-“Do I love the glamorization of gun violence in music? Not particularly. But no number of Chief Keef videos gives police the authority to play jury and judge instead of officer of the law.” —John Kennedy--"It is oxymoronic to say rappers should be socially responsible, and then say that hip-hop hasn’t contributed to the way our people are viewed."—Iyana Robertson-
-“Politics in hip-hop music has certainly changed as the music has become mainstream, but it has not gone away.” —Dave Bry-
-"F**k 2014 celebrity. I'm more concerned with everyday folks making a stand."—Keith Murphy-
Earlier today, J. Cole stepped up to the plate and released “Be Free,” a song that speaks directly to the murder of 18-year-old Michael Brown and the ongoing issue of police brutality against black Americans. Rappers from Killer Mike to Talib Kweli, Jean Grae and David Banner have been vocal and active on Twitter. But do we need larger input from hip-hop’s higher-ups?
VIBE rounded up several music and culture critics to discuss the issues, including VIBE editors *Clover Hope* (@clovito), *John Kennedy* (@youngJFK), *Keith Murphy* (@Murphdogg29) and *Iyana Robertson* (@sincerely_iyana), as well as *Alvin “Aqua” Blanco* (Hip-Hop Wired Deputy Editor, @aqua174), *Dave Bry* (former VIBE editor and author of Public Apology, @davebry9), *Andreas Hale *(Writer/Life + Times contributor, @andreashale), *Biko Baker* (Writer/Political commentator, @bikobaker), *Chloe Hilliard *(former VIBE editor, comedian, @chloe_hilliard) and writer/editor *Gregory Johnson* (@cigarcitypro).
*CLOVER HOPE:* I want a Kanye rant. As melodramatic as this might sound, we work in industries where silence can be costly: media and music. So on the surface, it’s disheartening to see so many rap stars who have voices and big bullhorns remain speechless. On Mike Brown, but also on police brutality against unarmed citizens, excessive force and muffling of journalists, which continued for days in Ferguson without meaningful interjection.
It’s heavy and complicated, and some artists (reasonably) don’t want to express uninformed opinions, or speak at all out of fear. But I would think the burden of articulating rage to a culture at large goes to those who’ve chosen a stage as vast as music as their profession, especially considering past decades when rappers like Public Enemy (I know, cliche) rhymed about these things with conviction in actual songs—the tangible stuff that can spark thought and heal. I’d love to see/hear more of the younger generation reacting and tackling this weighty subject in a way that millennials can relate on a peer level—particularly the ones who have that lyrical gift, like a J. Cole or Kendrick Lamar.
That said, I’m a fan of processing emotions and taking time to reflect, which might lead to meatier, more impactful material, a la J. Cole’s very raw new song, “Be Free.” That shows leadership. I don’t want a bunch of artists making songs out of “obligation” if they don’t feel like it. And I kind of hate that we live in an “instant” age and everyone’s expected to respond much quicker to events (Some people were pissed that Nelly tweeted about Honey Nut cheerios instead of the police violence in his hometown).
Has the response been adequate or are you disappointed that bigger hip-hop acts aren’t playing a larger role here?
*ANDREAS HALE:* I’m extremely disappointed that the bigger hip-hop acts have refrained from playing a larger role in this. Some of hip-hop's most visible artists can beef with one another over the most trivial of things (money, women, who's more macho) but won't beef with law enforcement over killing our children? We were "outraged" with Cristal for not valuing us as consumers but where is that outrage now? Hip-hop was created as an anti-establishment art form. But have the artists been compromised by being more concerned about offending their supporters? To me, that's not hip-hop.
Considering that the most popular African Americans in this country just so happen to be entertainers and athletes, we need their voices to be heard now more than ever. When N.W.A. said "Fuck The Police," a mirror was held up to society as American shifted uncomfortably in their seats. We need that energy today in the form of a Kanye rant, a "Self Destruction" type of song uniting against police brutality, their presence at the protests and their opinions on social media.
Anything to bring about more awareness. But, more importantly, we cannot continue to be reactive and have to be proactive in these efforts. This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. And we haven't been finishing the race as strongly as we start it.
