Before you balk at the notion, give it pause. Don’t try and compromise his campaign size. Kanye is America. His family represents the diversity of our great country. He is in touch with the concerns of the youth, as a millennial at the age of 38. He will energize the base. Even though those of us who purchased Yeezus deserve a tax rebate, but that’s neither here nor there. We all know he can fill a stadium, unlike Donald Trump.

As far as policy? Yeezy got this. Since he admitted he “smoked to take the edge off,” it’s no doubt that the legalization of marijuana is high on the priority list. We don’t have to wonder if he inhaled, either. He can totally outdo Francis Underwood’s “America Works” program with his own “Good Ass Jobs” initiative. Foreign policy? He’s been to France and Italy. That’s enough. Worried about a stolen election? Fear not. We all know Mr. West would throw a tantrum if they pulled an Al Gore on him.

performs/speaks onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards held at Microsoft Theater on August 30, 2015, in Los Angeles, California.

What’s that you say? Mr. West is not qualified because he never finished college and only holds an honorary degree? Well, neither does 2016 Republican Presidential candidate Scott Walker. So let Yeezy rock. All he needs is the right team. Lupe Fiasco has to be his Vice President. Rhymefest the speechwriter, and Common should stump for him. As long as Sway is not the debate moderator, everything should be alright.

[Originally posted at Polite On Society]

The post Kanye West for President in 2020? appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Yet, there are going to be detractors to movies that has central characters of a more infamous nature. Sadiki Kambon called for the boycott of the film over a year ago. Truth Minista Paul Scott notes that the group is totally misogynistic, the music industry is corrupt, and Jerry Heller is a “war criminal who should be brought up on charges of war crimes against the African American community for his role in our genocide.” Oh, and don’t forget the Black-man-hater supreme Christelyn Karazin even had to make a video about it all. So yes, people aren’t going to want this movie to be successful.

My response to this: yawn.

These people are boring and there is a reason why nobody listened and nobody cared.

N.W.A and the Negativity

I mean, let’s get real: N.W.A did make music with a lot of negative situations. If you ever took the time to listen to tracks like “Findum, Fuckem, and Flee” and “I’d Rather Fuck You”, anyone would see the wild sexuality and misogyny dripping from the rap canvas. And I don’t even have to make an account of the songs that were violent and harsh against anybody that stood in their way. Your proof: “Appetite for Destruction” is enough to see the issues that people had with their music. The negativity of the music is there and not much search is needed.

N.W.A Still Catches a Bad Rap

While nobody is really trying to make any euphemistic picture of what N.W.A’s music was all about, I do actually see a lot of people wanting to blame the music and not the conditions. And to me, this is laughable at best. Especially when many don’t note that N.W.A came out during a time of apparent diversity in rap music.

One problem with blaming N.W.A, and any other negativity highlighted in music, is that no one actually approaches any real causes. It is almost as if Black people weren’t dealing with crime, violence, or the mistreatment of (Black) women before gangster rap. Yet, there was violence during the 1960’s and ‘70’s when most popular music was about love. Also, Franklin Zimring of the University of California, Berkeley, found that crime rates across all major cities declined in the “gangsta rap” 1990s to levels more closely resembling those of the big-band era. Let us not forget the issues that plague inner cities (poverty, lack of resources, schools under trepidation, etc.). So, is N.W.A the real cause of the issues we had back then and even today?

Another problem is that, even in the legal sense, it would be hard to blame music for the cause of violence. There has been quite a few court cases where rap music was used as a scapegoat for someone’s criminal actions. Hell, they failed at using 2Pac “Soulja’s Story” as a scapegoat for Ronald Howard’s killing of Officer Billy Davidson in Texas back in 1992. In truth, the only time music was successfully used against a rapper was when it was their own music highlighting their own crimes. As such, the only legal use of music being a cause for violence happens when the rapper is the criminal.

N.W.A vs. Everybody

How can we honestly keep trying to pin the blame on music when the reality existed beforehand? As much as life imitates art, art actually imitates life even more. Blaming rap music for the ills of inner city society has been tried and true for decades. However, whatever protesting and disagreement put out in the world hasn’t done much. And it hasn’t done much because the focus is on the byproduct of the real problems. In the end, blaming N.W.A for situations that existed before them (and they talked about) is scapegoating at its best; at worst, its ignoring problems that existed before and after their influence.

