Black people are getting tired of fox. It's time for their racism to end. This video expresses the concern that many people are having about Fox and encourages people to do something about it.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Black College Professor Boyce Watkins on Ice T, Soulja Boy, Kanye West
Soulja Boy’s music?….not that great to me. But then again, it expresses a type of greatness that I probably can’t comprehend. It’s as if I am an expert in German and Soulja Boy did an Edgar Allen Poe in Chinese. If you go to Youtube and check out the hottest artists in America, you might see that a video has 3 million views, maybe 7 or 8 million if they are really hot. Soulja Boy? Try 30 million.
So Ice-T, you might think Soulja Boy’s music is garbage, but there’s a whole generation of brothers, sisters, white kids, Asians, Africans, Latinos and even Martians who disagree with you.
I respect Ice-T. The man’s game is nuclear war-like and I even looked up to him when his musical career was colder than icecream in an Eskimo’s ass. But never once, even at the peak of his career, has he ever done anything hotter than what Soulja Boy did with his Superman joint. Soulja Boy did more with his “15 minutes” than a lot of artists do with 15 albums.
With that said, Soulja Boy has a lot to prove. First, he has to prove that he can actually write some lyrics that make a lick of damn sense. I don’t exactly sense lyrical brilliance in Soulja Boy’s music. He also has to prove that he has staying power. If I’m still listening to Soulja Boy when he’s a crusty old man dissing some 18 year old artist, then I’ll know he was onto something.
Ice-T, in his “apology” for telling Soulja Boy to “eat a d*ck”, issued the heaviest pimp-timidation I’ve ever seen dropped from one black man to another. Now I know why he was a successful pimp, and I seriously thought he was gonna back hand Soulja Boy through the camera. Ice T (who I actually believe to be a genius) played politics with Soulja Boy, reminding him that by coming at Ice-T, he was also coming at all of hip hop and all of the west coast. I can’t disagree with that, since Ice T’s roots run deep. This brother was dropping records before Soulja Boy was Semen Boy, Embryo Boy or Aluminum lunch box Boy.
But Soulja Boy can come back at Ice T with this: “Grand Daddy OG, you got the whole west coast sewn up, but I got every 18 year old in the world dancing to my song. When you’re rollin on 24s in your wheelchair, they’ll still be reflecting on how they were bumpin to my song on prom night.” Soulja Boy is a lock for the “Greatest Hits of the New Millenium” soundtracks being sold on paid TV programs at 3 o’clock in the morning in the year 2032. My man had a classic with that song, there is no denying that.
It was not my impression that Soulja Boy started the beef, and that is the dividing line. It can be hurtful when you are young in the game, trying to get your respect and an old cat just broadsides you like that. Kobe went through it when he joined the Lakers, which was Shaquille O’neal’s team. Tiger Woods went through it when white men didn’t believe a black man could dominate professional golf. I applaud Kanye West for coming to Soulja Boy’s defense. Kanye made it plain: This is not 1996 anymore. Tupac and Biggie are gone, gangsta rap has turned into something else, and many college sophomores were born during the same year as the tv show, “Yo MTV Raps”. I grew up on Ice T’s music, and I remember 1996. I listened to Tupac every morning before class, and NWA got me through college. So, I respect the west coast, I respect Ice T and I respect hip hop. But there comes a time when the old school has to add another wing of the building and make room for the new school. Soulja Boy is a respected member of the new school, whether we like it or not. Don’t player hate, collaborate and respect this man’s achievements.
Traditions in hip hop are like pillars of a building. On one hand, they give you stability and a strong foundation. On the other hand, they can be rigid constraints that demote progress within the institution. The more I listen to old school rappers complaining about young entrants, I stop hearing rappers, and start hearing “grumpy old mufukaz”. Instead of offering Soulja Boy a meal he would probably refuse (“eat a ….”), maybe Ice T could have invited the man into the studio. Ice T, your game is strong, Soulja Boy can learn from that. He can also learn a lot from the genius that kept you from getting pimped by this rap game, we know how those contracts work. Soulja Boy doesn’t want your game to die, he wants it to multiply. But if you come off as an old hater, your legacy will blow away like dust in the minds of the next generation. In other words, don’t become a lyrical Bill Cosby…..haterology won’t go as far as constructive critiques when you’re dealing with a fellow soldier.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the author of "What if George Bush were a Black Man?" He does regular commentary on BET, CNN, ESPN and CBS. For more information, please visit http://www.boycewatkins.com/.
