Eminem’s Racism Prevails while Blacks sleep – Rapsheet.com

[b]Eminem’s Racism Prevails while Blacks sleep[/b] Rapsheet.com “All the girls I like to bone have big butts/ No they don’t, ’cause I don’t like that n—– sh–/ I’m just here to make a bigger hit” “Blacks and whites, they sometimes mix/ But black girls only want your money, ’cause they’re dumb chicks…Never date a black girl, because blacks only want your money/ And that sh– ain’t funny.” Now that the truth is out about Eminem, heads are wondering if it will make any bit of difference. I think not. I don’t think it will make a bit of difference because Black people are asleep when it comes to offenses against us. We have been lulled to sleep with empty promises of The Big ‘80’s, a false sense of economic security of the ‘90’s and the sum of all fears from the violent beginning of the new century. Eminem can call us “*#*#*#” right now and still move on with his career unscathed. How can he do it? He can move on with a lukewarm apology because some Black people are actually defending him, saying that he was “young” and “understandably hurt.” Still others defend him by presenting the as yet unproven actions of R. Kelly and the negative lyrics of Black rap artists as reasoning for anyone coming in to attack us. I dismiss the R Kelly comparison with the simple premise of this nation’s legal system: “innocent until proven guilty.” The problem, however, is that the same people who have already condemned R. Kelly, using recorded evidence are quick to exonerate Eminem, even though there is also recorded evidence. There are also some other differences. R. Kelly never came out and admitted that he sought sex with underaged females. Eminem, on the other hand, admitted to the lyrics on the tapes. Yet, some of the same people who immediately proclaimed R. Kelly to be a child molester and vowed never to buy his music again, are giving Eminem a pass. The question was asked: “How can we take Eminem to task, when some of us are doing the same thing?” The answer is all too simple to me. We can take him to task because he was expressing his true racist roots and because what he said was wrong and hateful. We can also take him to task because some of us have been taking Black artists to task for years. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Eminem’s defenders are saying that because we have not cleaned our own house, it is appropriate for anyone to come in and trash it. No matter how many Blacks use the word “*#*#*#,” and no matter how many of them call women “bitch,” the sting is not lessened–wrong is wrong. Any attempt to ignore or excuse Eminem’s behavior with such platitudes is disgusting. Two wrongs don’t make a right, nor does one excuse or reason away the impact of the other. I just have one simple question: Why is it that when Blacks step out of pocket with “others,” we get chin-checked in the worst way by our own and everyone else, but when whites are out of pocket with us, self-hating Blacks rush out of the corners like roaches to defend them? Well, the answer is in the question. Too many Blacks in America are conditioned to accept abuse. Some are so conditioned to expecting “back door” treatment, paraphrasing Carter G. Woodson, they will look for the back door, and if there is not one, they will demand that one be installed. This issue is not about Eminem vs. R. Kelly, nor is it about Eminem vs. “other rappers who defame Black women.” This issue is about a white boy who expressed his racism, and then covered it for the express purpose of succeeding in a music genre dominated by Blacks. Period. Now, let’s look at some real facts about the lyrics and videos of Black rappers. The fact is that Black artists, in all their ignominious ignorance are talking about gold diggers and whores, not all women. Additionally, they are denigrating gold diggers and whores of all races, not just Black gold diggers and whores. Finally, the “video hoes” that people are lamenting willingly sign up to be video hoes. These prideless women with obviously low self-esteem dress as scantily as possible, showing much of their goodies in order to be chosen for the often unpaid job of video ho. Another fact is that Eminem is clearly casting hatred on ALL Black women, when he uses phrases such as “I don’t like that *#*#*# shit,” and “Black girls only want your money, ’cause they’re dumb chicks…/never date a black girl, because blacks only want your money.” Yet another fact is that no one can point one finger to a lyric from a Black artist, speaking specifically about Black women. One of the worst lines in rap music history comes from Ice Cube: “A bitch is a bitch is a ho is a slut, and I don’t like groupies on my nuts.” This is a line that should make us all flinch, but a line that falls short of denigrating all Black women, or even all women. There is a difference. You say that what Black rappers do is wrong, but you can’t say that it’s the same as a white rapper specifically denigrating Black women. Years ago, when Eminem first debuted, I wrote an editorial called “Eminem Is Elvis.” In it, I warned that, like Elvis, Eminem, would take his place at the top of an art form created by Blacks and go to higher heights than Blacks could go. I admonished that he would do that with the assistance of Blacks. Am I a prophet? No. What I am is a man who knows the lessons of history. And I know the lessons that Elvis taught us with Rock, which are being repeated with Eminem and Rap. There is still a great debate over whether Elvis actually uttered the now infamous words: “All a Black man can do for me is shine my shoes.” But there can be no debate over whether Eminem used the “N” word. It’s on tape. I think it is sad that Em’s racist history was brought to light by a white man, David Mays. I think it is further shameful that he is being de facto defended by some of Rap music’s most vocal icons. But really, I wouldn’t give a damn who has changed their minds about Eminem. It would not matter if he was blessed By Rev. Jesse Jackson, or anointed by the oil from Rev. Al Sharpton’s Soul Curl. What matters to me is that Blacks once complained about going to Jazz concerts and seeing more “others” than Blacks. Now those complaints are being targeted at Rap concerts. There are more “others” than Blacks at the most popular Rap concerts, and it is my contention that many of today’s ignorant, self-hating Black rappers know that and pander to the audience with self-hating lyrics. It is also my contention that the masses of Black rappers and Black Rap fans have no idea of the intrinsic impact of negative rap lyrics and the demonization of Black men or the objectification of Black women, yet we argue over whether racism is really relevant given of our own self-destruction. There may of course, be larger issues than the biggest contemporary Rap act who happens to be white, spewing forth hatred for Black women. I have to pay attention to those issues, because what was once a strong and might Rap community committed to a movement is now a fragmented group of confused people. In the midst of the confusion, Eminem is free to be himself—a racist and one of the hottest contemporary rappers. So, we don’t need Eminem’s apology for slandering Black women. And following that same logic, we don’t need America to apologize for slavery or institutionalized racism. Following the logic of Eminem’s defenders, anyone is welcome to come and attack Black women or men, because ostensibly, we are doing it ourselves. If anyone ever wonders why Blacks are in the sad state they are in, the answer is simple. Some of us seem to like it, or believe that we deserve it. Most of us are asleep. Source: http://www.rapsheet.com/between-the-sheets.php?subaction=showfull&id=1070899408&archive=&start_from=&ucat=6&