I cannot blame those people solely for their insolence, however, I will say for people that have the opportunity to do much better with their lives, they should.
So the question is: where are Soldier Boy’s parents? Where were Lil Wayne’s parents? Where were all these rappers mothers and fathers to teach them what’s intelligent and what isn’t. Yes, I can be understanding of those who grew up without parents, or in tough situations without good guidance. However, at what point in their life do they feel the need to step up to the plate and stop the stereotypical behavior.
Since Lil Wayne is a hot topic, lets use him as an example. The man is in college, because he wants to further his education and set a good example for the young ones, right? Yet, he still continues to make music about cocaine, hoes, wild partying and pre-marital sex. Kind of oxymoronish? The man is damn near thirty…he should be grown enough to know that he’s not being positive. He should know better by now. If he’s someone’s son, that parent, or guardian, did not teach him what is respectable and what it means to truly step up to the plate and not fall under the influence of drugs, money, fame and the whole crack rock and roll lifestyle.
Yes, again, I know that the whole murder thing is an extreme point, however, sometimes it takes something extreme being said for people to wake up. And please remember, that I’m gearing this towards users who are predominately educated minorities.
Also @ nina…when I mentioned the racist factor, it was in reference to another comment.
@ chaotic - not saying you’re racist, cos i don’t think you are, but you did say on the persians post that you “like persians more than black”… i dunno, but personally i like to stay clear of racial comparisons.
more generally, i hate “hip hop” music videos. they’re all unimaginative, and there’s a limit as to how much diamond encrusted booty i can have shaking in my face. just as well my miserly ass refuses to buy a tv for my dorm, i think i’ll forgo cable too, no matter how badly i want hbo so i can watch more big love… am i the only one who thinks that show is the shit?
* blacks
for your viewing pleasure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ji6qekcLxM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKCTdOO3qGA&feature=user
that second one is the best music vid you’ll see weezy in
I don’t get the obsession with so much of whats really nothing. I showed a few of my younger friends things Timbaland made back in the 90’s when he was with Missy and Genuine, and introduced then to ATCQ. It blew their minds… then they went back to lil whatshisname.
I have a lot of respect for Lauryn Hill. She was in the biz for a good while. Made a damn good record, then decided said adios. I think she’s devoted her life to raising her kids (somewhere around 5) and her family.
I wasn’t aware that that prarie dog lookin ass Ne-Yo had any innate dancing ability, nor that Teddy Riley was a good lyricist. He jammed though.
*cranks that first Guy album*
Yes, you spolke the truth music videos are cliched at the best of times, but hip hop is not even ashamed to put out the same content continually.
I understand that little Wayne is calling himself athe best hip hopper of all time, first of all that is self compliment. It is a sighn of insecurity.
Secondly it does not take much skill to claim you are the best.
Thirdly it sounds like you have been up all night eating the white stuff, Yes cocaine is apt to make you egotistical.
http://stuffgirlslike.wordpress.com
@nick
what’s wrong w/ sampling, especially if its creative. i give him props for using music thats not normally thought of for usage in hip hop samples. and hell, i like daft punk as a group even w/out kanye’s influence. and as for the video, i see it as tribute to akira moreso than a remake, as similar as it was to the movie… however, all this doesnt forgive the fact that kanye is a grade-a asshat -i just like his music as well.
Applause! I love this blog.
Now I will confess, that I listened to Lil Wayne’s cd. I like to experience things before I rag them, with the exception of slavery, rape, etc. Plus I HAD to, since Babyface and Robin Thicke were on this cd. I REALLY liked every single beat on every single song. I even LIKED some of Lil Wayne’s rapping (Im ashamed)
But I know it was wrong, and many of his lyrics were “clever” but didnt make that much sense. (sigh) What bothers me about the rap/r&b videos isnt even the degrading of women (other genres do this as well) Its the constant talk of materialistic bullshit and drugs. Is that all we know and talk about. Im embarassed that people around the world think we all act like.
I HATE BOB JOHNSON (you knew it was coming.)
Chris,
Aside from being absolutely hilarious, fig. 3 says it all!!! love it!
@ Puff…I would like you to meet some of the Persians from the Detroit area then meet some Blacks from the Detroit area…not saying it about all the blacks, but I can tell you there are so many ignorant pricks in my area that I can’t help but to like other ethnicity groups (mainly because I’ve never been black enough to their standards because my grammar is too “white”). A hell of alot of them also dress like A Pimp Named Slickback.
I am disappointed in the fact that there are so many stereotypical blacks that I’ve encountered who happen to have a problem with me because I was raised not to be a stereotype. Every Persian that I’ve met, along with Latino and West Indian, has not passed judgment on me for not being a stereotype.
I don’t mean to bring my personal testimony in this to make things biased, but saying that I like one group more than another doesn’t automatically make me racist.
*Did I mention I have black friends? (lol…that was a joke).
I hate music videos that crap is awful!! I don’t “get” lil Wayne either and I thought everyone knew he and Baby were in a relationship of some kind.. I did hear the Wayne was into syrup eww,eww.(rumurs prolly but ya know the smoke/fire theme) Now I lubs me some Jay….
I like Kanye as well if he’s an asshole then tooooo ehffin bad a brotha got to stand up for himself sometimes!!!
