We Miss the Old Kanye

My first time seeing Kanye West perform was in 2004 at North Carolina A&T’s Homecoming concert.  At that time, he was performing at various college campuses while promoting his new album: The College Dropout.  During his performance, it was easy to see how much he wanted to be successful.  He had the eye of the tiger.  When he addressed the crowd, it was not to brag about being a genius, or to talk about clothing designers whom his audience had probably never heard of.  If I remember correctly, he was wearing a Ralph Lauren shirt, and a pair of jeans.  He was relatable to the college crowd because his choice of topics reflected his background.  He talked about working in retail stores; he talked about fraternities and sororities; he talked about relationships with women; he complained about student loans (the bane of my existence); and other topics many college-educated students could relate to.  Not only did he talk the part, but he looked the part of a student because he wore clothes that many students could afford or kind of afford(one time for those refund checks). Kanye seemed very genuine, which I think won over masses of fans.   

It always seems that with any great rise to fame, there is a story of a fall from glory.  This has happened to many great musicians (Bobby Brown, Jodeci, and many others).  For Kanye, I believe his descent began after his mother passed away even though he was able to mask it from the public for quite some time. I would be willing to bet the people who were close to him witnessed a change well before the public saw destructive signs.

From 2004-2011, Kanye released four certified classic albums: The College Dropout; Late Registration; Graduation; and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.  During this six-year run, he was on top of his game as a producer and musician.  I guess I should have known that his reign on top would not last forever.  After all, most athletes and musicians have a prime that usually does not last longer than ten years.  I do not know if this is determined by an audience who grows tired of hearing the same voice, or by a person’s lack of hunger once he or she reaches a certain level of success.  Either way, as the law of gravity dictates: what goes up must eventually come down.  Unfortunately for Kanye, his descent from the top of the game has been very painful to watch because he has literally been making statements that seem to be completely illogical.  I obviously do not know who he has in his circle, but it would seem that someone would be trying to reel him in before he goes too far off the deep end.   

I believe Kanye’s issues began rising to the surface sometime after his mother passed away in November 2007.  Based on interviews, and songs he made about her prior to her death, it was clear that she was very important to him.  In 2008, less than a year after her death, he made probably his darkest album: 808 and Heatbreaks.  Art is often a reflection of reality; after listening to this album, it was clear to me that he was in a lot of pain.  Unfortunately for him, his pain did not translate into a great project like Mary J. Blige.  She seems to make her best music when she is going through an issue with her love interest. His 2008 release is his only album between 2004 and 2011 that I did not particularly care for.  In 2010 when he released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I thought Kanye was back.  Boy was I wrong.

Sometime after 2011, I believe his behavior became noticeably erratic.  I remember hearing stories about him arriving to award shows clearly intoxicated.  He started proclaiming more and more about his greatness and how much a genius he is.  He also started disrespecting respected members of the media, e.g. Sway “You Ain’t Got the Answers” Calloway.  I must digress for just a moment to briefly discuss that infamous interview.  Kanye completely went off on Sway and you could tell that Sway was trying to remain calm.  Yet, you could also tell that the RN inside him was thinking “I will slap the s**t out of this midget if he does not stop disrespecting me on my damn show.”  Although that interview was funny, it showed just how far Kanye was out of touch with reality.  This was certainly not the first time he said something controversial, however, it was the first time I remember feeling like he had no reasonable basis for his behavior.    

2016 has been a terrible year for Kanye—one of the great producers in music history.  He seems desperate to reclaim the spotlight that he used to have because of his musical gifts.  He is married to a Khardashian, a family that is synonymous with controversy.  Didn’t Kanye see what happened to Lamar Odom?  In all fairness to Kanye, I think he is suffering from some sort of diagnosable mental disorder. I have even talked to friends who are mental health experts and they too believe that he has a mental illness.  As one of my Facebook friends posted the other week, Kanye West is on the verge of being the subject of an Unsung episode.  For the sake of the hip hop community, I hope he can bounce back from this set back because We Miss The Old Kanye.

Peace

Trump: My Worst Nightmare

 Tuesday, November 8, 2016 will forever stand out in my mind (and not for any good reasons).  During the 2016 presidential election cycle, I naively brushed off the notion that Trump might win.  I ran down a laundry list of reasons why he would not win: (1) he is not qualified; (2) he is racist, sexist, and misogynistic (I’m sure I left off a few other descriptors); (3) Republicans won’t support him because they too see that he is not a worthy candidate; (4) he was a reality star—doesn’t that exclude you from running?; and (5) “the hair.”  I was sure of my position; I knew I was right.    

