- Mar 21, 2010
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Again we could talk about what "should" be but what should be isn't reality.... the reality is that a ***** like Boosie in 2023 is gonna have more pull than any young brother talkin some Malcolm x **** in this day & age.
And obviously the media/music/film has played a huge roll in that, but it's also black people continuing to let ****** with no sense of leadership dictate the "culture". Especially the "street culture" those kids in those neighborhoods are the one who need the most assistance & the most upliftment & the people they taught to look up too are the ones filling them with ********.
So no he hasn't started a go fund me to start a revolution, but they'll be the first to label themselves the "big homie, The "voice of the streets", the unofficial mayor of whatever town they in etc etc.... they know ****** follow em, they know they have influence on those youngins in the hood & yet they still go out there & bask in ignorance
And obviously the media/music/film has played a huge roll in that, but it's also black people continuing to let ****** with no sense of leadership dictate the "culture". Especially the "street culture" those kids in those neighborhoods are the one who need the most assistance & the most upliftment & the people they taught to look up too are the ones filling them with ********.
So no he hasn't started a go fund me to start a revolution, but they'll be the first to label themselves the "big homie, The "voice of the streets", the unofficial mayor of whatever town they in etc etc.... they know ****** follow em, they know they have influence on those youngins in the hood & yet they still go out there & bask in ignorance
And none of that has an impact on my life.
What the folks got going on over there is none of my business.
Black people are not a monolith. We come in all kinds.
Some focus on media/music/film and idolize such things. I don't.
Some look to media/music/film to produce our leaders. I ain't.
Some expect those in media/music/film to define Black culture. I won't.
If Boosie has a bigger influence on my son or daughter than I do as their Father, then Boosie aint the problem.
- Apr 27, 2002
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definitely agree…but what do you say to the idea that the influence that entertainers have does impact how you are perceived & thus what opportunities you do & don’t get? as such doesn’t every black person have something at stake with these type things??
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Exactly why I thought Boosie's comment about ownership mattered so much.
We don't control our own image in media/music/film.
Those institutions have been used against us to create a narrative since before "Birth of a Nation" came out.
It ain't up to them to tell our story.
Those that are so heavily influenced by entertainers are not my problem.
I don't cast my pearls amongst swine, argue with fools, nor do I willfully subject myself to the threat of other folk's ignorance.
Tantamount to watching a Kung Fu movie, flying to China, and expecting to see people speaking in subtitles and living in Temples.
Any opportunity that puts me in the proximity of those that would judge me by what Boosie got going, such that their opinions can directly impact my life, is clearly not the opportunity for me.
Personally, I've quit jobs with no other job lined up over things like this.
Identity politics aint my bag...especially when white folks are choosing my identity for me.
- Oct 8, 2002
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Yea but there are less “You’s” than everyone else. That stance leads me to question what you even doing in here. We’re talking about the impact on what black celebrities say on black culture and you talking about you. To keep it a buck, I can count the number of Boosie songs I like on one hand(Weebie >>>>>*). I wrote him off a long time ago, but there a people out here who were raised by women that idolize Boosie because he rapped about putting up with stupid **** in relationships. He may not have and influence on your life, but he might have an influence on your hypothetical daughter’s bf’s life.
You asked me a question about me...who else's opinion/answer should I be giving?
Also - there are way more Black people who could not care less about the "impact of what Black celebrities say on Black culture" than me.
The overwhelming majority of us are way too busy living our lives to be worried about what a Black celebrity (or those that idolize them) got going on.
Black entertainers aren't leaders for anyone other than those that follow them.
Black culture cannot be defined by or limited to media/music/film that's controlled by white folks.
Whole reason I posted that Malcolm X video.
None of this is new Fam.
If someone wants to live like Boosie or skip paying rent to see Beyonce I don't see what being Black has to do with that.
- Oct 8, 2002
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How you gonna ask who else opinion should you be giving, then proceed to tell us what the "overwhelming majority" of us are doing?? You speaking for us or what?
Unfortunately, what YOU see, think or believe isn't the be-all end-all of the black experience. Some of US would attribute ALL of that to being black. Peak blackness, in fact.How you gonna ask who else opinion should you be giving, then proceed to tell us what the "overwhelming majority" of us are doing?? You speaking for us or what?
Sassy!
- May 27, 2017
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The bigger issue is why are we letting entertainers (modern day court jesters) be the voice and "leaders"
About time we start letting academics and scholars be more prominent instead of writing them off as "cornballs" or this battle will never be won and the cycle will continue 100,200,300 years from now.
About time we start letting academics and scholars be more prominent instead of writing them off as "cornballs" or this battle will never be won and the cycle will continue 100,200,300 years from now.