*IYANA ROBERTSON:* Good point about the “instant” age, Clover. I have wondered for the past few days if social media is highlighting how seemingly inactive our hip-hop artists have been. Is our now-standard continuous influx of thoughts, information and visuals making rappers seem more desensitized than they actually are? Am I being too hard on the likes of usually socially-conscious artists like Nas, Wale and Kanye for not offering their 140-character two cents? Then I answered myself with a resounding “NO.”
The bottom line is, our instant age prompts an overload of imagery and “information” that we are now tasked with the responsibility—yes, responsibility—to respond to. News outlets and naysayers will waste no time riling up these Internets, and tactfully manipulating public opinion (see: Mike Brown's "robbery.") Spending too much time to reflect will leave us scurrying to combat all of the false stories and pretenses.
Kanye has rushed to his rant session-filled timeline for lesser things. Wale is quick to cry about being misunderstood in the form of wordy Instagram captions. Where’s the haste now? No surprise that Cole was the first to jump in the booth. Hopefully he starts a much-needed domino effect. But not just anybody can follow suit.
*BIKO BAKER:* Hip-hop, as depoliticized as it has become over the last 15 years, is still the most influential art form in the world. I've spent a lot of time in Africa and Brazil in recent months, and our culture shapes the way the whole world thinks. We need rappers to continually speak out when these things happen, and most importantly, we need rappers to be unafraid to educate young people about their role as change agents in our effed-up system. Because sadly, things like Ferguson will continue to pop up. Rappers can empower young people with the information needed to be a transformative force in our very unequal system.
*DAVE BRY:* I think J. Cole's "Free" is about as perfect a reaction as a musical artist can make. It's so raw and painful and beautiful—with the audio of Dorian Johnson's recounting of the incident providing the context for Cole's emotion. And it's so simple, doesn't try to be any sort of grand statement or political manifesto. It's just an expression of anguish—one that does its job in making one person's experience of the world, the news, relatable to more people.
Cole lets us feel what he's feeling. And at this early stage—within the week of the murder—that's the best we could hope for. It reminds me of Lil Wayne's "Georgia," rebuking president Bush for his failure in the wake of Katrina. Different from the "deeper" or maybe just "more considered" work of, say, P.E. or KRS-One. But just as effective in its way. By being so very of-the-moment.
*KEITH MURPHY:* As a protest, socially-conscious outlet, hip-hop has long been dead. Basically we are talking about a musical genre that has been boiled down to catchphrases and a more party, affluent-worshiping culture. As the music industry continues to undergo an economic shakeup of dwindling record sales and more of a premium on social media relevance a great deal of the "artists" who are left to pick up the scraps from the table are basically pushing the status quo. Hip-hop no longer has any room to make a stand or make a statement beyond pushing a brand. Mr. Brown's death is met with apathy and a tweet.
Basically, hip-hop has become as bloated and corporate as '80s hair metal.
But the truth is this is what happens when folks depend on entertainment to make social changes in our society. The Bob Dylan's, Stevie Wonders, Nina Simones, and Public Enemys of the world are an aberration....
*DAVE:* Oh Murph, I respectfully disagree strongly. Who is the biggest hip-hop star on the planet right now? I'd say Kanye. And his recent work, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Watch the Throne and, especially Yeezus, has lots of political material and, I think, power. Politics in hip- hop music has certainly changed as the music has become mainstream, but it has not gone away. The success Killer Mike has found lately, too, speaks to a real openness to (a hunger for, suppose) rap with political bite.
*AQUA:* I definitely don't feel like Hip-hop as a protest outlet is dead at all. J. Cole's song is an obvious example, while David Banner, Talib Kweli and Killer Mike, as just a few examples, continue to use their voice. Are their voices as powerful as say Public Enemy in its heyday? Of course not. But it's still not fair to gloss over their sincere efforts. It would great for these big league rappers to chime in, but I'd rather they stay quiet if they have nothing substantial to say or contribute. Better yet, I would hope they are gathering intel to make a poignant statement rather than firing off a tweet and deleting it 20 minutes later.
