*Blogger Chico Norwood has written a well thought out essay on young black men and what she thinks hip hop culture, and its negative effects, is doing to a good number of them.
It’s her belief that hip hop music in particular is making them unemployable and socially unacceptable for that matter. And when you hear of incidents like what allegedly happened between Chris Brown and Drake (and Meek Mill?), it’s hard to argue with her, although we’re sure she would get one from Uncle Russell Simmons.
Check out what Chico has to say:
I was reading Dr. Boyce Watkins’ article entitled “Russell Simmons Defends Gwyneth’s Use of the N-Word….Don’t Do it Man” and two paragraphs in the article really jumped out at me:
“The difficult reality that Russell and other proud “n*ggas” in commercialized hip-hop must face is the fact that their music does little to elevate the masses, and only serves to make black boys think that it’s cool to stay high and drunk, have sex with everything that moves, kill each other on the street, disrespect black women and waste their money popping bottles at the club.
“The mouth full of gold teeth, tattoos up your neck and ten gold chains are nothing short of comedic exaggerations of the black male as a hyper-aggressive animal who will eat and murder other black men on sight.”
These two paragraphs really stuck out because it made me think about an article I read about high unemployment among African American men. According to the latest report from the United States Department of Labor, unemployment among African American men 20 years and older is 14.2 percent and 35.8 percent for black teenagers 16-19, higher than any other ethnic group. After reading Dr. Watkins’ article it doesn’t take much to understand why? And yet some want to blame President Obama.
Who wants to hire a black man who stays high and drunk, walks around in saggy pants with his underwear showing, can’t get to work on time because he’s up all night having sex with everything that moves, is hanging out on the streets all night looking to shoot or stab someone or popping bottles at the club.
Read the rest of Chico Norwood’s essay at YourBlackBloggers.net.
Sounds like some chicoshyt. Black folk like this author always trying to assign blame beyond the person. A gun is not responsible for shooting someone…the person who fired it is.
I disagree. The author is stating a fact that is very present today. I guess some people would rather blame the person for pointing out the obvious like a Bill Crosby then taking people like Jay-Z and Russell Simmons to task for their continual promoting on non-sense (Niggas Paris) junk!!!!!
What obvious thing did this silly article point out? That there are black men who are unemployable and socially outcast? No one ever needs to write an article about that because it’s already known.
The problem in this crap is making a correlation between a music genre and black male unemployment. I (like most of my male friends) listen to hiphop. We’re all employed. So how is it that we are able to digest hiphop and all it’s ails but not be unemployable and socially outcase?
I’ll tell you. Because we made different decisions. No genre of music is responsible for us making different decisions.
Therefore, the entire premise of this article is a ridiculous one.
Your opinion and your bubble of friends don’t make up all black young males and I am sure you and your friends aren’t even in the group the author is addressing.
Your opinion and your bubble of friends don’t make up all black young males
No shyt sherlock! And neither do those who listen to hip-hop make up all unemployable black men.
I am sure you and your friends aren’t even in the group the author is addressing.
The group she addresses (and conflates) is “those who listen to hiphop” and “the unemployable outcasts.” I’m a member of the former.
Either way, it’s a ridiculous point to make.
The author was addressing young men 23 and younger and I am sure you and your friends are older and the author wasn’t addressing all black men who listens to hip-hop.
I didn’t bother to click on the link to see that she was talking about men 23 and younger. But that doesn’t make the thoughts any less ridiculous.
My nephew is 19 and listens to foolishness like Jeezy and whatever worst of the worst you can imagine. He’s unemployed…and in college. Now I imagine you’ll say that my nephew doesn’t represent all black men under 23.
Nothing about my original argument has changed or been rebuffed.
It’s ridiculous to draw a line between unemployable black men and hiphop. It just is.
The author has issues in need of immediate attention. Nothing better captures this than,
Who wants to hire a black man who stays high and drunk, walks around in saggy pants with his underwear showing, can’t get to work on time because he’s up all night having sex with everything that moves, is hanging out on the streets all night looking to shoot or stab someone or popping bottles at the club.
Now what in the monkey hell does that hafta to do w/hiphop?