LIL’ WAYNE – SHUT UP!

An African rapper named Asennai Musye it me with this letter over the beef with Lil Wayne and Al Sharpton. Check out the letter and read the news story if you don’t know about the beef.

Anyways, I know that you get tons of e-mails so I would like to address what I have in mind real quick. I was listening to Lil Wayne’s album and when I got to “Misunderstood” I just shook my head with disgust. Now, I definitely give Wayne his props for all the other issues he addressed but when he got to Al Sharpton, I couldn’t help but think to myself…damn, if this is how we are going to handle our issues, we are DOOMED. Wayne is within his rights to address his thoughts but it is mad silly, counter productive and downright ignorant to go at Al Sharpton the way he did. Of course Al Sharpton is imperfect, but he is out there in the battlefield fighting on behalf of many who are disenfranchised and wronged by the system. Now, here comes Wayne and drops all kinds of disrespectful antics and even went as far as calling Mr. Sharpton “unhuman”. To begin with, let’s be honest…some of what he was saying made no sense. The dude, at least on this track, is so in love with his damn self that he was saying whatever he thought would make him sound “smart”, “different” and even   seem “misunderstood” because, apparently, he thinks he is so different that the rest of the world doesn’t “get” him. Shit, ain’t nothing complicated about dude..we have seen intelligent emcees with complex thoughts and flow since the conception of hip hop. And what exactly is interesting about what dude is saying? Let’s get a grip. The dude is off the chain with the delivery and has a few amazing lines. Plus, he pours his heart out and obviously has passion for what he does. I dig his swagger and music overall. But, he is trying so damn hard to be “different” that he is getting lost in some predictable shyt. You don’t try to be different, you just are! But, never mind that, why would a rapper who pours crazy amount of money on jewelry and is so damn self-centered would go and disrespect someone who is on the battle field fighting for others?  We gotta recognize our heroes, my people. It is so easy to write a song about Katrina and create an illusion that you are an activist standing for the people. Where was Weezy when Mos Def put out a message to all rappers to come and help out with the Gena 6? Where was Weezy when David Banner poured his hard earned money to help Katrina victims?

We already have enough artists crying about the ills of our people. We aint never short of griots, storytellers and such. We are short of people of action..starting with our own damn selves. I am frustrated with these rappers misleading young minds by widening the gap between the older and younger generation. Respect your elders Weezy. And yo I am a big fan of Nas but I am sorry, I am not feeling his whole “I am a renegade” approach. You know what, I will respect you when you start proposing solutions because the people that y’all disrespecting are doing exactly that! It is mad easy to say what doesn’t work, try telling us what works. Better yet, lend your star power to help out with any progressive movements.

Some political elements want to create a divide between the older and younger generation..they want that history of struggle to not be transferred to the young generation. Because that history is so empowering and will breed more activists and agents of change. By doing what Wayne did on Misunderstood, he basically helped them with that scheme. I cringe when I think about how many youngins will echo Wayne’s sentiments and go “yah..fuck Sharpton!” There is an African saying that goes “He who was never at a battle field is like a sharp spear”..so yeah we can all spit some sharp shyt as long as we aint in the battlefield. The older and younger generation needs to come together and figure this all out or else it is going to be the death of us. Period.

let’s wake up!