However, if you are depending on an entertainer for guidance, you are already lost. Google is free (for the most part).
*KEITH:* Nah...I think the Kanye of a few years ago was more in line with a statement-making artist. Today 'Ye's hubris has runneth over to the point where he compares the plight of celebrities in the tabloid complex with the civil right struggles of the '60s. That dude, god bless him, is GONE..
The irony is I'm not looking for any celebrity to take such a stand. I'm more worried about how apathetic we have become overall as a society. To tell you the truth I do a double take whenever I hear a mainstream act taking a socially conscious/political stand. I'm less surprised when I hear say Rick Ross using Trayvon Martin as a punchline in a rhyme or Nicki Minaj using an iconic photo of Malcolm X protecting his family for a "Lookin' Ass Nigga" song.
This is hip-hop's reality. It's the reason people reacted like they just had their first taste of water in 10 years when Kendrick Lamar dropped.
*ANDREAS:* I agree with Keith when it comes to Kanye. He, like many other celebrities, become disconnected to the struggle once they reach a certain tax bracket. Hence why is ridiculous comparison between celebrities and the civil rights struggle. While I do appreciate the song J. Cole released and the dialogue on social media courtesy of Killer Mike, Big Boi, John Legend and others, the fact remains that many high profile artists are shying away from this issue that I'm quite sure has plagued them in some shape or form before they became famous.
And let's be clear, a simple tweet to "pay attention to Ferguson" from a Nicki Minaj or Lil Wayne reaches a lot further than everyone in this roundtable combined. And that reach holds a great deal of influence for people who may be unaware to use that Google search engine to find out what's going on. It's all about awareness and knowledge at the end of the day.
When the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 happened, hip-hop was there. When it came to pushing Barack Obama into the Oval Office, hip-hop was there. But where is the follow through? Hip-hop as a collective has become soft on social issues. There are people out there doing work and spreading the message but it is alarming how passive we have become about racial profiling and police brutality that GREATLY affects our community. Me, personally, I don't need celebrities to speak because I am abreast, but it sure would be nice to mobilize those who are not in the know.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images
*DAVE:* I think Kanye's working at like three levels above every other artist in the world right now, and everybody is gonna catch up. If he's gone, he's gone to where we're all going. The world is an extremely complicated, turbulent place, being changed ever faster and faster by human technology. And Kanye reflects that exquisitely. He's kinda crazy? An egomaniac? Sure. Like lots of artists. But to dismiss him is a mistake.
And we should note, too, the statement Killer Mike made on Instagram: as eloquent words as we've heard about Mike Brown's murder as we've heard from anyone.
*AQUA:* Agreed, Dave. Let's not forget Kanye West saying "George Bush doesn't care about Black people" made the President react. Of course his follow up wasn't the best, but like Andreas mentioned, a simple tweet could go a long way. Sadly, corporate interests or even plain apathy could be blamed for the radio silence. But Mike Brown hasn't been dead more than a week, maybe some mainstream MCs will develop a conscious backbone in the next few days?
*CLOVER:* Cole’s response is genuine and I love that he took that initiative. More so, I love that he’s a young rapper using his instrument. Important to note that we’re talking about artists addressing not just one incident, but rather the climate and culture of police brutality and race. The visible unrest is something many young people are seeing on a national level for the first time, whereas as the older hip-hop generation has been here. I think Kendrick will say something at some point. There’s no way Kanye won’t say something—and I think he knows people want him to so maybe he’s preparing something epic. Lost in all this is Jay Z, by the way. Not sure what we expect of him at this point.
*IYANA:* To swing the conversation over to Ferguson and the other killings, I think there is also a discussion to be had about hip-hop actively contributing to the way law enforcement views (and fears) our young black males. Although the image of the black man as a threat precedes the genre itself by hundreds of years, the fact remains that its glorification of crime and violence does nothing to change the scope.
If we continue to brag about how skilled we are at shooting, robbing and killing one another, we reinforce the idea that whites should be threatened by our very presence. I am not remiss to the reality that some will hate us no matter what we wear, say or do, but the prominence of hip-hop culture has become our current representation amongst groups that don’t know otherwise. For some, rappers represent all black people.
