Thursday, May 17, 2007
World's greatest
June 6, 2002. RnB artist R. Kelly was arrested with 21 felony counts of child pornography. Soon afterward, a tape was released showing an estatic R.Kelly having "relations" with underage girls, ending with the "piss heard around the world".
On January 23, 2003, R. Kelly was arrested again for additional child pornography charges. Miami-Dade police found 12 photos of an underaged girl in compromising positions, some of which he is included.
May 17, 2007 R.Kelly is blowing up the charts and will be soon releasing one of the most highly anticipated albums of the summer.
WAIT!
Something is horribly wrong. we have a young man who was arrested on not one count but 21 FELONY counts of child pornography. If you're nosy like myself, you have seen the R. Kelly sex tape and unless Robert has an identical twin....That's him. The girls in the video were obviously underaged (some are questionable) and although all seemed pretty experienced in what they were doing, the fact still remains that were indeed underage. Despite the charges and the evidence, some of the charges have been dropped and R. Kelly has yet to go to trial. To add insult to injury, the music industry is still welcoming him with open arms.
R. Kelly is a talented person, that I cannot deny. I remember seeing him in concert here in Montgomery back in '92 when his album 12 Play was blowing up the charts. R. Kelly is definitely a performer. He had the crowd excited and at attention for the entire time he was on the stage. There was even a "rumor" back then that he married the beautiful and talented, now late artist Aaliyah. Ever since that concert, I was a certified R. Kelly fan. I bought every album he put out because almost everything he put out was a guranteed hit. To this day, I can still sing every R. Kelly song known to man without missing a beat. I was THE avid R. Kelly fan. Being the debative, argumentative person that I am, I even defended his "alleged" marriage to Aaliyah. There was no way he could date or even marry a 15 year old!
When the allegations and tape came out, I was honestly hurt and confused. You mean to tell me Robert Kelly....sultry-voiced R. Kelly....talented R. Kelly....sexy R. Kelly, was screwing underaged girls for fun? Of all of the grown women and groupies that met him at every party and after every show, he chose kids? Even from being married and having kids of his own, he chose kids? It didn't make sense. No matter how I tried to view the issue objectively, it still made no sense. Of course this became the center of gossip from all outlets and out of curiousity I had to watch the tape just so I could find closure that it wasn't him.
In the tone of Charlie Murphy "WRONG!" That was him...right down to the "piss heard around the world" He even tossed a little girl's salad. I'm 26 years old and I've never taken it that far. It was depraved and sick and from then on I boycotted R. Kelly.
Now, everybody's doing a collabo with R. Kelly and it seems as if no one cares about the trial or the fact that he is a demented pervert (I may sound very abrasive but he screws kids....what in the hell can you get out of screwing or even looking at kids sexually?) It goes to show you that money and influence goes a long way. It this was Bubba from the projects, he would've been under the jail a long time ago...maybe before the ink dried on the warrant. The sense that I thought the music industry had is non-existent, I even think Oprah is smoking on the side since she gave R. Kelly a personal invitation to a show. Society already gives us the label of being ignorant and irresponsible for many things and by us supporting a pedophile is just ridiculous. True, he is innocent until proven guilty and many are using that as a scapegoat, HOWEVER, show me someone that says that isn't R.Kelly in the tape and I'll show you a liar. There's no way in hell that you can say that isn't him.
And again, just my thoughts.....
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
See any correlation???
By the pictures, I do not feel I need to add much commentary. You get the idea though. Will the new Black leaders and influential Black America PLEASE STEP UP?!
Meditation for the Day....