It is always wise to find the cause of a problem instead of blaming the byproduct.

[Originally posted at Chocolate Covered Lies]

The post N.W.A Didn’t Kill Hip Hop or the Black Community appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Really? Where was this concern when  12 Years A Slave was released?

I could be wrong, but it seems like a movie that depicts the brutality of slavery would have raised concerns about potential violence in movie theaters. But, that didn’t happen. As easily afraid of black retribution as some are, you’d think it would have.

But I digress…

Director F. Gary Gray (top center) pictured with Ice Cube (top left) and Dr. Dre (top right) and cast of Straight Outta Compton

Though there is no credible threat of violence, as ABC’s Los Angeles affiliate KABC reports, the concern is that a convergence of gangbangers at screenings could be a recipe for disaster. In other words: There’ll be too many black folks (and there isn’t enough popcorn).

Theaters were beefing up security Thursday ahead of the release of “Straight Outta Compton,” the biopic based on N.W.A.

 

The film depicts gang violence that plagued South Los Angeles in the 1980s, and Los Angeles police worry the violence on the screen will bleed into real life.

 

“Maybe different factions or youngsters from different gangs will show up at the same theater at the same time and that’s always a bad recipe,” LAPD spokesman Andy Smith said.

 

It’s not the first time that a provocative film has prompted security concerns. Other gang-related films like New Jack City and Boyz n the Hood resulted in violence in the city.

 

The film’s distributor released a statement that reads in part: “The studio has not solicited enhanced security for the theaters, which will be showing it this weekend, but has partnered with those exhibitors who have requested support for their location.”

The movie Straight Outta Compton pulled in $22.8 million on Friday. The movie’s Friday debut represents the fifth highest in history for movies released in August according to deadline.com. What that says to me is that the film has crossed over. Which means that there are more white people than black people in theaters watching Straight Outta Compton. Which is scary when you think of all the recent movie theater shootings committed by white men. But, nobody is beefing up security at movie theaters for that reason. Yep, see how that “white privilege” thing works?

Not bad for a movie about a rap group audacious enough to make a song called “Fuck Tha Police” back in the day. Personally,  I would think there would be more fear associated with ISIS and the potential for getting one’s head chopped off.

But, apparently, the rap group N.W.A has left an indelible mark on the American psyche. You know, because, of course, nothing scares “whitey” more than a bunch of black folks with guns at movie theaters watching a Hip Hop movie.

Look, there isn’t going to be any violence at movie theaters because of Straight Outta Compton. Most of the old heads who grew up around that time are either dead, in prison, or tired of cutting our lawns in this heat like I am.

We’re old, and we’re over that – yes, we pay taxes and vote now.

Uh-huh, life is more than just “bitches and money.”

Don’t believe me? Just ask Ice Cube.

As for these young’uns today? They don’t drink “forties” like we did, and they’re standing in circles mimicking women when they do the Nae Nae.

And, they listen to Drake. Which, if you didn’t know, Drake makes music that helps emotionally unstable dudes talk themselves out of suicide.

Sorry, it’s not gonna happen, folks. Yep, no violence during screenings of Straight Outta Compton. Nope, not because of this movie. Now another Madea or Soul Plane movie, maybe (hell, I might even shoot that shit up).

But if you think so, chances are it’s because you’ve bought into the stereotypical image associated with young black males, in general, and Hip Hop culture, in particular, being violent. But don’t let me stop you from being that way.

I understand – you just can’t help being racist.

Yes, it’s racist…

And, it’s the very reason Straight Outta Compton the album and biopic exists.

The post ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Scares White People appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Famous singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter dropped the eponymous album of her name at midnight in December 2013 without any publicity or marketing and she got rave reviews behind one of the tracks entitled “Flawless.”  It featured a segment from a TED talk by author and poet Chimamanda Adiche entitled “We Should all Be Feminists.”  Beyoncé had already garnered the attention of black feminists, but after a performance in which the words FEMINIST were lit up and her purposefully standing in front of them, that was all they needed.  There were whole panel discussions and news segments about how Beyonce was this kind of feminist, but she was really that kind another would argue.  Meanwhile, Beyoncé hadn’t said much about it but the following:

I’ve always considered myself a feminist, although I was always afraid of that word because people put so much on it.  When honestly, it’s very simple. It’s just a person that believes in equality for men and women. Men and women balance each other out, and we have to get to a point where we are comfortable with appreciating each other….  I have the same empathy for women and the pressures we go through. …I consider myself a humanist.

