I like Dead Prez, but wait a minute
We all know by now that hip hop is not what it used to be. It has been
so commercialized that I put a lot of these rappers in the same
category as Britney Spears or Christina Aguilara. I remember a time
when hip hop was a voice of a community, not only teaching the
uninformed, but also showing people the various aspects of ghetto
life. From B.D.P and KRS One, to Poor Righteous Teachers, Paris,
Public Enemy, The Coup, these groups addressed important issues facing
the black community and served as a balance to all the "party"
rappers.
But that time has come and gone, with predominately 95% of the hip hop
acts now either glorifying gang life, speaking about their jewelry ad
naseum, or how many women they can sleep with in a 24 hour period.
There are, just a few, alternatives. BlackStarr, The Roots, Common,
and Dead Prez come to mind.
When I first encountered Dead Prez it was through their first single,
"hip hop". It was good to see someone carry on the revolutionary torch
that was passed by Chuck D and KRS 1. They had various topics from
black love, to economics, fight back against injustice, etc..I wasn't
the biggest fan, but I was in total support of everything that they
were about.Until now..
I was watching Def Poetry Jam Sunday Night and Dead Prez was one of
the featured poets. I was expecting some insightful, revolutionary
riffs that would energize and inspire the masses. But what I got was
sort of a ignorant, pseudo-intellectual mess that is particularly
dangerous THIS year. (I'm paraphrasing here) They were basically said
that they saw no reason in voting and something about "It's not about
voting for the lessers of two evil, but the evil of two lesser's".
Listen, I don't have any delusions about John Kerry singlehandedly
leading black folks to the "promise-land", or have him fighting for us
to get "reparations", but compared to the miserable record that Bush
has had towards African Americans I think the choice is obvious.
The reason I get particularly upset is because,as I get older, I have
a better ability to sift through the bullshit. Dead Prez claims to be
revolutionaries and not letting the "white man" to control them, but
last time I checked Sony records was owned by a white man..It is also
hard to be revolutionaries when you pay taxes, do interviews on "white
owned" networks, or have your songs played on "white owned" stations.
Maybe I'm going overboard, but here is my point. It is irresponsible
for Dead Prez to tell people "not to vote", showing that they are
being "revolutionaries" when they aren't living that life themselves.
Plus, I'd like you to tell the millions of black folks who have lost
their jobs "not to vote". Tell the black folks who have lost their
health care "not to vote". Tell our brothers and sisters who are gay
"not to vote" when Bush wants to change the constitution so they can't
get married. Tell the black folks who lost family members in Iraq "not
to vote". Tell the black vets who have had their veteran benefits cut
"not to vote". That is what made Public Enemy such a force to be
reckoned with..They knew that true changes have to be made from the
inside, voting being one of those choices. Making changes within your
government is truly "revolutionary". People were lynched, burned,
shot, and killed numerous ways just for us to get the right to vote
and you bet your ass that I'm going to take advantage of it.
In closing, Dead Prez's notion of "not voting" is not only blatantly
ignorant, but it is misinformed and clumsy. If black folks voted like
they were supposed to, Florida wouldn't even be an issue and maybe we
wouldn't be in the mess we are in now.
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