The Experienced Listener Says, "Platforms & Hustles: The BalanceBetween Fame and Activism"

#TAKEOVERFL

There’s a disco that occurs in our society every time a new cause rises up.   It starts with a call to action.  That call reaches the common people first.  And then, eventually, the common people start relaying the call to people of great influence, who may be able to do some things that common people generally can’t.  The first group of influential people… are typically deaf.  More concerned about maintaining their influence than using it, they distance themselves from controversy and agitation by all means.  The other group, however, receives the call.  And then something significant happens--- that group subdivides.


The first subdivision--- and I call them first strictly out of personal preference--- recognize the position they are in to do much good, and they seize it.  They attend functions, donate money, hold functions and conferences of their own, make songs, promote the cause in any number of ways.  And they’re genuine about it; they hear Uncle Ben (not the Brotha on the rice box; Spiderman’s uncle) saying, “With great power comes great responsibility”.  …Or maybe they hear the Lord in Luke 12:48, where He says, “to whom much is given, much will be required”.

The second subdivision--- and I call them second because I do not like them and they suck rocks and they can kick rocks--- recognize the position they are in to get money, get props, get exposure.  They do the exact same things as the group above to the letter, but their motivations are purely self-serving.  They’re insincere opportunists; and, unfortunately, they’re hard to detect, so we can’t always kick their asses.  What’s worse, the things that they do… still make a difference for the most part.  A donation is a donation.  A good speech is a good speech.  A rally is a rally.  So on one hand it’s hard to knock ‘em because they’re damn hard to spot; on the other hand it’s hard to knock ‘em because we need all the help we can get.

With all that being said, let’s get to the obvious:  it’s all about Trayvon Martin right now.  It’s about the injustice that took place in that Florida courtroom and making sure that our children cannot be legally murdered for being a Young Black Male wearing a hoodie with a bag of Skittles and an Arizon.  Being a Hip Hop listener, I’ve been looking for rappers to step up and be vocal about the movement; slowly but surely it’s happening.  I’ll be honest, I was kinda disappointed by the speed of the reaction. So many of our more insightful MCs have for so long written songs about how badly we need change to happen and how quickly they’d get involved were the time to come; when the verdict dropped, I was fully expecting them to start shotgunning verbatim to no end almost the same day.  But the MCs that I thought would be aggressive were actually very reserved.  And several of the artists I didn’t expect to hear from at all, like Stevie Wonder, were some of the first to take action.  Seems like the blind brotha saw the need for a boycott before anybody else…

On that note I would like to take a minute for a shameless plug:  if anybody out there is serious about changing the situation, join me:  let’s boycott Florida.  Specifically, let’s boycott Florida Sports & Leisure.  No professional games, no college games, no theme parks, no resorts until three things happen: 

1)  Stand Your Ground must be amended or struck down entirely so that it is not used to defend those who murder our children;

2) the state must ensure that legal representation provided to the economically disadvantaged is top-notch, because anything less is discrimination against the poor;

3) child-protective legislation must be introduced to give our children--- regardless of race or physical build--- the right to forcefully defend themselves when approached by strangers.

…Yeah, this is the kinda stuff I think up in my spare time.  Let me put another shameless plug here:  The Dream Defenders is an organization in Florida that is sitting Governor Scott’s building right now trying to get these and other measures passed in the wake of the Zimmerman case.  SUPPORT THEM.  They’re in Tallahassee, FL right now.  They need bottled water, food, anything that will keep them comfortable as they prepare to sit-in for as long as it takes to get results.  My group of merry men and women--- that didn’t sound right--- are planning to visit them this coming Friday between the hours of 8AM and 5PM.  You should do the same.

So, back to my original topic.  Celebs as activists; love some, hate others.  Love these though.  And if I didn’t, I wouldn’t tell you.  Not my place.

 

I gotta say one more thing.  The discussion often comes up of artist responsibility.  Should artists be forced to make music responsibly?  Here’s the thing:  you can make whatever kind of music you want.  You can portray yourself however you want.  But when a crisis arises and your influence could be used to make a difference… who’s gonna take a stoner, a freakhoe, or a goon seriously?  I always think about how Stevie, Michael, Lionel, Tina, and so many other artists were able to come into the same studio and create the song We Are the World.  And people would literally cry upon hearing the song and feel driven and motivated to give a damn.  …Most of your favorite MCs, even the good ones, would look ridiculous attempting to do something like that right now.  Because they sold their dignity and integrity for fame a long time ago.  And I pray they recognize that and continue to stand back from the situation, because the negativity they carry with them could easily cause any movement to lose momentum.  You can choose whatever actions or lifestyle you like; but the consequences of those actions and that lifestyle, you have no control over.  #DIGNITYMATTERS #INTEGRITYMATTERS

-E.G.S, The Experienced Listener

P.S. - #TAKEOVERFL