The Guardian: Why Are Black Rappers Aligning Themselves With The (Political) Right?

[Blue Horseshoe 348]

 

 

Why are Black rappers aligning themselves with the right?

.....Ice Cube has joined a long list of rappers who have cuddled up with conservative pundits and politicians....Scrolling through Twitter a couple of weeks ago, I came across a clip of rightwing commentator Tucker Carlson interviewing a face I never thought I’d see on his platform: Ice Cube.....As in F**k Tha Police Ice Cube. “What planet am I on right now?” I found myself thinking.....In a two-part segment, Ice Cube and Carlson commiserated about cancel culture and cast doubt on the safety of the Covid vaccine. “It was six months, kind of a rush job and I didn’t feel safe,” Ice Cube said about his widely-publicized resistance to the Covid shot. He also claimed that he’s been banned from appearing on the talkshows The View and Oprah because he is too much of an “independent thinker”.....

.....It seems Ice Cube has become quite the conservative media darling lately, sitting down with not just Carlson, but Joe Rogan and Piers Morgan as well. He’s joining a long list of rappers – Kanye West, Da Baby, Kodak Black, Lil Pump – who have all put themselves in dangerous proximity to conservative politicians even as rightwing populism threatens to destroy their communities. Kanye campaigned for Trump, and both Lil Wayne and Kodak Black publicly supported the former president after being pardoned by him on his last day in office. In 2020, Trump even brought a supportive Lil Pump out to a Michigan rally (where Trump introduced him as “Lil Pimp”), while Da Baby was also very vocal about supporting Trump’s second bid last year....We can try to excuse this behavior or dress it up as “opening a dialogue” or “crossing the aisle” as much as we like, but that is not what this is about. So what do these rappers have in common with rightwingers who wouldn’t otherwise touch them with a 10ft pole? Shared values.....

.....In discussions about money, gender identity, public health and a variety of social issues, rappers and rightwingers have a lot more in common than you’d immediately think. Many people from both groups share hypermasculinity, conservative Christian values, and a distrust of social institutions (justified or not); and on this common ground sits a messy and dangerous alliance full of people who ordinarily would hate each other, but have come together to make vulnerable people their enemy.....Ice Cube, for example, is a well-documented anti-vaxxer, and has expressed bigoted views on gender identity, as have many of his colleagues like Da Baby, Boosie and others.....And when it comes down to the raw cents and dollars, modern-day wealth solidarity between mainly Black rappers and powerful conservatives isn’t entirely surprising. Ownership in hip-hop is whiter than ever and the nature of the music itself has become increasingly capitalistic. Rap is no longer the embodiment of African American resistance it once was. Now, it’s a hyper-commercialized cultural assembly line that’s somehow been re-designed to glorify the very issues it once pushed so hard against....

.....That’s why society’s current obsession with Black billionaires and one-percenters as “success stories” constantly falls so flat. The notion of building individual wealth as a means of collective liberation is as sinister as it is stupid. We know that Black wealth hoarding can’t save us and that recreating the violent architecture of capitalism – but with Black people in the positions of power, of course – does nothing for the plight of everyday African Americans. Still, hip-hop legends like Jay-Z continue to peddle this demented lie because that is the very function of capitalism: keep the poorest in society busy providing cheap labor while they chase an impossible dream....Then there’s the pseudo-intellectual bunch, who mask their self-serving motivations as elevated political awareness. Say what you want about Democrats and what they have or haven’t done for Black people in America, but Kanye West campaigning for Trump wasn’t some stroke of genius – it was one of the most self-hating and objectively stupid moves that a person in his position could have made back in 2016. But Kanye’s thirst for relevance, combined with a pathological desire to be contrarian and his new hyper-religious bent, made him the perfect kind of Trump-loving troll....

