"We will kill you for our women."

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Well, I would only add one more thing to that statement.

We will kill you for our women. . .and our children.

Some additional thoughts regarding Oprah's show, yesterday....













I watched Oprah's show yesterday, and I thought that some of what Russell and the others had to say was valid. What wasn'telaborated on, and I'm not suprised that it wasn't because of whose show it was and who her main concern/demographic/constituency seems to be, was when Common talked about rap having taken a turn at some point. The turn it took was that it went from a genre almost EXCLUSIVELY listened to and purchased by AFrican Americans to one that is now Overwhelmingly purchased by WHITE PEOPLE. Before white people started being the main CONSUMERS of the music, there was not only VARIETY in it, but much of it was CONSCIOUS AND POSITIVE. It wasn't a billion dollar industry, so itdidn't attract ever Tom, Dick and Harpo, who a minute ago were selling drugs and now all of a sudden they want to writerhymes(and who weren't likely to be concerned about selling poison to their own community, no matter the form it comes in), former wanna be pimps, and other assorted rif raff. It attracted people with a REAL artistic/creative bent, because you certainly weren't going to getrich doing it. The minute Crackers became interested in it, the modern day minstrel show mode that many of these rappers are in, went into full effect. Why? Because the stereotypes and imagery panders to the images/views/fantasies that Crackers ALREADY HAD ABOUT Black folks and spent much time and energy promoting about us , through movies/cartoons/t.v, for YEARS, that's why. To the extent that Russell and others like him have PANDERED to that, he should becalled out for that,(though healso signedartists who didn't fit that mold)White people, particularly , white males, are what drives that industry, yet that was somehowconveniently leftout of the discusssion. I wonder why.....




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TheDogon wrote: Love this clip. One thing that a lot of people, particularly ones who have never listened to Malcolm, don't know is how FUNNY he could be, how much he used humor in his speeches. That line he said in reference to Black folks being concerned that Mr. Muhhamad was teaching hatred of white folks, when all Mr. Muhhamad was doing was trying to undo the SELF HATRED that white people were PERPETUALLY teaching Black folks of THEMSELVES, was hilarious, and still appropos for some Black folks who are part of the "save a cracker contingent" to this day. He said: "Here you are, out in the middle of the ocean and can't swim, but worried about someone in the bathtub and can't swim". BWAHAHAHAHHAHA LMBAO ROTFL!!!!!!, as Bacoo would say.....

"The most Disrespected person in AMerica, is the BLack woman, the most Unprotected person in AMerica, is the Black woman, the most Neglected person in America, is the Black woman"-Malcolm X

Same as it ever was, I guess....

Gmahogany...

Interesting that common mentioned the age of hip hop......Don't know if you've heard one of his most popular songs "I used to Love H.E.R.",
listen to it here
*

http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/aud...il.asp?ID=1276

but he alluded to the turn that hip hop took...though he didn't quite go into as much depth as you.


I am glad that hip hop artists and businesmen ad finally hearing and responding to the criticism of the men an dwomen in community who hate the direction the music has taken and are taking a REALISTIC approach to do something to examine and change things.

It's not being driven by outsiders this time....or calvin butts and c. delores tucker...trying to build names for themselves ,etc....

Having said that..the news today is who didn't show up...allegedly jay z..was asked to attend and declined.....I figured lot of big names would refuse to take part....

the men who did attend, I think, didn't present themselves that well..as current participants in the industry....they would not bite the hand that feeds them...gmahogany....

in fact, the attorney, who works outside the machine of the system is the only one who brought up the economic factor....This is the man who "liberated" Prince..from warner brothers..Prince the talented...multi instrumentalist...writes everything..plays everything......owns his masters....etc..lock him in studio for 4 hours come out with 5 complete albums..

if PRINCE(at his commercial peak) was subject to record label pressure...imagine a rapper...

It's their livelihood and like the attorney alluded to....some don't succumb to music industry pressure to make simple minded fluff(because they have the integrity, education, and support)...but many do....

