About a week ago, I found myself in a one way discussion with a young African American woman centered around entertainers and their influence on society. I’m calling it a one way discussion, because in all actuality, I was the only person trying to justify my outlook on the issue. She, on the other hand, didn’t have much dialog to add to the conversation, otherthan clearly stating, “Black folks need to stop blaming entertainers for OUR failures!!! It’s just ridiculous”!!! Personally, I don’t blame entertainers for our failures. However, I do hold entertainers responsible for the content that they present to our young children, young men and young women. People claim that music and television do not have that big of an impact when it comes to the real life decisions that people make. I beg to differ.
Take music for instance…. Music is very powerful, and it is so powerful that it creates a response in most people whether the response is a conscious, or a subconscious one. Think about it. How many times have you heard a song on the radio that you may not particularly like, but still for some odd reason you are able to recite the lyrics of that song?Keep in mind that you do not like the song, so there was no effort on your part to memorize the lyrics, yet you know them. That’s the subconscious affect that music can have on a person. There have been studies that suggest that a person’s antisocial, or aggressive responses are usually molded by the relationship of that person with his/her parents and other adults. However, in the absence of parenting, or positive parental influence, one may use music to fill that void. In using music to fill a void, a person finds a sense of identity, maybe acceptance from peers, and in some cases the feeling of power may surface. Now take this and couple it with the fact that about 50% of African American children live in single parent homes headed by the mother, and you have to wonder how many children fill their void of absent fathers with profane, violent and over-sexed lyrics of rap music.
Rap entertainers also influence the way our children dress, the way our children talk, and they even influence the way our children interact with one another. Do you recognize the names Sean Jean, Rocawear, Apple Bottom, Eighty Seven, Vokal, Phat Farm and BBC and so on? These are all clothing lines created by rap entertainers. Do you still say that entertainers have no effect on our children? You can hardly step outside in a black community without seeing a pair of Jay Z’s Rocawear jeans hanging off some boy’s ass! The sad thing about it is the fact that most African American children in the U.S. can’t even really afford the aforementioned brands of clothing.
As of 2009, the average income for blacks in the U.S. was around $33,000.00 annually. A pair of Rocawear jeans can range from $50 to $75 bucks and it’s just about the same for Sean Jean and Apple Bottom. If entertainers are not an influence, then please tell me why our struggling brothers and sisters blow money that they do not have on rapper brand clothing. Another example is Lil Wayne and how his recent run in the spotlight has convinced our young men that dreadlocks and skinny jeans is the way of today. I have no problem whatsoever with dreadlocks, but I can guarantee you that the majority of today’s youth are absolutely clueless to the cultural beliefs and values that are often associated with dreadlocks. The skinny jeans; SMDH (shaking my damn head), you be the judge of that! So, if our children dress like rappers, talk like rappers, carry on like rappers and aspire to be rappers; could the idea that our children truly believe in the ill-advised content that’s spewed from a rappers mouth be that far-fetched? I think not! Rappers are vulgar, heartless and just down right irresponsible! When I was a young boy, my mother did everything in her power to keep me separated from the hoodlums and so called gangsters of the community. If she found out that my friend was a thief, a drug dealer, or having sex, then we were no longer friends. It was simple as that. I’m going to post a list of rappers along with their criminal charges below and then I’m signing off for the night.
Rappers who have served jail time:
2Pac - Sexual abuse and probation violation
50 Cent - Drug possession
Big Lurch - Murder
Black Rob - Grand larceny
Cassidy - Murder
Chi Ali - Murder
C-Murder - Murder
Cool C - First degree murder, bank robbery and grand larceny
DMX - Aggravated assault while serving a 90-day sentence for drug possession, theft and animal cruelty
Don P of Trillville - Rape
Flesh-N-Bone - Assault with a deadly weapon and probation violation
Game - Gun possession
Gucci Mane - Murder and probation violation
Kane & Abel - Cocaine possession
John Forte - Drug trafficing (31lbs of liquid cocaine with intent to distribute)
Lil' Kim - Perjury
Lil Wayne - Firearm possession
Mac - Manslaughter
Mac Minister - Two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder
Max B - Murder, robbery and kidnapping
Mystikal - Extortion and sexual battery
Numskull - 15 felony charges, including rape, sodomy, and "forced oral copulation"
Prodigy - Firearm possession
Project Pat - Firearm possession
Remy Ma - Shooting
ShawtyRedd - Murder
Shyne - First-degree assault and reckless endangerment
Slick Pulla - Parole violation
Snoop Dogg - Marijuana possession
South Park Mexican - Sexual assault
T.I. - Illegal gun possession, possession of narcotics, parole violation
Tragedy - Criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fourth degree
Tru Life - Murder
Turk - Second-degree attempted murder and firearm possession
X-Raided - First degree murder and gang-related homicide
Rappers who were murdered:
Big Hawk
Big L
Big Mello
Billboard
Blade Icewood
Brandon Mitchell
Bugz
Camoflauge
Charizma
Chip Banks
Doc Doom
Dolla
E-Moneybags
Fat Pat
Father Lord
Freaky Tah
Half-a-mil
Jam Master Jay
La Banga
Lil Ruckie
Mac Dre
Mausberg
MC Rock
Michael Menson
Mista C
Proof
Scott La Rock
Seagram Miller
Soulja Slim
Stack Bundles
Stretch
The Notorious B.I.G.
Tupac
X1
YakiKadafi
Yusef Afloat Muhammad
Could this be the reality that we really want for our children? Am I wrong for holding entertainers accountable for their actions, especially since our children are most often their largest audience? Don’t we want our children to be exposed to positivity? I love each and every one of you…… Until next time, I wish you love, peace and prosperity!!!!
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