David Banner had a point about police and vigilantes not seeing value in our lives because we don’t. The Chief Keefs of the world are not conducive to getting anyone to value our existence. We don't want take any responsibility because we don't want to give anyone's ideas any validation. But that implies that we have no power over what happens to us.
*ANDREAS:* Can we also keep in mind that there is a bigger issue at hand being the fundamental fear of the African-American male? I think we missed a very important conversation when Mark Cuban made his controversial remarks about crossing the street when he sees a black man with a hoodie and a white man tattooed from head to toe. Notice that all the black man had to do was be black and wear a pretty common article of clothing while the white man had to go through great lengths to be deemed as a threat.
Why is that fear still present and what role does it play in the police murdering unarmed black men and then use the common excuse of "he attacked me" or "he was going for my gun" or "he was resisting arrest?"
As a community, hip hop needs to step up and engage in this dialogue. A cop only knows what he sees regardless of how the police department's defense team will spend an inordinate amount of time shredding the victim's character. All George Zimmerman and Michael Dunn saw were black men that they deemed "threatening." The cops suggest they were scared of Rodney King, Eric Garner, Michael Bell and a litany of others.
And, for some reason, it always comes back to hip-hop. The attack on our culture is coming (again), but these artists have to be proactive in protecting the culture that made them financially successful.
*BIKO:* I think it's more nuanced than that. Hip-hop has only reinforced the negative stereotypes that have been perpetuated by mainstream media for the last 150 years. While rap music has empowered those of us from the culture with a worldview, it has at times normalized and popularized street culture. Yes, police see kids wearing hip-hop styles and see criminals, however this type of stereotyping has been happening long before rap even hit the scene and that's why people are so pissed right now. They feel nothing has changed since our parents and grandparents were turning up in the streets in '60s.
*GREGORY JOHNSON:* It’s frustrating because hip-hop contains multitudes, right? There has always been a wide spectrum of artists attempting to use hip-hop as a culture and vehicle and means to lots of ends. You had your folks trying to be heard and seen, get paid, inspire and tell truth, all sorts of aims. Ultimately it’s voted on by some combination of organic attention, and well-marketed entertainment from the usual corporate suspects.
We feel as if “conscious” socio-political commentary has been silenced, but Immortal Technique is still making and performing music and addressing social ills. Killer Mike is still out there tackling some of these subjects. Jean Grae was mentioned earlier, she's still making music and making commentary. dead prez and their RBGz fam A-Alikes are still addressing police brutality and antagonism towards the community, as in their recent song and video "Person of Interest" that predated the Mike Brown killing and came out the week of the Eric Garner killing. Homeboy Sandman tackled the Sterling controversy. Lupe never shies away from those topics either. So there are still artists out there supplying it, but where's the demand gone?
Maybe the people are resigned and apathetic about police brutality, even as individual communities in Florida or Missouri or New York or California are enraged—if there isnt a national will outside of the affected communities that this is intolerable and must change today, then its going to be as it was in the '20s, the '50s, the '60s, '80s, '90s and even now—police violence predated blues and soul and rap songs about it, sadly.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images
*AQUA:* It's almost comedic to think of how Chief Keef, and other rappers, are all over their Instagram toting guns, then look at the armed force that is the Ferguson police department. It shows why a counterpoint to the Chief Keefs of the rap world is necessary. I can't help but think of the struggle rapper that shot his own friend after an argument in a bodega after a rap video shoot. This guy unloaded a full clip into another human being, almost casually. In no way am I blaming hip-hop for such an event, but to say there isn't at least a minimal influence would be naive. Images like these are what cops are taking as gospel when it comes to dealing with communities they patrol.
*DAVE:* I think that to suggest rappers are in any way responsible for the way police or politicians or white America views black people is very unhealthy. Police, politicians and white America are 100 percent responsible for their (our, I suppose I should say, as a white person) prejudices and racism and irrational fears. It is absolutely a police officer's job to learn not to make the assumptions, not to submit to the fear, that you mentioned. They (we) suck at this, unfortunately. But we can't hold rappers responsible. Not even one iota.
