Tag Archives: Hip-Hop Culture

African-American Men, Hip-Hop Culture, Rap Music

Why We Must Talk about Hip-Hop with Young Folk: Thoughts Sparked by a Nas T-Shirt

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Although I cannot pinpoint the moment that I fell in love with History, I can tell you that I love my job as a historian. Although cliché, the study of the past illuminates the present and paves a path for the future.

So, I am sure you understand my delight when I see one of my students wearing a T-shirt pointing to a prior cultural moment in Black America. I guess it is a sign of aging for one to see popular culture icons of my generation on the chests and book bags of today’s collegians. These moments are a double-edged sword that, on the one hand, excites the historian in me while also verifying my transformation into what my students characterize as an “old head.” Yet, I delight in seeing images of Tupac, Pimp C (aka Sweet James Jones”, DMX, Aaliyah, or even Whitney Houston adorning my clothing.

I am sure you can imagine my sense of pride after seeing one particular student I did not know wearing a T-shirt bearing Nas’ image. Such items serve as an easy point of engagement with students as my generation bequeathed Hip-Hop Culture to succeeding generations. There are few more meaningful conversations between me as a professor and students pursuing knowledge than Nas. I just had to stop this young man and ask him a logical question.

Young man, what is your favorite Nas album?

I prayed to the hip-hop Gods that he would respond with Illmatic.

He failed to respond with Illmatic, It Was Written, Nastradamus, or Stillmatic. His response was a nearly indecipherable “Hunh?”

His response threw me off. The look of bewilderment etched across his face led me to point toward the image of Nas boldly placed on his chest. He glanced down at the picture, looking up with a whimsical look, and then he said,

“Oh, I just liked the picture. Who is he?”

I was stunned!!!!!! However, I did recover long enough to explain to him that it was Nas, one of the most influential figures in the History of Hip-Hop, adorning his T-shirt.

As I walked away with more than a fair portion of disappointment, I glanced over my shoulder and told him to listen to Illmatic; it would enrich his life.

 Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2024.

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African-American Girls, African-American Women, Black Girls, Black Popular Culture, Black Women, Hip-Hop Culture

Black America We Have A Significant Culture Problem: Essence Festival 2023

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I am old enough to remember when Essence covered the diverse nature and multiple issues of Black women living in a white man’s world. Essence went further in their coverage of Black women than merely printing beautiful pictures of them; there was no beauty of the week centerfold within the pages of Essence. I recall the presentation and discussion of substantive issues impacting Black America and Black women. When one desired exposure to the multi-faceted nature of Black women, Essence was mandatory reading.

The recent performances of Megan Thee Stallion and Janelle Monáe at Essence Festival reflect the diversity found among Black women regarding how they choose to present themselves to a world whose amused contempt and pity rise with the risqué nature of the presentation. At the same time, the alluded performances have resurfaced an essential issue among Black America regarding what a Black woman should be and should do. It can be reasonably stated that Black women have never been monolithic in any facet of life. This rich diversity of thought, dress, language, and public behavior has unfortunately forced a conversation that sadly ends in the conclusion that there is now a vocal minority population that can no longer be considered a credit to the Race regardless of the evaluation criterion.

In a long-forgotten comedy special, Chris Rock made the shocking statement that a Civil War is occurring in Black America between Black people and Niggas, and Niggas have got to go. Although I would like to cite the recent performances of Megan Thee Stallion and Janelle Monáe as the catalyst to a significant split regarding public decorum, morality, and sensibility among Black women, the truth of the matter is that those issues have been gradually worsening at an increasingly rapid pace for decades. Somewhere along the way, many, certainly not all, Black women have abandoned Black America’s cultural norms and chosen to violate our ancestors’ age-old advice to not go out and “show your color.”

One needs to look no further than the response that artist India Arie’s reaction to the performances mentioned above that, including a twenty-woman twerk fest from festival attendees at Meg’s invitation or Janelle Monáe’s idiotic decision to bare a pasty-covered nipple to the disappointment of Black men, women, and children attending the Essence Festival. Arie issued the following constructive criticism in the wake of the performances.

Is everything for KIDS? No, is everything for EVERYBODY? So when we as a culture make something like this mainstream, it shows a lack of discretion and discernment.

The response that the above comment received from a vocal minority was telling due to its wicked, horrific, and unceasing nature. Supporters of the public twerk fest and unnecessary display of nudity dismissed India Arie’s criticism as irrelevant and out of touch with the times. Undoubtedly, a significant segment of our population celebrates the devolving culture threatening to bar Black success permanently.

This championing of socially unacceptable brutish behavior among Black women and girls is proving to be a significant threat to Black America’s existence. One needs to look no further than the manosphere to encounter Black men expressing frustrations regarding the absence of marriageable Black women. Many alluded men have reacted to the declining numbers of what they deem suitable Black women by searching foreign lands for a lifetime mate.

The most frightening aspect of this matter is that the decline of marriageable Black men and women is an unprecedented threat to Black existence. However, there appears to be no way of stopping this cultural devolution that ultimately results in Black women celebrating their status as bitches, hoes, and baby mommas and Black men as uneducated, inarticulate thugs, absent a modicum of discipline. Unbeknownst to those who are reveling in copious amounts of ignorance, their Black contemporaries disapprove of their flawed value system and display a penchant for leaving them behind as they build lives worth living.

