There are numerous videos on Youtube with the Gangster Disciples in many states threatening rapper Rick Ross. The North Carolina Gangster Disciples have also made a video which is interesting since Rick Ross will be in Greensboro and Charlotte this weekend.
Rick Ross is a formjer Corrections Officer and he doesn't rep "the streets." He reps Wall Street. And the multi national entertainment corporations couldn't care less about blood being spilled on the streets as long as they can cash in on the blood money.
Interesting news clip below
http://www.wcnc.com/news/crime/Death-threats-follow-rap-artist-at-Charlotte-concert-182272511.html
Showing posts with label greensboro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greensboro. Show all posts
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Hip Hop, Homecoming and Hoes
Hip Hop, Homecoming and Hoes:
How HBCUs Fund Gangsta Rap
Paul Scott
It's Autumn. A time when HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) across the country celebrate homecomings. It's a season of football games, marching bands and step shows. It's also a time when universities pay major dollars to rappers who act like they have never seen the inside of a classroom.
Recently, students at North Carolina A@T and FAMU protested the inclusion of Gucci Mane in their annual homecoming concerts. The students felt that with the spilling over of gang violence onto college campuses, to roll out the red carpet for one of the major purveyors of all that is wrong with Hip Hop would not be a good look.
Although the Gucci guy is still scheduled to roll into Greensboro Halloween night, because of the student protests, the university's administrators decided to take the school's name off of the marquee.
I don't know why the "Aggies" are singling out Gucci Mane since there is nothing, even remotely, unique about his Dirty South swagga and "trap tales." But I really don't care why they put Gucci on blast. The revolution against this foolishness has to start somewhere and I can think of no better place than a predominately black institute of higher learning and I can think of no better time than now.
This is not the first time that college students have taken a stand against the violence and misoginy in most commercial Hip Hop. Back in 2004, the sisters of Spelman put heat on Nelly in response to his Tip Drill video that featured a black woman's derriere being used as a credit card swiper.
But it has not happened nearly enough. While many people have looked to the teeny bopper "106 and Park " crowd to be the vanguard responsible for stopping "gangsta rap" the real responsibility lies at the feet of college students.
It is a well known fact that most entertainers don't make their money selling cds, especially in the age of youtube and Limewire but they make their spending cash via concert tours. Many of theses concerts are held in conjunction with college activities such as homecomings and spring break events.
So, in essence, it can be said that HBCU's bankroll much of the music that promotes black on black violence and the disrespect of black women.
Although, some my argue that college coeds are old enough to know the difference between the fantasy world of Hip Hop and real life, their little brothers and sisters are not. By supporting artists that promote negativity the students are helping to fund the destruction of the generation coming up behind them.
Despite the fact that some of these colleges have Hip Hop classes and frequently sponsor Hip Hop conferences that bemoan the current state of Hip Hop, unfortunately, these initiatives have not helped the students develop a workable strategy that would force Hip hop artists to produce the type of music that many college educated students profess to want.
This is not to say that white colleges are bastions of morality, by any means , as the keg parties and "girls gone wild" scenarios are things that legends are made of. So, the question that some may ask is whether black institutions should be held to higher standards.
Of course they should.
Our ancestors did not sacrifice their lives so that black students today can listen to "tha Gooch " rap about gettin' wasted.
More than that, they owe it to the future generation who should be looking to them as the ones who will finally end centuries of perpetual black misery.
Black colleges across the country should ban together and place a moratorium on the minstrelsy so prevalent in much of today's Hip Hop. The student body presidents at HBCU's should draft a "manifesto against the madness" and vow not to spend student funds to bring rappers that shame the black community to their campuses. Instead they must seek out those artists that seek to encourage young black children to strive for college yards instead of prison yards.
So, intelligent brothers and sisters of HBCU's, the choice is yours. Are you going to raise your voices against Gucci gangsta-ism or are you going to be at the next concert singin' "Freaky Gurl " at the top of your lungs? "
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 451-8283 For more information on the Intelligence Over Ignorance Campaign go to http://www.ioimovement.com/
How HBCUs Fund Gangsta Rap
Paul Scott
It's Autumn. A time when HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) across the country celebrate homecomings. It's a season of football games, marching bands and step shows. It's also a time when universities pay major dollars to rappers who act like they have never seen the inside of a classroom.
Recently, students at North Carolina A@T and FAMU protested the inclusion of Gucci Mane in their annual homecoming concerts. The students felt that with the spilling over of gang violence onto college campuses, to roll out the red carpet for one of the major purveyors of all that is wrong with Hip Hop would not be a good look.
Although the Gucci guy is still scheduled to roll into Greensboro Halloween night, because of the student protests, the university's administrators decided to take the school's name off of the marquee.