.....As many rappers gain inordinate wealth and power, they’re increasingly exposed to the ways that all of that can also be a gateway to political influence and social dominance. These men don’t want a better America for Black people, they want one where their worldviews are advanced, regardless of which enemies they have to sleep with in order to make that happen.....And while Black voters obviously don’t owe loyalty to any one political party, some rappers do function as community leaders in many ways, and they always have: that’s why their allegiance to the right needs to be called out now. The custodians of rap as an art form have a duty to be responsible with their platforms. And when I say responsible, I’m not talking about respectability politics and pearl-clutching about raunchy lyrics. I’m talking about the stuff that materially affects Black people’s lived experience, like what kind of politics to adopt, and why....

.....What’s perhaps most fascinating about all this is the fact that many rappers are willing to align themselves with white supremacists not in spite of their marginalization, but because of it. I don’t blame Black people – burned by decades of generational disenfranchisement and then walloped over the head with the illusion of meritocracy – for trying to keep their place at the top no matter who they have to play nice with....But romancing fearmongering xenophobes isn’t keeping us at the top, it’s digging a pitiful hole to the bottom, a new low from which Black people as a community will not recover if we don’t put a stop to it now.....

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/10/black-rappers-aligning-right-conservative-ice-cube

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....On Friday he spoke with Chris Cuomo on “Cuomo Prime Time,” and further explained why he was in conversation with the Trump administration...."Your lead-ins are a little misleading. The Platinum Plan is not my plan. I came up with Contract With Black America [CWBA]. I didn’t run to work with any campaign. Both campaigns contacted me. Both campaigns wanted to talk to me about the Contract With Black America … I didn’t run to nobody, so that was real misleading to me. You said I ran over to the Trump team instead of the Biden team and that’s just not true. I’m willing to work with both teams. I’m just working with whoever is willing to work with me...I’m not trusting any of them. I’m just going by action. That’s all I’m going by. I’m not going by words, rhetoric, media spin — I’m not going by any of that. I’m not on nobody’s team. I’m not on team blue. I’m not on team red. I’m an independent person and I believe that’s what Black people need to do is become independent and we need to get something for our vote … I’m working with whoever’s in power. Whoever wins, they’ll hear from me..."

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[JustinCharge 2,397]

There is an overwhelming presence of black conservative youth on youtube.   Male zoomers are skewing hard right.  A big reason is feminism has ruined the dating market for men and they associate feminism with the left.  

[Cloaca du jour 2,149]

They wanna keep their money...not thrownit away.

[Voltaire 5,316]

I don't know why anyone aligns themselves with the left these days. Glad black folks are seeing through the BS.

[Alias Detective 1,400]

We don’t want them.

[Voltaire 5,316]

3 minutes ago, Alias Detective said:

We don’t want them.

I'd have to tune in more to see why. When your hit song is "F*ck the Police" seems you'd be the natural constituency for Alvin Bragg, Beetlejuice, and the rest of the pro-criminal party.

[League Champion 1,911]

Blacks are fed up. They've been promised the sun, the moon and the stars by Democrats. For what, the last 50-60 years at least?

Where has voting Democrat got them?

The left is more obsessed with mutilating children's genitalia and pronouns. They don't care about blacks. They're opportunistic, LGBTQ is the flavor of the month, and they seized it. 

 

[Hawkeye21 2,399]

42 minutes ago, Voltaire said:

I'd have to tune in more to see why. When your hit song is "F*ck the Police" seems you'd be the natural constituency for Alvin Bragg, Beetlejuice, and the rest of the pro-criminal party.

Did you ever look into why they made that song?  I'd say they had good reason at the time.

[Voltaire 5,316]

26 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

Did you ever look into why they made that song?  I'd say they had good reason at the time.

No.

I just assume it's delusional based off of the title. I also assume it will induce a headache because it is a rap song.  For both reasons the song has sparked zero interest in me.

If it is about Rodney King, I do agree that the officers who arrested King went overboard; once a guy is cuffed, you leave him alone. 

I wouldn't mind reading about why the song was made but I remember the 80s and 90s enough to highly doubt I'll agree they had good reason.

[Hawkeye21 2,399]

6 minutes ago, Voltaire said:

No.

I just assumptions it's delusional based off of the title. I also assume it will induce a headache because it is a rap song.  For both reasons the song has sparked zero interest in me.