- Apr 27, 2002
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entertainers are the ones that have folk’s, to the aforementioned point made above, limited attention, as they actually have their own lives to attend to. academics & scholars, even when they do engage in the day to day public discourse of popular culture, rarely have the audience or the attention at scale…i would think this would be true across most demographics
- Mar 21, 2010
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Not to mention that most of the “academics” & “scholars” who are embraced in large nowadays are only respected & viewed as such if they’re validated by other white men & institutions
And anybody who differs in that train of thought is invalidated by others who want to keep their positions amongst white society.
And anybody who differs in that train of thought is invalidated by others who want to keep their positions amongst white society.
- Jul 27, 2013
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Nobody's 'letting' Boosie/entertainers dictate the culture, he holds the power and position that he has because he exemplifies what society thinks peak Black masculinity is. You can not blame/fault black people en masse for that
The image and foundation of black masculinity is rooted in white supremist ideology and there hasn't been enough internal work done to repair that. Even then, the idea that Boosie dictates our culture is conjecture based on that same ideology, because most black people know that he's not to be taken seriously
While it's applaudable to not want to be 'victims,' we are where we are because of disenfranchisement and nothing can be challenged until we deal with the root of it
The image and foundation of black masculinity is rooted in white supremist ideology and there hasn't been enough internal work done to repair that. Even then, the idea that Boosie dictates our culture is conjecture based on that same ideology, because most black people know that he's not to be taken seriously
While it's applaudable to not want to be 'victims,' we are where we are because of disenfranchisement and nothing can be challenged until we deal with the root of it
- Mar 21, 2010
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Everyone understands what was done to black people in this country, and how this system tries to railroad black progress in every way imaginable. but at some point it's ON US man.
Nobody is coming to save us, white people aren't going to suddenly stop the hate & try & even the score. We have enough knowledge & history to see what the issues are & see the traps they set & yet people still don't want to take **** into their own hands. More resources, more freedom, more knowledge & visibility then ever before but absolutely zero unity. Anytime someone calls out the **** **** wrong with the culture that we can control, it's a bunch of ***** *** black folk running around trying to act like it isn't wrong or as if we have zero power to change anything.
We could change the culture & what's exemplified by it, Hell hiphop was well on it's way to doing so and then ****** handed it over to other cultures to control and manipulate for the love of money & material ****. I'm tired of ****** who know better acting as if all this ******** is okay.
Overall great interview, but this is the true meaning of an O.G. someone who's been through experiences & recognizes the hardships that got them there, but also growing and loudly ****ting on everything he use to do that was detrimental & trying to actively make a change.
Nobody is coming to save us, white people aren't going to suddenly stop the hate & try & even the score. We have enough knowledge & history to see what the issues are & see the traps they set & yet people still don't want to take **** into their own hands. More resources, more freedom, more knowledge & visibility then ever before but absolutely zero unity. Anytime someone calls out the **** **** wrong with the culture that we can control, it's a bunch of ***** *** black folk running around trying to act like it isn't wrong or as if we have zero power to change anything.
We could change the culture & what's exemplified by it, Hell hiphop was well on it's way to doing so and then ****** handed it over to other cultures to control and manipulate for the love of money & material ****. I'm tired of ****** who know better acting as if all this ******** is okay.
Overall great interview, but this is the true meaning of an O.G. someone who's been through experiences & recognizes the hardships that got them there, but also growing and loudly ****ting on everything he use to do that was detrimental & trying to actively make a change.
- Feb 11, 2008
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dacomeup
Supporter
- Jan 20, 2006
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dacomeup
Supporter
- Jan 20, 2006
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There’s a bit of a romanticization of the past and misrepresentation of what actually happened in this post. There were plenty of people fighting for acceptance back then too. There’s always been a wide variety of ideas on the spectrum of Black Political Thought.
- Mar 21, 2010
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My post doesn't insinuate that it wasn't but back then i could see the logic behind it... fast forward 50 years we're still begging that state appointed officials don't kill us & dealing with **** like entire communities lacking basic living essentials. All the proof is in front of our faces assimilating into white culture has not really been productive for black people overall & if anything it's splintered black unity way more than ever before.
Women vs Men
Light vs Dark
American born vs Carribean/Africa/Latin
Straight Vs Gay
Rich vs Poor
etc etc,
A very small small percentage, got their wish but the large majority is still ****** up
dacomeup
Supporter
- Jan 20, 2006
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But is this a 50 years ago thing? People were doing the same thing 50 years ago that they were pushing for in Jim Crow. I get your broader point, but I do think that acknowledging the broader historical context is important. Everybody’s dream of what getting it right isn’t ever going to look the same either.
- Mar 21, 2010
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There's always been division, there's always going to be division. I would be very hard pressed to believe it's to the point that it's at now. Media has grown, consumerism/Capitalism as an idea has grown, the monetary gap between certain demos of black people have grown etc etc. There's a ton of reasons we could point to but the matter is that the unity is worse than it's ever been & i believe that's by design.
