The Termination of Black Culture

The Termination of Black Culture:
Is Black Music Month Worth Celebrating


Paul Scott


I recently saw the new blockbuster movie, Terminator Salvation; the latest installment of the Terminator series that started back in the 80's. The Terminator movies are about what happens when a machine called Skynet ,which was originally created to serve mankind ,one day decides to turn on its masters and create a bunch of cyborgs to exterminate humans.

This being Black Music Month, it reminded me of the state of black culture in 2009. In this case, the mega entertainment corporations are ,collectively, Skynet; dead set on blasting black culture to oblivion.

Black Music Month, was started in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter as a way to honor black musical contributions to America but as I listen to the radio and watch BET , I have to ask myself. "What is there to celebrate? The fact that my teenage daughter and her homies think that the highest form of black cultural expression is being able to do the "stanky leg?"

Contrary to popular belief, African people have a rich cultural heritage dating back thousands of years. So powerful was the culture of Africa that one of the first things that the slave traders did was to take away the drums of the captive Africans.

Scholars have suggested that "black" music is the only truly American music. For if it was not for the influence of black entertainers there would have never been an Elvis, Madonna, Kenny G or a Britney Spears. America would have just been stuck with Barry Manilow records in continuous rotation.

Perhaps placing the custodianship of black music in the hands of mega-corporations started off as a good idea. Maybe the early artists saw it as a way to project their gifts to the world or a way to make more money. But as they say , the road to the hot place is paved with good intentions.

At some point the monsters that we created back-stabbed us and turned the culture that was our lifeblood into a weapon of mass destruction.

With the current war raging between the recording industry and the radio monopolies over HR 848, it seems that the machines are even fighting amongst themselves. As in the previous Terminator movies, the radio and music executives appear to be human but under their faux exoskeletons beat the hearts of cold calculating machines doing the bidding of Skynet.

While there has been a lot of discussion over efforts to "save black radio" from the Performance Rights Act legislation that some radio execs have said will be the death knell for black radio, the bigger issue that is, skillfully, being left out of the discussion is how do we save black culture for future generations?

There is an old African proverb that says when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. If the grassroots activists are left out of this discussion , unfortunately, it will be our children who will continue to get trampled.

So what do we do?

Writer Harold Cruse once proposed a "cultural revolution" which would lead to some sort of cultural socialism, whereby, the people would control black culture and its means of dissemination.

Dr. Claude Anderson in his book "Black Labor, White Wealth" takes a more capitalistic approach by saying that "the wealth and power of the music industry offer the most compelling reasons for blacks to recapture control of this cultural resource."

It must be understood that we are not suggesting just having black faces in high places but a system that is used to supply the needs of the black community both economically and socially.

The primary question facing us this Black Music Month is does anyone still care about the fate of black culture?

Seems that those to whom we would look to be on the front line of a recognisance mission to reclaim black culture have either been blasted by money green laser beams or are being held hostage by promises of record deals or airtime courtesy of Skynet.

However, a few of us are still part of the resistance. We have not lost faith in the regenerative power of black culture that has the ability to awaken the African genius that lies dormant in the minds of this Hip Hop generation.

The war will not be fought by some big black empowerment organization but by small bands of rebels in outposts across the country who demand to be heard. It is now time for the few of us who are willing to fight to reclaim black culture to come forward.

To borrow from the John Connor character in the movie.

"If you are hearing this message, then you are the Resistance."

Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/
He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Live or Let Die: Should We Save Black Radio?

Live or Let Die:
Should We Save Black Radio?

Paul Scott


"I can't explain why Hip Hop died or the fact that it did and no one cried."

Big Swagg (local artist)




Funerals are funny things, sometimes. Never mind that the dearly departed cheated on his wife, borrowed a small fortune of unpaid loans from friends and habitually kicked his neighbor's dog, according to the pastor during the eulogy, the man was a saint.

I thought about that scenario when I heard folks mourning over the impending doom of black radio.

