Can R. Kelly Count on "His" Women ?

I read this article about Black women supporting R. Kelly in the Chicago Sun Times and I have to say I was both surprised by the reporter's frankness and disappointed that the story even existed. In spite of the theme of the article, the one positive thing that came out of it for me was the focus on protecting our young Black girls from predators instead of blaming them or labeling them as "fast."

Frankly, the tolerance for older men having sex with underage girls in segments of the black community is one reason too many children are born into impoverished circumstances.

Because adults fail to see these older men as sexual predators, they end up blaming the minor girls for the inappropriate sexual contact.

It should be as unacceptable in the black community for older men to have sex with these physically mature but emotionally immature females as it is for older men to marry underage girls at a polygamous compound.

Source

Along these same lines, The Black Snob has an amazing piece about how the culture of modern Hip Hop has essentially preyed on young Black women. In my estimation, this "entertainment" is every bit as damaging as what Mr. Kelly has been indicted for. (The language is a little rough in places....apologies to the easily offended)

A few years back I started making Andy Warhol homages to Lil Kim. Not because I liked Lil Kim or her music. Not because she was some epitome of manufactured beauty. But because of what she'd become, because of what Christopher Wallace, Notorious B.I.G., created her to be, the one thing she had to sell and sold greatly.

Lil Kim is a commodity like so many other things in the post-Shiny Suit Era of the Hip Hop Industry. A time when female MCs were really damaged girls on the come up willing to become glammed up, exalted strippers spitting rhymes they did not write. Flaunting game that was coached and coaxed. Male producers boosting them like hot cars. Flipping them like refurbished homes. They were ample, eager, hungry enough to get down on all fours and become profane provocateurs who could provide money based on "Pussy Power."

Pussy Power is not feminism. It is not womanism. It is about your worth being reduced to your private parts. Your parts being the only thing you can sell. Tits. Ass. Vagina. Marginal face with exemplary chassis. Girls getting bodied for talents they never possessed, but paraded about as the supreme because they fulfill male fantasy. This is not the same as an attractive woman with brains who uses her charm and guile and beauty to advance like an axiomatic Goddess. A success story who glides amongst us and gains the longing stares of men and women alike. This is the aspirational woman. The dream.

The likes of Lil Kim, Trina, Remy Ma and Foxy Brown fresh from prison are not.

It's amazing that any woman, girl, child could look at this coterie of cunts and find their dreams. That they could learn their sad origin tales of sexual abuse and abandonment leading them to paths of decadence and destruction and want to cosign to a testosterone fueled world where a credit card in the crack of an ass crudely demonstrates the vulgar truths.

Source

Is Hip Hop Hiding a Big Secret ?

Hip Hop has been a mainstay in black, white, Latin, and every other cultural lifestyle. It grew in the ghettos and surpassed the [suburbs] of America, and reached other countries where kids do not speak English, but can recite the words to every rap artist in America. It is HIP HOP. It is a MOVEMENT. Yet, it has been oppressive to some of its biggest and most advent supporters - women and gay men. Women have been called "Bitches," and "Ho's." Gay men are referred to as "Batty boys," "Faggots," and "Homos."

Above are the words of Terrance Dean, author of "Hiding in Hip Hop." Source The only reason I have any interest in following the release of this book (in about 2 weeks) is the damage Hip Hop has done to Black people in general, but Black women specifically. I'm not one who enjoys people being "outed," but, if there are high profile Hip Hop peddlers living a double life, I wouldn't cry for them if they are exposed. However, I doubt seriously if the author is going to really name anyone; I smell a lot of hype in order to sell books. Additionally, I hope this book causes a stir and perhaps forces some Black women who are in denial about men on the "down low" to OPEN their eyes and see that the face of a "down low" man can look just like THEIR man. While folks are giggling over Star Jone's misfortune and pointing fingers at her for being dumb, marrying an "obviously gay man," etc. they should pay attention to what's going on in their own lives. The rising cases of HIV in Black women is no joke.

Hip Hop Video Girls - Where My Ladies At?

Today another blogger challenged bw to think before we publicly demonize black Hip Hop Video Girls. You know the ones, shaking-it-up in heavy rotation over on BET and gracing the covers of various magazines.

This blogger’s point, as I understood it, is that we as bw do ourselves no favors when we publicly tear each other down and that she has observed that enlightened ww don’t do this to each other. Essentially, by tearing down another sister, we not only de-value her, but also ourselves. We should perhaps have more compassion for these women or at the very least, speak privately about it instead of putting it “out there” for the world to see. Basically, at the end of the day, the only thing “others” will take away from the criticism is that bw are (fill in your own insult here). The “others” will not be making a distinction between the “good” bw admonishing the “bad” girl and the “video ho” we tear apart.

I have to be honest and say that I’m divided on the issue of trying to “shut down” the video girls because I believe they contribute to the damage of the image of all bw, thus making us easy prey for predators in our communities and the ideology of supporting my sisters, even though I abhor what they are doing, by refusing to publicly bash them for their behavior.

I think Michaela Angela Davis made an interesting observation on this continuing topic when she said that bw are the only women you can see shaking their naked behinds for free on tv; in order to see ww’s breasts, you have to PAY for it.






So is it more insulting that our behinds aren’t even worth paying to see or that we’re shaking it up period?