Wonderful article from wiretapmag.org re: Hip Hop Lyrics

[Bold Soul]

Being Pimped Ain't Easy (http://www.wiretapmag.org/story.html?StoryID=15531)

Moya Bailey, WireTap
March 31, 2003

Last year, rapper Nelly was ejected from a mall for being in violation of the mall dress code. He was wearing a do-rag. The local National Action Network, a Black civil rights group, was all over it. Showing up at the mall the following day 150-strong, wearing bandanas and do-rags, they accused the mall of promoting a racist policy towards African-Americans. Reverend Al Sharpton, president of the organization, issued a travel advisory, warning Black people not to patronize the mall because of its discriminatory practices.

The Black community was ready to rally to Nelly's aid for being thrown out of a mall, but has remained eerily silent about the blatant misogyny in his lyrics.


Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge believer in free speech and know that Nelly has every legal right to call me and my Black sisters "bitches and ho's." I just don't understand why the leadership in the Black community thinks that it is okay.


Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin recently attended a fundraising event for a charity founded by locally based rap superstar Ludacris. This followed the controversy surrounding his being dropped from Pepsi as an endorser because of his sexually explicit lyrics. She said that his charity was separate from his music and since the two weren't connected she could support his foundation. It seems Black women are so undervalued in this society that not even we will fight for ourselves.


These are a few examples in a long list of instances where misogyny, patriarchy, and the degradation of Black women in rap music is ignored or overlooked by the bigwigs in the Black community. The Grammys have even come to embrace these negative aspects of hip-hop music, nominating for an award Nelly's "Hot in Herre" in which he instructs women to take off their clothes and asks "what good is all the fame if you ain't f-----g models?"


To be fair, these lyrics are surprisingly tame when compared to others or even the visual images accompanying such a song. As scantily clad women gyrate around fully clothed slightly swaying men, the message is clear: Women are simply sex objects to be ogled and had. Put most succinctly by rapidly rising 50 Cent: "I'm into having sex, ain't into making love."


R. Kelly, provider of such R & B gems as "Feelin' On Your Booty" and " The Greatest Sex," is reaping benefits from his high profile child pornography accusations. He continues to produce music and the profits continue to roll in. As a friend astutely pointed out, had the videotape revealed Kelly having consensual sex with an underage boy, the community would be in an uproar. But because it was a girl, she has been dismissed as another oversexed fan that knew what she was doing.


It's not fair. It's not fair that these male rappers continue to demonize and brutalize women in songs and videos and the female voices who try to challenge these characterizations are silenced. Poet and activist Sarah Jones, daughter of legendary poet/activist LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka), released a single called "Your Revolution . . ." The song draws inspiration from "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott Heron. She took sexist misogynistic lyrics from existing songs that get radio play and wove them into a declaration of how she will not be used and mistreated. When her song was banned by the FCC, no Black leaders came to her aid.


Hip-hop's irreverence towards women is now being used as a marketing ploy. In a recent Heineken ad, Rapper Jay-Z dismisses his female guest's request for a drink refill, opting instead to get himself a Heineken. There seems to be a complete lack of criticism of this new advertising trend from men and even women journalists.


As far as I can tell, the best way to combat these negative images of women in lyrics and videos is to hurt the industry in the pocket by not buying this music anymore. The music industry is being upheld right now by hip-hop, and a severe dip in sales might be the warning needed for artists and record companies to change their ways. I'm not saying you can't listen anymore. You can download artists that don't need to be supported and buy the records of those who do. It is important that you only use your buying power to support artists who do not present misogynistic views of Black women.


I know it's hard. I have been known to bump the Ignition remix on my computer. That's why providing alternative artists and songs is so important. We can write our own songs, create our own beats. Producing lyrics and images that counter this misogyny is a step we all can take.


"Producing lyrics and images that counter this misogyny is a step we all can take."

