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[Op-Ed] Hip Hop Democracy and the Future of Our Freedom
by Kyle T. Mays, Ph.D. In the wake of the election of president-elect Joe Biden and the incoming Vice President, Kamala Harris, who will be the first Black and Southeast Asian…
by Kyle T. Mays, Ph.D.
In the wake of the election of president-elect Joe Biden and the incoming Vice President, Kamala Harris, who will be the first Black and Southeast Asian woman, millions of people were happy that President Donald Trump will no longer be in the White House. People partied in the streets. Although we should be ecstatic, we still have work to do.
People can be joyful in this moment of important change, but we should proceed cautiously. Black male Hip Hop artists like Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, and 50 Cent aligned themselves publicly with Trump. It was a huge mistake on their part. It didn’t matter, because Biden won the electoral college, and earned the most votes ever, at more than 75 million. Yet, Trump earned the second-most ever, at nearly 71 million. Some Republicans voted for Biden but did not vote Democratic in state elections.
We can argue all we want about the nuances of who voted for him and why, but to me, it is clear: Donald Trump was an outward white supremacist in office, and voting for him because of “conservative values” won’t cut it. This is not good for the 2024 election. We still have work to do. After all, unless Trump is charged with criminal charges, he could run again and could get just about the same number of votes. The Hip Hop community can play an important role.
Hip Hop Nation has always been political. From its inception, rappers and taggers used their voice and visual expressions to tell stories about the condition of poor, working-class Black and Latinx communities. Before Hip Hop engaged in mainstream politics, they were in the streets placing their tattered ballots on the walls of dilapidated New York City buildings and daring society to push them to the edge. Hip Hop’s elements aren’t just cultural production. Drawing on a historical blueprint laid out by organizers like Fannie Lou Hamer and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, parts of Hip Hop Nation has been deeply committed to community organizing. They have encouraged young people to vote but also to be involved in their communities every day, not just every four years.
The Hip Hop community, especially at the grassroots level, has a lot of work to do over the next several years to avoid a letdown. We can’t rely on the voices of Hip-Hop billionaires and millionaires who may not represent the interests of those they claim to represent. For almost twenty years the Hip Hop community has sought to engage young people in voting with the Vote or Die campaign, Rock the Vote, and Respect My Vote campaigns. Those have been important in encouraging young people to vote. However, we don’t need to create a new political party to “represent” Black people. A study of the 1972 Black Political Convention held in Gary, Indiana would reveal a lot about how diverse Black politics truly are. Black youth are engaged in politics on the ground, and one of the best ways to help is to donate money and other resources to the causes that they actually want.
We must persist in our struggle for our freedom. There are grassroots organizations at the local level that have continued the work of social change. Many organizations continue the struggle to make Black Lives Matter every day. Assata’s Daughters, based in Chicago, is a Black woman, femme, and gender non-conforming group that continues the work of Black liberation, inspired by the activism of Assata Shakur. Shakur has been in exile in Cuba for decades, remains on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, and is the godmother of the late, Tupac Shakur. Other groups include the Aadizookaan, a Black and Indigenous artistic collective in Detroit. They combine Hip Hop culture and Indigenous storytelling techniques to encourage young people to decolonize their neighborhoods and continue the work of making sure that Black and Indigenous Lives matter in Detroit and beyond. Another organization is 1Hood, led by rapper Jasiri X, who educate young people through creative arts. There are hundreds of organizations that could use more resources to do the work in their local communities.
Hip Hop royalty could, as some are likely already doing, donate money and resources to these types of grassroots organizations. They can de-platform their brands and uplift those groups who really need the assistance. But the question, of course, is who is in their ear?
In some ways, it doesn’t matter what the elites in our communities do. As long as those on the ground continue to struggle, we will get our freedom. Voting is important, but without constant on the ground struggle, political education, and working against the forces that impact us, like police brutality and extreme poverty, the electing of Biden and Harris won’t matter. We still have work to do.
Kyle T. Mays, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of African American Studies, American Indian Studies, and History at UCLA. He is the author of Hip Hop Beats, Indigenous Rhymes: Modernity and Hip Hop in Indigenous North America (SUNY Press, 2018) and is finishing up a book titled, An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States (Beacon Press, forthcoming, November 2021)
The post [Op-Ed] Hip Hop Democracy and the Future of Our Freedom appeared first on The Source.