I remember listening to some of the conversations and reading some of the blogs and other essays on the topic and asking myself did Beyoncé ever really say any of this.  Moreover, do we as cultural critics suddenly ignore her entire body of work and only lift up this particular piece because we like it?  I’ll admit this was partly because I remember having a conversation with my Af-Am History professor my senior year of college and she went ballistic over the lyrics to Destiny Child’s “Cater to You.”  I consciously thought about how I felt “Soldier” the previous year painted an troublesome image of what black women were looking for in a man–and how that man certainly wasn’t me since I was enrolled in college.  As they said “If ya status aint ‘hood we aint checkin’ for ya” complete with grills.  One song glorified a very dominant submissive black woman, and another exalted the image of the bad boy thug, a veritable gangsta boo.

People grow and change, and I certainly acknowledge and welcome that, but I think it’s worth looking at the full narrative arc to understand why people make the decisions they do and how we fit into that.  Part of the job of cultural critics is to be able to make meaning, but, that meaning has to be, well, meaningful.  Perhaps Roxane Gay does help me with the feminist piece as to what it looks like to be a “bad feminist” and perhaps Beyoncé could agree with that.  Patricia Hill Collins also gives a Beyoncé the space to operate in what she calls a “distinctive angle of vision.”  I remember a former student helped me out with that because I was having problems with the chronicling that somehow landed Beyoncé as some borderline radical feminist and I felt as though the whole story of Beyoncé wasn’t being told, namely because we didn’t know why she wrote that song and what was her thinking in choosing that song.  Or all the way to other end of the spectrum that indeed someone of her stature has a team of creative people who envisioned that all of that was just nothing but a good combination to sell albums–and sell she did!

I opened with Beyonce partly because she’s fresh on the mind following her performance at the Grammys, but also because she illuminates what I don’t want to with ascribing things to artists that artists didn’t intend.  Although, perhaps, echoing the opening lines of Kendrick Lamar’s single “The Blacker the Berry” I am setting myself up to be the biggest hypocrite of 2015 as well.

Kendrick Lamar, also known as Kdot, showed up on the scene with hot mixtapes that got his name on the scene preparing him a full national released album that dropped fall of 2012 and he’s been riding that wave for the last two years.  Being the featured artist on a number of tracks, and showing he can play with the big boys when it came to controversy (we all still remember his “Control” lyrics) made sure that we all knew who he was and he made sure that he was here to stay.  What made Kendrick stand out from the rest of the pack is that had a story to tell.  Storytelling, as an art form, in hip hop seems to have veered from the main road and landed us in a musical labyrinth in which the latest wrong turn and dead end has resulted in truffle butter being entered into daily language.  Seriously, don’t Google that phrase unless you want to lose your lunch, just take my word for it.

Kendrick in good kid, m.A.A.d city told a great story, growing up and living in Compton.  It was a “day in the life of” feel to it with the hip hop flare.  I’m sure many people my age who didn’t grow up in southern California, let alone in South Central or in Compton pulled images from movies like Boyz in the Hood, Menace II Society, Friday and Baby Boy to populate the story the Kendrick was telling.  Granted dozens of rappers are out there making mix tapes across the country that are just as lyrically talented at Kdot, but none of them have a national audience–Kendrick does.  Not to mention, Kendrick actually was from the West Coast.  We haven’t been blessed with a major rapper from the West Coast that had the same stylistics of rap that many of us remember from that iconic era of gangsta rap in the 1990s.

In 2013, Kendrick had embroiled himself with “controversies” the worst of which was that he was actually dropping diss tracks and coming for the same artists that had now popularized this hip hop-lite era of music with famous faces like Chris Brown and Drake that get the major play time.  For me, I would rather listen to the real life musical reflections of Kendrick than the contrived lifestyle of music by Drake or a Lil’ Wayne who acts as if he’s completely forgotten his hometown.  Just last year, people were clamoring for more from Kendrick, begging for the next album to drop and just last fall we were all treated to a single simply entitled “i.”  The hook simply repeats the self-affirming mantra “I love myself.”  And from that, it seemed as thought Kendrick entered a rarefied space, one where black men of his status don’t enter often, if at all.  The song “i” is from his next album that’s expected its a contrapuntal discourse between life’s vicissitudes and being able to declare self-love for one’s self.