If it is about Rodney King, I do agree that the officers who arrested King went overboard; once a guy is cuffed, you leave him alone. 

I wouldn't mind reading about why the song was made but I remember the 80s and 90s enough to hhighly doubt I'll agree they had good reason.

There is a movie about the NWA that was really good.  If you don't care for rap music I'm sure you'll hate it though.

[Dizkneelande 1,100]

3 hours ago, Voltaire said:

I don't know why anyone aligns themselves with the left these days. Glad black folks are seeing through the BS.

I live in Massachusetts I know sh!t tons of commies. 

[Hardcore troubadour 15,427]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye21 said:

Did you ever look into why they made that song?  I'd say they had good reason at the time.

Do tell

[Hawkeye21 2,399]

5 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Do tell

https://wordpress.clarku.edu/musc210-hhp/hip-hop-culture-politics-exploring-the-narrative-and-power-of-rap-lyrics/-tha-police-n-w-a/

Through the lyrics “F*ck Tha Police”, the N.W.A is undoubtedly frustrated and criticizing local law enforcements for racial profiling, and ongoing police brutality.

Several months after the release, Ice Cube addresses the controversial messages in an MTV interview. He explains, “… We ain’t talking about all policemen, but there’s bad police out there. A lot of people pretend that these kinds of police brutality and stuff like that don’t happen in their city… They’re saying we’re infesting their kids to believe cops are bad, and we just tellin’ the truth and it goes for damn near every city”. [3]

[Alias Detective 1,400]

2 hours ago, Hawkeye21 said:

There is a movie about the NWA that was really good.  If you don't care for rap music I'm sure you'll hate it though.

Remind me what NWA stands for.  

[Hawkeye21 2,399]

4 minutes ago, Alias Detective said:

Remind me what NWA stands for.  

Negroes With Attitudes

[jonmx 2,429]

3 hours ago, Alias Detective said:

We don’t want them.

Gfo...we want everyone who want individual freedom over an elitist authoritarian rogue government which circumvents the Constitution every chance they get.

[Blue Horseshoe 348]

On 8/12/2023 at 5:50 AM, Hawkeye21 said:

Did you ever look into why they made that song?  I'd say they had good reason at the time.

 

 

 

[Blue Horseshoe 348]

 

[League Champion 1,911]

I didn't realize that Eminem was a psssy snowflake . Although i guess it does make sense since he raps about people then runs when confronted in person. 

[League Champion 1,911]

 

[Blue Horseshoe 348]

 

 

[Blue Horseshoe 348]

 

[Tree of Knowledge 1,855]

If you can’t recognize Biden is a racist and corrupt old fool, then you ain’t black.  

[WhiteWonder 2,735]

$

[WhiteWonder 2,735]

famous black rappers / artists are not the same as the overall black population. Not any sort of representation, tbh. 

Now, do I think the overall, average black population is coming around and realizing the racist that Joe Biden actually is? most likely. Hopefully. 

[Blue Horseshoe 348]

 

Biden blasted for calling LL Cool J 'boy,’ critics say term ‘absolutely a White racist word’ in that context

President Biden is under fire for calling LL Cool J "boy" during a speech to the Congressional Black Caucus, with everyone from average Americans to a popular radio host scolding the president for the "unacceptable" comment about a Black man. ......"Joe Biden has historically expressed racial hostility toward Black Americans. This is well documented. His racial comments have been excused by the Democrats, especially Black Democrats.....For example, (Rep.) James Clyburn (D-S.C.) has come to Joe Biden’s rescue every time he expressed his true racial hostilities. His recent comment referring to LL Cool J as ‘boy’ was not a gaffe but a lifelong attitude of racial discrimination towards Blacks," Terrell continued. "I left the Democratic Party in 2020 because Joe Biden made a statement on a national radio program hosted by Charlamagne tha God where he said, 'If you don’t vote for me, you ain’t Black.....’"

