Have you seen this video? Um, this is sad. I understand the message of the video, but it is really sad that they had to 'dumb it down' for the masses to really understand. And to read the YouTube comments... This video does more harm to African-Americans than good.
This is what tcphilosopher had to say about why he/she uploaded it:
"This was shot on BET Animation and 106 and Park. IT IS A SATIRICAL OBSERVATION ON THE CURRENT RIDICULOUS, OFFENSIVE, AND EMBARRASSING STATE OF THE ONCE NOBLE ART OF HIP HOP. THE RAPPER WHO MADE THE SONG IS ALSO SATIRING THE CURRENT POPULAR RAP MUSIC WHICH IS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO EVERYTHING RAP WAS. WHILE MAKING THIS SOCIAL SATIRE, HE ALSO PROVIDE A POSITIVE MESSAGE AND A SOCIAL COMMENTARY. African Americans, open your mind. This man is not offending us. He's smaking us in the face and saying Wake Up. This is what they think of us...and the reality is...most of it is true.Unfortunately I have no connection to the authoring of the video. I merely uploaded it as a show of support and like-mindedness. I feel that the video was a clever, harsh, striking, and much-needed parody/satire on the current state of hip hop. Hip hop, originated as a black folk style of music, the voice of the innercity. A conscious, aware, if hardened by it's environment, expression of the life of middle/poor-class African Americans and Hispanic/Latino Americans in America. It has, like EVERY style of music before it, finally succumb to commercialization and thus the current POPULAR hip hop is little more than brain-mush over percolating beats. This song highlights that, with the line: "I used to makes song with concepts and shit, but now I wanna go platinum". The irony of that line, says it all. In addition to being a strong satire/parody, it also instills some very strong positivities: reading, hygiene, ownership of things that cultivate wealth and worth (buy some land), responsibility (raise your kids), etc...concepts that popular hip hop is NOT teaching to our youth anymore. So it parodies viciously, and instructs what is lacking concurrently. For this reason, as an African American male who is passionate about the origins of hip hop and a purist of the hip hop form sans commercialization, and as a human being in general worried for our future and our progeny, I couldn't HELP but support the creator of the song and video by uploading it."
WHO in their right or wrong mind thought this would be a good idea? There are many other ways to elevate a race. This isn't one of them. I didn't even touch on the parody of commercialized hip hop. That in an of itself is a hot mess. Hopefully, you all know the real deal and don't need a video to give you advice on life, hygiene, how to raise your children, etc. Until next time...
Be Seen at the Top!
1 comment:
I totally agree. This video is highly problematic. While the intent of the animator(s) was a good one (education to the masses, etc.), the way in which the message is articulated undercuts any possible positive effect. In essence, the video actually commits the cultural errors it tries to critque.
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