Why The Blacker the Berry is Trash

Kendrick Lamar is without a doubt a great rapper, and in my opinion, this cannot really be argued. However as a person, I really do not respect his beliefs and lyrics in his music. Lately Kendrick has been all over the media, and people have been talking about him nonstop, especially on twitter. He has a new album called To Pimp a Butterfly that has sparked a ton of controversy within the black community. This album is completely different than anything he has ever put out. It focuses on the black struggle, racism, slavery, police brutality against blacks, and it focuses on a lot of stereotypes about black people.

I always try to give credit when credit is due, which is why I’ll say that most of the songs on this album and genius. Each and e every one of the songs are lyrically amazing, and while I agree with a lot of the points that he makes in his song, he inserts small lyrics that I don’t agree with at all.

One of the songs that really blew up was “The Blacker the Berry”, it talks about the stereotypes people place on black people, like having a big nose, thick lips, and eating fried chicken. He also talks about institutionalized racism in America, and although he goes a little extreme he speaks about how America hates us and expects that we will end either a penitentiary or dead. What is s sad about this song is that I really appreciate most of the points that he makes, and he speaks on a lot of things that I believe in as well. For example he says in his song that racism is bigger than just the people we deal with today, it is generational hatred. Which is in fact true, and we have talked about this multiple times in class. It isn’t just about what people are faced with in school or with friends, these racist beliefs go back to their family, and probably a long line of active and passive racists.

Kendrick Lamar uses strategic repetition in his song. He starts the song off with “I’m the biggest hypocrite of 2015” and repeats it three more times throughout the song but doesn’t really elaborate on why he is a hypocrite. However after saying all that he said in his song, in the last line he ruined everything and revealed why he is a hypocrite.

“So why did I weep when Trayvonn Martin was in the street? When gang banging make me kill a n**gga blacker than me? Hypocrite!”

In this line he is basically victim blaming, and this is what I do not respect. In his opinion, black people cannot be upset when we see young black men in the media being murdered because we murder each other every day. I disagree with this in every way possible, because right is right and wrong is wrong. Just because white people kill other white people, it doesn’t make it okay for me to go around murdering unarmed whites. If that were to happen, people would be outraged, as they should be. After this song, I looked up a lot of interviews that Kendrick has had recently, and he goes in trying to justify his beliefs. I can truly say that I’ve lost respect for him as a person.

The Murder of Walter Scott

Throughout the course of this week I have faced disappointment after disappointment when it comes to the topic of police brutality. As seen in my other Civic Issues posts, racism and police brutality are both topics that I hold dear to my heart, and I am very passionate about. It is obvious that police brutality, especially against black men has become a problem to say the least in recent years, but it seems as though the problem is only getting worse and not better. I understand that it is not a small issue, and that changing the justice system isn’t something that can be done overnight, but the heinous crimes against black males in our country are only getting more and more popular, and something needs to be done. I first became involved in this topic with the murder of Trayvonn Martin.

Although I was younger and didn’t quite understand the magnitude of the problem at hand, I knew something was very wrong, and although I didn’t have the power to change anything about the acquittal of Andrew Zimmerman, I made it a point to educate myself, and so my activism began. The 2014-2015 year has been terrifying for the black community, and sad to say the least. As of today, a black man is killed by police every 21 hours, which is absolutely shocking. I have read about so many police brutality cases over the past year, including Mike Brown, Aiyana Jones, John Crawford, Tamir Rice, Martese Johnson, and the most recent, Walter Scott.

Though it saddens me beyond belief the Walter Scott was murdered, I felt a little relief because finally the officer at fault was put behind bars. Although there is still a trial ahead, I have seen actions taken in this case that I have not seen in many others. The officer has recently lost his job, and remains behind bars until further notice. Earlier in the week a cell phone video was released of the events that took place in South Carolina that day, and for this I am grateful because I am almost certain that the officer would have walked free if it had not been for the cell phone recording. In the video, you can see Walter Scott running away from the officer (with his back towards him), and the officer waits until the man is at least twenty feet away from him to fire eight shots to his back. After Scott falls to the ground, the officer is heard screaming “put your hands behind your back” multiple times. At the time he did not know he was being recorded. In my opinion, he shouted those words so that if any witnesses were to testify, they would say that they heard the officer giving the man orders. He then walks over to the dead body and places handcuffs on him! He is also seen picking up the taser and placing it closer to the victim without ever attempting to save his life. It saddens me that at that moment, the officer was more concerned about covering himself up than saving someone’s life, but unfortunately that is the world we live in today. Students all over the country are showing their respects including the students at Penn State. There will be a candle lighting in remembrance of Walter Scott on April 9^th, at Old Main at 8pm.

