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Singer Eric Benét started a conversation on the harmful lyrics in rap music and charges rappers with promoting misogyny, glorifying materialism, drug abuse and black on black violence.
In an Instagram post this week Benét said,
“Rap Artist, if all you rap about is killing black people, degrading Black women, abusing drugs, materialization,, living a low life, you are not an artist, you are a Black face for white supremacy. You are being used to help destroy your own people.”
Many people on Instagram agreed with Benét and others disagreed, particularly the rappers who felt stung by his commentary with some even resorting to personal attacks bringing up his past marital problems.
There is scientific evidence to back up Malcolm X’s theory that media controls the minds of the masses. There is no denying it and anyone offended by this truth and can not see or refuse to recognize the harmful impact on the community by the type of “rap” Benét singles out, in my opinion, the detractors fit into one or two camps, possibly both. Rappers profiting from the degenerate lyrics or those too ignorant to have a constructive dialogue around the issue. Lupe Fiasco, a rapper who has talked about the harmful images and lyrics in rap music got a similar pushback when he brought up the issue years ago.
I don’t expect rappers who have no problem promoting this type of content to the community to be responsible adults capable of understanding the issue. How intellectually deep can someone be who raps about killing n-words, selling dope and disrespectful to women? Maybe some of them are capable and understand exactly the impact their music is having on society but choose to ignore any consciousness they may have and give in to their lower self for paychecks from the industry. In other words, they are willfully selling out.
The radio stations that play this harmful content and those who advertise on those stations could exclude hateful, violent and misogynistic tracks from their playlists anytime they choose but without a community-wide boycott and campaign, they will continue to broadcast these negative self-hating messages to the community and members of the community will act accordingly to the programming they are receiving. It is a shame to say but there are many weak minded individuals in our communities susceptible to the programming.
I spoke with Kwabena Rasuli of Clear The Airwaves Project which aims to kill the killer radio programming fed to the Black community through FCC licensed radio stations, about Mr. Benét’s post.
In conclusion, I don’t think it is accurate to say these rappers are agents of White Supremacy which is a buzzword used all too often in my opinion but they are certainly agents of destruction, self-hate, and negativity in the community.
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