Now as for Bab-bouncey it is true she is not a great singer( better than whispering Janet) but, I won’t say she’s not talented or pretty just sounds damn petty. Seems the chick has her hustle game on, and what? Nothing wrong in peddlin your talent or lack of talent to the masses. Salonge is very talented and I am going to check out her cd in Aug
good day all must work tday
Can’t read all the comments. Have to actually work, but I wanted to say that the Beyonce aside was fabulous!!! And I think I saw someone mention that she can’t dance either… OH MY GOODNESS! If I see her roll her “4 biscuit away from being fat” body one more time I’m going to die. Did anyone see the video for beautiful liar with her and Shakira? (Who told Beyonce to make a spanish album?) They tried really hard to make the two look alike, and I died a little inside.
SIDE BAR and yes Videos suck…
Rich Boy is well educated even though he did not graduate.
He was an electrical engineer major at Tuskegee. I don’t care if he had a 2.5gpa, if you are an electrical engineer and you made it to your junior year you have some brains. (maybe not common sense but he could put together some complex mathematical equations that i couldn’t even understand).
ON my people blog we were trying to put a list together of Rappers who went to college. The list is longer than most people would think…. to name a few:
The Game “UNLV”
Killer MIke “Morehouse”
David Banner “Southern U” i am not sure where he got his masters
2 members of Goodie MOb went to Morris Brown
ICE CUBE Community college
Puffy (howard)
lauryn hill Columbia
a list i saw online of rappers who went to college
plies
lil jon
chamillionaire
paul wall
kanye west
rick ross
common
talib kweli
any one know anyone else?
I think I was subconsciously waiting for this post. The state of hip-hop sucks there is nothing original in the mainstream. Corporate America is determined to turn “ALL” culture in to an endless commercial.
Why does Lil Wayne always sound like he is taking a shit? Why is a grown man running around with a misspelled ‘little’ in front of your name?
@Bassey - Thank you, Beyonce can’t dance either if she weren’t attractive sh would look like a damn fool having a seizure.
@TomatoHead - Hip-hop was considered music, at least artistic, because of poetic content and melodic flow, similar to reggae. Those days are just about gone.
Rap videos = soft porn
The only time I watch videos is on VH1 in the mornings or VH1Soul when I’m visiting friends/family that have it. I used to be a video junkie back in the day. I’d even tape them. Now you can’t pay me to watch that mess. If it weren’t for Lupe and a few others I think I’d give up on rap/hip-hop all together.
It’s so formulaic but the problem is that once this current generation gets tired of it there will be another crop of kiddies that will take to it cause it’s one step above Sesame Street raps. The young ones never had the benefit of hearing good rap and the music industry is bombarding them with this shyt before they ever get a chance. That’s why they think this shyt is good. Don’t get me wrong, I listened to some garbage in my day too but the fact is that I had a choice/variety. There is no variety now.
@ Chaotic Diva I feel you, you and I are in a similar boat…dont back down from your opinions…
After reading all your opinions It is actually very funny to see that there is a common thinking here…Today’s music sucks ass! I cant stand todays music, for the most part I listen to the beats (though 305 Anthem by Pitbull gets me movin…LOL)
I cant listen to Lil’ Wayne…I feel retarded when I do, because I’m striving to understand WTF he’s saying. If I have to do that, I give up, why waste my time on nonsense when I can be listening to Chaka Khan…LOL (I think I just showed my age…)
To me people think a rapper is good because he’s popular. I dont attest to that mode of thinking because I have heard people like KRS-1, Public Enemy, and real rap artist, who give us stories rather than a bunch of self-proclaiming statements that rhyme…
As far as Beyonce goes, I’m glad I’m not alone in my opinion of her skills, everytime I hear her voice cackling I have to change the station or have my brains start turning to mush and leaking out my ears…
Thanks everyone, now I have Irreplaceable in my mind….OH Shit! My brains! NO..NO..NO…duh Beyonce is great!
i wish lil. wayne would do something meaningful with his money….like buy a chin!
I hate Lil Wayne. He is ignorant and his music is offensive. I heard one song where he ranted about killing someone’s grandmother and kids cause he didn’t ‘give a fuck’ That to me is not music, it’s not rhyming, it’s barbaric. now you wanna talk about lyrical genius, look at Roc Boys by Jay-Z. He managed to get played by Steve Harvey because of the double entendre of the song. I think that was what made the songs in the 70’s and 80’s classics. Yeah they talked about the same things that some of these new ’singers’ are saying but they did it with class and used double meaning so that you didn’t feel ashamed about singing it in public. I can’t walk down the street singing feeling on your booty. But I have no proble singing pull up to my bumper. The Grace Jones version not the one by Patra. Sorry I went off topic about rap cause honestly there is no saving it. I gave up on rap years ago and music videos shortly thereafter.
@Landon
Does that list mean they graduated?
I feel like we are starting to sound like our PARENTs (GASP)…
I mean lets think back on a couple of Videos we saw as kids.
ADina Howard - Freak like me
Rump Shaker
any MC Hammer Video
Red Light Special TLC
Tupac - I get around
LL COOl J - doin it
the list goes on…
a bunch of rappers fully clothed even if its 95 degrees (might even wear a fur coat), while women wear nothing. Its been the formula for years. There as only been a few music videos which were truly artistic and creative…
The first was THRILLER BY FAR… but after that what videos come to mind (i am curious) as artisticly genius? MISSY ELLIOT AND the inflatable garbage bags… maybe tip drill as an instruction video for how your daughter can become a stripper?
Jesus walks comes to mind as one that was really well done.