Saturday, October 11, 2014

Can you protest police brutality against blacks seriously, and love "Hot Nigga"?

I love the song, "Hot Nigga" by Bobby Smurda.


I also abhor police brutality against blacks.

These two conflict with each other.

"Hot Nigga" was THE hit of the summer 2014.  Currently it is a top 3 rap song, Top 12 pop song.  The "Schmoney dance" by the same Bobby Smurda is the latest hip hop dance craze.

Much of trap music (hip hop music that graphic details life growing up in poverty, crime, and other tragic circumstances, usually from a criminal perspective) touches on the same themes as "Hot Nigga" but this song takes it to the next level:  no pretense and no ambiguity about celebrating being a thug.  The radio industry has embraced the song in a disturbing way.  There's no discussion, condemnation, just a hit record.

I'm sure I'll hear: "it's art", "Smurda is telling you his story", and so on.

But if that's true, then why are so-called gay bashing lyrics taboo? banned? not ok? 

We as a society are promoting this violence through the music.  Then police officers and others make rational (pre)judgements about these individuals (and those who associate with them in one way or another) and we act as though THEY'RE THE CRAZY ONES!

Again, I'm saddened and maddened by all violence.  Street crime, black on black crime, domestic violence, and police brutality.

Notice how I listed the police brutality last? 

We've glorified hip hop thuggery, so far that it is now mainstream.  And the artists and  consumers are now determined to "keep it real" more than ever.  That this lifestyle being portrayed isn't a game, they are for real.

Well others outside this culture are getting the same message, and responding rationally.

Rational doesn't mean they're right to shoot quicker.
But it is understandable.
Many of the same people complaining against unjustified police shootings of black men would do the same thing if put in the same position.  That is one of the solutions to always make sure the police reflect the population they are serving.

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