So Ice-T, you might think Soulja Boy’s music is garbage, but there’s a whole generation of brothers, sisters, white kids, Asians, Africans, Latinos and even Martians who disagree with you.
I respect Ice-T. The man’s game is nuclear war-like and I even looked up to him when his musical career was colder than icecream in an Eskimo’s ass. But never once, even at the peak of his career, has he ever done anything hotter than what Soulja Boy did with his Superman joint. Soulja Boy did more with his “15 minutes” than a lot of artists do with 15 albums.
With that said, Soulja Boy has a lot to prove. First, he has to prove that he can actually write some lyrics that make a lick of damn sense. I don’t exactly sense lyrical brilliance in Soulja Boy’s music. He also has to prove that he has staying power. If I’m still listening to Soulja Boy when he’s a crusty old man dissing some 18 year old artist, then I’ll know he was onto something.
Ice-T, in his “apology” for telling Soulja Boy to “eat a d*ck”, issued the heaviest pimp-timidation I’ve ever seen dropped from one black man to another. Now I know why he was a successful pimp, and I seriously thought he was gonna back hand Soulja Boy through the camera. Ice T (who I actually believe to be a genius) played politics with Soulja Boy, reminding him that by coming at Ice-T, he was also coming at all of hip hop and all of the west coast. I can’t disagree with that, since Ice T’s roots run deep. This brother was dropping records before Soulja Boy was Semen Boy, Embryo Boy or Aluminum lunch box Boy.
But Soulja Boy can come back at Ice T with this: “Grand Daddy OG, you got the whole west coast sewn up, but I got every 18 year old in the world dancing to my song. When you’re rollin on 24s in your wheelchair, they’ll still be reflecting on how they were bumpin to my song on prom night.” Soulja Boy is a lock for the “Greatest Hits of the New Millenium” soundtracks being sold on paid TV programs at 3 o’clock in the morning in the year 2032. My man had a classic with that song, there is no denying that.
It was not my impression that Soulja Boy started the beef, and that is the dividing line. It can be hurtful when you are young in the game, trying to get your respect and an old cat just broadsides you like that. Kobe went through it when he joined the Lakers, which was Shaquille O’neal’s team. Tiger Woods went through it when white men didn’t believe a black man could dominate professional golf. I applaud Kanye West for coming to Soulja Boy’s defense. Kanye made it plain: This is not 1996 anymore. Tupac and Biggie are gone, gangsta rap has turned into something else, and many college sophomores were born during the same year as the tv show, “Yo MTV Raps”. I grew up on Ice T’s music, and I remember 1996. I listened to Tupac every morning before class, and NWA got me through college. So, I respect the west coast, I respect Ice T and I respect hip hop. But there comes a time when the old school has to add another wing of the building and make room for the new school. Soulja Boy is a respected member of the new school, whether we like it or not. Don’t player hate, collaborate and respect this man’s achievements.
Traditions in hip hop are like pillars of a building. On one hand, they give you stability and a strong foundation. On the other hand, they can be rigid constraints that demote progress within the institution. The more I listen to old school rappers complaining about young entrants, I stop hearing rappers, and start hearing “grumpy old mufukaz”. Instead of offering Soulja Boy a meal he would probably refuse (“eat a ….”), maybe Ice T could have invited the man into the studio. Ice T, your game is strong, Soulja Boy can learn from that. He can also learn a lot from the genius that kept you from getting pimped by this rap game, we know how those contracts work. Soulja Boy doesn’t want your game to die, he wants it to multiply. But if you come off as an old hater, your legacy will blow away like dust in the minds of the next generation. In other words, don’t become a lyrical Bill Cosby…..haterology won’t go as far as constructive critiques when you’re dealing with a fellow soldier.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the author of "What if George Bush were a Black Man?" He does regular commentary on BET, CNN, ESPN and CBS. For more information, please visit http://www.boycewatkins.com/.
