When Jay Z said back in the day “Streets Is Watching,” obviously beyond the metaphor, he knew that there are few black named streets and cats own no blocks. Surely the fact of the matter he could’ve used when it comes to the rap game the “Kids Is Always Watching” regardless. Now the youth is watching cats 10, 20 and 30 years older than them that appear insane. Amerikkka claps loudest when black folks exhibit our worst. Or should I say white folks have been applauding when black people in public have been terrible. Or perhaps the world is puzzled when Amerikkkans appear to be at an all-time dumbstate.
This piece transcends the normal Hip-Hop column, you tell me. From R Kelly-Jay-Z fiasco, the Vibe awards, ODB’s (R.I.P.) treatment after his passing, the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Piston riot…it shows that niggros don’t know how to act and thus are even rewarded with twisted publicity in the process. All of this comes under the fresh 4-year shadow of the second coming of son of a Bush.
On the Vibe Awards, as much as I love Mr. Quincy Jones, the magazine has always been a comic rag. The man has done so much, so he shouldn’t feel the need to tell these cats he’s an O.O.G. from Chicago. Let them elevate, because a fake ass gangster don’t appreciate.
Dr. Dre, who I’ve known for years, is a nice guy who has co-signed so much niggitive on the black race, how can he not expect that karma to somehow circle around? There’s never peace if you never loved it from jump. And we can’t blame Suge for everything can we? What was going around in Young Buck’s mind stabbing a cat in front of national cameras? Being that he’s signed to 50 Cent, who’s from Eminem ,who’s from Dre, shouldn’t head white man Jimmy Iovine train these people since he stands to profit whether the artist is dead, alive, jailed, or roaming in the so-called streets?
I’ve commented on the Shyne debacle of someone who gets a bidding war and a fat contract while doing time as if he absorbed Millennium Robert Johnson twisted blessings. Beanie Sigel does five videos on his way into jail, to keep the streets hot so he can be celebrated when he gets out. Over a million and a half folks in jail, but should the have-nots support rappers or celebrities that do short bids, when many don’t have the opportunity or clarity to see it for what it is?
Like who gives a f**k really? The rap entourages become bigger as times become harder, cats show off their excesses more, and bodyguard security gets more massive. Cats are saying all the worst s**t about each other in the press, TV, magazines, recordings, while never doing eye-to-eye anything, because they’re buffered by their well-paid personal armies. You will never see Ja Rule, 50, or JD in your local supermarket picking up some milk for the family, yet they supposed to represent the increasing have-nots, while showing off what they got?
Too much dollars time and no sense, had frustrated, burnt out Ron Artest looking for a break from an NBA career to promote his R&B group. It’s because he has to spit what’s on his mind because ESPN’s three 24-hour networks ain’t enough platform for him. Nah, maybe it’s a message to the hood, or I should say black people. A fight is a fight, but the rumble at that Detroit ball game is what the masses of Amerikkkans that re-elected Son of a Bush expect out of the projected, privileged, protected, financed, and endorsed black male. It was as if cats acted out their wildest rap fight, video game, gangster rollin,’ WWF fantasy. And the fans that pay to see the thugworld overlap into the game, get close to their money makin cats in action. It’s as ‘the worst of both worlds’ – rap and basketball – emerged to say that they are no longer enough. And anyone who doesn’t think racism plays in any of this, peep it. The coaches, managers, general executives, record presidents, and of course lawyer’s who MADE them ALL sign a contract, but claim to can’t make them do little else as they profit off them, now start to shake a bit as their high priced slaves seem out of control.
They wouldn’t allow many of these cats in their cribs. Neither will many of you that read this piece. Besides they’re the new elitist haves. Why would they give a damn about you “have nots?” It’s a shame that there the complaints about the big “white man” David Stern putting the smackdown on basketball, as the other big “white man” Bush says “WHAT” to Amerikkka, the world, and Democrats way harder than the rap Noreaga. Now with all the ‘zoo’ madness does hip-hop expect a big ‘white man’ to restore order to the form past his profits? You tell me…
R. I. P. ODB. My thoughts are that I’d already been saddened since his release from prison. I had heard from inside sources that he had been kind of unstable and that he was signed by the ROC c mp. Just judging from the sources and the interviews he was doing, you could hear cries for help, but don’t let me be the in-retrospector. It’s just that I felt that the Wu Tang camp stabilized him somewhat, and alone it could’ve been a bit cloudy. All this Dirt McGirt talk and Roc-A-Fella trying to ready his release showed the exploitation of an unstable mind and soul.
I think just feeding an unstable condition money, and opportunity just isn’t enough to fix s**t without repairing or at least recognizing the ill. Flav was really affected as he was offering his help to ODB and was about to do collab. Let his soul rest…and not make everything seem like entertainment in ones life.
Chuck D
mistachuck@rapstation.com