I don't know why the "Aggies" are singling out Gucci Mane since there is nothing, even remotely, unique about his Dirty South swagga and "trap tales." But I really don't care why they put Gucci on blast. The revolution against this foolishness has to start somewhere and I can think of no better place than a predominately black institute of higher learning and I can think of no better time than now.
This is not the first time that college students have taken a stand against the violence and misoginy in most commercial Hip Hop. Back in 2004, the sisters of Spelman put heat on Nelly in response to his Tip Drill video that featured a black woman's derriere being used as a credit card swiper.
But it has not happened nearly enough. While many people have looked to the teeny bopper "106 and Park " crowd to be the vanguard responsible for stopping "gangsta rap" the real responsibility lies at the feet of college students.
It is a well known fact that most entertainers don't make their money selling cds, especially in the age of youtube and Limewire but they make their spending cash via concert tours. Many of theses concerts are held in conjunction with college activities such as homecomings and spring break events.
So, in essence, it can be said that HBCU's bankroll much of the music that promotes black on black violence and the disrespect of black women.
Although, some my argue that college coeds are old enough to know the difference between the fantasy world of Hip Hop and real life, their little brothers and sisters are not. By supporting artists that promote negativity the students are helping to fund the destruction of the generation coming up behind them.
Despite the fact that some of these colleges have Hip Hop classes and frequently sponsor Hip Hop conferences that bemoan the current state of Hip Hop, unfortunately, these initiatives have not helped the students develop a workable strategy that would force Hip hop artists to produce the type of music that many college educated students profess to want.
This is not to say that white colleges are bastions of morality, by any means , as the keg parties and "girls gone wild" scenarios are things that legends are made of. So, the question that some may ask is whether black institutions should be held to higher standards.
Of course they should.
Our ancestors did not sacrifice their lives so that black students today can listen to "tha Gooch " rap about gettin' wasted.
More than that, they owe it to the future generation who should be looking to them as the ones who will finally end centuries of perpetual black misery.
Black colleges across the country should ban together and place a moratorium on the minstrelsy so prevalent in much of today's Hip Hop. The student body presidents at HBCU's should draft a "manifesto against the madness" and vow not to spend student funds to bring rappers that shame the black community to their campuses. Instead they must seek out those artists that seek to encourage young black children to strive for college yards instead of prison yards.
So, intelligent brothers and sisters of HBCU's, the choice is yours. Are you going to raise your voices against Gucci gangsta-ism or are you going to be at the next concert singin' "Freaky Gurl " at the top of your lungs? "
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 451-8283 For more information on the Intelligence Over Ignorance Campaign go to http://www.ioimovement.com/
Saturday, January 17, 2009
NWSF Bullet: Blame it on the Movie?
According to news reports out of Greensboro, there was a shooting at the premier of "Notorious," the Biggie Smalls story, last night. Both Fox 8 and the Greensboro News and Record are reporting that the star of the movie Jamal Woolard was at the theatre, The Grand 18 Four Seasons Station cinemas , when the shooting occurred.
http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=8267900&version=1&locale=EN-US
The News and Record is, also, reporting that the theater has suspended showing the movie.
http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/01/17/article/shooting_erupts_at_notorious_movie
Now let me say from the jump, I still think that the Notorious BIG was overrated in the big scheme of things and that life many times does imitate art.
However....
It never ceases to amaze me how those rich white movie executives pump billions of dollars into pushing movies and music that promote black on black violence 24 hours a day and then folks act surprised when the chickens come home to roost?
Also, there is always a fear that anytime black folks gather for anything (especially when music is bumpin') that there is gonna be trouble.
This paranoia has nothing to do with "Notorious" because this perception goes all the way back to the days of Krush Grove.
These aren't black folks who ultimately determine what images are given to the masses. These are old white men sitting in a board room somewhere. And they are more than happy to sacrifice the lives of a few rappers or movie goers if that means that they can make a few million bucks.
So before we blame "tha hood" we need to point the finger at Hollywood.
http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=8267900&version=1&locale=EN-US
The News and Record is, also, reporting that the theater has suspended showing the movie.
http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/01/17/article/shooting_erupts_at_notorious_movie
Now let me say from the jump, I still think that the Notorious BIG was overrated in the big scheme of things and that life many times does imitate art.
However....
It never ceases to amaze me how those rich white movie executives pump billions of dollars into pushing movies and music that promote black on black violence 24 hours a day and then folks act surprised when the chickens come home to roost?
Also, there is always a fear that anytime black folks gather for anything (especially when music is bumpin') that there is gonna be trouble.
This paranoia has nothing to do with "Notorious" because this perception goes all the way back to the days of Krush Grove.
