Pharrell's Views On Race Sends Twitter Into An Uproar

[philmonroe]

I'm not ignoring it, I just think it needs to be put on the back burner since we have more important issues to face that we can fix ourselves.

I agree its going to be very hard if not impossible to fix racism since everybody has to wholesale feel/think they are better than someone even though I think we can at least start to put the wheels in motion to do something. Part of that is people stop talking and start to get that money and do like the other groups in getting proper representation. Look how gays all of a sudden have people talking about an agenda because they got them funds and used it on the right shyt. That's what we need to do wholesale period all this other stuff we can talk about but it'll still leave you usually right there.

 

[Guess Who]

I think Pharrell was referring to the social construction of the black identity as it pertains to interests, behaviour, tastes in music, etc. He, in my opinion, was stating that being black should not be defined as narrowly as it has been in the past and that black skin should be more important to one's blackness than whether someone listens to rock instead of rap. That's what I took from it. I don't think Pharrell was stating that we should act as if we don't have black skin and that we are post-racial, or anything of that nature.

 

[Box Cutta]

Pharrell’s New Black Interview: 25 Smarter Perspectives - The Root

As Ebony’s Michael Arceneaux put it in a status posted to his personal Facebook page:

Y’know, I’m tired of these rich, disconnected Black men (this means you, Kanye West) denying the lingering prevalence of racism to the amusement of whites whose attention they so desperately covet. I wish celebrities’ opinions didn’t matter so much, but they do frame the culture & Pharrell’s bulls--t is poison. Structural racism is real, struggle vocals and the mix and matching of refrigerator wisdom over an uplifting beat be damned. In sum, Pharrell, grow up, or at the very least, shut up and “sing.”

This is pretty much how I feel.

Sick of these white-panderers (Pharrell, Kobe, Kanye, Jay-Z...the whole fukking lot of them) making these types of statements as though they have some sort of *ahem* answer to our communities problems because they were able to entertain people.

 

[DEAD7]

I think Pharrell was referring to the social construction of the black identity as it pertains to interests, behaviour, tastes in music, etc. He, in my opinion, was stating that being black should not be defined as narrowly as it has been in the past and that black skin should be more important to one's blackness than whether someone listens to rock instead of rap. That's what I took from it. I don't think Pharrell was stating that we should act as if we don't have black skin and that we are post-racial, or anything of that nature.

 

[lightskinjezebel]

so what you're both telling me is that had trayvon thought about being black he wouldnt have been killed? Is that how it works

btw. the last woman I slept with was black.

good job making assumptions. :mjlolz:

I thought u had ur gf back in China tho?

 

[Suicide King]

Pharrell’s New Black Interview: 25 Smarter Perspectives - The Root



This is pretty much how I feel.

Sick of these white-panderers (Pharrell, Kobe, Kanye, Jay-Z...the whole fukking lot of them) making these types of statements as though they have some sort of *ahem* answer to our communities problems because they were able to entertain people.

My feelings are neutral when they cross to the otherside. No resentment, I just don't consider them one of us, its "out of sight, out mind".

When the last time Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods "put" themselves in the middle of a racial debate. Jordan and Woods know where their allegiance lie & they stay true to that.

I wish more black celebrities who cater to the otherside would stop trying to keep their feet in both worlds. Their c00ning does more harm than good. I think that Girl LP cover has Pharrell on this racial kick, but I think in a few years he'll fully cross over and leave us alone.

 

[Kritic]

I think that Girl LP cover has Pharrell on this racial kick, but I think in a few years he'll fully cross over and leave us alone.

According to Pharrell, the woman he’s standing closest to (in the middle) is black. He says he was trying to put ordinary, beautiful women on the album cover...and that’s it.

The Oscar nominee told TheYBF.com in our interview on Wednesday:

Well, they’re ill informed. The woman I’m standing closest to, she is black and she’s been a friend of mine for a long time. You know, I’m confused by it.

Then they’re going to ask me do I not have an Indian woman on there or a Pakistani woman on there? But meanwhile, I do. She is African American and I feel sorry for her that people will look her dead in her face like she ain’t black but she is black. It’s a girl I use to date years ago.

It’s just unfortunate because it’s 2014 and we have a President [who’s black]. Is this what it is? Is it because she’s not brown? I don’t feel funny about our President because he is what he is. Meanwhile, has anybody forgotten that I’m black myself? I wake up everyday and I wave the black flag. Everything that I’m doing. You know, this “Happy” song going #1. What is the guy that’s singing the song? What do you mean?​

CHECK IT: Pharrell ADDRESSES The 'Black Girl Controversy' With His "G I R L" Album Cover | The Young, Black, and Fabulous​

 

[ℒine ☈acks]

pharrell has had an extremely fruitful year and with that success came a new audience and a lot of dough...new audience + new money = new black...his new black/im not trying to be black refrain is him attempting to give name to his current standing while simultaneously connecting with a new..larger..non black fan base...a person that puts as much effort into being an individual as pharrell cant speak for anyone but himself...when pharrel says new black he is talkn about himself and possibly others of similar predicament;;it doesnt apply to the majority of black folks...

 

[Amare's Right Hook]

When I got pulled over last week I told the cop I was new.

 

[Hiphoplives4eva]

Southern Rap.

Master P lit the torch, and Cash Money ran with it. The rest is history.

Man get the fukk out of here idiot.

Southern Rap (excluding Atlanta) >>> Your life

 

[Piff Perkins]

sooo the "old black" is based around blaming other races for failure? This isn't any different from the #dualities of using the "acting white/acting black" where acting white=being smart, reading, listening to a variety of music; and acting black=being dumb.

shyt is pathetic on Pharrell's part...

 

[DEAD7]

Man get the fukk out of here idiot.

Southern Rap (excluding Atlanta) >>> Your life

Bling Bling my niqqa, Bling Bling.

 

[jilla82]

didnt read the thread...but I bet its a bunch of post talking about Pharrell is a c00n and its hard being black.
What kind of examples were used....hmmmm, lets see..."cops pulled me over" and "white lady grabbed her purse"

You cats are just sensitive as fukk. Every country has its issues...nothing in this country is going to stop you from getting yours. Find me a place where everyone gets along perfectly. You could be certain countries in Africa and they would hate you because you arent Muslim.

 

[Pazzy]

I'm Black and as much as I try to focus on just being human, I'm reminded by the dominant group of my Blackness.

so true. white people in general love bring up the race card but are ready to tell a nonwhite person to shut up when they call them out on it.

 

[Pazzy]

Why do you have to use the word nikka so much?

When I hear the word nikka I think of the worse type of ignorant black person with no ambition or direction in life basically living day by day instead of planning long term.

I dont think we can progress as a ppl while calling ourselves nikka.It seems like a downward decline in terms of social progress.We went from calling ourselves kings and queens to brotha and sista now to nikka and bytches.

can you see the decline?

If you had a black doctor or lawyer that would constantly use the would nikka during your examination, would you question his professional skills and find a new doctor at some point.

We are Africans not nikka.

Black Africans.


The fact that you reject me callting you African but you allow me to call you a nikka says alot about your state of mind.



No disrespect bruh

you have african roots BUT you born and raised in america which makes you american. how you gonna say you african and you ain't even born in that motherfukker? that's insulting to all the black people in the past that have fought long and hard to make us black people be seen as citizens in this country. once upon a time, it was illegally to put your nationality as american if you were black.