Nov. 12,2007 The News Argus
Optnton/Editoriai
3
Oprah, Russell, Kanye, where were you?
Ural Garrett
BLACK COLLEGE WIRE
As the "Jena Six" rally
came and went, a particular
article came to my attention
on MTV.com, in which rap
per/actor Mos Def said the
following: "Shame on every
body who's not here." Def
fumed, "I'm f—in' mad. I'm
disappointed to always be
coming to these things and
it's only one or two people
[from the industry here]. If
you ain't gonna use your
voice, then be quiet. I'm dis
appointed and ashamed."
Well, in a way I couldn't
have agreed with him more.
It's pathetic to know how
outspoken Oprah Winfrey is
about the African school she
built and how rap is detri
mental for the youth and yet
hasn't been vocal about the
"Jena Six."
What's really pathetic is to
know that we have so many
conscious rappers like
Common, whose Afro-cen
tric rhymes led many to
believe that he actually cares
for his people, but ironically
he hasn't spoken on the
issue or apparently hasn't
donated to the "Jena Six"
Defense Fund.
It angers me to know that
Russell Simmons is the first
one to defend rap when
people say it's bad for the
youth, and attack President
Bush when things seems
right but wouldn't stand up
or help six young men who
are being heavily discrimi
nated against.
When Kanye West uttered
the infamous line, "George
Bush doesn't care about
black people," I, for a while,
thought that maybe popular
artists weren't overly
spoiled and selfish pre-
Madonnas but real people
like me. Maybe he is materi
alistic but caring. Maybe he
Photo courtesy of MCT Wire
Hip-Hop artist and producer Kanye West has been Itnown to speak his mind on
issues in the black community, but West has remained silent on the Jena Six issue.
was trying to get more peo
ple to buy his album, which
was released around the
same time. Whatever your
opinion may be, what's true
was that Kanye didn't
money up for the six, either.
And these are the public
leaders of Black America?
So much for helping your
brother when in need.
I could say that 50 doesn't
care about Blacks, but that's
obvious due to the fact that
he has said in numerous
interviews that he is not
only a Bush supporter, but a
fan of the Republican Party
and that if he didn't have a
felony that he would in fact
vote for him if he had the
chance. Oh yeah, did I men
tion that he felt the Katrina
catastrophe was an act of
God? So with "Fiddy," I
really didn't expect him to
come out of pocket to help
pay for their [the Jena 6]
bonds.
With the estimated 20,000
people who went to Jena,
you'd think some rappers
and highly paid Blacks
would lend a hand; but
maybe they're too caught up
in their Ferraris and ten mil
lion dollar homes, or maybe
pleasing the white execu
tives who own them [yes,
even Oprah is owned by
white executives, but that's
for later]. With all these
things, I still feel conflicted;
the twenty-year-old male in
me says, "So what? I'll go
with the rest of society," but
the black conscious male in
me says, "Forget all them
because at the end of the
day, they do nothing for me
nor my people."
This situation shows that
if something happens
involving black injustice
due to white allegiance,
some blacks won't be
around. What I'm saying is,
don't count on Oprah to do
a special on your mother
that may have been tor
tured by six crazy white
people.
Sure, you have people like
David Banner and T.l. lend
ing support, but it's still a
small number compared to
the thousands of other
multi-million dollar artists
who could have ended this
situation in a day.
As an African American
journalist, my responsibility
is to make sure my people
are represented well in the
media. When it comes to the
wealthy or highly influential
blacks of the world, it is
their responsibility to be as
vocal as possible about
social issues as well.
Say what you will about
Rev. A1 Sharpton and Jesse
Jackson being media
hounds, at least if a blacks
gets discriminated against
in Alaska, they'll be there.
T.L’s arrest is another setback in hip-hop
The Hilltop Editorial Board
BLACK COLLEGE WIRE
To the dismay of many hip-hop
fans, multi-platinum record selling
artist T.L, born Clifford Harris, was
arrested following an extensive
two-week sting operation by the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco
Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Saturday, Oct. 13.
T.l. was picked up in the parking
lot of a shopping center near the
venue of the BET Hip-Hop Awards
trying to buy three machine guns
and two silencers from undercover
ATF operatives.
T.l. had nine nominations and was
scheduled to perform at the awards
show that same night.
