The FNV Newsletter
In Today's Issue: April 23 2002

*HOW HIP HOP DESTROYED BLACK POWER by Min Paul Scott
*GETTING GROWN by Q of SOHH.COM

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How Hip Hop Destroyed Black Power

By Min. Paul Scott
TBWT Contributor
Article Dated 4/19/2002

 From the moment Stokley Carmichael (Kwame Ture)
grabbed the mic and yelled Black Power! the phrase has
struck fear in the heart of white America. Not that
they were overly concerned that we posed some sort of
military or economic threat, as the white power
structure had those two options on "lock" but the
possibility that the phrase would galvanize the masses
of Black youth to action. Motivating them to do more
than get their groove on Saturday night and their
praise on Sunday morning sent chills up the spines of
those who had a vested interest in holding the Black
community down. Something had to be done to destroy
this uncompromising desire for FREEDOM, JUSTICE and
EQUALITY.

The blackploitation movies of the 70's were a good try
as they served as a funkier alternative to the Black
Nationalist struggle. However, even the pimps and
pushers were Struggling against "the man." Also,
during that period, the blood of the Black Panthers
and our other martyrs was still fresh on the pavements
of many neighborhoods of Black America.

So the weapon of choice was a movement of young Black
teenagers who had developed a system of organization
that could do anything from educate children about the
historical struggle of African people to turning the
deadliest gang rivalry into a break dance competition.

First, the power structure tried to ban rap music
altogether by strengthening indecency laws in states
where rappers performed and forcing them to place
parental guidance stickers on their albums. But the
contradiction of having those who have robbed, killed
and murdered every culture on the planet serving, as
morality police was too much to swallow. Also
problematic was the fact that to them the members of
the 2 Live Crew and Public Enemy were interchangeable.

So they fell back on their old standard "if you can't
beat them, corrupt them." It was not an overnight,
hostile takeover but a slow, cunning infiltration,
kind of like the annoying scratchy throat that you
ignore until it has you sick in bed for two weeks. By
then it is too late.

What arose was a Hip Hop nation that held no
allegiance to the Black Nation as the hip Hop nation
was all inclusive and anyone regardless of race,
class, religion or political views where anyone who
had 15 dollars to buy a CD and could imitate the style
of dress from glossy magazine covers could be down.

There is a saying in Afrocentric circles that when the
European missionaries came to Africa they had the
Bible and we had the land and when they left, we had
the Bible and they had the land. In terms of Hip Hop,
when the white missionaries in the form of corporate
executives came to the `hood they had the 20 inch rims
and Courvoisier and we had the music, when they left,
we had the rims and Courvoisier and they had the
music. We traded our dashikis for Rockawear, our
African medallions for platinum chains and our souls
for a moment to shine in front of white America. As it
is said, we crossed over and couldn't get black. Black
Power became an example of racism in reverse and a
term that should have gone out with the Afro pick.

Hip Hop should serve as the background music for the
Black Nation and should be heard pumpin' through
speakers at every uprising, protest, or demonstration.

However, the forces, which control Hip Hop, have taken
measures to make sure that the Hip Hop Nation and the
Black Power Nation never unite. While most rappers
would swear on their mammas' graves that they are in
control of their Hip Hop destinies, I can not help to
think that behind the back stage curtain at every rap
concert is an old white "Wizard of the `hood"
carefully manipulating the lives of our children.

What we have here is a failure to communicate; a
conversation that never happened. A dialogue between
the Black Nation and the Hip Hop Nation has been
skillfully blocked by the white power structure. While
talk shows often pit Harvard educated, middle class
journalist, Bob Smith against straight up gangsta, MC
Cut Throat, I have yet to see a debate between "MC Cut
Throat" and straight up Black militant, revolutionary,
"Bro. Shaka Zulu."

We must not be afraid of alienating our children (as
many of them cannot become more alienated, anyway) by
engaging them to observe Hip Hop against the back drop
of the struggle for Black LIBERATION. As many of them
pride themselves on being the "realist" and shocking
white America with their lyrics that talk loud and say
nothing, we must teach them of the ancestors who were
really controversial and were rewarded with a bullet
in the head or noose around their necks and not heavy
rotation on a radio station.

We must not be afraid to use the term
"anti-afrikanism" in describing some of the disrespect
that white corporate America gives us in the guise of
entertainment. While it may be too early to grill Lil
Bow Wow on his views on the mental genocide of Afrikan
people, it is not only proper; but also our
responsibility, to engage 30 something year old Black
men on their views on colonialism. If they are able to
tell our children about the correct way to sell crack
or murder another Black man, the issue of white
supremacy should not intimidate them in the least.

Although many would like to write off the age of Black
Consciousness as a lost era; if you walk outside on a
warm summer night, after the last video has played on
BET, if you listen closely you can still hear the
voices of the ancestors shouting black power, Black
Power, BLACK POWER!

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