I was moved to write this after scrolling down my Twitter timeline on a sick day, feeling slightly better and seeing a friend comment something about Kendrick Lamar and realize a new single entitled “The Blacker the Berry” has dropped.  I listened to the intro and heard him come in saying “I’m the biggest hypocrite of 2015″ and I knew we were in for it.

The difference between Kendrick and Beyonce is that the former takes the opportunity to make declarative statements with an effective use of personal pronouns that make it clear where he’s coming from.  We know that Kendrick is being overtly political and we don’t need to hear a corollary from the artist to make it plain for us.  By the end of the song, you see that he’s standing in the tradition of the “conscious” rappers of the past such as KRS-1 and Nas who have never had a problem with assailing this country with each word carrying the power of an assassins bullet landing in the hollow institutions of this society merely pocking the facade, never carrying enough weight to even crack the foundation.

Kendrick throws out what the hypocrisy is in the last couplet when he says

So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street?
When gang banging make me kill a nigga blacker than me?
Hypocrite!

and we’re left with the same troublesome question of how can the “I” in the song, which now suddenly functions as a “we” once the hypocrisy is revealed, be mad about the death of Trayvon Martin when “black-on-black” crime exists.  Granted, I’m not buying that argument from Kendrick or anyone else for that matter.  To label crime within the African American community as “black-on-black” and not assign that racial language to a crime when the victim and perpetrator is white or Latino allows many to pathologize a whole racial group and that, as we know, is dangerous.

In full disclosure I felt the need to offer that the whole gist of the song can be viewed as problematic, but because of the Kendrick being an unreliable narrator, I think it leaves the door open to say that clearly him being a hypocrite is problematic, but that there’s more complexities and nuances at play than what it seems.  But for me, that’s not what really stands out.  Him standing in that hip hop tradition of being an acerbic wordsmith that delivers the invective against society is one thing, but his ability to determine his own self-love is something that is virtually unheard of in contemporary hip hop.

We live very much in a post- era.  It’s post-modern, post-church, post-Black, post-Trayvon Martin/Mike Brown/Eric Garner, post-OJ Simpson, post-Reagan, post-9/11, post-civil rights… I could go on.  I would even argue that we live in this post-hip hop era at times given what gets played on the radio these days.  Lyrically these songs are worthy of a smart second or third grader, and the music production sounds all the same.  And the image of black men is still overwhelmingly monolithic.  The way that early hip hop cultural critics decried the “video vixens” and the ways black men portrayed black women and the open misogyny within the lyrics and the imagery of those music videos is still very much the same; the ethos of is hasn’t changed.  Just listen to Drake or Chris Brown’s lyrics.  Meanwhile Usher and Trey Songz almost consistently and universally rap about sex.  I would assert that the image of black maleness and black masculinity that is heard on the radio is determined by how many women (bitches and hos) that these men can actually get in the bed.

Then Kendrick comes around and speaks of self affirmation and self love determined by his existential connection to his community and also to himself.

I’m the biggest hypocrite of 2015
Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean
Been feeling this way since I was 16, came to my senses
You never liked us anyway, fuck your friendship, I meant it
I’m African-American, I’m African
I’m black as the moon, heritage of a small village
Pardon my residence
Came from the bottom of mankind
My hair is nappy, my dick is big, my nose is round and wide
You hate me don’t you?

Yeah, he really said that.  He took the phenotypical stereotypes that have been assigned to being black and the evil history of this country, turned it on its head and owned it.  And I love it.

I don’t think that Kendrick is expecting to change the conversation around black masculinity in this country, let alone around in hip hop, but I think it is worth noting.  I’ve been lately of the opinion that there needs to be a more deliberate reshaping and reforming of black masculinities that doesn’t fall into the trap of heterosexist patriarchal norms and that’s hard to navigate in a world that rewards operating in those norms.  But, I’m also of the opinion that more black men need to be committed to doing that work.  Part of what I believe is that some of disavowal of heterosexist patriarchal norms need to come from black men learning to love themselves–all of themselves.  Not just what they can do,  but actually loving who they be. In the way that we teach our daughters to love their breasts and love their curves and love their hair, I think we need to do a better job of that with our black sons.  And Kendrick does that.  He owns his body image.  He’s a short, nappy haired kid from Compton.  It’s almost that Miss Celie declaration: “I may be black, I may even be ugly, but I’m still here!”

