Rick Ross, Educated Brothers and The Big Meech Syndrome

PassingThrough says:

How ironic that I am reading this article while listing to “Say You, Say Me” by Lionel Richie, a Real musician from an era of Real music that was creative, rather than the destructive crap “artists” are making today.

I'm Spartacus says:

Whenever Bey’s “Naughty Girl” plays on my iPod I start dancing like a stripper whose rent is due. I ham it up, bend over in front of the mirror and pop it, bodyroll like I invented the move and act like I don’t know Jesus. Then I put on my dress slacks and go teach critical thinking and expression to fine(and not so fine) young minds at a university. It’s harmless fun/fantasy and if a responsible, employed journalist wants to role-play in his own damn head, give him a break.

*Akai* says:

It’s great to read pieces that touch on issues from a divergent angle and address different subjects, so I enjoyed Pride’s article in terms of what *I think* it was trying to convey. I would have loved to read more of Neal’s view to understand exactly what he meant by “constrained” or received clarification of the specific what ways in which some felt “constrained.”

That said, I found many of the points a bit disjointed and, having attended an Ivy league university on the east coast, maybe bobbin’ that head to Rick Ross et al is par for the course with certain dudes but I’d strongly disagree with any insinuation that there are hordes of “multiple-degreed” high-achievers that get down like this.

Maybe this is a guy thing as university is the time when females become more political and aware of themselves as women and exposed to various people, places, points of view or ways of living. They form different opinions, ideas etc. and begin to consider and question their place/role in the world, beliefs, music etc. they may have once been OK with (even danced to) when younger and less evolved; and, this progression leads to reconsidering and/or rejecting various things for some as opposed to embracing, shaking something or desperate attempts to glean validation.

Remaining honest and true to one’s self is a different thing altogether in my book, but I’ve yet to encounter anyone who finds any value in the whole “I keeps it real and reps hard!” set that claims to be educated and professional. Frankly, these are antics and traits that perpetuate and maintain their separation from the sophisticated successful rest, and I find it sad that there are those who invest in, and feel a need to blast, joints like B.M.F. in order to feed some concocted and twisted idea of ‘masculinity’. An individual’s mentality is important and keeping one foot and a hand in the ‘hood may be among the reasons for remaining in “hardly lucrative positions” reaching middle management at best and never joining the ranks of multi-millionaire business owners, senior management, CEOs, VPs or true money men, innovators and shot-callers.

This sort of reminds me of when Nas started calling himself Escobar (Pablo) back in the day but to even remotely envy, glamorize, idolize or imagine one’s self to be Escobar or Flenory is pathological and telling in a thousand and one ways. Big Meech? An individual who thought so little of his own people that he poisoned them with drugs? In addition to the violence, broken families, murder, drive by shootings, innocent victims caught in the crossfire etc. that comes with the game he chose to play? Really?! I’ll never understand this pathological disconnect of supporting and pumpin’ to the most vile joints recorded then turning around to (again) bemoan how females are disrespected, the conditions in a community, a million incarcerated males etc. A 10-year-old can spit 16 bars and, unfortunately, for far too long a lot of the ‘rap’ that has come out has been a disgrace and flat out unoriginal. Yes, in the early days there was fun, creativity, less need to vigilantly screen and protect teenagers from profane, perverse and disrespectful lyrics, and joints that told stories or had a message.

Rick Ross is the quintessential studio gangsta’ and now his big greasy nasty @ss is yapping about being a drug dealer. So, what’s new? Nothing! ‘Artists’ have been rapping the same tired lines about their hos, bling, clothes, cars, baby mamas, money, shooting someone, living the thug life, drug-dealing and going in and out of jail (as if that is a badge of honor) for the last 10-15 years so this is nothing new and more played-out recycled sh!t. …the mentally-stunted bragging about what they’re driving, drinking or wearing over a different beat, fueling ideas that contributions and areas of excellence excludes the intellect and limited to the mere physical (sports, rapping), celebrating flossin’ and the ongoing behavior of valuing/pursuing the most base and stupid of things and consumerism instead of being innovative, creating and owning some Microsofts®, biotech or renewable energy companies.

Dutch says:

More misplaced hyper machismo. The fact that someone tried to explain it as being in love with the hustle is lame. Kids don’t have the mental acuity to bifurcate and compartmentalize. Sure people are able to achieve higher levels of reasoning and thought but that damn sure isn’t what Richard Ross is pushing people to do. As for the ivy league thing, overrated. There are many brothers/sisters who attended those “hallowed” institutions and are as stuck in the bullshit as anyone else. Immunity from stupidity isn’t conferred upon one by the mere institution one attends. As attested by the people hailing Mr. Rozay. As for the explanation that black males feel that their aggression, et al makes white people uncomfortable perhaps we ought to touch the big elephant in the room topic of hyper machismo because from my vantage point too many black men are mimicking this hyper machismo posture to their detriment. We may also want to address why hyper machismo is so prevalent in the “community” and why it’s accepted, encouraged, and promoted not only by men such as Richard Rozay but by women as well. Fact is black men and women are complicit in this “non dialogue” dialogue we are having. Black women write about our obsession with Richard Rozay, we bitch about their Tyler Perry fixation and meanwhile no real dialogue occurs. We’re too busy pointing the finger at one another but we do manage to take a time out to create a bunch of babies we infect with the same old tired ass bullshit.

Dion Moore says:

I am a doctoral student at Argosy University studying International Business. I can relate to this artical so much because “I go hard in the paint”. In my medical career, school, and definitely in the studio. I am well respected amongst my feel peers in all facets of my life. I look at hip hop as an investment more than just a hobby. I look at residual aspects of hip hop and entrepreneurial view. Opportunites are limitless. So im enrich these businesses. Lie meechy control the kitchening. Imma keep it rolling like Michelin. Mess around and rebuild Michigan. I glorify not the crime or promote sentences.Penial systems prisons man. Imma about building and living pyramid. My kids grow up like Sharpiro kids. Us my talentsno dirt legitimate. Royalties cause I am roy Yalllll no blimishes