Video: Dr. Boyce Watkins speaks on Soulja Boy, Ice T, Kanye West.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Things We’re Thankful Our Parents Aren’t In College With Us to See
While I’m away at college I often find myself saying “Thank God my mom isn’t here to see this”. When I heard my close friend say the same thing one day, I decided to ask around and compile a list of the top 10 things we are so thankful that our parents are not there for. Here are some of the funniest, and best reasons why black kids have so much fun in college.
Things We’re Thankful Our Parents Aren’t In College With Us to See:
1. Our “sex-capades” (the sexual behavior). Obviously. It may not be your precious little angels, but “that girl” or “that boy” that we know down the hall definitely doesn’t want his/her parents to find out what they’ve been doing.
2. Our morning classroom naps. Maybe you will understand why we sleep through some classes (or don’t even go at all) when you sit through one of those boring writing or statistics lectures at 8:25am.
3. Our laundry habits. We don’t separate the colors. Some of us don’t even know the difference between detergent and fabric softener.
4. Our ears. Cleaning the ears was something for the parents to do, since they could see them. They don’t really bother us, out of sight…out of mind. Cue-Tips are now widely used for removing nail polish or make up.
5. Our eating habits. So pizza can be breakfast, cereal can be dinner, and wings are usually fourth-meal (2am snack). Most of us only get fruit servings through Gushers’ candy, and the only veggies we see are the celery sticks that come with the wings.
6. Our parties. Well…we just don’t dance like you do. That’s all.
7. Our procrastination. Actually, some of us might benefit from having our parents to remind us about those papers. It would save us from pulling the all-nighters!
8. Our video game habits. Without parents there to tell us to stop playing and come for dinner, we don’t.
9. Our outfits. Sometimes looking nice and presentable is too much of a hassle. Other times showering and wearing clothes at all is too much of a hassle.
10. Our Facebook profiles. Thank goodness for privacy settings.
Some parents reading this might find this compilation quite comical. Others are probably concerned and wondering about what their kids are doing. But, think about your own college experiences. It is the same script, different cast. For the most part, these behaviors are not life threatening. Most of the above is all part of the fun of college no matter what graduating class you are, they never change. Besides, if we’re not failing out of school, there’s no need to worry! Parents ought to give their college students a lot of credit. We somehow manage to survive and figure things out for ourselves, and that is how you know you’ve done a good job in raising us.
Things We’re Thankful Our Parents Aren’t In College With Us to See:
1. Our “sex-capades” (the sexual behavior). Obviously. It may not be your precious little angels, but “that girl” or “that boy” that we know down the hall definitely doesn’t want his/her parents to find out what they’ve been doing.
2. Our morning classroom naps. Maybe you will understand why we sleep through some classes (or don’t even go at all) when you sit through one of those boring writing or statistics lectures at 8:25am.
3. Our laundry habits. We don’t separate the colors. Some of us don’t even know the difference between detergent and fabric softener.
4. Our ears. Cleaning the ears was something for the parents to do, since they could see them. They don’t really bother us, out of sight…out of mind. Cue-Tips are now widely used for removing nail polish or make up.
5. Our eating habits. So pizza can be breakfast, cereal can be dinner, and wings are usually fourth-meal (2am snack). Most of us only get fruit servings through Gushers’ candy, and the only veggies we see are the celery sticks that come with the wings.
6. Our parties. Well…we just don’t dance like you do. That’s all.
7. Our procrastination. Actually, some of us might benefit from having our parents to remind us about those papers. It would save us from pulling the all-nighters!
8. Our video game habits. Without parents there to tell us to stop playing and come for dinner, we don’t.
9. Our outfits. Sometimes looking nice and presentable is too much of a hassle. Other times showering and wearing clothes at all is too much of a hassle.