What we do with our black boys is celebrate them.  We throw parties for them, we celebrate when they make the team, older brothers and uncles and fathers celebrate when they lose their virginity, and the celebration aspect has a way of being able to reinforce possibly bad behaviors as well as bad sensibilities toward black women and toward black LGBTQ members.  We love on them, but rarely do we teach them how to love themselves.  We show them how to love on other people, but when we don’t teach our sons how to love themselves, they can’t do it when they enter other relationships.

I just want to be able to say from one black man to another black man that I hear Kendrick, I affirm Kendrick and I love that he was able to express his own self-love.

Black male self-love is a powerful thing.  And yup, I felt a helluva lot blacker after hearing that single, and I’m okay with that.

[Originally posted here]

The post Kendrick Lamar and Black Hip Hop Masculinity appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Here’s Lord Jamar speaking on homosexuality and hip hop recently:

I do NOT care for Lord Jamar or the above mentioned *false* phenomenon.

Lord Jamar

I have talked about the subject on social media, often getting lost in translation due to the limitation of 140 characters on Twitter, and Facebook just not being the best suited forum to express it; the subject being homosexuality and the ideas that some people have regarding it.

The example cited above is socially regressive for the following reasons:

• Hyper masculine values as equally propagated in media has been the underlying cause of much of the catastrophe of our current society. Last time I checked, as we kill each other off, most of the time it’s men and none of these men are wearing skirts orkilts. At this rate, perhaps maybe wearing a skirt is a sign of sanity?
• Men wearing kilts or skirt-like garments did not start with Scottish bagpipe players. It started in Ancient Egypt. Just Google Ancient Egypt and click on “Images”, those “skirts” will be the first thing you see. Yes, now go back to Kanye in his all leather kilt. At least he had on pants up under it.
• Homosexuality is not something that is determined by the clothes a person wears. Lord Jamar’s ideas regarding homosexuality have been based on this type of illogical reasoning. The world couldn’t possibly contain men who do something like put on women’s undergarments (for example) and actually not be “gay”. It’s like, there is a total disregard for the variety of issues that happen daily, in regards to gender identification, are nonexistent because you haven’t personally experienced it. There are parents who are facing this issue with their children everyday- that did NOT choose it- and because of people who have ideas like Lord Jamar- are being bullied and made to live a life where people just can’t leave well enough alone. The world is bigger than your limited view.
• Homosexuality does not define femininity or masculinity, or vice versa. Femininity and masculinity are defined by more than sexual organs and varies across different cultures, as does gender roles. My question is why is it taking the world so long to recognize this? Why is it taking the world so long to grasp the slippery slope fallacy they hold that if people are homosexual, humans will become extinct, all the while, checking the US Census, the only people beating Blacks at procreating are Asians? Why is it taking the world so long to grasp the fact that sex is only limited by those actually participating in the act and you have absolutely no right to have an opinion about the sexual activity of another unless you are indeed interested in having sex with that person?!
• Homosexuality is not something to agree with. You either participate in sex involving the same sex or you don’t. I’m not for or against homosexuality. I have never participated in homosexual sex, nor do I desire to. I have, however, considered doing so, it’s just not appealing to me, though.
• Lord Jamar is a 5-percenter, of which I’m very familiar with as I consider myself to be a 5-percenter as well. 5-percenters know AND teach the truth. If there is one thing I have learned from traveling with the 5% is critical thinking. Lord Jamar insists that homosexuality is against what the Five-Percent Nation teaches as the basic fundamentals of family ( i.e., man, woman and child). However, the problem with this logic is “man, woman, & child” only dictates procreation. Even a person who is homosexual who wants a child knows that in order to procreate it requires a man and a woman. They will either procreate naturally with the opposite sex, go to the sperm bank, hire a surrogate mother or adopt the children ironically who have been abandoned by heterosexual partners. Family is a dynamic structure and functions efficiently in different circumstances BEYOND “man, woman, and child.” An appeal to nature does not help the case because all nature teaches us is that there are a variety of ways to have a “family”. Why it’s taking the world so long to figure this out, I’d like to know as well.
• “Skirts have no place in hip hop”… Does critical thinking have a place in hip hop? “Homosexuality has no place in hip hop.” But rape culture does?