I'm going to make my own CD. I'm going to call it "Being Pimped Ain't Easy." Look out for hot tracks like "I'm Not A Ho," "Why Can't I Be Fully Clothed?," "I Don't Want Your STDs," and "I Don't Want to Date a Playa Because..." I'm going to have a hot video too. I'm going to rock the ice (of the H2O variety), show off all my cars (at a Mercedes dealership), and have male dancers (oiled up and grinding on each other, barely clad). Maybe that's what it will take to get some support from the leadership in the Black community.


Moya Bailey is a rising junior Comparative Women's Studies/Pre-Med major at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.

http://www.wiretapmag.org/story.html?StoryID=15531

[Bold Soul]

Smart woman, this Moya Bailey.

[MC]

Originally posted by Bold Soul:
It's not fair that these male rappers continue to demonize and brutalize women in songs and videos. Interesting Article. :D , but I disagree with this. I just feel that people are responsible for their own actions. Those freaks know GOOD AND WELL what they're doing. Maybe it's me.

[Shalewa]

Originally posted by Bold Soul:
Smart woman, this Moya Bailey. We Spelman women often are. Thanks for posting this article.


MJC,

I don't read the article as saying the creators of these records don't know what they are doing. I read it as saying that their behavior is casually accepted on all levels of the Black community, even by women in positions of political power. She is saying that we are too often collaborators in our own oppression. That we are all deeply, deeply scarred by patriarchy. That the deeply held attachment to a the bullshit ideal that liberation for Black folks corresponds to or is dependent on Black men being in patriarchal domination of Black women has so clouded our communal thinking that we not only continue to consume the product and messages, we offer the protection of the community to the very folks who perpetuate the misogynistic, fatalistic, grossly materialistic, nihilist crud that passes for Hip Hop we deny it to those who would speak with force against it. Moya is right, it is not fair. It is insane and self destructive and evidence of our deeply scarred collective psyche.

[ May 05, 2003, 10:05 PM: Message edited by: Shalewa ]

[MC]

Originally posted by Shalewa:
[QUOTE]MJC,I don't read the article as saying the creators of these records don't know what they are doing. I read it as saying that their behavior is casually accepted on all levels of the Black community, even by women in positions of political power. She is saying that we are too often collaborators in our own oppression. That we are all deeply, deeply scarred by patriarchy. That the deeply held attachment to a the bullshit ideal that liberation for Black folks corresponds to or is dependent on Black men being in patriarchal domination of Black women has so clouded our communal thinking that we not only continue to consume the product and messages, we offer the protection of the community to the very folks who perpetuate the misogynistic, fatalistic, grossly materialistic, nihilist crud that passes for Hip Hop we deny it to those who would speak with force against it. Moya is right, it is not fair. It is insane and self destructive and evidence of our deeply scarred collective psyche. I can respect how you read it, but I read it the other way.

[ May 06, 2003, 12:33 AM: Message edited by: Michael J. Carmona ]

[Shalewa]

What other way? I read what Bailey wrote and I am totally confounded by your statement. Are you calling the women in the videos freaks? Are you saying that the directors of the videos, the performers being marketed and the corporations making billions are not responsible for the programming (Think about what this word signifies!!!!!) they send into the marketplace, but that the often unpaid women and girls in the videos are? Hmmmmm, I think you just proved the writer's point. Hmmmm, I think that your response falls right in line with the thinking that she decries in this statement, "just because it was a girl, she has been dismissed as another oversexed fan [or model in a video] that knew what she was doing." Psychically scarred indeed. :(

[Bold Soul]

I think the direction of Bailey's piece is quite literal. Not certain how it can be taken any other way.

[D J 1 3 8]

Originally posted by Bold Soul:
I know it's hard. I have been known to bump the Ignition remix on my computer. That's why providing alternative artists and songs is so important. We can write our own songs, create our own beats. Producing lyrics and images that counter this misogyny is a step we all can take.

She offers an interesting solution, from an ethical standpoint. Saying it is OK to like R Kelly, as long as you're stealing his music rather than buying it is a weird position to take. Not that a whole hell of a lot of ghetto folks have computers, mind you, but I suppose you could include bootleg CDs in this category of acceptable theft.

However, I don't mean to discount her writing in any way (or be "contrary", as I was recently accused). she makes some really valid points. I agree that the only real power we have to combat things we find offensive is the power of the dollar.