10. Our Facebook profiles. Thank goodness for privacy settings.
Some parents reading this might find this compilation quite comical. Others are probably concerned and wondering about what their kids are doing. But, think about your own college experiences. It is the same script, different cast. For the most part, these behaviors are not life threatening. Most of the above is all part of the fun of college no matter what graduating class you are, they never change. Besides, if we’re not failing out of school, there’s no need to worry! Parents ought to give their college students a lot of credit. We somehow manage to survive and figure things out for ourselves, and that is how you know you’ve done a good job in raising us.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Young Brothers Don't Want Black Women Anymore?
“We Like Black D***, Just Not Black Men”
Let’s be honest- who wouldn’t want a Morris Chestnut, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, or Taye Diggs type of man?
As black women, we’ve watched our brothers be romantically involved with white women for as long as we’ve been in this country. Just when we thought we were accepting it, Asian and Hispanic women picked up on the trend, and Black men started to choose them first. In a day and age where interracial dating is more or less accepted, we have to redirect our anger.
Now, black women are upset because we’ve taken home the bronze medal in comparison to the other races that seek out Black men. For the most part, young Black men are not choosing their Black women, while everyone else is choosing the brothers.
First, look at the music videos you see on BET, MTV or anything else. No longer are “video girls” really black. Hispanic and mixed women seem to be getting closer and closer to the camera. The Vida Guerra’s of the world have taken the front seat, and more brothers want long REAL hair, fair skin and another language to go along with the urban style.
Some people say Black and Hispanics are one in the same, and although we share the same ancestry, I think to put us in the same boat is to ignore the many differences that the two have, especially historically and politically (for the most part, Hispanics picked Hillary over Barack. Does that say anything significant? I think so.)Next, let’s look at white women- from whom I got the title of this article. It’s not the preferred conversation to overhear during a study break snack, but that statement is exactly what my girls and I heard one day while sitting in the student center on our college campus.
“ Oh my god, I hooked up with a black guy last night…no, I don’t like black men, but I do like black d***!”
…Was this girl serious?
It just goes to show that the physical attraction is- in some cases- the only reason why these unions happen. Okay brothers, I’ll give you that. Some men enjoy having gorgeous exotic looking women of different backgrounds and ethnicities to trophy around with…but ask yourselves, are your parents going to approve of your relationship?
Maybe so, but what about her parents? Are they really as open-minded as she is? The truth is, not all parents are as accepting and open minded as their children.
Do not misinterpret what I’m saying, I do have a lot of white, Asian and Hispanic female friends who date Black men. They are girls with good heads on their shoulders, who are usually friendly, more reserved, smart and very genuine. They have no problem being my friend, and I have no problem being theirs.
It may just be from what I’ve seen around my campus, but the other-race girls who only go after Black men for their well-endowed features, are the ones who do not take the time to befriend black women.
Those girls stick to their own "kind". They’d rather say the curiosity about the physical pleasure was the reason they did it. Those are the kind of girls I overheard saying the above statement.
Brothers, let’s not take this completely as a compliment. You should be offended by such a blatant proclamation. What does this say about you? ”I don’t like black men” means I don’t like black people, and “I just like black d***” means I don’t see you for who you are.
I’ve dated white men, Hispanic men, and even an Asian once. But ultimately and collectively, they don’t want black women either. Of course there are some exceptions to this, one of my best white male friends only dates black women.
Who you choose to date is completely up to you. This article isn’t about that- it is about the reality of human attraction. It is about why Black women in general are becoming the least desired women of all.
We’re too strong-minded, independent, practical, and unadventurous. We argue too much. We work too much. We’re not as fair skinned or pleasing to look at. We like to dress down more than dress up. We’re not always creative in bed. Our hair doesn’t always blow in the wind, and isn’t always our own. We talk too much. We don’t give oral pleasure (says who?), we don’t want to cook every day (actually I love to cook), and we won’t stay with you after you cheat on us (yea, maybe not).
But if that’s why you’d rather not have us, then by all means, as Tyler Perry would say, have your 20%.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
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