Public Service Annoucement by Torrian Tucker
Public Service Announcement
This is for all the Niggas out there…
Niggas… stop call each other niggas Nigga
A word Referred
To when the slave master Would say things such as Where's my nigga, where you been nigga, come here nigga, that's my nigga
Imagine our ancestors sitting on the train or the bus Hearing us When we say Where's my nigga, where you been nigga, come here nigga, that's my nigga
This is a public service announcement
When you call black people niggas it ain't cool it's a denouncement
Degrading our race
Helping "the man" putting us back in our place
We're living in a world were black people faced Discrimination, segregation, humiliation, and separation
Between our own people And I'm standing out looking in through the peep hole
And it's real pitiful Shocking and appalling That we've went through so much but still resort to the name-calling But I really do find it funny how When a black person says nigga then everything's alright But you'll be ready to fight if the dude was white
But that ain't right
That's why I'm uncovering the light With these words that I write Trying to give you some insight Telling you that word is not cool in spite Of what Black society may think We need to rethink Sit back and realize that we have been hoodwinked And bamboozled And "the man" has made a fool of Each and every last one of us So if we are going to continue to use that word
We might as well start sitting in the back of the bus Tell Jesse Jackson that there is no more hope And give up our hard fought right to vote Let's go back to coming in from the back of the restaurant Because niggas wasn't allowed to come in through the front Let's forget about those freedom speeches and civil rights Let's go back to separate facilities for blacks and the whites
I mean niggas wasn't liked, but they were viewed as people And since we call ourselves niggas, might as well go back to "Separate but equal"
Forget Dr. King's dream and Malcolm X's plan I'm sure niggas loved being bound by "the man" Let's forget about these niggas who ride nice cars on these roads Let's go back to being the niggas on that Underground Railroad
If we keep calling ourselves niggas, do you know where we'll be
Back on that plantation, bound in slavery This word nigga is a disease and I wonder who can save us This is just something to think about… But I'll holla at y'all niggas later
Public Service Announcement
This is for all the Niggas out there…
Niggas… stop call each other niggas Nigga
A word Referred
To when the slave master Would say things such as Where's my nigga, where you been nigga, come here nigga, that's my nigga
Imagine our ancestors sitting on the train or the bus Hearing us When we say Where's my nigga, where you been nigga, come here nigga, that's my nigga
This is a public service announcement
When you call black people niggas it ain't cool it's a denouncement
Degrading our race
Helping "the man" putting us back in our place
We're living in a world were black people faced Discrimination, segregation, humiliation, and separation
Between our own people And I'm standing out looking in through the peep hole
And it's real pitiful Shocking and appalling That we've went through so much but still resort to the name-calling But I really do find it funny how When a black person says nigga then everything's alright But you'll be ready to fight if the dude was white
But that ain't right
That's why I'm uncovering the light With these words that I write Trying to give you some insight Telling you that word is not cool in spite Of what Black society may think We need to rethink Sit back and realize that we have been hoodwinked And bamboozled And "the man" has made a fool of Each and every last one of us So if we are going to continue to use that word
We might as well start sitting in the back of the bus Tell Jesse Jackson that there is no more hope And give up our hard fought right to vote Let's go back to coming in from the back of the restaurant Because niggas wasn't allowed to come in through the front Let's forget about those freedom speeches and civil rights Let's go back to separate facilities for blacks and the whites
I mean niggas wasn't liked, but they were viewed as people And since we call ourselves niggas, might as well go back to "Separate but equal"
Forget Dr. King's dream and Malcolm X's plan I'm sure niggas loved being bound by "the man" Let's forget about these niggas who ride nice cars on these roads Let's go back to being the niggas on that Underground Railroad
If we keep calling ourselves niggas, do you know where we'll be
Back on that plantation, bound in slavery This word nigga is a disease and I wonder who can save us This is just something to think about… But I'll holla at y'all niggas later
Don't Blame Hip Hop on Everything
By Jeff Johnson, aka "Cousin Jeff"Special to CNN
Editor's note: Jeff Johnson is a correspondent for BET and former host and producer of "The Jeff Johnson Chronicles." He previously served as national youth director for the NAACP and vice president of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network.
(CNN) -- "Hip-hop's alleged vulgarity, sexism and misogyny have been formally and informally challenged from the halls of Capitol Hill to the streets of Sugar Hill. Those outside the black and Latino communities, as well as those inside the hip-hop family have challenged it. Despite over a decade of engagement, many would argue that the images of women in hip-hop have become progressively and destructively more negative than at any other time in history.
Lyrics that were at one time provocative and merely suggestive are now blatant and overtly obscene. Music videos have become machismo fairy tales that have more "ogre and ass" scenes than the Shrek trilogy. These images attempt to pass off the objectification of black women specifically as "true beauty" in the name of entertainment. These images and lyrics, while acceptable for adults, are targeted to a demographic made up of young people ages 12 to 16. Studies have shown that these images, and more importantly these lyrics, play a role in how young people view themselves and process sex and relationships.
During the production of a documentary for BET, which focused on sex and hip-hop, I interviewed a panel of high school students. One of those students, a 15-year-old girl, stated that she was not satisfied with how she looked because she wanted to be like the girls in the videos. After all, the boys want to be with girls in the videos. One of the young men followed up by saying that the girls in the videos were cool to sleep with, but not to take home. In that very brief snippet of conversation, we get a sense of the negative impact that these sexist and misogynistic images have on hip-hop's biggest fans. Even with all this evidence, can we place the blame entirely on hip-hop? I say unequivocally, "No."
Hip-hop must accept a level of responsibility for the destructive reality played out in the lives of many young people as a result of the music. Hip-hop is one of the most vocal and visible delivery mechanisms for the language and imagery of sexism and misogyny. However, many politicians, pundits and haters demonize the art form, and more importantly, the young people that are a part of it, without putting the issue in its proper context.