These aren't black folks who ultimately determine what images are given to the masses. These are old white men sitting in a board room somewhere. And they are more than happy to sacrifice the lives of a few rappers or movie goers if that means that they can make a few million bucks.
So before we blame "tha hood" we need to point the finger at Hollywood.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Notoriously Overrated
Notoriously Overrated:
What Was so Big about Biggie Smalls?
Paul Scott
There's a new movie coming out, next month, called "Notorious." It's the story of a black kid who grew up on the mean city streets, became a Black Panther and dedicated his life to stopping police brutality and trying to organize street gangs into a revolutionary political movement. The story ends with him being murdered in his bed by the police as he slept next to his pregnant fiancee.
My bad, that was the Fred Hampton story. Wrong screenplay...
"Notorious" is about the life of a drug dealer turned rapper who released a CD, got into a beef with another rapper and was shot on the streets of LA while leaving an after party. The end.
If you ask any Hip Hop fan who are the greatest rappers of all time, dead or alive, he will, most likely, put Christopher "Notorious BIG" Wallace in the top five. Any omission of "Biggie Smalls" is considered Hip Hop blasphemy. Even highly educated college professors have made a career out of quoting Wallace's lyrics like "The 10 Crack Commandments" as if they were part of some sacred text. Even today, if you go to any Hip Hop clothing store in any city in America you can still buy the T-Shirt of The Notorious BIG with the crown on his head for 20 bucks.
However, as it is with most American icons, we never take a minute to ask, at the end of the day, what was this person's overall contribution to society that made him worthy of the accolades that we bestow upon him, posthumously.
The tragic story of the Notorious BIG is the cornerstone of the Hip Hop catechism and has been the subject of so many books, documentaries and magazine articles that I am not sure how much more light the film "Notorious" can shed on his life. I guess that the movie company, Fox Searchlight, is banking on the possibility that thousands of loyal Hip Hop fans will be willing to put down $8 a head just to pay homage to their dearly departed idol, even in the midst of a major Recession.
But the question remains, what makes a person like Christopher Wallace still relevant a decade after his death when many of our leaders who sacrificed their lives for black people are forgotten soon after their casket drops?
Most Hip Hop heads can run down in their sleep how Wallace sold drugs in Brooklyn, signed with Bad Boy, married Faith Evans and discovered Lil Kim. Who doesn't know about his infamous beef with Tupac Shakur during the mid 90's that had black folks debating who had the best rappers, the East or West Coast, during the same period when right wing conservatives were debating how to take away the few rights that black folks had.
Many of the faithful still get teary eyed when they recall the night that "Big" was murdered, a tragedy that made a black record label owner rich and a whole lot of multi-national white businessmen, richer.
Very few Hip Hop aficionados will debate the fact that many consider Wallace's first release, "Ready to Die," a Hip Hop classic. But one would be hard pressed to find anything even remotely political or intellectually, insightful in any of the lyrics on his CD's where every thing he rapped about could have taken place within a one mile radius of his own block. Besides tales of black on black homicide and suicidal thoughts based on either self hatred or major depression, there is little else to justify any of his work being held in the same light as a " It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" or "The Score."
Talid Kweli once rapped about how we have the uncanny ability to find beauty in the hideous. In the case of Biggie's lyrics, we also try to find depth in the shallow.
Maybe the reason lies within our "mis" educational system. We are trained since elementary school to accept what the text books teach us as the absolute, unadulterated truth. If the book says that Christopher Columbus "discovered" America, then Christopher Columbus discovered America. So as we get older, if a Hip Hop magazine says that Christopher Wallace was the greatest of all time , than Biggie Smalls was the illest. No questions asked.
Perhaps we just have a fascination with death. Especially the deaths of other black folks. I know people who can't start their day without checking the newspaper to see who got shot the night before. We also have the tendency to elevate people in death to levels that they would have never achieved in life.
In ancient Egyptian culture, when a pharaoh died he was worshiped as a god. So when rappers die violently, they are transformed into gods of war, leading their followers on a quest to seek revenge against all those that had beef with them when they were alive.
Holly'hood has also capitalized off of our necrophilia as, for the last 15 years, the plot of black men getting tragically caught up in the streets has been the theme of too many movies to name. No one wants to admit that although they say art imitates life, in the hood , life imitates art as the death of Christopher Wallace only helped to desensitize a generation of young black men to the finality of death. And with the upcoming release of "Notorious," we see that we still have not learned our lesson.
Sadly, although the Notorious BIG became even more famous beyond the grave, for the young brothers who followed in his footsteps, the only fame they received was a 15 second news flash on Channel 9.
Back in the day Kurtis Blow said that there were 8 million stories in the naked city. Unfortunately, most of our stories end the same way . No happily- ever- after. No pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Just black blood being spilled on city streets.