*JOHN KENNEDY:* I can't cosign the idea of hip-hop being responsible for the perception of Black people in America. It ventures into the realm of respectability politics, where we have to present ourselves a particular way to afford the rights and respect that we're born with. When Eminem makes a song about killing the mother of his daughter, no one assumes that White, blonde men are killers and wife beaters. Do I love the glamorization of gun violence in music? Not particularly. But no number of Chief Keef videos gives police the authority to play jury and judge instead of officer of the law.
Media as a whole is a problem, though. From Hollywood to hip-hop to reality TV—we're not the ones in control of the images that are portrayed. Which is why it's so important to have Black people in ownership or leadership positions at these corporations, particularly Black people with an interest in balancing the stereotypes that we're bombarded with.
It's getting better, though, which is why it's so promising to see sensible artists like Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole find success, and with that, a large platform to spread awareness and balance the messages in music. Labels need to give their consumers more credit—today's generation is no less interested in political and socially conscious music than the one that's preceded it.
*GREG:* I agree, Dave. I do think hip-hop, like punk, is art (granted, commercial art) first before its supposed to be a propaganda tool, and thats always fascinating to wonder how much weight we can really ask a subculture to carry in the face of larger ills. Hip-hop has seen some of its finest moments when it satirizes American excess or at least holds a mirror up to it—sex, drugs, violence, hedonism. But its also like punk, in that it's very powerful when it rejects and rebels against the mainstream, against the Man.
With the romantic image of the gun-toting outlaw, which goes back in hip-hop at least as far as Wild Style, if not to the Bronx projects themselves, it’s always been at least one of the voices in the hip-hop conversation. But then its more powerfully a part of the American conversation right? Cowboys and gangsters dominate our entertainment all throughout the 20th century and even today.
Whats dangerous is the constant projection of American vices as uniquely urban vices, or hip-hop vices, but back to the point about rejecting and rebelling, certainly I enjoyed eras in hip-hop more when rappers were rejecting certain American vices as wack or rebelling against potential traps and pitfalls to be avoided, and I wish it were more popular now. Im not ashamed to admit that much.
*DAVE:* I agree. Hip-hop is an art form. It's going to change and morph according to its own mysterious rhythms. I think critics often overestimate their (our) ability to control prevailing tone or trends or subject matter than artists want to engage in, that fans want to hear (and pay for). I don't think it works that way. Art is more amorphous than that. People's appetite for it—for what sounds and styles are going to move them—is more mysterious.
That's a good point, John. About the labels needing to trust the public more. Of course, at the same time, the labels themselves, the music industry as a whole is in such upheaval right now: Smart, forward-thinking folks like TDE will see this as a time to take a risk and invest in an artist like Kendrick, and reap the rewards. But it's probably not surprising that do many companies are running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Because their heads are being cut off!
*IYANA:* I wouldn’t place the initial blame on hip-hop, or say that it is solely responsible, ever. But to say that it in no way contributes to how society views us, is to relinquish our own power. We glorify violence and killing each other in a way that communicates a message to others. This is not to say that if the Chief Keefs didn’t exist, that we would all of a sudden be viewed as a pristine people, but these things do not help. And if we aren’t contributing positively to how the world sees us, then we are contributing negatively. Period.
It is oxymoronic to say rappers should be socially responsible/conscious, and then say that hip-hop hasn’t contributed to the way our people are viewed. Do we have the power to transform our reality, or don’t we? Don’t get me wrong, I love things of the ratchet sort, but I cannot in good conscience say that it doesn’t affect our image at all. It does.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images
*JOHN:* I've agreed with much of what's been expressed by Aqua, Dave, Andreas and Clover early in the discussion. The goal is public awareness, and while not every artist or celebrity is intellectually built to speak about societal ills and how everyday people can help change things in the community, something is better than nothing. These artists are making their livelihoods off the same people who are targets every day when walk out of their homes (sometimes home isn't even safe).
