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Another Thought
Process Edition:
EXHALE- Part 2!!
Written by: Oa'Toya James
Rapindustry.com
Disclaimer: This article is strictly based on MY opinion. I realize that this
may not be the feelings of you, the reader. You are entitled to your opinion
on this subject matter.
Thanks for tuning in, and now to our show that is already in progress…
“I am not a role model”, that what’s most artist will say. But the truth of the matter is, that you are. No doubt, at that very moment you made that statement, some kid was saying, “I wanna be just like…” So like it or not, you are a role model. You didn’t set out to be one, but it came with the fame and recognition. And when you think about it, why wouldn’t a kid look up to you? I mean, you made it from the hood, survived the streets against all odds. Turned nothing into something. Now you got big thangs popping! So, yeah, that makes you a role model. Not that you should be held responsible for everything that kid does. But keep in mind that you do have those eyes watching and taking notes on what you do or say. Do you feel some sort of responsibility? I think you should. Because it’s much bigger than you. We have obligations to, if not anybody else, our communities. Since we are our own allies, we are responsible for our success and failures.
Like it or not, rap artist have become representatives for African Americans. Through, rap music, they are the ones who are seen and heard most from our race. I’m guessing not many people know who Al Sharpton is in Japan, but I bet they know T.I. Hip Hop is worldwide! Having said that, I believe we as black people, have to (or should want to) make sure we aren’t damaging our image to those who don’t have any other knowledge of who we are as a people, other than what they read, hear and see through our music. That is why I agree with PARTIAL Censorship of rap music.
Partial censorship, which for me are those three words mention in the previous article. I don’t want rap to be totally censored. Freedom of speech is vital to real music that speaks to people. Not only that, I wouldn’t like it if artists were MADE to take it out of their music. But I’d appreciate it if they CHOSE to come together on this and say, I want to be apart of representing my people in a positive manner. So, I’m not going to use those words in my music for the sake of African Americans women and us as a people. What’s wrong with that?
Russell Simmons stated: “We recommend that the recording and broadcast industries voluntarily remove/bleep/delete the misogynistic words “bitch” and “Hoe” and the racially offensive word “Nigger”. Why those three particular words, because of their correlation to African Americans.
You can argue with me all day long that “Bitch” or “Hoe” is just not specific to Blacks! And that’s true. Anybody can act like or be a bitch or a hoe. But, I have never heard those words in any white band songs, be it rock, pop or country. I can’t recall a white movie where the guys referred to their women as Bitches and Hoes. Now, back to us. In our music, how often are those words used? How about our movies? That’s just a fact that can be proven! Sorry, it’s sad but its reality.
It’s rare in rap music that you hear women being referred to as “Ladies, Girls or Women!” I remember when Tupac and Delores Tucker went at it over the use of those words when referring to women. At the time I was young. And my take on it was, as long as I don’t hear my name before or after, then they are not talking about me. Besides, I know who I am, enough not to let general verbiage stick and apply to me. That was my opinion. It has since changed. Because its not like it’s one here, one there. It’s in the majority of the songs and it’s so common, and natural for guys to refer to women as a bitch or a hoe that we (Black Women) all fall in that category. If we refer to our women as “bitches” and “hoes” in our movies and music, then what stops others from viewing us as “bitches” and “hoes”? It came natural for Don Imus too. When he called Rutgers Women’s Basketball team some “Nappy Headed Hoes”. I know at this very moment, people are going off, saying, that his comment had nothing to do with rap music! He’s just a racist, ignorant man who should have been fired for making that general comment about a group of black women! How dare he call Black women hoes! And then on the air, in front of thousands of listeners, for as he said, entertainment purposes! If you are mad about that, (AND YOU SHOULD BE) what part are you most upset about? The fact that he called them Hoes or Nappy headed hoes? Because we hear women being referred to as Hoes all the time!!! And, it’s done in the same manner. It’s for entertainment, in front of millions of listeners, and speaking to no particular woman, just in general. And nobody gets upset about it! What’s the difference! Are rappers the only ones who get passes to call women out their names? I’m not saying that rap music is to blame for his remarks. I’m just saying let’s call a fair game. A foul is a foul, no matter what team commits it.
It bothers me that these words are said without any type of regard for the harm that they cause. Now, I have to let you know, that I am guilty of using those words too. It’s not something that I’m proud of, but like most, I am a product of my environment. Where I grew up those words was used loosely and consistently. So unfortunately, I picked up some bad language. But, I can say that I have never ever curse in front of the elderly nor do I curse around people who don’t curse. That’s just out of respect. But most importantly, I have never, ever called someone or said “nigga” around someone outside of my race, in particular white people! I don’t want anybody to get the wrong idea! That’s not how I see myself nor my people. That’s just a bad habit that I have picked up and need to put down! It’s embarrassing to be an African American and to be around another African American calling someone a “Nigga” in front of people of a different race!
“Nigger”, of course, is what we were (are) called by our sick white brothers. You can put all kind of spins on what “Nigga” means all day long. “When I say it I’m saying”, whatever. Why do we have to take a word that was derogatory to us and change it into something we want to say is cool. Blacks are the only people who were stripped of our culture, language included, upon entering this country. (Stripped, meaning there was not an option! By the very people who termed us “Niggers”) But Blacks are unique in that we are the only people (that I know of) who created a whole new culture! Our vocabulary changes regularly! We come up with all kinds of slang words that mean different things all the time! And they come and go. So why are we hanging on to “Nigga”. Maya Angelou gave this analogy; Say you have a bottle of poison, and its labeled as such. If you get another, unmarked bottle and pour that poison into it, is it still poison? Yes it is! The bottle has changed, but not the contents. Except now since its not labeled, you may FORGET that its poison, which makes it even more dangerous! We fought to (among other things) not be called “Nigger” now people are fighting to keep saying “Nigga”. I don’t get it!
I think the key word to Russell’s statement is Voluntarily. You should voluntarily, as a black artist, want to cease or decrease the use of those words. We should have some respect for ourselves! As I stated before, it’s not like it’s the main ingredient to making a song a hot 100. Hey, when a cook is without a particular seasonings, he or she usually can find something else to give you that same flavor. If they are good cooks, you can’t even taste the difference! That is of course, the Good Cooks!
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