My thing is that we've seen the failures of this method of assimilating and continue to run head first into the same issues over & over again. the ONLY thing that is going to get Black Americans out of the constant cycle is unity..... but so many people are hell bent on trying to fit their way into this current version of society. Maybe that's just the way it has to be....... maybe we are too far gone culturally & splintered up to ever achieve the unity needed. I just think it's plain out crazy that people claim they want change for the community as a whole, but will not seperate from the oppressors & think that they're going to help us out of it.
The Panthers & NOI aren't perfect & definitely had their flaws and failures just like any movement, but they were able to do so much in spite of the times & government interference, because they had legit unity & legit independence. They were willing to work with several different groups & ideologies, but they never let those people hijack & control their movements. They weren't reliant on any political party, they weren't reliant on corporate money, they weren't reliant on handpicked "leaders" given to us by white media & institutions.
Overall they got things done through a unified front of people working towards one goal & protecting it from getting hijacked by oppressors at ALL COST.
since Civil Rights the biggest "black" movement we got was BLM........ i don't even want to get into how bogus of a "movement" that is/was. Straight up Opps at this point
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dacomeup
Supporter
- Jan 20, 2006
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100% in agreement with consumerism, capitalism, etc., driving these wedges even deeper. Plus hyper individualistic America culture at its peak.
What does this look like for you? In reality and in a dream world.
- Feb 11, 2008
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Stepped on version and they're still hooked
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- Jul 27, 2013
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There's always been division, there's always going to be division. I would be very hard pressed to believe it's to the point that it's at now. Media has grown, consumerism/Capitalism as an idea has grown, the monetary gap between certain demos of black people have grown etc etc. There's a ton of reasons we could point to but the matter is that the unity is worse than it's ever been & i believe that's by design.
My thing is that we've seen the failures of this method of assimilating and continue to run head first into the same issues over & over again. the ONLY thing that is going to get Black Americans out of the constant cycle is unity..... but so many people are hell bent on trying to fit their way into this current version of society. Maybe that's just the way it has to be....... maybe we are too far gone culturally & splintered up to ever achieve the unity needed. I just think it's plain out crazy that people claim they want change for the community as a whole, but will not seperate from the oppressors & think that they're going to help us out of it.
The Panthers & NOI aren't perfect & definitely had their flaws and failures just like any movement, but they were able to do so much in spite of the times & government interference, because they had legit unity & legit independence. They were willing to work with several different groups & ideologies, but they never let those people hijack & control their movements. They weren't reliant on any political party, they weren't reliant on corporate money, they weren't reliant on handpicked "leaders" given to us by white media & institutions.
Overall they got things done through a unified front of people working towards one goal & protecting it from getting hijacked by oppressors at ALL COST.
since Civil Rights the biggest "black" movement we got was BLM........ i don't even want to get into how bogus of a "movement" that is/was. Straight up Opps at this point
I think it all goes back to education-- we've got to deconstruct all the social barriers that forcefeed us into internalized racism and hyper-individualism. From the moment we're born, we're retrofitted for this white capitalistic patriarchal system.
Even our attempts to escape it are based on a version of freedom that white men are beholden to. We don't know what it means or looks like to be black, free, from this capitalistic and carceral state, so all we really can do is re-invent it. It takes deep work and collaboration to rebuild our communities in a way that serves all of us and centers the needs of the most marginalized while rebuking all the tenants of this white capitalistic patriarchy. The Panthers were close, but not organized or inclusive enough to beat challenges from the state. NOI was organized, but not inclusive in any way that mattered. Those organizations thrived because of great leaders who understood the political dynamics of the times and could bring people together-- we can do similar work in our communities, we just gotta organize and educate ourselves on what's really goin' on so we can learn and build on past movements.
it's trite and not as visceral of an action that most people want, but we need to find out what the needs are in our communities, teach youth how to organize, get them well read and build local power where we are.
- Jan 16, 2011
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The analysis of the failures of these movements often fails to mention that their vision was limited to controlling their neighborhoods, which were and continue to be governed by local laws, and which have been or could be superseded by state/federal laws that were crafted, voted on, and implemented by governmental bodies the BPP and NOI didn't have access to. The power of these organizations was not only limited; it was also subject to the whim of whichever state assembly/federal Congress ended up controlling the legislative process.
This, to me, is a fundamental counterargument to the idea that Black people were better off not integrating American society, and I haven't yet seen a realistic and pragmatic argument that has convinced me otherwise.
And let's not forget: plenty of black folks worked to infiltrate and take down pro-Black organizations from within, so I think a sober reading of that era should temper our idea of how much unity there was at the time. MLK polled very poorly when he was alive...
Don't Forget That Martin Luther King Jr. Was Once Denounced as an Extremist
King and the civil rights movement did not have the public support we might like to imagine they did
time.com