During the rant, Marlon stated that Lord Jamar was waiting on the return of positive message rap. Well, I’m waiting on that too. I just know WHO I’m not waiting on to create it. As long as we have these fallacious and selfish ideas about the complexities of humanity, I’m not sure there will be anything too positive to “rap” about.

Question: Is homosexuality destroying the Black community?

The post Marlon Wayans vs. Lord Jamar: Gays Destroying the Black Community? appeared first on Madness & Reality.

When I first saw the Nicki Minaj artwork, I knew it would start a shit storm. Hell, why would it not? She (or as she says, someone else) blatantly used a picture of Malcolm X in association with music that had nothing to do with him or his image. In fact, it did more to bastardize the image to the general populace that had little understanding of WHY Malcolm’s image should have never been used in the first place. In short, the artwork caused issues because it was simply disrespectful.

It disrespected his legacy, his ambition, and his militant image of diplomacy and equality.

But, I didn’t want to get into it. I knew his family would address the issue.

The family has spoken. According to The New York Daily News, Ilyasah Shabazz was quite insulted by Nicki’s use of the iconic 1964 image of Malcolm X standing at a window holding an M1 Carbine for Ebony magazine as her cover art for her new single “Lookin A– N—-” [1]. More than anybody, the Shabazz family wants no part in this foolishness. Then again, people like Chris Moore (a historian at the Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture in Harlem) didn’t agree with Nicki Minaj either, calling her “wrong-headed” for the foolish move that she made [2]. Easily, all those that know Malcolm best know that associating him with anything “nigga” is not the proper business move to make.

Yet, this is not the biggest issue that I noticed. One of the biggest issues to be noticed was given later on in the referenced article.

According to The New York Daily News, Harlem community organizer Iesha Sekou, who operates student workshops through Street Corner Resources out of Harlem Renaissance High School, was also appalled by the use of the image. She said some students at the school didn’t think the imagery and racial slur were offensive. [3]

This should bother anybody within earshot and ample understanding of historical significance and importance of who Malcolm X is. Yet, seeing that students would not be bothered by this says too much. It clearly notes that too many (not all, but too many) of our students do not understand why Malcolm X was being disrespect in the first place.

Then again, people put Martin Luther King, Jr. on fliers to promote their parties clad with money, jewelry, and other foolishness that adorns everything associated with being “hood”.

And yet, there are people that would rather have Black History Month be tossed out in the trash with our dignity, respect, and the understanding of our historical impact. And that, my good readers, is a bad idea.

Don’t believe me? Hold my beer and watch me break this down:

If you would have taken all of the inventions that are associated with Black people, all of our lives would probably be unbearable and boring.

Frederick M. Jones invented the air conditioning unit. Henry T. Sampson invented the cellular phone. Lawrence P. Ray invented the dust pan. Lewis Latimer invented the electric lamp bulb. L.A. Burr invented the lawn mower.

These are just inventions. The list is even longer than what I mentioned. And that has nothing compared to the other entertainers, politicians, leaders, freedom fighters, and intellects that have lead our people to see more, want more, and do more.

Situations like the one Nicki Minaj has brought us only highlights the importance of making sure our children know and understand how great we are. But we can’t do this by taking away all opportunities to improve this predicament.

One day, kids will realize that some of our people should forever be revered.

‘Nuff Said and ‘Nuff Respect!!!

[Originally posted at Chocolate Covered Lies]

The post Malcolm X Gets No Respect appeared first on Madness & Reality.

No joke, lately I’ve been listening to Kanye’s radio station interviews; which, though they may be all over the place as far as message, they pretty much all come back to the same conclusion: Kanye is a victim and “the man” as represented by corporate world. If you’re to believe Kanye, corporate America won’t allow him to be great — or, a billionaire like the “creative genius” believes he should.

Which, I can kind of sort of understand, but then comes the story that he’s being investigated by p[olice this week for attacking an 18-year-old for hurling racial slurs at his girlfriend Kim Kardashian, as she walked into a Beverly Hills chiropractor’s office as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Kardashian, West’s fiancee and the mother of his child, was going to an appointment in a medical building on Wilshire Boulevard and, as usual, had a load of paparazzi in her wake. The victim tried to help her manage the photogs as she entered the building, then went into the building also, according to TMZ video. “They’re whack, dude. You have to deal with that every day?” he can be heard saying on the way in.