I guess the BIG man was right when he said that "You're nobody till somebody kills you."
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com (919) 451-8283
What Was so Big about Biggie Smalls?
Paul Scott
There's a new movie coming out, next month, called "Notorious." It's the story of a black kid who grew up on the mean city streets, became a Black Panther and dedicated his life to stopping police brutality and trying to organize street gangs into a revolutionary political movement. The story ends with him being murdered in his bed by the police as he slept next to his pregnant fiancee.
My bad, that was the Fred Hampton story. Wrong screenplay...
"Notorious" is about the life of a drug dealer turned rapper who released a CD, got into a beef with another rapper and was shot on the streets of LA while leaving an after party. The end.
If you ask any Hip Hop fan who are the greatest rappers of all time, dead or alive, he will, most likely, put Christopher "Notorious BIG" Wallace in the top five. Any omission of "Biggie Smalls" is considered Hip Hop blasphemy. Even highly educated college professors have made a career out of quoting Wallace's lyrics like "The 10 Crack Commandments" as if they were part of some sacred text. Even today, if you go to any Hip Hop clothing store in any city in America you can still buy the T-Shirt of The Notorious BIG with the crown on his head for 20 bucks.
However, as it is with most American icons, we never take a minute to ask, at the end of the day, what was this person's overall contribution to society that made him worthy of the accolades that we bestow upon him, posthumously.
The tragic story of the Notorious BIG is the cornerstone of the Hip Hop catechism and has been the subject of so many books, documentaries and magazine articles that I am not sure how much more light the film "Notorious" can shed on his life. I guess that the movie company, Fox Searchlight, is banking on the possibility that thousands of loyal Hip Hop fans will be willing to put down $8 a head just to pay homage to their dearly departed idol, even in the midst of a major Recession.
But the question remains, what makes a person like Christopher Wallace still relevant a decade after his death when many of our leaders who sacrificed their lives for black people are forgotten soon after their casket drops?
Most Hip Hop heads can run down in their sleep how Wallace sold drugs in Brooklyn, signed with Bad Boy, married Faith Evans and discovered Lil Kim. Who doesn't know about his infamous beef with Tupac Shakur during the mid 90's that had black folks debating who had the best rappers, the East or West Coast, during the same period when right wing conservatives were debating how to take away the few rights that black folks had.
Many of the faithful still get teary eyed when they recall the night that "Big" was murdered, a tragedy that made a black record label owner rich and a whole lot of multi-national white businessmen, richer.
Very few Hip Hop aficionados will debate the fact that many consider Wallace's first release, "Ready to Die," a Hip Hop classic. But one would be hard pressed to find anything even remotely political or intellectually, insightful in any of the lyrics on his CD's where every thing he rapped about could have taken place within a one mile radius of his own block. Besides tales of black on black homicide and suicidal thoughts based on either self hatred or major depression, there is little else to justify any of his work being held in the same light as a " It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" or "The Score."
Talid Kweli once rapped about how we have the uncanny ability to find beauty in the hideous. In the case of Biggie's lyrics, we also try to find depth in the shallow.
Maybe the reason lies within our "mis" educational system. We are trained since elementary school to accept what the text books teach us as the absolute, unadulterated truth. If the book says that Christopher Columbus "discovered" America, then Christopher Columbus discovered America. So as we get older, if a Hip Hop magazine says that Christopher Wallace was the greatest of all time , than Biggie Smalls was the illest. No questions asked.
Perhaps we just have a fascination with death. Especially the deaths of other black folks. I know people who can't start their day without checking the newspaper to see who got shot the night before. We also have the tendency to elevate people in death to levels that they would have never achieved in life.
In ancient Egyptian culture, when a pharaoh died he was worshiped as a god. So when rappers die violently, they are transformed into gods of war, leading their followers on a quest to seek revenge against all those that had beef with them when they were alive.
Holly'hood has also capitalized off of our necrophilia as, for the last 15 years, the plot of black men getting tragically caught up in the streets has been the theme of too many movies to name. No one wants to admit that although they say art imitates life, in the hood , life imitates art as the death of Christopher Wallace only helped to desensitize a generation of young black men to the finality of death. And with the upcoming release of "Notorious," we see that we still have not learned our lesson.
Sadly, although the Notorious BIG became even more famous beyond the grave, for the young brothers who followed in his footsteps, the only fame they received was a 15 second news flash on Channel 9.
Back in the day Kurtis Blow said that there were 8 million stories in the naked city. Unfortunately, most of our stories end the same way . No happily- ever- after. No pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Just black blood being spilled on city streets.
I guess the BIG man was right when he said that "You're nobody till somebody kills you."
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com (919) 451-8283
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