Black culture

Weeks ago in history, we were speaking of civil rights, at some point or another, we had to analyze the success of the “black power movement”, you know, the one where many black people (excuse me for not bothering to make any kind of attempt to be “politically correct”) tried to develop their own culture, and being different from the white people in order to avoid assimilation.

Personal opinion:

The movement was a success, they got what they wanted, because there is indeed a culture that appears to be a majority black, the current following of what I’d consider to be conventional hip hop.  As pleasant as this culture is, I have to tell the truth, it’s not pleasant at all.  Why?  Because it’s a barrier, a restriction, limiting society, keeping everyone from developing. In modern times, the stereotypical black person speaks “ebonics”, is uneducated, let’s their pants sag, is dangerous, etc.  I know, every culture has stereotypes, though generally white people are more diverse and appear to have different types of stereotypes that are fulfilled by a majority of white people) either way, all these stereotypes are a hindrance, I just figured I’d go for black culture since it’s one for which I automatically have a foot in the door.

Somehow in this culture, we’ve gotten behind the wrong leaders, our minds have been infected with senselessness, and yet we allow it to continue.  It appears that many of us continue to allow this stuff to go on, never bothering to work up the self-determination, or self-esteem to try to be better, or think for ourselves.  Rap music, what the hell makes it so black? Nothing whatsoever, there isn’t a true divide between music and skin color, the divide comes in the human mind, people decide things like “Oh, if you’re black, you have to enjoy rap” but that’s not the case.  Somehow people still manage to be brainwashed into listening to rap just because they’re black though.

How about we put an end to this?  Many of su attempt to blame our problems on others holding us down, but that’s not the situation.  Our culture holds itself down, we hold each other down.  So few are trying to achieve, so many are trying to settle for the minimum, just to fit in to the standards of society.

One of my role models, Saul Williams, is a black artist, he does poetry as well as music.  I’ve listened to so much of his stuff and it just seems real, you can feel the emotion, truth, and power behind it.  Right now, I wish I could think of a particular song, but right now, the album The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust comes to mind.  In many instances, it points out some of the flaws with the current black culture, but not in an attacking way.  While Saul’s teeth and claws are clearly visible, he still speaks in a way that’s clearly trying to teach and influence.  Peaceful yet aggressive, so to say.  and I really admire that.

Saul’s one of the black celebrities that doesn’t get much prime time because he’s too real.  He doesn’t shit around, or beat around the bush and it appears that some people can’t handle that.  While I’m thinking about it, go check out the song Tr(N)igger, it attempts to explain the lack of responsibility the culture appears to have in general.

In all honesty, I’m not sure if I’m getting my point through right now, hopefully if I have any black readers, then they are at least thinking, and readers of other races will think as well, and realize that not everyone can necessarily fit under a stereotype at all, and to try to stereotype anyone based on race, gender, etc is not only holding them back, but you’re holding yourself back.

Who are our current hip hop leaders?  Lil’ Wayne, Lil’ Boosie, Chamillionaire, and whoever else is big, either way, many of these people are not quite good role models, they don’t try to convince anyone to strive to achieve more.

Who are my hip hop leaders?

Sage Francis, Saul Williams, Buck 65, and generally anyone on the Strange Famous record label is fairly clean, so if you’re into hip hop, check it out, it provides for a different type of thinking, as a matter of fact, it just encourages thinking period.

What we need is to try and do things differently, because restricting ourselves is never going to make anything better.  Let’s take the world and make it grow.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Tags: rap, black, white, predjudice, race, music, hip hop, sage, saul, francis, williams, buck 65, growth, wall, barriers, limits

~ by myronj906 on March 27, 2008.