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“I’ve become a man of peace. My redemption keeps me strong.” -Stanley “Tookie” Williams founder of Crips
This weekend the news that came out of the BET award show about the
altercation between the rapper using my name “Rick Ross” and “Young
Jeezy” can only be described as disappointing. These are not fighters,
they are entertainers, as much as they build their image on criminality –
it is still an image. When art comes to imitate life it can become
dangerous, because while these young men act out filling the shoes of
their infamous heroes, they do so with out having walked in these shoes
to prison cells or worse. As such the only winner that comes out of such
a failure of celebration is the media that is able to characterize
these actions as violent, perpetuating imagery of Hip Hop that has
lasted far to long. In a moment of what is suppose to be a BET
commemoration of achievement, these wealthy young men have created yet
another stain on the American image of Hip Hop, black entertainment and
young black men. Young men by the millions tune in to see role models,
and receive this message of what to model themselves after for success.
While this is not a deathblow to either’s career and through divine
intervention no one was hurt, this does call us to come together and
evaluate to avoid future incidents.
In the early 80′s as I rose to power one thing I saw was real money
caused gang fighting between the Crips and Bloods to simmer down, in
exchange for economic opportunity. The courts wanted to relate the drugs
to the violence but that wasn’t the case. When we started selling drugs
it was the first time you could see a Crip on a Blood’s block and
they’re getting along because they’re trying to get money. When you are
trying to get money you don’t want any violence. You don’t want violence
making the police come around because that interrupts your cash flow.
What seems to be happening in Hip Hop is the opposite; in some cases
these artist produce violence because it is awarded with exposure, which
validates their image of my life, and others like mine. The messages
these young men are starting to emit through song, fashion and
interviews is one of “get your weight up”, rather than let me help you
up.
Rick Ross God Forgives I Don’t – So Sophisticated: “To get a verse from me, you gotta be initiated – To get a purse from me, she gotta be sophisticated – Purchase a whip from me and never miss a single payment -I’m from the city where the Muslims even Christians hate it – Even the black folk hate to see another ni**a made it – Tell all them p*ssies to chill, champagne refrigerated – Just bought a chopper ’cause the last one, got it confiscated – Counting a hundred mill so many times, I contemplated – You wanna be the hottest but that sh*t get complicated -I pull your card, I know you’re p*ssies by your conversation – Show you the safe, you’ll have to kill me for that combination… I’m the hottest and these other n*ggas cooling, ain’t it – I got a b*tch I’m f**ing that you see on BET -My lil’ Haiti shooters will have yo ass on TMZ.”
William Roberts pka “Rick Ross” you accomplished the goal you’re on
TMZ, and BET for all the wrong reasons. Inside of these song’s lyrics is
the kindling of a brushfire for violence, because the starting point is
incorrect. It is a foundation built on low self esteem and selfish
statements of I have what you can’t afford -from something as simple as a
Passport and its stamps, to some European item that’s hard to pronounce
and can even include a man’s mate in some of these songs. Hip-hop has
the power to be so much more than that simple. At my height I did not
make hundreds of millions to belittle those around me, this is what
elitism has driven rap into becoming. A tool to marginalize the
have-nots as rappers say what they invented, how they will protect it
and how your less than for not being in the same class. The goal cannot
be to have large sums of money to marginalize your fans with diamonds
they don’t have, clothes they can’t afford or cars they have not seen.
The goal must be to use money to fund our faith centers, educational
institutions and shelters for those in need. Black America today in mass
is impoverished, some 10 million blacks live below the poverty line
making less than $11,000 a year, and another large mass of blacks are
classified as “near poor” by new census calculations. Likely making it
around 2 in 3 blacks in America that are either poor or the newly
classified “near poor”. Our goal in wealth must be to enjoy it, share it
in charity, be the vision of our excluded great-grandparents and not
allow it to destroy our purpose in achieving the American Dream of
success for our community.
BET must also look to itself not only by saying that their failure was
how they organized attendees. “Due to some misjudgment of select
attendees, it is unfortunate that certain incidents took place. BET
Networks does not condone any type of violence.” BET Network Statement.
But in addition the network must look harder at its programming and the
role it plays in creating an environment where social justice may not be
a large enough part of programming goals for the network and the
networks input on the artist it supports. A good step in the right
direction by BET is the new piece they have airing in October by Marc
Levin “Second Coming Election of Barack Obama”.
BET must also look to itself not only by saying that their failure was
how they organized attendees. “Due to some misjudgment of select
attendees, it is unfortunate that certain incidents took place. BET
Networks does not condone any type of violence.” BET Network Statement.
But in addition the network must look harder at its programming and the
role it plays in creating an environment where social justice may not be
a large enough part of programming goals for the network and the
networks input on the artist it supports. A good step in the right
direction by BET is the new piece they have airing in October by Marc
Levin “Second Coming Election of Barack Obama”.
My partner Antonio Moore is a former prosecutor from years ago, and
we speak often coming from entirely different sides of this thing called
justice on what needs to occur, and undoubtedly it ends with
maturation, responsibility and a call to social justice.
Look at the power of Jay-Z’s lyrics about my life story:
“Can’t you tell that I came from the dope game, Blame Reagan for makin’ me into a monster,…Blame Oliver North and Iran-contra/ I ran contraband that they sponsored.” Jay Z – Blue Magic
The power that can be wielded by our entertainers reaches so much
further than those of the 60′s due to the globalization of their image.
It is time to call on Hip Hop to be more and grow up and mature. As I
attend the Emmys in New York this week for VH1 Planet Rock History of
Crack and Hip Hop, I realize that Hip Hop can be a vehicle to explain
how we survived a economic downturn. Even in my current battle with the
rapper Rick Ross my end goal is not to destroy his career, but rather
part of my goal for any resolution is to have him become part of the
Freeway Literacy Foundation and teach positive messages to our youth
across the nation. For that to happen Hip Hop must change its focus and
its artist must become more oriented on the success of more than
themselves (Ex:Dr. Dre Donates to Freeway Rick Ross Benefit Event by
BET). Rap must heal itself by becoming a vanguard for social justice and
causes that give purpose to idle resource.
My call today is for their to be peace and healing of longstanding wounds, for that to happen we must begin to be honest about why those wounds exist. Then truly come to the table to discuss how to help them heal for all of our sake.
Freeway Rick Ross
Coauthored Antonio Moore, Esq.
Coauthored Antonio Moore, Esq.
Follow Freeway Rick Ross on Twitter: www.twitter.com/FreewayRicky
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