   The week leading to the election, I started feeling differently.  I had the same feeling in the pit of my stomach when I knew the principal called my dad to tell him about my behavior at school.  I knew an ass whooping of epic proportions was soon to come.  Either way, I listened to political pundits, I watched interviews of the candidates, and I read articles written about both candidates.  All of these acts made me feel worse.  I distinctly remember one interview that made me realize that Trump might win.  In this interview, the interviewer discussed a phenomenon called “lean in.”  Lean in is all about the voters who were not proclaiming to the heavens that they would vote for Trump.  These were the closet supporters of Trump. If you asked them whom they were planning to vote for, they would say something like: “I don’t know; both candidates are bad.”  Or, they might lean close to you (yeah, in your personal space) to say: I’m voting for Trump.  This phenomenon has forever changed the face of American Politics and the world as we know it.

     Trump is a narcissist.  He is arrogant.  He is overtly racist.  And sexist.  His campaign centered on these hateful concepts.  Trump ran his campaign as the Anti-Obama candidate.  In every interview, Trump distanced himself from President Obama, and his administration.  He was resolute to prove that he is not a politician and that he will “Make America Great Again.”  He insulted women, Muslims, African Americans, disabled folks, President Obama and Hispanics.  He talked about grabbing women by their vaginas.  He spewed rhetoric about Muslims being terrorists.  He repeatedly stated that African Americans live in the “inner city.”  He blatantly mocked disabled citizens.  He refused to acknowledge that President Obama was born in the United States of America.  He talked about building a wall to keep Hispanics out of this country. Sadly, this type of rhetoric enabled him to accomplish his goal.  This is an indictment and conviction of this country.

    Trump focused on only one segment of the population: White men.  He did not even make a half-hearted effort to appeal to minorities because he knew he did not need their vote in order to win.  He knew that if he could get the bulk of the white male population, which represents 31% of the U.S. population, he would have enough to win.  He knew that if he could get this group to support him, they would be able to have some influence over their wives, sisters, and other women in their lives.  It was truly a white wash strategy, which happened to also be a winning strategy.  It showed that Trump does not intend to unite this country along party lines, racial lines, or any other line.  To use an analogy: Trump went through 200 million packs of Starburst and only ate the pink ones.  He did not even open or taste the yellows, or the reds. You know why?  Because he did not have to.

    So how bad can Trump really be?  I believe he can be historically bad.   He will have the power to pen Executive Orders.  He will be able to veto bills.  As the Commander-in-Chief, he will have passcodes to our nuclear warheads.  He can roll back the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare (ironically, he is already backing off of this position).  Because his party control Congress, it should be much easier for him to assert his influence and power.  That said, I still do not believe that republicans will go for any and everything that he might propose.  One of the biggest concerns many people have is that he will be able to appoint at least one justice to the U.S. Supreme Court.  This appointment of a conservative justice has the potential to change issues that impact minorities such as: voting rights, abortion and affirmative action.  Because justices are appointed for life, Trump's appointment(s) could be the gift that keeps on giving (Heavy sarcasm).  Stay tuned.

     Despite the many political fires Trump’s presidency could ignite, many people are more concerned about social issues.  Because Trump ran his campaign as the Anti-Obama candidate, many of the most hateful, racist and evil people have rallied around him.  These people are emboldened and feel that they are taking the country back from the hands of its first African American president.  Since Trump won the election, I have seen many examples of overt racist acts.  These acts have been perpetrated against the very groups Trump criticized and disregarded during his presidential election. 

To generalize, I guess these people feel that if the president elect can make racist, sexist, homophobic and otherwise discriminatory comments, why can’t they?  One thing this group of people better realize is that this is not 1865, nor 1945.  People in this country have been enslaved, raped, brutalized, beaten, wrongfully imprisoned and murdered for the right to be treated with respect and dignity.  It would be a huge mistake for these people to think that folks will be terrorized.  These folks better remember that the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment acts as a shield and a sword for all citizens.  In laymen’s terms: they better get some Act Right about themselves because we are never going back to the Jim Crow Era, and we are certainly not going back to slavery.

