Artistry vs. Politrix vs. Profit…

...vs. wtf I think about it.

Warning
This is a long one yall…

This is a re-post cause I deleted the original…aaight?
I needed to reformulate.

So it started HERE(<--click that)
Then it rolled over to HERE(<--click that)
But THIS (<--click that) is what I had to say. And it goes on and on and on.

I initially made this post a few days ago in regards to some cyber beef (I guess that’s what it morphed into) I got into with Erykah Badu as of recent when I was loitering on the boards of Okayplaya (<--click that). Now for y’all that ain’t familiar with Okay it’s a site deticated to not only artist the likes of Jill Scott, The Roots, Common and Ms. Badu, but it also had a book club, store to buy cool ass T’s, and a forum area to name a few features. Now erre now and then you get an artist up on the boards. Needless to say they are usually responded to by starry eyed FANaticS. So to get to the story, Ms. Badu made a post talking bout her “fuck the police” statement she made at a Suga Wata Festival concert in NYC that got written up in the NY Post. I don’t know that she necessarily wanted to hear what other folks thought, but that was her reasoning. So the BIG MOUF I am I decided to let a lil off my chest that’s been there since I began appreciating her music in what 1996, or whenever she came out. Well I took the time to write out a response. See where I have a problem is consistency. Not just consistency but wether I should even take a political statement serious vs. feel its some gimmick. I have felt that Ms. Badu has very successfully been able to capitalize off her gimmicks. Excuse me, shifting image. And really that’s all well and good. We all have to make that paper, right? Shit, I’ve don’t my share of "mantanin’" it at the plantation aka the corporate office. Where my problem lies is her reasoning for making this political statement if you will as well as her explanation. Cause you wrote 2 songs bout the "drug hustle"? Cause you wrote about a pregnant woman with a man that sells drugs you justify saying "fuck the police"? Cause you write a song talking bout the block is hot the glock stay locked…fuck the police? So when I call a spade a spade and actually questioning if that’s a valid reason for that type of activism I get ig’nant responses like "last night I had a dream that butter sol was a white grrrl". Cause I make a critique of the ish that is put out there as some sort of activist/artist statement I get Ms. Badu (supposedly jokingly) talking bout whipping my ass? And I’m suppose to take a political statement as “fuck the police” seriously and not view it as some ploy or another gimmick? So “fuck the police” is the truth and that ol Kemetic ish she was rambling bout back in the day aint? And I’m not suppose to observe how profitable the streets are right now, especially in the south.

So what I want to know is how long will we sit and listen to celebrities talk out the side of their neck. How much more money will we have to give them to have the social inequalities of our communities pimped like a new hat. I am sooooo sick of people that exploit our community for some sort of gain. And really I don't see how someone can glorify hustlers and cosign some negative ish with a f*ck the police statement. That what it looks like to me. Walks like a duck, quacks like a duck…nahmean.

But lets just say this is an artist that is artistically making a political statement. What is the purpose? Who are you educating or uplifting by saying that shit? Don’t get me wrong when I got profiled by the po-po on the way to the beach I was definitely in my car bumping some Tupac talking bout fuck the police. I don’t disagree completely with the sentiment…most of the time…but I don’t feel it’s something productive for our community. It don’t make the durrty cops stop being durrrty. Who are you trying to relate to on a tour with Jill Scott, Queen Latifah and Floetry? I mean its not like you in the hood or at a protest rallying saying that shit? But I’m sure it was a attention grabber and definitely got some publicity. That isn’t a media ploy? Yeah, aaight then. Politrix work both ways. They are often used by the PolitriXIANs to uphold the banal system we dealing with/livin’ in. But politrix can be used by artist to make pertinent statements or be morphed into a gimmick. I do believe if your gonna be political be responsible and dedicated to your truth. This past quarter just about every assignment I did and art I created was political…peep May’s entries. But I did it to educate my peers and professors since there are few voices like mine where I’m at. I may have done some racially charged stuff but I took the criticism and I was able to explain it so that people could learn something bout where I’m from and what I deal with. An artist can’t be flustered by someone’s opinion, open that dialogue and discuss it. I believe revolution has it's beginnings in education.

More often than not Celebrities (or Artist if that’s what you want to call them) are committed to their celebrity and image FIRST AND FOREMOST. It’s not often we get celebrity activist the likes Ozzie Davis, Danny Glover or even Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and Sean Penn that march and protest and go to jail for a cause or go to Iraq, speak out against this foolish war, ALL WHILE THEY ARE CELEBRITIES. To use your popularity in society to point out some shit is a powerful opportunity and really reflects a great humility. There ain’t no humility in saying ish like “i post just so you can write the lil' comments that make you feel like someone speacial.” And that leaves the intention questionable. So where is the truth? But I don’t feel this is a case where a celebrity trying to use their celebrity to catalyze change with the “fuck the police” bit. Shit I’m more afraid of Bush than the fuckin police! How bout some FUCK BUSH!!!

So if this all sounds judgmental, I know, it is. At one point Erykah Badu was an artist I thoroughly appreciated. There was a time she was really saying something different, positive and productive. And I don’t feel saying “fuck the police” is any of that. Maybe I’m wrong for expecting those expressions through music would transcend the years. But I know know that most these jokers on the records and movies can’t be taken seriously no how. It’s all an image, a presentation, a fabricated mirage. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m disappointed, wtf ever.

I wish people took a little bit more responsibility for their ideas like Dan Tres Omi and my ace Chris as well as others that are looming on the net to share and feed the truth.

Maybe I’m over reacting to something that ain’t nothing. I mean according to Ms. Badu she had to move back home with her mother, is behind on her taxes like a bunch of us joes, gots her non-profit thang going on and has one her share of marching n stuff before she got famous. I guess sometimes this sort of thing is necessary in a society where the main thing is to “sell” or promote yourself, or at lease the most profitable thing. I don’t mean to be harsh but I think that artist need criticism to be better artist, PERIOD. Really, I’m just politrix’in. I guess ere body gots a valid statement to make, and this is mine.




okayplaya? ¶ >7:54 PM .::.