Why is it that folks love to be praised or feel they deserve praise for doing what's right. The responsible thing. The adult and/or mature thing. Yet, when lawlessness and inappropriate behavior land them in a pay load of trouble an outpouring of he's-being-railroaded-profiled-picked-on flow from the lips of certain members of society who would rather have the bad behavior dismissed or at best, less scrutinized since the appropriate behavior clearly got no air time.
Last night at work a coworker and I were talking. He was reading an article online about the latest rapper that's managed to jump out of the skillet....about seven months ago only to find himself right back in the frying pan...same cooking oil!
For those of you who don't know, I'm pretty vocal. So, I start detailing all the reasons I feel he should receive the swiftest and most severe punishment the judicial system can afford him.
Well, coworker wasn't having it. He rambled on and on about how people make mistakes and are held to a higher standard when they're in the entertainment industry and how it was only weed and ecstasy...what's the big deal.
Glad you asked.
Sure this guy's human. We all are. He's not held to any higher standard than you or me. Actually, he's probably cut a lot more breaks than anyone I know. But since a vast portion of his life plays out in the public eye we are made privy to some of the things that go on in his life - good and bad.
He received a slap on the wrist for purchasing a boat load of automatic weapons with silencers in the parking lot of some store/shopping mall. The sentence he received for that was lenient. The community service hailed as his Road to Redemption compliments of MTV was designed to allow him an opportunity to set in motion a positive change in the lives of inner city youth whose behavior was emulating the bad boy lifestyle he'd already been delivered from.
The community service hours have been completed. The stint in the clink is up. You're out on probation...three years on paper to be exact. And less than a year after you've been released you're caught driving around smoking a doobie with a few ecstasy pills thrown in to potentiate your high.
That's just stupid. Even if you knew you weren't planning on walking the walk and talking the talk couldn't you have smoked your weed at home? Breaking the law is breaking the law and there are consequences for law breaking.
His next point to ponder.
The media hasn't said anything about the fact that he married his baby mama and has been there for his kids. They never zero in on the positive things certain people do. It's always the negative.
Oh no, he didn't go there!
Correction time. Yes, the media recently shared the news of said rapper and his baby mama tying the knot. Congratulations on stepping up and being what you were genetically designed to be - A MAN! Wish you much luck with that!
Next! (a brief exchange about the violence and misogynistic lyrical genius that's synonymous with rap music)
I'm informed that in order for a rapper to stay relevant he can't have just lived it...he's got to hold true to what he's rapping about. If the hood is what got him where he is today, he has to stay hood. People know when you're rapping about fake stuff and after that, your career might as well be over.
*Shaking my head*
Why is street credit so important in the world of hip hop! The message of gangs, violence, misogyny and inner city warfare that's manufactured in a recording studio has to be upheld in the street to stay relevant!
Is there any other music genre past or present that can out match or even come remotely close to the number of rappers that have been shot and/or killed violently.
After hearing this question, he starts googling country music beefs....rock star beefs....country music singers killed by violence....rock stars killed by violence...
Safe to say he's probably still waiting on those results. As for me, let the punishment fit the crime.
Enjoy your Labor Day everyone!