What's interesting to me is that many of us, myself included, can't reconcile our moral positions with our simple love of bumpin' music, no matter what the message. I've always had a similar inner tug of war concerning a lot of dancehall lyrics. I used to play reggae a few nights a week, and there are often times when the hottest joint out is literally about killing homosexuals. I even knew a prominent reggae journalist for Vibe who would rail against the anti-gay lyrics in the magazine (admirably so), but when i went to Jamaica with him he was buying up all the rugged tunes, including those about killing gays.

[D J 1 3 8]

BTW, Thanks for posting this, Bold smile.gif

[mhd]

great article from a young mind. gotta agree with her comment about kelly, if he were filmed with a young boy instead of a young girl

[MC]

Originally posted by Shalewa:
Are you calling the women in the videos freaks? Not all are freaks, but I'm sure there are several in the crowd.



Originally posted by Shalewa:
Unpaid women and girls in the videos ?Do you think that girl in Nelly's video taking off her clothes ("Hot in Herre") is being demonized or brutalized? You don't think she wants the fame? Or what about any other video that features women showing alot of skin? These chicks know they aren't gonna get paid, but they agree to it anyway (Is that the artist's fault or the producer?) These people want to called "Ladies", but damn they should be more responsible for their own actions(?), but no they keep showing up to the video shoots?

[ May 06, 2003, 10:56 AM: Message edited by: Michael J. Carmona ]

[DeesKo]

I think the overall point the writer is trying to make is that people are QUICK to get up in arms over something like Nelly not being able to wear a bandana in a mall but when it comes to issues of subjugating women on daily basis via all types of activities, no one gives a damn.

We're going to issue a nation wide ban against a mall because they attempted to subjugate Nelly for being a young african american man but we're not going to ban an artist, producer, label etc for subjugating a young african american woman which is far more detrimental to our community and society as a whole. My responses to your specific comments below :


Originally posted by Michael J. Carmona:
Do you think that girl in Nelly's video taking off her clothes ("Hot in Herre") is being demonized or brutalized? You don't think she wants the fame?

That's exactly the point the writer is trying to make is that this type of mentality, this willingness to act in this manner, the desire to "play yourself" to catch some fame by showing off your breasts in public is stronger than the desire to be known as a strong, intelligent woman because of the way females have been portrayed and treated over the years.


Or what about any other video that features women showing alot of skin? These chicks know they aren't gonna get paid, but they agree to it anyway (Is that the artist's fault or the producer?)

The writers point, again is that its societies fault because we haven't taught our young ladies that there is a better way.

Through our collective actions we've taught them that success for them in this country equals them being allowed to run around a video set with no clothes on. That's the extent of their goals because we've taught them that should they desire to be seen as anything other than a "hoe", we won't accept them, stand behind them much less support them....


... but we'll definitely make sure Nelly can wear a bandana in a mall.

....just my opinion based on the article.

Peace

[Bold Soul]

Originally posted by DJ 138:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Bold Soul:
I know it's hard. I have been known to bump the Ignition remix on my computer. That's why providing alternative artists and songs is so important. We can write our own songs, create our own beats. Producing lyrics and images that counter this misogyny is a step we all can take.

She offers an interesting solution, from an ethical standpoint. Saying it is OK to like R Kelly, as long as you're stealing his music rather than buying it is a weird position to take. Not that a whole hell of a lot of ghetto folks have computers, mind you, but I suppose you could include bootleg CDs in this category of acceptable theft.

However, I don't mean to discount her writing in any way (or be "contrary", as I was recently accused). she makes some really valid points. I agree that the only real power we have to combat things we find offensive is the power of the dollar.

What's interesting to me is that many of us, myself included, can't reconcile our moral positions with our simple love of bumpin' music, no matter what the message. I've always had a similar inner tug of war concerning a lot of dancehall lyrics. I used to play reggae a few nights a week, and there are often times when the hottest joint out is literally about killing homosexuals. I even knew a prominent reggae journalist for Vibe who would rail against the anti-gay lyrics in the magazine (admirably so), but when i went to Jamaica with him he was buying up all the rugged tunes, including those about killing gays. </font>[/QUOTE]Not to be picky, but that quote did not come from me.

