“In 2005, I was a victim of a violent crime. I was shot multiple times without provocation by two armed men who attempted to carjack my vehicle. Although I was a crime victim, I didn’t feel like I could cooperate with the police investigation. Where I come from, once word gets out that you’ve cooperated with the police that only makes you a bigger target of criminal violence. That is a dark reality in so many neighborhoods like mine across America. I’m not saying its right, but its reality. And it’s not unfounded. There’s a harsh reality around violence and criminal justice in our inner Cities."
Camron Giles
I was watching the news and saw that the "snitchin" thing is big in the news. I had heard of this before. I saw it on shirts and posters and such, but I am embarrassed about how naive I was. I never would have thought that people would actually take this to heart. Apparently people are following this Idea. People are letting this idea that they must be street credible or street soldiers. I believe in social responsibility. Rappers whether they want to or not are role models in America, but especially in the black community. There is a disturbing number of children growing up without a competent father figure. So the children look up to the rappers who could care less about the children. Many rappers will tell you that it isn't their job to be role models for the fans of their music. Which is true, but one should take that to to be on both sides of the coin. It is one thing to say something in your music and say it is just music, but it is quite a different thing to promote it outside of your music. This "stop snitchin" thing really make me angry. Rappers are putting this idea in people head and it is doing nothing, but creating more problem in the black communities. So here we have a cycle. The dangerous circumstance of the ghettos create gangsta rappers, who in turn promote the life style that they claim is so bad, that sustains the situation of the black community, and probably increases the danger of the black community, and that creates more gangsta rappers. Thus the cycle starts all over again. You would think that people who grew up in the harsh, unforgiving streets would not want it to continue, but alas they enforce it. It is all about money. Big corporations control rap music. These rappers sell out their own people for money. The CEOs of the corporations will only sign people who enforce these ideas. So people rap about the same thing in order to be record deals. One man that I have lost all respect for is Russel Simmons. He is one person that is all about the money. He defends rap to the end. Say things to the effect of it is not the rappers job the be responsible for their music, stop blaming the rappers, basically to me he is saying I don't care, stop bothering me, I just want my money. That is my take on his words not his words. He is a man that is all about the money to me, he defends the diamond trade knowing full well the the deaths attributed to it. When rap came under attack and was threatened he takes the high road. Where was he all the years it was going on before. What I think is that he is in danger of losing money so he call for reform to save rap so he can continue to make money. I have no respect for Russel Simmons. As long as people like Russel Simmons are considered the leaders of the black community rap has no chance for redemption.
12 comments:
You are so right.
It isn't just rappers. People who are celebrities are role models for kids. They may not want to be and it isn't their job but they are nonetheless.
In England it is Football players, here in New Zealand it is Rugby players. The kids see them beating the shit out of each other and think that's the way to be.
Money, as you say, is the root of a lot of evil. Making money is fine, but not irresponsibly.
A pair of trainers - $50. Same trainers but with a "brand name" - $150. And you can bet that the poor saps who made them won't see a cent of that extra $100!
I agree, it's a vicious cycle. Some rappers contribute to it, Hollywood does too. It didn't start with them. It probably started hundreds of years ago. But at some point we all have to stop and take responsibility for our own actions. I don't mean kids. They usually don't know any better. But role models - entertainers, parents, and other people who can make a difference.
As far as snitching, police need to take a load more responsibility for their own actions. There's a reason people are afraid of them even when they're completely innocent. The police need to really deal with police misconduct, and they need to protect the people who snitch.
We live in a fatherless society, and it isn't just deadbeat dads, it is a world that no longer gives men the guidance and security of teaching them how to be fathers. Once a father worked with his son in the fields, in his business. Now the children grow up alienated because Daddy works in a cubicle for the man. Girls don't know what a strong male figure is and it is destroying them. Men turn to machismo as the answer. My husband turned to the Army because his dad died youong. I turned to my brother because my father was a deadbeat dad. It's better than nothing, but it isn't what it should be.
You amaze me, C-Dell, with the scope of your vision. I love this post.
Hmm. C-Dell, I'm getting ready to travel, so my time is far more limited than I would have liked to have spent on this post.
A lot of hip-hop, like most easily accessible pop music, is really controlled by multi-national corporations. The history of thuggery in rap was something that happened to it many years after the genre's inception. In fact, it coincides with the large-scale acquisition.
One of the pioneer hip-hop video producers, Okudwah, wrote about how during this time (late-1980s), he was under a lot of pressure to include scenes where some crime occurs, whether or not the song had anything to do with crime. That pressure came from major labels, people higher on the feeding chain than Russell Simmons.
I understand your distaste for Simmons if that was his response. But I would humbly suggest that attacking him as a primary instigator of social responsibility is kinda like ddousing a threatening spark and ignoring the roaring flame.
I also think that the police bear some responsibility for what Giles expressed. Yeah, maybe it was irresponsibile for him to say that in a media age where one's thoughts are instantly transmitted across the globe.
At the same time, I have to admit that I share his distrust of police in general, particularly in urban areas. This comes from my own dealings with law enforcement where abusive of authority, threats of violence and incarceration, frequent attempts to intimidate, bogus citations (which I easily beat in court, BTW), self-righteous bigotry, and capriciousness are more often the case than not. Studies done by Amnesty International, 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement and the State Attorney General have confirmed what many black people know here. If police are to be trusted, they have to be also trustworthy.