 

Then, according to an account on TMZ, the 18-year-old directed the N-word and gay slurs toward the paps. When Kardashian told him not to use the N-word, he allegedly turned his rant on her, telling her to shut up and calling her, among worse things, a “stupid slut.”

 

Kardashian called West via cellphone, and when the man realized it was Kanye on the phone, he allegedly shouted the N-word at the rapper as well.

 

West then arrived at the building, and witnesses said he and Kim entered the waiting room of a chiropractor, where the man was sitting, and West allegedly punched him.

Now you may say that Kanye was justified in punching this guy. Yes, he was defending his girlfriend’s honor, and I totally get that — after all, this is Kanye West; and, well, he loves his baby momma. I mean, to hear him tell it, Kim Kardashian is hotter that Michelle Obama. Not that there’s anything wrong with thinking that way; but, again, this is Kanye West we’re talking about; and, of late he’s been dropping turds from the mouth; because, we’re “bound to fall in love,” with his ass.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not into disrespecting women, and I doubt I would give any man a pass when it comes to me and mine. I may have some not-so-kind words for the gentleman in question if I were Kanye. But to assault the guy? Yeah, I doubt I’d take it that far. But not Kanye the “new slave” being held down by corporate America. This is Kanye, the guy who isn’t afraid to insert himself into conversations. The same Kanye who on national television had no problem with telling the world that “George W. Bush doesn’t care about black people,” which to me was a signal that Kanye does.

But above all, this is the same Kanye who had no problem with selling $150 t-shirts as well as apparel emboldened with the Confederate Flag. Yes, he loves controversy. But if I had the opportunity to speak to Kanye today, I’d ask: How are you gonna sell clothing with the image of the Confederate Flag which is a symbol of oppression and hate, but yet punch a guy in the face for calling your baby momma, Kim Kardashian, a “nigger lover,” son? I dunno, but that sounds fucked.

I don’t know what he would say in response; but hey, like my man Sway, I don’t have the answers. Hell, maybe I should visit the church of “Yeezianity” to get ’em. But clearly to do so would mean I’d have to compromise my blackness and stan really hard for a white chick, yes?

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However, as much as we fight the powers and privileges-that-be, sometimes I wonder about the internalized oppression-type brainwash that’s constantly inflicted on us day in and day out that’s expressed in harmful, destructive ways, especially when it crosses gender lines.

I came across an article on Black Youth Project written by Charlene Carruthers responding to a Huffpost video about “hoodsites” like – you know – WorldStarHipHop, a website powered on black pathology. She writes how the conversation purposely leaves out gender-based violence:

“I first learned about the segment’s fallout on Twitter and initially dismissed it as the typical “this is a race issue, not a gender issue” argument. After watching the full video, I felt anguish and anger at the conflict and where the conversation ended.

The tension seemed to first emerge after Dr. Cooper introduced the idea that “there is a gender dynamic to this conversation too.” After laying out supporting points to her argument Rhymefest interjected with “Why you so mad?” I was immediately triggered. His remarks echo the “Angry Black Woman” trope often carted out to silence and pathologize Black women. Che “Rhymefest” Smith, seemingly supported by Dr. Lee, laid out arguments that are both problematic and parallel to the messages, practices, policies and strategies which continue to fail to end violence in our communities.

I’m admittedly used to being around and having conversations with dope men who get it. I work with an number of young Black men everyday who understand the value and importance of centering an analysis of gender in all discussions about violence. However, the comfort I feel with them doesn’t serve the broader need to discuss misogyny in Black politics and social justice work…”

Let’s not front here. We live in a society that doesn’t care about women or girls nearly as much as it does for men and boys. And that same mindset exists in African American communities. Racism is, without a doubt- a major problem, but so is sexism and misogyny. We really can not fight racism without being asking who are we fighting for? Are we fighting for black people which include black females and black LGBT members, or are we fighting for black people which usually implies black males first and foremost?

Ya’ll, we really need to ask ourselves tough questions and take a deeper look at what’s going on,, and what and why it’s going on. Of course, there has been activist work on behalf of black men. But since when are black women excluded from the cause? And if and when there is such work, and there is, why is it a bad thing to some of us?

I think part of the reason is that many of us are afraid that addressing gender violence in our communities will lead to negative stereotypes about black men. But when you think about it, it seems more like a concern for image than reality. It sends a morbid message that the protection of the image of black men is more important than saving and supporting black women. And it also says that black women’s issues are no big thing.