The art form, culture, music or however you may describe hip-hop is a product of the black and Latino community. With that, it has inherited many of the cultural issues passed down from previous generations. Within the African-American community, there has been a pervasive sexism that has existed even within the upper echelons of leadership for generations. The black church barred women from the pulpit, but not from ensuring that many congregations remained served by the multitude of sister servants.
The civil rights movement, which has been justifiably praised for its ability to change the social and political fabric of America for the better, was overwhelmingly sexist. There were more women than men who did the day-to-day work of the movement, yet only men served as spokespersons. Sectors of the black power movement were marred by a misogynistic culture that led to the torture of several sisters who were as willing to give their lives to the movement as their male counterparts.
The young men and women who have embraced hip-hop have inherited a culture of sexism and misogyny that has never been effectively admitted to or addressed by the previous generation, leaving young people to bear the brunt of the blame. But to hold accountable the black community without indicting a broader western culture that is sexist would be irresponsible. The soft porn we see on many cable networks, the access to all forms of porn via the Internet, and Madison Avenue's continued recognition that sex sells have desensitized an entire generation to the objectification of women.
If we are to honestly deal with the real issues of sexism and misogyny in hip-hop, we cannot start and stop with hip-hop. Let's challenge the industry to be responsible for the images it produces and distributes, but simultaneously deal with the far-reaching and pervasive social and cultural deficiencies America has related to the protection of women."
Editor's note: Jeff Johnson is a correspondent for BET and former host and producer of "The Jeff Johnson Chronicles." He previously served as national youth director for the NAACP and vice president of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network.
(CNN) -- "Hip-hop's alleged vulgarity, sexism and misogyny have been formally and informally challenged from the halls of Capitol Hill to the streets of Sugar Hill. Those outside the black and Latino communities, as well as those inside the hip-hop family have challenged it. Despite over a decade of engagement, many would argue that the images of women in hip-hop have become progressively and destructively more negative than at any other time in history.
Lyrics that were at one time provocative and merely suggestive are now blatant and overtly obscene. Music videos have become machismo fairy tales that have more "ogre and ass" scenes than the Shrek trilogy. These images attempt to pass off the objectification of black women specifically as "true beauty" in the name of entertainment. These images and lyrics, while acceptable for adults, are targeted to a demographic made up of young people ages 12 to 16. Studies have shown that these images, and more importantly these lyrics, play a role in how young people view themselves and process sex and relationships.
During the production of a documentary for BET, which focused on sex and hip-hop, I interviewed a panel of high school students. One of those students, a 15-year-old girl, stated that she was not satisfied with how she looked because she wanted to be like the girls in the videos. After all, the boys want to be with girls in the videos. One of the young men followed up by saying that the girls in the videos were cool to sleep with, but not to take home. In that very brief snippet of conversation, we get a sense of the negative impact that these sexist and misogynistic images have on hip-hop's biggest fans. Even with all this evidence, can we place the blame entirely on hip-hop? I say unequivocally, "No."
Hip-hop must accept a level of responsibility for the destructive reality played out in the lives of many young people as a result of the music. Hip-hop is one of the most vocal and visible delivery mechanisms for the language and imagery of sexism and misogyny. However, many politicians, pundits and haters demonize the art form, and more importantly, the young people that are a part of it, without putting the issue in its proper context.
The art form, culture, music or however you may describe hip-hop is a product of the black and Latino community. With that, it has inherited many of the cultural issues passed down from previous generations. Within the African-American community, there has been a pervasive sexism that has existed even within the upper echelons of leadership for generations. The black church barred women from the pulpit, but not from ensuring that many congregations remained served by the multitude of sister servants.
The civil rights movement, which has been justifiably praised for its ability to change the social and political fabric of America for the better, was overwhelmingly sexist. There were more women than men who did the day-to-day work of the movement, yet only men served as spokespersons. Sectors of the black power movement were marred by a misogynistic culture that led to the torture of several sisters who were as willing to give their lives to the movement as their male counterparts.
The young men and women who have embraced hip-hop have inherited a culture of sexism and misogyny that has never been effectively admitted to or addressed by the previous generation, leaving young people to bear the brunt of the blame. But to hold accountable the black community without indicting a broader western culture that is sexist would be irresponsible. The soft porn we see on many cable networks, the access to all forms of porn via the Internet, and Madison Avenue's continued recognition that sex sells have desensitized an entire generation to the objectification of women.
If we are to honestly deal with the real issues of sexism and misogyny in hip-hop, we cannot start and stop with hip-hop. Let's challenge the industry to be responsible for the images it produces and distributes, but simultaneously deal with the far-reaching and pervasive social and cultural deficiencies America has related to the protection of women."
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