People say to me, "Uh-huh, when you're in trouble, the first thing you'll do is call a cop."
I always respond, "I'd call the police immediately or later pending the situation. At the same time, I'll worry that they will mistake me for the perpetrator instead of the complaintant." (That's happened more than once.)
You're right, of course. If there is a matter of violence, threat or loss of life, we have few institutions to turn to other than police. So there isn't any good excuse for failing to report a serious incident, the kind that Giles described. At the same time, given these factors, I'm afraid that it will become even more common in the years to come, until society rethinks its position on crime and punishment.
yes, not snitchin is on the lips of everyone these days but its been
around for years....so has the use of the words 'ho' and 'bitch'...all
where in use in OUR community way before 'rap' music hit the mainstream....yet, there was no call for their end.
your comments about most rappers not caring is very true but they arent the ones putting the sayings on shirts....it someone else who is looking to get rich quick off the phrase. you can go into any flea market or local beauty supply store and see the shirts for sale for $15-20 dollars....cant blame the rapper for it ALL. they didnt buy the shirts nor did they print them....
we cant put all the blame on the shoulders of rap music for the ill's of the african-american community. The dangerous circumstance of the ghettos create gangsta rappers...and criminals. gangsta's just didnt pop
once NWA made a record, they have been around for years been the main force of movies and books...
their stories will be around be it rap music, movies or hood stories. im not here to defend the musicl content of some....but it would be nice IF, they showed the other side of the coin. instead of show about 'my fat crib' how about 'my charitable work'....let MTV and BET show the positive sides of these gangsta rappers.
C-dell, like you I have never given this subject matter any thought. I was always raised to do the right thing. Hold your head up high take the good with the bad.
I will try to make this short and sweet. If people don't want this stuff on the air, then don't listen to the station, don't buy the products, write letters to those that sponsor. It is up to us, not them, to decide what we listen to. Lets take responsibility for ourselves. Blaming rappers for this is a cheap way out of it. I am not saying you are doing this, because I don't think you are, others are.
As for R.S. I have no feelings for him what so ever. He is making a monetary decision based upon what is good for him in the long run. He is doing what we all would do, when faced with something like this. We may think we would do something different, and I would like to think I would, but when millions of dollars are on the line, the temptation is great. Maybe one day I will find out if I am as "noble" as I think I am.
"Our" children are getting more and more out of control and only the parents can gain the control back. No one else, not the government, not the state, only the parents.
Take care brother
-T
Hi C-DELL!
I've been out of "action" for a while & just wanted to stop over & say HI buddy!
c-dell, wanted to chat about this yesterday- but i was too pooped. :) the really rotten thing about anything these days is- everyone has an agenda. rappers want to make it big- record companies want to rake it in- media needs to blame something on folks of color- middle class kids want to act cool- like a gangsta- you get the idea. what it boils down to is- our complete culture needs to change. people need to take personal responsibility for themselves and their families. what does that mean?
parents need to monitor what their kids listen to and watch on tv. don't like BET or snoop dogg? turn it off. your kid doesn't like it? um, too bad. you are the adult. we need to stop trying to legislate that stuff. as for the rappers- yes, living in the ghetto is rough- but treating other folks in a similar situation as yourself isn't right. i can't speak to that which i don't know- i can only speak on a basic human level. being poor doesn't make it ok to denigrate women. it doesn't make it ok to use words that are clearly hurtful to folks in your own community. people can try and dress it up- and say that they are 'taking back the words from the man' but it doesn't make it right.
consumers and white folks in this country need to stop the bullshit. listening to the poison isn't cool. and it doesn't help the folks on whose backs the blame is being laid. buying poison or watching it on tv or in the movies- only makes people less compassionate and brings down human beings as a whole. it eats away at the soul. and then you get what we have become. but you can't blame the rappers only for that. imus and sharpton and limbaugh and biden- they are all part of it. we are all part of it- whether by actively engaging by consuming it- or standing by complicitly. anyway you look at it- this is a group effort and all sides of the rainbow need to be active participants in change.
sorry about the ramble. i am still tired :)
Amen!
Hate begins with the music that fills the air waves of a community with hatred and disrespect for anyone or anything that does not turn a dollar for a brother.
How can children grow up learning to care when all the music they hear tells them to "get paid" and screw everyone else?
Damn fine post...
The hip-hop culture of hate and selfish greed must be stopped. It is killing the youth of tomorrow.
Life is more than pimp cups, hoes and bling. This is a message that needs to be spread.
Family, community, church and love are what we need to be teaching our young about, not gangsta supremacy.
Jeez, Dirk. Over-generalize and over-simplify much?
Your community will need you and more of the people like you to change it for the better.
The large corporations may have the higher hand in this, but strong people like you will make the difference when you make your voices heard.
Study hard, excel and be successful, then give back by serving your community to make it at least a little better.
Help those who wish to be helped. One life, one family helped, will make that much of a difference.
Take care, Bro.
Your community will need you and more of the people like you to change it for the better. The large corporations may have the higher hand in this, but strong people like you will make the difference when you make your voices heard. Study hard, excel and be successful, then give back by serving your community to make it at least a little better. Help those who wish to be helped. One life, one family helped, will make that much of a difference. Take care, Bro.
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