In time, the developing gap between an educated class of responsible, forward-looking Blacks and a have-not class will be too vast for the latter group who have chosen to twerk their way through life when they should have been working to cross. Fortunately for future generations of Black America, the formula for creating a life worth living remains available if they desire it. If not, they should seek out their tribe and be prepared to “throw that ass in a circle.”

We need Black men and women to do better!!!!!!

Immediately!!!!!!!

James Thomas Jones III, Ph.D.

©Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2023

 

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Black Girls, Black Popular Culture, Black Women, Hip-Hop Culture, Rap Music

Why The Scuttlebutt About Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion is Nothing New aka What is the Most Reliable Path for Black Women to be Noticed

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One of the many benefits of teaching at an HBCU is that it forces you to remain abreast of popular culture trends. There is rarely a week that passes that some new “trend” reminds me that I am now a middle-aged man who has almost, I do emphasize almost, seen it all. Although I would love to say that the cultural factors that shaped my childhood are long gone. The truth of the matter is that they remain present. When I see today’s youth culture, I am reminded of rapper Q-Tip of a Tribe Called Quest who offered the following brilliance in the song Excursions.

Back in the days when I was a teenager

Before I had status and before I had a pager

You could find the Abstract listening to hip hop

My pops used to say, it reminded him of be-bop

I said, well daddy don’t you know that things go in cycles

The way that Bobby Brown is just ampin’ like Michael

Prior to the global pandemic’s arrival, there was rarely a day that I was not reminded that my generation, the creators of Hip-Hop Culture, have been pushed from the center stage by younger African-Americans.

Let me be honest about this situation, there is regret and bitterness that afflicts every generation when their time under the spotlight ends. This moment breeds regret regarding things that you wish could have been said, attempted, or accomplished. If one is not careful, you will find yourself steeped in a self-promoting generational warfare battle that you are bound to lose.  I have done my absolute best to not participate in intra-racial cultural wars that ultimately paint me as some miser whose present is marred by an envious view of these anonymous historically and culturally illiterate kids who lead Hip-Hop Culture today.

Trust me when I say that the urge to denounce black youth culture is omnipresent, in fact, it often appears that young African-Americans are begging us to do such.

The latest invitation to criticize today’s hip-hop generation arrived via the imagery and video of rappers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. If it can be stated that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” the referenced photo communicates a host of things that generations of black folk have fought against with all their might. We must never forget that although black men have been socialized within a white patriarchal society that there are many who possess enough wisdom and courage to take definitive action to protect black women who Malcolm X characterized as “the most disrespected person on the planet.”

Considering that I am one of the black men who have dedicated much of their lives to protecting and uplifting black women, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion could present a dilemma that revolves around a question of should that type of black woman be protected by black men. Keep in mind that I said COULD present quite a dilemma. In actuality the dilemma is non-existent.

The historically literate in our midst realize that the imagery and message being promoted by some record company for profit is not much different than previous rap songs and videos such as Luther Campbell’s Scarred, Too Short’s Blowjob Betty, Ying Yang Twins Wait, Ludacris What’s Your Fantasy, Missy and Ludacris One Minute Man, Khia My Neck My Back, 2 Live Crew We Want Some Pussy & Pop that Pussy, and the list goes on and on.

We all should understand that imagery matters. So, regardless of how you consider the marketing campaign surrounding Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, it is impossible to argue against the assertion that this presentation matters. Some blacks are cringing at the imagery because they believe that it verifies bigoted whites’ stereotypes of Black America. I will tell you the truth, I am unconcerned with outsiders’ view and belief systems that never fail to amplify occurrences of ignorance while ignoring more plentiful moments of black excellence.

My concern is focused on the impact that negative hip-hop images and messages have on emerging generations of black boys and girls devoid of effective parental supervision and guidance. Let’s keep in mind that they are both digesting these images. The haunting words of James Baldwin remind us that

Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.

Equally important is the unfortunate reality that it is Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion who stand at the forefront of debates surrounding black women. They are certainly black women, however, they are far from a fair representation of black womanhood.

CARDI 1

Nevertheless, the centerstage status of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion has once again muted the genius and incalculable ingenuity of black girls and women that I know. At a moment where it appears that Presidential hopeful Joe Biden is poised to select a black woman as his running mate, Black America is engrossed in criticism regarding a cultural expression that is far from new.

Such developments leave me with no other reasonable conclusion than the following one. If black women really want to be heard, intelligence is not the most reliable path. A more productive path appears to pattern themselves after black cultural icons such as Lil Kim, Khia, and Foxy Brown; put simply, they should use their physical attributes to get what they want. After all, that is the message that men, regardless of race/ethnicity, have given to black women throughout the annals of time.

So, in the words of UGK,

Let me see it, let me see it

Let me see it, let me see it

Let me see it, let me see it

Let me see it, bend over and let me see it

Let me see it, let me see it

Let me see it, let me see it

Let me see it, let me see it

Bend over and let me see it

If you do that, I guarantee you that you will be ushered to center stage and the world will notice you.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

©Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.