"Two of the great artists of our time represented the groundbreaking legacy of hip hop in America. LL J Cool J, uhhh …" Biden stammered. "By the way, that boy's got – that man's got – biceps bigger than my thighs."....The term "boy," considered a racial epithet when used to describe Black men, struck a nerve with many .... Pollster Lee Hartley Carter said Biden can hurt his chances of being reelected if he keeps offending Black voters......"What we’ve seen recently in polling among Black voters and other certain very, very key voters to Joe Biden, which is women, suburban women, Hispanics, he’s lost between eight and 12 points since the last election in support among those key groups, and that’s before the gaffe this weekend,"

.... a panel of Black voters also weighed in on Biden's remark....."It's 2023. It's very unacceptable to speak and use that language when referring to my community," said Darnesha Weary, owner of Black Coffee Northwest in Washington state. "He should know better by now, so I was very upset about that."....Chris McCullough, a father of three, a small business owner and former Democrat who voted for Biden in 2020, didn't mince words......"I just thought this is just like another example of how Biden truly feels about the Black community. This isn't the first time he's referred to a Black man as a boy, and it's most likely not going to be the last one," he said, referencing previous instances in which Biden used the label, including when addressing Maryland's Democrat Gov. Wes Moore, the state's first Black governor....."It kind of goes back to the whole 'If you don't vote for me, you're not Black.' … I feel like he doesn't really care what he says because he knows the majority of Black people are still going to vote for him....."

......Other numbers look dismal for Biden, including the decline in support from minority voters. A 2020 FOX News poll, for instance, found that his support among non-White voters sat at 73%. Three years later, a Washington Post-ABC News poll indicated Biden's support among minority voters had dipped to 50%. "I'm not shocked because there are so many unanswered promises and there's so many missed opportunities to actually do the right thing. So, I don't have much faith," Weary said....

https://www.foxnews.com/media/biden-blasted-calling-ll-cool-j-boy-critics-say-term-absolutely-white-racist-word

[BunnysBastatrds 2,440]

Life ain’t nothing but biotches and money?

[avoiding injuries 1,580]

3 hours ago, BunnysBastatrds said:

Life ain’t nothing but biotches and money?

"Fock b!tches, get money" is what I always live by. 

[RLLD 4,230]

I am amused that people are suddenly shocked that Biden said something racist 

[Tree of Knowledge 1,855]

Young Joe Biden

[EternalShinyAndChrome 4,101]

On 8/12/2023 at 6:02 AM, Voltaire said:

I don't know why anyone aligns themselves with the left these days. Glad black folks are seeing through the BS.

Still not enough of them, though. They still all mostly vote in one giant block. Somewhere around 96% always vote Democrat..

[Voltaire 5,316]

4 hours ago, EternalShinyAndChrome said:

Still not enough of them, though. They still all mostly vote in one giant block. Somewhere around 96% always vote Democrat..

There are polls that indicate a shift but, yeah, I'll beleive it when I see it.

[Tree of Knowledge 1,855]

19 minutes ago, EternalShinyAndChrome said:

Still not enough of them, though. They still all mostly vote in one giant block. Somewhere around 96% always vote Democrat..

The best hope is they stay home on Election Day 

[TBayXXXVII 2,545]

On 8/12/2023 at 7:02 AM, Voltaire said:

I don't know why anyone aligns themselves with the left these days. Glad black folks are seeing through the BS.

Until I see the results in November, I will never believe that black folks are seeing through the BS.

[Mike Hunt 282]

2 hours ago, Tree of Knowledge said:

Young Joe Biden

 

In his heart Joe Biden is an old time white supremist. It comes out over and over again in his dialect.  It is ingrained in him. 

[iam90sbaby 2,610]

Everyday I lean more towards voting for Biden. The Republican party is full of nothing but fake conservatives who preserve nothing but a liberal agenda. At least I know what I'm getting with Biden.

[Hardcore troubadour 15,427]

 Funny how liberals and a bunch of dooshbag liberals right here on this board will trash Christianity, but come election times they will be kissing black church ass every Sunday. And spreading some loot.