Rollin’ With Rush: How Rap Helps the Right Wing

by TRUTH Minista Paul Scott 

 

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There’s a famous scene from the cult classic movie “Scarface” where inebriated gangster, Tony Montana (Al Pacino) disses a bunch of classy conservative folks by telling them that they need people like him so they can point their fingers and say “that’s the bad guy.”
Such is the strange relationship between the Right Wing and rap music.

So, it should come as no real surprise that Rush Limbaugh defended his new homie, Shorty Lo on his radio show.  Limbaugh thinks that the people who caused Oxygen TV to squash plans for Shorty’s “All My Babies Mama’s” reality show are a bunch of haters.

While at first glance they may appear to be at polar opposites of the political spectrum, the ideologies of gangsta-ism and conservatism are actually dependent upon each other for survival. Just like in the world of Hollywood, every hero needs a villain and every villain needs a hero.

Since the inception of gangsta rap in the late 80′s, the conservatives have used the music to embody everything that is socially and morally reprehensible in this country and the gangsta’s have been quick to label anyone who disapproves of their violent and misogynistic lyrics as a wrinkled right wing ole fogy.

It must be noted that when the term “Hip Hop” is used here it is not meant to include the music of legendary political artists such as Public Enemy whose legacy is seen today in the lyrics of noncommercial groups such as Dead Prez but the majority of the commercial rap that has dominated the charts and radio playlists for well over a decade.

While much of the criticism from the Right has centered around naughty words and suggestive lyrics, the apolitical and anti intellectual nature of “gangsta rap” has, in many ways, fulfilled the wishes of those who seek to conserve power by the dumbing down of the powerless. This may be the reason why the commercial era of “political” Hip Hop lasted a mere four years but the reign of gangsta rap has been going strong for 20 years.

Therefore, it is no surprise that the late gangsta rap pioneer Eric “Eazy E” Wright had lunch with President George H Bush at a reception for the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle in 1991. That becomes even more strange in the context that the Right is not exactly known for breaking bread with the enemy as former VP candidate Sara Palin pointed out ad nauseum.

It must be noted that while the protest against rappers Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dog led by C. Delores Tucker and William Bennett only helped to elevate their status as cult heroes who were merely fighting, according to them, represent their community. Bennett went on a decade later to issue what could be a considered a call for gangsta eugenics when he said that if you abort every black baby in this country ,the crime rate would go down.

Also, during the mid 90′s while aid to the poor was under attack, MTV showed a clip with the late rapper Russel “Ol Dirty Bastard” Jones arriving at a welfare office via stretch limo to pick up food stamps during an era when the Right Wing was holding up images of black women as “welfare queens.”

Fast forward to 2013 and we see that Hip Hop has not changed much and neither has the Republican Party. Despite the many rappers who moonlight as voter registration organizers during political season, their day jobs are still keeping the masses of ”ghetto”  youth politically misdirected and justifying the Right’s political scare tactics.

So, today what to do about the so called “Hip Hop Generation” is seen as the new “white man’s burden.” In states across the country there are laws being imposed where the wearing of Hip Hop inspired clothing may be probable cause for the implementation of legislation reminiscent of Richard Nixon’s tough on crime policies of the early 70′s.

With the economy saggin’ like rapper ‘Lil Wayne’s pants, the Conservatives need poverty poster children who they can say enjoy being broke. Who can argue for more social programs when the image of “tha hood” being broadcast across the planet is not an area filled with hungry children and dilapidated buildings but a fantasy land where black men with gold teeth ride around in expensive cars with spinning rims blasting loud music all day. Not exactly the best argument for affirmative action.

Now, I’m not suggesting that a rap mogul is in a studio somewhere composing rap lyrics with a Republican strategist but stranger things have happened in the wild world of politics.

However, at a time when the whole world seems to be yelling for change, maybe Hip Hop artists won’t turn a deaf ear.

Maybe, this year, to quote Tony Montana, we can finally say “goodnight to the bad guy.”

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott’s website is No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com Follow on Twitter @truthminista.Cource all hip hop.com

MISS UTALII VIPAJI KUFANYIKA TAREHE 27.01.2012

Tamasha kubwa la vipaji litafanyika katika Ukumbi wa Ikondolelo Lodge  Hoteli ya Kitalii  Kibamba Jumapili hii, ambapo warembo zaidi ya Thelasini   wataingia katika kuonesha vipaji mbalimbali vikiwemo na, Kucheza ngoma, Kuimba, pamoja kuonesha mavazi mbalimbali ya Asilia.