Kim K Break the Internet

Some people argue that Kim Kardashian’s rise to fame is not one to be respected, considering the fact that her infamous sex tape Kim K Superstar is practically the root of her stardom. Many things are associated with the name Kim Kardashian including (but not limited to): her sex tape, her seventy-two day marriage, her newest accessory rapper Kanye West, and of course her beautiful daughter North West. Although many do not approve of the various ways Kim Kardashian chose to rise to fame and remain in the spotlight, it is no question that she is one of the most talked about celebrities in our modern society, and she does in fact influence many women, though I am not one of them. One of the recent topics of conversation is Kim’s partnership with Paper Magazine in winter of 2014 with their “Break the Internet” campaign. The campaign was not only tasteless and offensive, but also lacked creativity and is a prime example of how celebrities today will do just about anything for fame and money – even if it includes mocking a culture.

Although I disagree with the entire Kim K spread, I always attempt to give credit when credit is due. In my opinion, it was a very logical business decision by Paper Magazine to choose this reality television icon to be on the cover of the magazine. Aside from the fact that the magazine is a fairly prestigious one, it is still very small and does not compare to the “big boy” magazines such as Vogue and Time. This is why apart from Kim’s voluptuous body catching my attention, I noticed that in the top right hand corner, along with the very few words printed on this cover, was the price of the magazine – a whopping ten dollars! This is about double what any other popular magazine company charges for each issue, which makes it apparent why they had Kim K in all of her risqué clothing (or lack thereof). Although it is not known how much revenue this photoshoot generated for the magazine, a representative from Paper told E!News that “Kim was not paid to appear in the magazine”, which means this was a huge win for them. Aside from the expenses of carrying out the photo shoot, Paper Magazine only gained and didn’t lose

However, the magazine’s revenue came at the cost of a lot of controversy, as it not only offended not only the African American culture, but also a lot of women in general. When I first saw the cover of this magazine it screamed out cultural appropriation, and like many others I was very offended. Although some praise Kim for her role on the magazine’s cover, I find it to be inconsiderate on both her part, and the photographer’s part. Not only this but it lacks creativity, considering this image was already created by the photographer, Jean-Paul Goude with another model who of course, is not nearly as famous as Kim Kardashian. At first glance, I noticed an immediate parallel between the image the photographer/photo editing portrayed, and Saartjie Baartman. Baartman was a Khoikhoi woman from South Africa born in the 1800’s who was sold at an early age and shipped to Europe. Due to her admirable body (which was seen ass taboo at the time) Baartman was treated as a circus act, and traveled all across Europe with her thick nude body on display for the white men and women to see. She was treated inhumanely and lived her life in poverty, and even after her death she was not laid to rest, but instead dissected and put on display in a museum for the world to see. In my opinion, Kim Kardashian’s spread with Paper Magazine mocks and makes light of the racism, sexism, and outright abuse that Sarah Baartman unwillingly endured in her time. Not only is it distasteful, but it is offensive to a myriad of individuals.

How Drake’s Mixtape Changed my Life

On February 12th, 2015, Drake did a surprise release of his mixtape titled “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late”. I can actually say that in the week and a half that this mixtape has been out it has worked some serious magic on me! The thing that blows my mind is that this isn’t even his real album, the real album does not yet have a release date. This mixtape is seventeen songs of pure genius thoughts and I still can’t rap my mind around it.

Believe it or not, I wasn’t expecting the mixtape to live up to all the hype. In fact, I didn’t really like it when I first listened to it. I think that was partially because I turned off by everyone talking about the album on every form of social media, I just assumed it was going to be mainstream. Well, boy was I wrong. I have this weird thing where I can’t really appreciate music unless it’s playing in my headphones. When I listened to the mixtape with my headphones in I fell in love. The lyrics are just so expertly crafted that I can just sit and listen to the whole album without even feeling it. It takes me away on a journey far away from State College and the stress of real life. Aside from Drake being a lyrical beast, the flows and beats on this mixtape were just unheard of. I want to say that he changed the game but that would be an understatement because I truthfully don’t think anyone else can compete with something so out of the ordinary.