Peace

The Birth of a Nation: Shifting the Slave Narrative

I grew up in what was the Antebellum South.  During my childhood, I did not learn about the details of Nat Turner’s Rebellion.  I do, however, recall one of my teachers mentioning the rebellion in passing.  I did not know the rebellion was led by a black slave.  Ironically, or maybe not so ironically, I recall learning about John’s Brown’s anti-slavery efforts—I wonder why?  In the fall of 2000, I finally discovered details regarding the rebellion in an African American Studies class.  Prior to this class, I had learned about the typical African American heroes including: Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It is funny how much of Black folks’ history is not taught in most schools.  If you care to learn about this piece of U.S. history, you have to take a class during college.  From the very beginning, Black folks have made an immeasurable impact on this country, despite, in many instances—being considered less than a man or woman. 

Seeing Nat Turner’s story on the big screen is profoundly important, impactful and powerful.  His story is so much more than a typical slave narrative.  The typical slave narrative shows Black people being beaten, raped, demeaned, tortured and killed.  I hoped a director would write, produce and release a movie that truly shows the fighting spirit of Black people.  I mean we just had a Black president for eight years, so anything is possible, right?  Although I grew tired of the same slave narrative, I watched movies and read articles and books about the time period.  I did so because I believe history is important, and without understanding your history, it is hard to understand where you are going and why you are going.  Without having an understanding of slavery, reconstruction, and Jim Crow, how can you truly understand the historical significance of the times we are living in now?  And the similarities—albeit couched in a different oppressive system. 

I was cautiously intrigued when I heard Nate Parker was making a movie about Nat Turner.  However, I had questions: will the story accurately portray Nat’s story, or will some non-black person be given credit for the rebellion?  Before The Birth of a Nation was released on the big screen, it was lauded at the Sundance Movie Festival.  I even heard there was a bidding war between major movie labels for the right to release the movie.  I thought: this might actually happen!  The idea of a Black man playing the lead role about slavery is no small feat.  Knowing that Nate Parker, and not Denzel Washington, or Will Smith—both well-known Hollywood names—would be the lead was very interesting.  As I dug deeper, I learned that Parker actually took two years away from acting to raise money for the film.  He put up $100,000.00 of his own money, which was, in his own words, “all he had.”  That is admirable.  How many people are willing to risk it all, in the face of naysayers, to see a dream come true? 

Sexual assault allegation.  Trial.  Acquittal.  Prior to Parker raising the money to finance his film, I had never heard about his personal life (nor did I care).  What I knew: he was a talented actor who had played in one of my favorite movies—The Great Debaters.  Outside of that, I knew nothing.  Indeed, I believe that his personal history would have remained a relative mystery had he failed at raising money for the movie.  But, alas, he raised the money.  He wrote the script.  He starred in it.  He secured a stellar cast of Black actors.  Once all of these pieces fell into place, I started hearing about a sexual assault case from 1999.  I am not here to argue the merits of that case.  However, he was acquitted of all charges stemming from the 1999 case in 2001.  In this country, when a person is acquitted, that person is typically viewed as being innocent.  People don’t typically demand an apology from someone who has maintained his innocence.  Certainly, his or her history is not publicized just before the release of a major motion picture.  The strategic release of information regarding his case was too carefully planned to be a coincidence.  It was clearly a ploy to derail his project.      

A few days ago, I watched an interview of Nate Parker on the Breakfast Club.  During this interview, Nate talked about his movie being bigger than him and his character.  He talked about how this movie should make (all) people feel uncomfortable, but how he hoped that it would serve to encourage people to have open discussions about race, privilege, and oppression. In 50 years, I believe people would look back to these times we are living in now.  People will see the similarities between 2000s and the 1960s.  In the 1960s, Black folks were being oppressed, and abused.  In 2016, Black men are still being imprisoned and murdered by law enforcement—often without just provocation. If race relations do not improve, there is no telling what people will do.  That should make everyone uncomfortable.  We should all be thinking of effective methods to deal with these issues before it is too late.  By no means am I saying The Birth of a Nation is the answer to these issues.  However, after seeing the movie, I hope people will finally feel compelled to engage in honest discussions about privilege and oppression. 