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Carmen Bryan’s Cryptic Post Stirs the Pot in Jay-Z Controversy
The hip-hop industry currently faces substantial controversy as Jay-Z finds himself in the eye of a storm. Allegations of sexual assault stemming from a 2000 afterparty involving the illustrious rap mogul and disgraced music executive Diddy have ignited fierce public debate. While Jay-Z categorically denies the accusations and expresses his intent to contest the lawsuit, the court of public sentiment appears to have already rendered its verdict. Further complicating this turmoil is the involvement of Carmen Bryan, a name from Jay’s contentious history, which has added a chilling layer to the evolving situation.
Carmen Bryan, recognized for her decade-long affair with the Brooklyn rapper, recently took to Instagram with a cryptic yet pointed post. Although she refrained from naming anyone directly, Bryan suggested that loyalty often supersedes ethical morality in cases involving influential individuals. “These days, people don’t defend what is right; they defend who they like,” she wrote. Her parting shot, “And that’s why we call you a groupie,” felt like a verbal mic drop, leaving little doubt about who her words targeted.
The intrigue didn’t stop there. Bryan shared a snapshot of Jay-Z’s lyrics from his 2010 track “Monster,” honing in on a particularly unsettling line: “Kill a block, I murder the avenues, I rape and pillage your village, women and children.” Though these lyrics were part of a more extensive metaphorical verse showcasing a “monster” persona, their resurfacing in this context feels calculated and ominous.
Bryan is no stranger to controversy, having previously aired her grievances toward Jay-Z. In her 2006 memoir, It’s No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, Seduction to Scandal, she detailed their affair and its tumultuous fallout. Additionally, she revealed in a 2017 interview that she had been pregnant with Jay-Z’s child, only to suffer a miscarriage. The relationship, fraught with personal and public conflict, remains a blemish on Jay-Z’s meticulously crafted, otherwise carefully curated narrative. Carmen Bryan’s multifaceted approach raises pertinent questions: Is she simply sharing her perspective on morality in the industry, or does she possess additional undisclosed knowledge?
While the allegations against Jay-Z are still under legal evaluation, Bryan’s Instagram post has reignited another dimension to the complex and polarizing discussions about power dynamics, accountability, and the ethical responsibilities of those influential individuals in the spotlight. Her courageous decision to use Jay-Z’s lyrics against him paints a stark picture that forces fans and critics alike to reckon with the blurred lines between art and reality.
As the legal proceedings involving Jay-Z progress, the public remains split amid this developing saga. While Jay-Z’s peers have predominantly expressed skepticism toward the allegations, the enduring legacy of this iconic figure hangs in precarious balance, with shadows from the past casting long and potentially damning silhouettes.
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Jay-Z Engrossed in Fresh Allegations as Tony Buzbee Claims More Victims
In a stunning twist to an already high-stakes legal dispute unfolding with the intensity of a Hollywood thriller, Jay-Z, one of music’s most preeminent figures, finds himself at the center of an explosive allegation involving minors. This drama stems from accusations brought forth by attorney Tony Buzbee and has escalated a conflict that began with a lawsuit over alleged extortion. Buzbee, who represents a woman accusing the music mogul of sexually assaulting her at the 2000 MTV VMAs afterparty, claims there are additional alleged victims, involving both male and female minors.
Jay-Z and his attorney, Alex Spiro, aren’t backing down. They have initiated a countersuit against Buzbee, vehemently denying the allegations and characterizing them as “entirely fabricated and malicious.” Spiro’s filing asserts that Buzbee’s accusations are part of a calculated scheme to tarnish the rapper’s reputation and coerce a settlement. “These baseless accusations are nothing more than a weapon in a calculated plot,” Spiro stated, doubling down on their stance that the allegations are devoid of any factual basis.
The case took another dramatic turn when the woman Buzbee represents amended her lawsuit against Diddy to include Jay-Z. The timing of the amendment and the salacious nature of the claims have fueled a media frenzy, leaving the hip-hop icon fighting a battle both in the courtroom and in the court of public opinion.
Late Sunday, Jay-Z fired back with a defiant statement on X (formerly Twitter). “What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle,” he wrote. “No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”
This case is now racing against the clock, with Jay-Z’s legal representatives seeking an emergency hearing to address the allegations. Their urgency stems from the relentless media coverage, which poses a substantial risk to the Roc Nation founder’s reputation. This matter extends beyond a mere legal confrontation; it encompasses significant implications beyond the courtroom, a fight for his legacy.
The stakes are exceptionally high. Legal counsel Buzbee hints at the potential existence of additional alleged victims, thereby intensifying the spotlight scrutiny placed on both parties involved. With careers, reputations, and justice on the line, this legal showdown is poised to become a critical juncture within the music and entertainment industry. For fans and observers alike, the unfolding circumstances prompt inquiries regarding the veracity of the claims and the tactical weaponization of reputation in the court of public discourse.