Radio One's owner Cathy Hughes was on the Tom Joyner Show this morning begging for a black community bailout of black radio because of a proposed bill by Rep. John Conyers that would make radio stations have to shell out some major dollars to stay on the air. The best part is when she mentioned that Conyers turned on his boom box during a meeting with radio execs, drowning out their whining.

She considered it an an insult. I call it karma.

For years, members of the African American community have begged "urban" radio stations to be more responsive to the needs of the community, especially highly impressionable black youth. Unfortunately, our cries have largely fallen on deaf ears. Seems that profit before people has been the order of the day.

The politicians are selling the proposed legislation, HR Bill 848, (the Performance Tax) as a way to put more money in the pockets of musicians who were forced to work at Mickey Dee's after their short careers were over but the radio folks are saying that it is a conspiracy to not only silence black voices but to prevent us from ever hearing good black music ever again.

Let's be honest. For many of us, black radio died a long time ago. We aren't producing any more Marvin Gayes and Stevie Wonders. What passes today as classic Soul music is Jamie Fox's "Blame it on the Alcohol." It's not that the black community is not full of talented, would be musicians singing and rapping on street corners in every hood but black radio is too busy playing Soulja Boy every five minutes to give aspiring artists a fighting chance.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the strong legacy of black radio stations, as the companies were instrumental in not only giving us the latest hits but giving the community critical, need to know info during the 60's and 70's. Ms. Hughes should be especially honored for her innovative approach to black talk radio with WOL in Washington DC.

But this ain't the early 80's and the days of radio hosts like Petey Green have long been replaced by the Lil Waynes of the world.

I find it very disappointing that while the Right wing media moguls are up in arms over the FCC's new diversity committee that could possibly break their vice grip on the air waves, black folks are concerned about whether or not they can get their hourly Beyonce fix.

As my grim faced college professor once told me when I ecstatically told him that I had scored an internship at the local station that would allow me to gangsta-rize the airwaves back in the late 80's.

"What our people need is information."

In all fairness. There are a few black radio talk shows in major cities and the syndicated guys do devote ten minutes or so every day with serious dialogue but these efforts are quickly negated by mind dulling music and slap stick comedy.

I must admit that when I heard Ms. Hughes' impassioned call to arms, this morning I was caught up in the moment as she, convincingly, warned that the end of black radio would totally devastate the African American community . I was just getting ready to grab my protest sign and bullhorn before reality set in.

If Fox News' top dog, Rupert Murdoch decided to start a new network of stations to target the urban consumer, would our children know the difference? Or would they even care as long as they could still hear T-Payne?

I didn't see too many of our people boycotting BET when it was bought up by Viacom. As long as they played the same gangsta videos and kept Comic View, life went on.

See, the execs are expecting the black community to exhibit a degree of cultural consciousness that has not been cultivated by black radio. You can't just push a button and expect the people who you have dumbed down for the last decade to automatically become Afro-centric scholars.

Just doesn't work that way.

What the radio folks have never realized is that we are all in this together and an enlightened community benefits all its members. If black radio had been fulfilling its duty of raising the consciouness of the African American community no one would have dared to even suggest a bill that would cut off their flow of information or good music.

So, do we fight against HR 848?

I say yes, especially since, as activists such as Davey D have pointed out, this could eventually effect the noncommercial stations that play progressive music. Also, the few black talk radio programs that we have are essential to our collective growth and development.

However, black radio must make a commitment to truly be the voice of the people. We must make Cathy Hughes and the rest of them sign a contract with black America that they will put the needs of the community first and foremost. They must immediately change their play lists and give artists with a positive message, both national and local a chance to be heard. They must also make sure that at least one hour a day is devoted to the dissemination of information. Also, they must set up community advisory boards that meet monthly to make sure that they stay down with the 'hood.

If this happens many of us will stand shoulder to shoulder with them as they fight the power.

If not, as the disgruntled airline pilot said as he saw his old 747 plummet to the ground.

Crash and Burn!


Paul Scott writes for No warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com