Please carry on.

[TAD]

i think Mr. Carmona feels that it's not the fault of society, but of the children themselves probably in tandem with bad parenting. trying to convince him otherwise will require a great deal of patience & determination. :(

[drilla]

this is a wonderful article. thanks for posting this.

she has alot of great points and breaks it down exactly how it is in this day and age.

one thing that she commented on that i see often with people into music is about buying and supporting artists that are negative.

if one wants the music industry to change or provide more of a certain genre and less of another...don't buy one and buy the other.

i rock hiphop and am know for this around these parts...people ask me to play fifty cent and i tell them i dont have/own that...i usually continue to say that i dont really support much, if any commercial hiphop music. my main reason for doing this is that i think it is highly negative and i just wont do it...even it that is what heads want...

id rather not dj.

anyway...dope article. nice shout out to sarah jones...that track she made got me open and still does.

[Koffy Brown]

Great point Deesko!!

[Bold Soul]

Society creates images that reflect a perception of itself. These images, then reflected back on society, continue to influence the creation of images.

Who can not see this cycle? Those who are conditioned by said images in the first place. The Nellys, the Jay-Zs, the 50 Cents and the "hoes" who tend to the creation of these images cannot feel the effects of their own conditioning - at least not to the point where the desire to resist occurs.

Also, I would argue that those who raise rebuttals to the arguement the article brings forth are conditioned as well - and may not be able to sense their own conditioning.

[drilla]

Originally posted by Bold Soul:

...and may not be able to sense their own conditioning. there it is.

the matrix just isn't a movie....if you dig what i mean.

[Bold Soul]

Originally posted by matthew j:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Bold Soul:

...and may not be able to sense their own conditioning. there it is.

the matrix just isn't a movie....if you dig what i mean. </font>[/QUOTE]Indeed, I do.

[djmarbll]

Originally posted by matthew j:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Bold Soul:

...and may not be able to sense their own conditioning. there it is.

the matrix just isn't a movie....if you dig what i mean. </font>[/QUOTE]So true.

[mhd]

Originally posted by Cosmic_Twin:
i think Mr. Carmona feels that it's not the fault of society, but of the children themselves probably in tandem with bad parenting. trying to convince him otherwise will require a great deal of patience & determination. :( i say, why bother

[Bold Soul]

Originally posted by mhd:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Cosmic_Twin:
i think Mr. Carmona feels that it's not the fault of society, but of the children themselves probably in tandem with bad parenting. trying to convince him otherwise will require a great deal of patience & determination. :( i say, why bother </font>[/QUOTE]A related point (not to Michael Carmona but conditioning),

Those who are already completely conditioned are unable to understand themselves OUTSIDE of their programming and therefore remain conditioned, since they will have no perception of alternatives nor have want of alternatives, as their comfort levels are maintained. The only alternative is to overwrite the old program with a new program - but you are still dealing with an individual that requires programming.

In a conditioned mind state, hope lies in those who are yet to be COMPLETELY conditioned, though there are levels where it would be near hopeless to effect change.

[Friday]

Originally posted by Bold Soul:
In a conditioned mind state, hope lies in those who are yet to be COMPLETELY conditioned, though there are levels where it would be near hopeless to effect change. what type of levels would be considered hopeless to effect any change?

[Bold Soul]

Originally posted by girlfriday:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Bold Soul:
In a conditioned mind state, hope lies in those who are yet to be COMPLETELY conditioned, though there are levels where it would be near hopeless to effect change. what type of levels would be considered hopeless to effect any change? </font>[/QUOTE]Levels where programming dominates IDENTITY - where to remove the instance of programming from the person's psyche would leave a void. To fill a void requires COGNITION, which is the anthesis to programming, which succeeds by providing the comfort of pre-ordained thoughts rather than impetus to think.

This is why those who are programmed ATTACK those who attempt to DEPROGRAM them - human beings are addicted to comfort.