The issues surrounding the case
are simple. There could not have
been any intent to register these
weapons because as a convicted
felon, T.l. isn't allowed to own so
much as a handgun, let alone three
machine guns.
Convicted of drug violations in
1998, T.l. is no stranger to the law
and legal system. Conditions and
terms of his probation were made
clear with his first conviction.
Why did he feel that it was neces
sary to have what is being compared
to an arsenal in his possession?
As a chart-topping artist making
the amount of money T.l. is making
per year, the notion that he would
jeopardize his position as a recog
nized and respected staple in the
hip-hop community with his alleged
actions is mind- boggling.
T.l. recently participated as a pan
elist on the BET broadcast of "Hip
Hop vs. America," chosen to repre
sent the hip-hop community to
speak against the negative percep
tion of hip-hop in America.
If one was to compare T.I.'s com
ments on the show to his actions,
one could easily see him as a hyp
ocrite and a victim of his own bad
judgment.
"Now don't get me wrong, do
some artists need to be held respon
sible for their actions and for their
lyrics and for them taking it too far
sometimes? Absolutely," T.l. said
during the BET broadcast of "Hip-
Hop vs. America."
Now that he is, in fact, being held
responsible for his actions, it is ques
tionable whether T.l. was genuine in
saying that in the first place.
With many rap artists' music being
a depiction of the life they have led,
T.I.'s should have been just that, a
verbal illustration of what was and
no longer is his lifestyle.
All men aren’t dogs
The fact that T.l. is still involved in
the criminal lifestyle is at the very
least disturbing when taken into
account his status in hip-hop society.
How many artists today claim that
their music is an expressive form of
the life they have left behind for a
better one?
Although not all rap artists are
involved in the criminal lifestyle,
T.I.'s actions do bring the whole
genre under scrutiny because he has
said one thing and was caught doing
another.
The hip-hop community is already
struggling to fight negative stereo
types and a bad reputation, both in
America and internationally. T.l. has
made the fight that much harder.
With the rate of crime being as
high as it is in America and the
scrutiny being placed on hip-hop and
its fans for the music's alleged contri
bution to the rate of crime, one
would think that artists would be
mindful to not perpetuate the situa
tion.
T.I.'s activities have done nothing
but worsened the relationship
between hip-hop, fans and America.
It is disappointing, aggravating
and shows that an artist's words on
camera may not be worth as much as
fans believe they are.
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Alexander Knight
BLACK COLLEGE WIRE __
An issue that has caused a
lot of debate, controversy
and painful personal experi
ences is this: For centuries,
women have believed that
all men are dogs. I don't
believe it's true, but several
factors push both genders in
different directions.
Good men are often the
ones you never notice
because they fly under the
radar. They are respectful,
mature, intelligent. A good
man is a man, not a boy.
Women need to realize
there is more to a man than
just his physical appearance
and the tangible things that
he owns. What you should
really care about: What are
his goals, personality, char
acter? How does he treat
you, and what does he want
out of life? But men are not
so innocent. There are a lot
of guys who make it hard
for nice guys by taking a
woman for all she has, and
the nice guy has to come
behind you.
When you examine men
and women, women are
more emotionally attached
than men. Women want that
special someone, while
some men might feel the
same way. Society has
taught men not to cry, to
never show emotions. If a
man does those things, he is
considered less of a man. If
you have emotion, you just
hide it. From the B.C. days
to now, men who have a lot
of women have power and
are highly respected.
Since the beginning of
time, women have accused
men of being dogs. But
women have a part in this,
just as much as men do.
Today, many women
dress provocatively, and it
sends the wrong message to
guys. The way women dress
today fuels the sexual desire
of men. Women should not
be in a hurry to call men
dogs because, according to
Sun.com, 43 percent of
women cheat on their lovers
compared to 34 percent of
males. Women are able to
get away with cheating
because they have valid rea
sons why they cheated and
guys mostly cheat for sexual
reasons.
Women need to stop lis
tening to relationship advice
from other women who
don't have a man!
Something that is really
shocking is a lot of women
call men dogs, but they
knew that he was a dog
before they met him. Guys,
most women know about
your past.
One last thing about some
women is how they want a
man who is thug-like
because he may be tough
and financially stable. But
the thug part comes out
when he starts beating them
or cheating. Then they
blame him. But that is what
they wanted, a thug.
The News Argus wants YOU
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