The Message
Lex with tv sets the minimum
So this doesn't raise a few red flags with yall? Maybe you're looking at this as an isolated incident. Look a bit deeper Nothing exists in a vacuum. This is an oft repeated trend. And it saddens me that I already know this story ends. Peep how r&b is being phased the f^ck out right now. Just like jazz, blues, techno, house, etc, we create it, nurture it, but let outsiders package it, market it and sell it which in turn makes the culture superficial because the orignators & the actual purveyors have no control. The inmates aint running the prison fam. The corporations run it at their discretion - which is why you see some of the foolishness we have today. Unfortunately, the corporations have help in erasing the culture. We do it to ourselves. Hip hop is the only culture that sh!ts on its forefathers. You'd never hear The Black Keys or Jack White shyt on Howlin Wolf or Robert Johnson. Gaga is always biggin up Grace Jones. Mick Jagger is always giving props to Muddy Waters or Buddy Guy. But that's besides the point. lol
We have a history of relinquishing the reins of OUR culture. Hip Hop is just a microcosm of all the problems in the black community. We're pure consumers, yet produce nothing. What music distribution company do we own? What licensing do we own? What industries do we have a stranglehold or monopoly on? Maybe, what, haircare products? A lot of our predominately black universities were founded by whites. Do we own any of the stadiums that our favorite football teams play in? How many black and brown owners do we have in professional sports? Now tell me how many black and brown players do we have. Our fav star althlete doesn't even own the rights to his own jersey. Diddy doesn't even own that vodka he's selling. I have my criticisms of Tyler Perry, but the cat owns his own studio - that's the kind of example we need to see more of. He's an inspiration to me. I'm rambling my ass off but we gotta start seeing the silent moves that are made. Sh!t is all by design fam. Just look a little bit deeper.
We have a history of relinquishing the reins of OUR culture. Hip Hop is just a microcosm of all the problems in the black community. We're pure consumers, yet produce nothing. What music distribution company do we own? What licensing do we own? What industries do we have a stranglehold or monopoly on? Maybe, what, haircare products? A lot of our predominately black universities were founded by whites. Do we own any of the stadiums that our favorite football teams play in? How many black and brown owners do we have in professional sports? Now tell me how many black and brown players do we have. Our fav star althlete doesn't even own the rights to his own jersey. Diddy doesn't even own that vodka he's selling. I have my criticisms of Tyler Perry, but the cat owns his own studio - that's the kind of example we need to see more of. He's an inspiration to me. I'm rambling my ass off but we gotta start seeing the silent moves that are made. Sh!t is all by design fam. Just look a little bit deeper.