The 2016 version of The Birth of a Nation tells a very powerful story.  The plot is good and the acting is believable.  This movie was overdue and I am pleased that it was released.  It shifted the traditional slave narrative—albeit temporarily—to show that Black folks fought courageously against the system of bondage.  We were not all docile.  Many of us fought to the death for the freedom we enjoy today.  I would recommend the movie to anyone—regardless of race, gender, or age.

Peace

Freedom of Expression: Colin Kaepernick and the 1st Amendment

The United States of America is supposed to be the land of opportunity for all citizens.  In this “post-racial” society, race should no longer even be a category to be considered.  If you believe this society is a reality, you can stop reading right now—save yourself some time and frustration.  Freedom of expression falls under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution’s Freedom of Speech.  This right is supposed to be a cornerstone of this country.  An individual’s freedom to speak freely is what separates our government from dictatorships where expressing views would often lead to death.  In case you are wondering: this right includes an ability to express an unpopular view.  It should not be restricted because some people do not approve.  So long as the expression is not illegal, the conduct is afforded unbridled constitutional protection. 

“Controversy”

People are literally up-in-arms because Colin Kaepernick decided to exercise his fundamental right of expression. At its most fundamental level, people are upset because a man chose not to stand when many other people chose to do so.  Colin did not burn, spit on, or otherwise defile the Flag (this is illegal).  He did not decide to go streaking during the playing of the National Anthem (this too is illegal).  

The emotions regarding his action have been very high.  I have actually seen videos of people burning Colin’s jersey to demonstrate their disapproval of his action.  I have also seen members of the Armed Forces supporting his action, which is very telling.  If they—the protectors of this country—can see his point (notice: i did not say agree with his point), why is it that media pundits and other people refuse to do so?  For those who choose to focus on his action as opposed to the cause he is speaking against—injustice—you are missing the larger point.

I’m Not Standing

Colin is not the first black man to refuse to stand during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner.  I am pretty certain he will not be the last one either.  Before Colin, there were a number of famous black men who took stands against injustice.  To be clear: Colin is doing just that.  He is not un-American; he is challenging a system that has over promised and under delivered for minorities in this country for many, many years.  His stance is bringing attention to the many injustices perpetrated against minorities.  His position makes me think about one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “ An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  Because he is a millionaire should he remain perched on top of his pile of money (a la Scrooge McDuck) as if people of color are not suffering grave injustices in this country?  Colin has decided to use his celebrity status to make a statement.  Also, he has pledged the first 1 million dollars of his NFL salary to community organizations.  In an era where obsession with personal branding and popularity on twitter are paramount, it is admirable to see someone willing to sacrifice for the greater good.  Now, if we could only get more famous black folks to become more socially conscious.  I’ll digress for now. 

What Have you Learned?

The Star Spangled Banner is this nation’s national anthem.  With that said—does it represent the citizens of this land?  If you are unsure, let me provide a definitive answer to the question: NO.  The song was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 after the U.S. was defeated by the British in the Battle of 1812.  Some context: In 1814, black people were still slaves; they were disenfranchised; and they were considered 3/5 of a human being.  This was not a good time for black folks.  The first verse of the song is what most of us learned in elementary school.  The first verse is not offensive, but there is a third verse.  This third verse, as written by Key, mocks the slaves who ran for their lives. See an exerpt from the third verse below:

No refuge could save the hireling and slave,

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave,

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave

As a citizen, reading this verse should evoke some emotion. That feeling might be anger, or surprise, or sadness.  Either way, you should have a different appreciation for what Colin is standing against—injustice.  The focus really should not be on his chosen method of expression.

Back to Colin who I am proud to say is a fellow member of my fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.  Speaking in business terms—he has nothing to gain by making his decision.  I seriously doubt he will receive new endorsements; he will not be invited to host the ESPY’s; he may very well find himself unemployed.  If this happens—and it is not out of the realm of possibility—he would not be the first casualty of war in the battle against injustice. 20 years ago, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, an NBA player, decided that he would not stand during the singing of the National Anthem.  He was suspended, then later black-balled from the NBA for his views.  I find it quite shocking and frustrating that we are still fighting for equality in 2016.  This is a fight that has seen great strides, but also painstaking losses.  Although Colin has not likely made any financial gains, he has reclaimed control of his destiny.  I hope his actions have sparked other people—of all races—to find ways to combat injustice. 

Peace