Katika Tamasha hilo Maalum Mgeni Rasmi atakuwa Muheshimiwa Iddy Azan Zungu  Mbunge wa  Jimbo la kinondoni. Sambamba na Hayo Muheshimiwa Zungu atazindua tuzo Mbalimbali za Utalii Tanzania, kama Tuzo ya Mazingira, Tuzo ya Utamaduni, Tuzo ya Jinsia, wanawake na watoto, Tuzo ya Polisi Jamii, Tuzo ya Elimu ya Jamii, Tuzo ya Hifadhi ya Serengeti, Tuzo ya Mlima Kilimanjaro, Tuzo ya Michezo pamoja na Tuzo  zengine mbalimbali.
Viingilio katika Tamasha hilo vitakuwa kama ifuatavyo, V.I.P 20,000 , Watu wa kawaida 10,000 na watoto 5,000.
Tamasha litaanza kuanzia sa nane mchana na kuendelea.
Asante.
Fredy Tony Njeje
Mkurugenzi wa Masoko na Mahusiano

CHOSHA MAADUI: WEMA SEPETU ANUNUA GARI YA MIL.70 NA ZAIDI

Picha za Gari mpya ya Wema Sepetu aina ya Audi Q7 yenye rangi nyeusi zimeonekana kwenye akaunti ya Wema ya Instagram alipokuwa beach hivi karibuni na kuiandikia caption, ‘my baby at da beach.’

Kwenye akaunti ya meneja wake Martin Kadinda pia kuna picha nyingine ya gari hiyo aliyoiandikia maneno, ‘#maisha sio manhattan…..You can creat your own Manhattan in Tz… Hata kama ni Ya muda mfupi… #Kiphating.’

Gharama ya gari hiyo inaweza kuanzia shilingi milioni 70 na kuendelea.Kaandika Mussa Mateja kwenye blogu yake

Mwanamitindo Huyu Anazidi Kung'ara Kilakukicha

MWANAMITINDO wa kimataifa wa Tanzania, Flaviana Matata ameendelea kung’ara kimataifa baaada ya kushinda tuzo ya Nigeria’s Next Super model na kuwa mwanamitindo bora barani Afrika wa mwaka 2012 (Africa’s Most Outstanding Model 2012).

Tuzo hiyo utolewa kwa wanamitindo ambao bado wanailetea sifa Afrika kimataifa na Flaviana amekuwa katika chati ya juu. Mwaka jana Desemba,  Flaviana alishinda tuzo nyingine  ya uwanamintindo bora kutoka kwa diaspora ya Waafrika.

Flaviana kwa ambaye kwa sasa  anaishi na kufanya kazi ya uanamitindo New York nchini Marekani kupitia shirika la Wilhelmina Models, mpaka sasa ameweza kuitangaza Tanzania kimataifa kutokana na umahiri wake katika maonyesho ya mavazi.

Tangu ashinde taji la Miss Universe Tanzania mwaka 2007, Flaviana amekuwa aking’ara katika kona zote za dunia na hasa baada ya kumaliza katika nafasi ya sita katika mashindano ya kimataifa ya Miss Universe, huku Tanzania ikishiriki kwa mara ya kwanza.

Ameweza kushiriki katika maonyesho ya mavaz mengi Ulaya na Amerika huku akitoa misaada mingi kwa Watanzania wenzake ambao wamekuwa na ndoto ya kufika mbali katika fani hiyo.

Kwa sasa Flaviana anaendesha taasisi yake, Flaviana Matata Foundation ambayo inasomesha watoto wa kike 16 na mwaka jana alitoa msaada wa vifaa vya kuokoa maisha kama sehemu ya kumbukumbu ya kuzama kwa meli ya MV Bukoba huku ikiwa kumbukumbu ya kifo cha mama yake mzazi katika ajali hiyo ya mwaka 1996.

Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa kampuni ya Compass Communication Tanzania Limited, Maria Sarungi Tsehai alisema kuwa wamejisikia faraja sana kwa kumvumbua mwanamitindo huyo ambaye kwa sasa anashika chati ya juu Tanzania na nje ya nchi.

Maria alisema kuwa Flaviana amedhihirisha ubora wake na mpaka sasa amepitiliza kiwango cha kuitangaza Tanzania nje ya mipaka yake, ndoto ambayo alikuwa nayo muda mrefu.