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To clarify for others....* the audio link is not a theft....but part of a true hip hop site that sells singles, cds, clothing etc....

download happy people go overboard..taking money out of rapper's pockets...and then complain when the only ones on the charts are the ones appealing to the lowest common denominator

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Gmahogany. wrote: My problem with Oprah and some other Black folks like her, is that a lot of this sh*t doesn't seem to even make it on their radar screen or concern them UNLESS white folks are part of the equation(interesting cause that's what they accuse the rest of us of doing). It's almost like they are not REALLY concerned withhow the "pathologies" in our community affect us, but rather how those "pathologies" make US,er, THEM, look to white folks. "Ya'll have to stop using the N-word because WHite folks are not allowed to use it and it's not FAIR to them,lol, and other assorted nonsense. It's like BLack people aren't even the focal point or concern really, white people are. Even use of the N-word among Black folks, ends up being about ENTITLEMENT for Crackers.....aint' that a b**ch?????

On a serious note, though. I think thishas do to with political correctness.For example take Denzels reluctance to have sexual scenes with YT women. He always had some acceptable excuse such as "that the demographythat would watch the movie woulddislike such and therefore it wouldunwise to include such a scene".When in fact it might simply have beenso that he wanted nothing to do withYTwomen, which off course is plain insulting toquite a few YT, 1. because black menshouldn't refuse white women 2. They would consider it racist. And Denzels is smarter than sayingit out loud, since that would vase some unwanted attention. SAme things with Oprah, do you how mad YT are why he can't the n-word ? And will therefore fight tooth and nail so that if he can't say i,nobody else should. And discussing whether or notblacks should stop saying n-word becauseYTcan't, would simply take focusaway from the actual issue at hands. Besides the fact that it'sisn't politically correct (which probably weighs heavier). Also note that if Oprah was openly militant or political she would considered an actual threat and treated as such. What she does now is enough, cowardice it might seem, losing a battle isn't much as long as you win the WAR...simply you need to prepared to lose some TO wine more and comprosmise some things at least, that's what I have learned and it has worked until now...

As it is the IMUS commentcan have great and positive outcome. Sure I dislike all the arguments about double standards, but we can squeese rappers as well IMUS atthe same time so, we might as well take oppurtunity. As you said before, walk and chew bubblegum at the same time.As complex as american race relations are (and you know this tentimes as well as I ) do you really think it can better than this ? If not cease the chance...Sure taking the bull by it's horns would be the most effiecient and quick way. But if it's not possiblewhy dwell on it.

Idisagreeon YT's buisness though. YT is as guilty as anyin this (might sound like I am blaming YT again, but this is clearly warranted case). As you might know Ytstands for 70-90% of all sold hip-hop. MEaning that even if every black person stopped buying this shyt, rapperscould still make itand earn cash.So all these YTs talking about double standards as well black supporting rappers need to shut, their (yes let's generalise)support isat least at powerful if not more (let's be honest it is) as black folkss, making them at least equally guilty. Sure I would prefer if blacks (in particularthose that don.t like the depiction but still buys the shyt) didn't buy it, but in the longrun that would not matter. Just my 2 cents....



It's like Paul Mooney, the comedian, whom I otherwise like, deciding to stop using the N-word after Michael Richard's tirade. Richard Pryor, who was like Mooney's BEST friend and writing partner, went to Africa, had a revelation, decided to stop using the word, came back and implored all of his friends and Black folks in general to stop using it, for our own well being(never mentioned Crackers, what they think/might thinkONCE, btw, to his credit), Mooney and the rest of the Blacks in Richard's circle LAUGHED at him and went right on using the word,(for another 30 years in Mooney's case). Fast forward 30 years, a Cracker nuts up on stage,and uses the N-word in the way that Crackers have ALWAYS used the word(long before Mooney OR Richard were even thought of), all of sudden Mooney has a f**king epiphany and decides to stop using the word.....That is absurd to me, not to mention disrespectful to Richard. It's typical of the kind of "view life from the asshole of a whiteman" mentality, many of us suffer from. I for one, reject it, in it's totality.


I get yout point, but it's like Chappelles epiphany when that YT man laughed that loudly. It's sad it might have to go so far, but some just don't see what's wrn unless somebody else does... I think some black folks have forgot, we have forgot the past and what it meant and how it hurt and thus when Richards so blatantly said what he did he openedup some eyes. It's a bit like being on your guard for threatand then relaxing and getting hit in the face at that moment, as if we are so secure that relax and act like there's no threat anymore, I hope you get my analogy. I don't know, this is your area, so I'll butt out. I