To me, it's not about being moved enough, or educated enough—these are their fans and many times their own loved ones who are most directly affected by police brutality. So if you're a rapper who wasn't raised by two parents in higher education like Talib Kweli was, or didn't rack up debt to Sallie Mae like J. Cole, and you're just not informed or eloquent enough to provide moving dialogue, you should still be using your platform to spread awareness. Wear a T-shirt with Eric Garner's likeness on the front. Tweet #justiceformichaelbrown. Use the power that's been given to you—it's your responsibility.
But can I take this somewhere else real quick?
We've been discussing all of the artists who obviously should be lending their voices to what's taken place in Ferguson and around the country, with the police abusing their power and the citizens they're sworn to protect. Of course Kanye West and Drake and Nicki Minaj and Jay Z should be vocal—these victims look just like them. But also, where are the Iggy Azaleas and Macklemores and G-Eazys? What rent are they paying to the culture that they're appropriating for their own fortune? Mac Miller tweeted something vague about Michael Brown's murder, but at what point do we start calling white hip-hop artists to task for their responsibility to bring awareness to the issues?
*AQUA:* Great point, JFK. Something from Macklemore may make what's happening resonate more with a demographic someone like Young Jeezy (who I don't think anyone has mentioned and was one of the first big rap artists to make a statement) may not ever reach. We should do our parts to big up artists who are willing to speak and act regardless of the ramifications.
*GREGORY:* John, exactly—this ties back to what I was saying about police brutality having to be intolerable for the society at large. As much attention as Eminem brought back to Detroit, that hasn't stopped the rest of the country from nodding and smiling at the Chrysler commercial then shrugging as the city's emergency manager is cutting water off in thousands of homes. Civil rights did not reach the tipping point in the national consciousness until it became not just a cause célèbre (though that helped) but a national embarrassment. I personally find the criminalization and killing of unarmed black youth to be a national embarrassment, as do many of us, but aren't we really all still in the minority, pardon the pun?
*CHLOE HILLIARD:* It's hard for artists to be socially and politically aware when they operate in a world of fantasy. Ninety-nine percent of their image, content and brand is about wealth (obtained by no legal means on wax) and laying out their competition. How can they encourage the masses to know their rights and demand better treatment from the police when they talk about killing or robbing their fellow man?
We can't look to the radio rappers to have an insightful view on how to handle the murders of Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Ezell Ford, John Crawford III because most of them aren't even connected to their communities. Did you see how long it took Jesse Jackson to come out of his Rainbow Push retirement home and say something? Damn near a week.
When was the last time Kanye stepped foot in Chicago? Jay Z hasn't been to Bed Stuy in how long but performs at Barclays. In hip-hop, the mentality is once you make money you are better than. Who has time to save or educate the hood when you have strippers to tip and whips to drive.
*JOHN:* Props to Jeezy for being proactive and actually going to the city of Ferguson to show his solidarity. But as you've said, Aqua, his reach a bit different than Macklemore's. These are the times where it becomes evident who's down, and who's just here because they need some "edge" or to reinvent their career. I don't care which rappers you're cool with or how spot-on your Southern accent is; if you're going to live in this culture, be hip-hop all the time, not just when it's convenient. You're "the realest?" Prove it.
And agree with Greg, this is a human rights issue just as much as it's a racial issue. We need all of these figures raising awareness, protesting or mobilizing the people if we're going to see true change.
*KEITH:* The way I look at it is we are all citizens of the world. Meaning that whether holding a microphone or pushing a broom, we should each raise our voice when we see an injustice. The problem arises when we place extra pressure on celebrities to speak out.
In other eras, celebrity was so larger than life that fame could be used as an impactful tool (think Harry Belafonte during the '60s civil rights era, the aforementioned Nina Simone, and Bob Marley linking Apartheid struggles with black and minority struggle all around the world in the '70s). Today, celebrity is boiled down to an Instagram posting. I'm happy to see J. Cole, Killer Mike and the like keeping up the good fight.
But yeah, fuck 2014 celebrity. I'm more concerned with everyday folks making a stand.
Photo Credit: Getty Images- Reported by VIBE 4 hours ago.