I’m not gonna deny the truth that racism against blacks is still kicking. Of course it is. Still, we need to address violence against black women when doing any kind of work that address violence against and among black people. In other words, we need to be real about our own internalized oppressions which include, but are not limited to, sexism. We can not truly be free, unless ALL OF US are free. Period.

The post Fighting Racism, but Being Silent About Gender-based Violence appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Speaking of which, watch the following before continuing:

That said, check out Don Lemon’s diatribe below:

The post Don Lemon “No Talking Points” Puts Black Community On Blast appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Remember the days when you only admitted to drinking socially and smoking a cigarette? Remember when if you were caught with anything other than a Newport in your hand, you ‘passed the dutchie ‘pon the left hand side’ and blamed it on an absent friend when your parents found out about your rebellious indiscretion? Those days are over. Today, if you’re not holding a spliff laced with the ‘good (bad) shit’, “popping Molly’s“, or sniffing a line, you’re clearly not having fun, which these days is referred to being as being  ‘turned up.’ Let’s discuss the facts of this latest drug fad…

Five simple lyrics seemed to start an epidemic that is slowly becoming more and more annoying (and dangerous) to see. “Popped a Molly, I’m sweatin”, from the 2012 single “All Gold Everything” by Trinidad James, suddenly saw new-found interest in Molly. Donned in Gucci slippers, gold teeth, and a face only a mother could love, Trinidad rides around the streets of Georgia on a 10-speed in his video, talking about all of the gold he owns and will acquire in his life; nothing strange there right? Initially, the song didn’t hold my interest, but it wasn’t until I was unable to turn the channel in time, that I listened and took note of the now popular anthem… “Popped a Molly I’m sweatin’. Woo! Popped a Molly, I’m sweatin’. Woo!” While I didn’t know what the hell this man was talking about, I knew that whatever he was popping, it wasn’t an Advil and he wasn’t high off the wonders of a sexy woman. Suddenly rap’s most ratchet sons of Trap were shouting out Molly.

Rick Ross & Trinidad James

After posting a status on Facebook, asking that someone explain what (or who) a Molly is, my notifications blew up. Nobody could believe that I didn’t know what it was, furthermore, that I hadn’t indulged in it.

“You don’t know what Molly is?! Where you been at?”

“It’s pure Ecstasy, no fillers, just the pure stuff.”

“It’s cocaine in pill form.”

Clearly, my social network cronies could seem to agree what it actually is either, so I went to Google.

According to UrbanDictionary.com, Molly (clinical name, MDMA) is supposedly “the purest form of ecstasy.” It’s an upper that gives users a feeling of boundless energy, empathy, affection, and euphoria. It’s a mood enhancer that doesn’t cause withdrawal symptoms and whose properties are even being studied as a possible treatment for PTSD. But don’t get it twisted … recreational use of the drug poses some pretty dangerous risks; including severe anxiety recklessness, seizures, panic attacks, a jacked up cardiovascular system, and loss of consciousness among other dangers.  And while dealers profess to be selling a pure product, there’s no guarantee that it’s not cut with some other drug. In its purest form, it can cause heart problems.  According to a CNN.com article, recreational users who are just starting to partake in Molly’s resurgence, and haven’t (yet) experienced its side-effects, mistakenly think it’s safe to use and are misguided about the risks.

Recently rapper Rick Ross, received deserved backlash and was dropped as Reebok’s spokesperson, after he did a verse bragging about drugging a woman’s champagne with Molly and taking her home and “enjoying that, and she ain’t even know it” in a verse for the song U.O.E.N.O. And while some folks may think that Molly is the cool ‘in’ drug to do for rap fans just discovering it, and it has managed to take the spotlight off sizzurp, U.O.E.N.O. presented the drug in a more ominous light; rather than merely being a party-starter and mood-enhancer, it’s now, apparently, Kryptonite for date-rapists to use.

In a WSBTV.com article, Atlanta DEA agent Harry Sommers said, “(…) Think about the name Molly. It sounds like the girl next door. It sounds innocent. It sounds pure. It sounds OK.”  What none of these entertainers tell you is that this beautiful stranger named Molly isn’t the girl next door; she’s the vixen on the block whose looks can and on some occasions, will kill or pose serious health risks.

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