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Excuse the N word in the post above, but I found this comment on rapgenius.com and I couldn’t agree more with what this man said. Drake’s release of the mixtape not only showed how he lyrically took over the rap game but he did it logically. He purposely released it right after all of the hype over the amazing new singles that Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, and Big Sean dropped. All of these singles had about a week of fame before Drake decided to kill the game and stop any and all talk about these now seemingly irrelevant songs. Genius.

“I’m on it, I’m like MacGyver, I’m Michael Meyers
I kill careers and cut the lights off, this shit is frightenin
I knew it would end up like this, I’m f*ckin psychic
Young, but I’m makin millions to work the night shift”

– Drake: 6 Man

Last but definitely not least, I just wanted to talk about my absolute favorite song on the entire album called ‘6 Man’. The beat on this song is like nothing I’ve ever heard, and I find it impossible to bump my head to the flow of the song every time I play it (about 15 times a day). The way Drake raps on the beat is just different, it’s like he’s bringing you on the track with him to just vibe to the music. Not to mention the metaphors on this track that were just through the roof. It’s a really fun track to listen to, see for yourself!

http://https://spinrilla.com/songs/249155-drake-6-man

Hip-Hop has Done More Damage than Racism

I came across this article in the Huffington Post this morning, and I have to say I couldn’t be more offended. For starters, I didn’t know who Geraldo Rivera was, but after doing a little research I found out that he has dipped into many different careers including an attorney, reporter, journalist, and television personality. Based on his numerous professions he is obviously a well educated man, which came as a shock to me after hearing what he had to say about Hip Hop. I also saw that Rivera frequently appears on Fox News, which I already have mixed views about because of their clear biased opinions.

In his rant according to the Huffington Post, River challenged anyone to find “a youngster — a Puerto Rican from the South Bronx or a black kid from Harlem who has succeeded in life other than being the one-tenth of one-tenth of one percent that make it in the music business — that’s been a success in life walking around with his pants around his ass and with visible tattoos…”. I have to say I was appalled, not only by this ridiculous statement, but also by the fact that no one thought to challenge his outrageous beliefs. I also didn’t think it was appropriate for Rivera to slander particular races and cultures in the media without any consequences – this is what is stopping racial tensions in the United States from moving forward.

Especially after taking this course, I strongly believe that before we can move forward in an attempt to stop racial tension, we must learn to understand and respect that we are all different, physically and mentally. Geraldo Rivera needs a couple semesters of RCL before returning to his job on Fox, because his comments are unacceptable.

What most people fail to realize about hip-hop is that it isn’t just a hobby, or a way to rebel against society. Especially for people like me, music is an art and therapy for people to relate to. “Black and brown people” as Rivera calls us, turn to hip hop because we cannot turn to people like him with our problems, with fear of being judged because we don’t fit into the mold of success that society has formed. So, his logic is that because myself or my brother’s feel the need to immerse ourselves in hip hop we can’t be successful? Associating hip hop to ones success or lack thereof makes no sense, because hip hop is part of a culture. I don’t see people of Fox and CNN blaming religion or sports for the failure of any specific race, therefore it is unjust to pin failure on a black person for the simple fact that they feel the need to express themselves through music.

Rivera’s point that only a tenth of a tenth of one percent of people are actually successful in their music career is irrelevant to his argument. Most people write and spit bars as therapy, and not just for money. As hard as it may be for him to believe, not everything the black youth chooses to do is to make money. It also doesn’t make sense for him to equate hip hop to just “black and brown” people because there are many successful white hip hop artists (Eminem, Iggy Azalea) that began there career the same way that black artists did – with a dollar and a dream. I also have friends that are not black or hispanic, but still listen to rap music, wear their pants low, and are covered in tattoos from head to toe. But of course, Rivera chooses to only associate these characteristics with the black youth, and that is what bothers me.

