THE RAMEY COMMENTARIES: THE ALICIA KEYS SHUFFLE
By Mike Ramey

High profile person makes comment; gets call from thestring pullers that his/her comments are bad for business; high profile person recants or says that they mispoke, even though their comments are on tape,video, AND DVD!

It's nice to know that the formula doesn't change. MSNBC reported on its website that Alicia Keys is nowdenying (backing away from, recanting) that she didn'tsay what she said in her Blender magazine interviewabout Gangsta Rap. According to an AP story, aspokesperson for Blender Magazine is standing by theirstory. Now, I'm not one to get excited. Somehow, someone atthe gatekeeper's desk let the truth 'slip out' inorder to boost, a) Keys' sales, and; b) the genre ofGangsta Rap, which has been slipping in sales for thelast FIVE years, even though the 'big name playahs' ofboth the male and female ranks have been still makingmoney by diversification of their business portfolios.Meanwhile, those who have been dying on the streetsas a result of those who have been 'fueled' by therage of Gangsta Rap, are still dead, and Black men andwomen are--through the miracle of techonology--EAGERLYdisrespecting one another...for the sake of a buck.

Let this be a clear lesson for media watchers andthose who want to be famous, regardless of what venueyou wish to conquer. Unless you have some of your ownintestinal fortitutde, your decisions, comments, oreven political office are going to be 'monitored' bythe blowing of the wind against your moistened indexfinger. Disappointed? Not really. I was wondering when thetruth about 'her truth' would be coming out. With themusic industry in a slump thanks to downloading andother 'tech toys' and a sour economy, the cashregisters are starting to come up dry. The powersthat be snuffed out her 'militant' streak when theirprofits were in danger. Just like in the Book of Actswhen the Apostle Paul cast the demon out of the girlwho could tell fortunes, her 'handlers'--the folk whomade money off this young woman soothsayer--demandedfinancial justice...even IF the truth were madepublic. Paul had to be locked up, because he ruinedtheir cash flow. The same is still true today.

Thus, Alicia Keys 'may' have told the truth aboutGangsta Rap, but the high priests of the musicindustry ordered the matter closed. Maybe she'mispoke', but by recanting...nobody will be setfree--because of the money. Expect her sales tosuffer as well in the long term. Sometimes, it doesn't hurt to be a 'ConspiracyTheorist'. After all, they usually manage to outlivethe conspiracy, through the grace of God and throughkeeping an eye on history so as to learn from it, andnot repeat it.