Sources:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/17/geraldo-rivera-hip-hop-racism_n_6701628.html

Happy Birthday Bob Marley

Ever since I could remember the sweet sound of Bob Marley’s voice has been playing in my house, whether it be when my mother cooks or when my father would be studying for his exams. The King of reggae is and always has been a cure all for anything and everything that goes on in my family. Every family has its own traditions, and listening to Marley is our way of coming together. As most people know, Bob Marley is a Rastafari, as he so often reflects in his music. What most people don’t realize is that “Rastafarianism” is much more than smoking weed, wearing dreadlocks, and listening to reggae music. Although my mother is Catholic, my father is a Rasta, and it definitely reflects on the values I gave today.

Fun fact: although I do not consider myself a Rasta, my father named me Jahaira after the God, Haile Selassie, who is known as “Jah”. My love and appreciation for music and African culture came to me early. Most babies learn how to walk and talk by the age two, while I was learning to walk and talk I was also learning about the root of reggae, and the philosophy of Marcus Garvey. I consider myself blessed to have been exposed to these ideas at such a young age because as I grew up they became a type of therapy to me. Like I said, I am not a Rasta myself but a lot of the practices have stuck with me, with the influence of my father. They believe in peace and love within yourself and also others, a belief that helped me get through plenty of tough times, most of which included Bob Marley’s music as an outlet to escape.

Just to clear up common misconceptions I addressed earlier, the religion is based on much more than reggae, dreadlocks, and ganja. In fact, not all Rasta’s smoke weed. One of the most important parts of Rastafari philosophy is the belief that your body is a temple. This means you have to take really good care of it in every way possible. Part of this is the diet, known as ital, which rejects any form of processed food or red meat. However respecting and taking care of your body is much more than just following the diet. This includes the practice of not cutting your hair (hence the common image of dreadlocks), and not marking your body with anything that you weren’t born with. The philosophy and music has taught me a lot about self worth and the worth of others, and for this I am grateful. Happy Birthday Bob Marley

Civic Issues: Biased Views on Ferguson

I recently came across an article about the Ferguson case that caught my attention. I decided to write a letter to the author.

Michael Brown: A Criminal and a Thug

Dear Matthew Vadum,

I write to you in response to your gut wrenching biased article that was published in Front Page Magazine titled “Michael Brown: A Criminal and a Thug”. The fact is, most of the claims in your article are strictly matters of opinion or hearsay, and are not backed up by any facts or evidence. I have read your article through and through, and fully understand that the Ferguson case is anything but black and white, and that there are many sides to every story. However, this is no excuse for your demonization of the community of Ferguson, the “No Justice No Peace” movement, and key aspects of the African American community (such as rap music). Based on the claims in your article, there are no grounds for you to label Brown as a criminal or thug. Considering the facts, which are that he was an eighteen year old unarmed teen, it is safe to say that Michael Brown was a victim of police brutality, which unfortunately is not uncommon today.

In your article, you highlight the rioting and looting that took place in Ferguson, demeaning the members of its community and suggesting that all black protesters had violent and destructive intentions. You state that the governor’s decisions “predictably, led to more looting of stores and all the things that usually happen when an angry, violent mob is rewarded for its bad behavior” (Vadum 1). I was unaware that tear gassing, beating, and shooting rubber bullets at protesters was the Ferguson Police Department’s way of rewarding them for said “bad behavior”.

What you fail to realize is that what took place in Ferguson is not uncommon in the United States by any means. However, because of your motive to portray Brown supporters as savages rather than protesters, you neglect the fact that riots/looting occur constantly in predominantly white communities in the United States. Take the pumpkin festival in Keene, NH for example where citizens set fires, assaulted officers, and damaged street signs over you guessed it… pumpkins. What about Huntington Beach, CA where surfers set fire to stores and vehicles on the street after winning a surf competition? The fact is, rioting and looting are very common across our country, but it is convenient for you to use what took place in Ferguson to discredit the motives of protesters.

Above is Penn State in 2011 after Joe Paterno was fired.

To add, I also do not agree with the way you went about portraying Michael Brown in your attempt to equate his culture to being a thug. You describe him as “hulking” and “nearly 300-lbs” as if that has anything to do with his character. You also go on to insinuate that because he listen to and wrote rap music (something that is considered an art to African Americans) he had a motive to assault Officer Darren Wilson. Your conclusions are not drawn from any solid evidence, and your writing lacks professionalism.

Best of luck in your future endeavors,

Jahaira Semedo