White hip-hop heads please read

[infinite59]

Job Opening: Honest White Persons Wanted  
By William Upski Wimsatt
Three questions for honest whites in hip-hop:

1. What have you actually learned from people of color?

2. What have you invested, risked, sacrificed, or given back?

3. Why do I never hear white people in hip-hop asking each other these questions?

For the last seven years, I have felt like a lonely voice in the wilderness asking white people questions they don't want to hear.

Then last month the New York Times smeared me. Mainly, it wasn't true (see www.nomoreprisons.net) but it still damaged my reputation, relationships, and made me look irresponsible.

So I'm stepping down now to work behind the scenes. No more interviews. No more public speaking. No more big mouth Upski making everyone uncomfortable.

I am disheartened and I need to repair my own house.

But to be honest, I'm even more disheartened by the lack of progress or self-reflection on the part of most white people in the hip-hop community. What happened to the promise that we would be Race Traitors? What happened to our secret plan to help topple the white power structure from within?

We sing along when Mos Def says: "I want my people to be free, to be free, to be free." But as Dead Prez says, our people are the ones profiting off the prisons.

We nod our head when Mos Def says: "America is centuries deep in cotton money." But how much money have we invested in grassroots organizing to stop prisons and police from terrorizing communities of color?

Some of us even make money off hip-hop and don't give back.

I'm not saying it's wrong for whites to make money off hip-hop. Whites have done a lot for hip-hop. I'll bet we're responsible for 10% of the innovation. Maybe even 11% if you throw in Eminem. So we deserve 10-11% of the profits.

I'd estimate we make 80%.

Hip-hop is a $5 billion a year industry, if you count ALL the elements: lawyers, accountants, movie and video companies, PR, clothing makers, concert venues, radio stations, ad agencies, dot-coms, printers and manufacturers, TV, magazines, studios, and of course the IRS, almost all of which are white-owned. All the people of color in hip-hop (Puffy, Russell, The RZA, Dre, Fubu, Karl Kani, Cash Money, Master P and the rest put together) don't make $1 billion.

The other $4 billion goes into a big white vacuum cleaner.

I'm gonna slap the next white person who says to my face: "It's about skills, dog. It ain't about skin color." You just need to go turn off your computer, sit in the corner, and be ashamed of yourself. You haven't learned anything from people of color the whole time you've been into hip-hop.

I was on a panel talking about philanthropy and some white person asked me: "What about all these rappers and black athletes? I want to see them giving back."

What are you talking about? Black people are 12% of the US population and control only 1% of the wealth. It's easy to pick on famous black people with money. But statistically, for every Oprah or Russell, there are six white people you've never heard of, each of whom are 12 times richer.

Every black person who makes it has to take care of friends and family who are on average 12 times as poor as the friends and family of white millionaires. I never hear anyone say white hip-hop lovers need to give back to the community. No one ever says Eminem needs to give back.

Eminem, brother, God sent you to do more than piss the world off.

You could start the National Association for the Insanity of White People, which would incarcerate prominent Caucasians who pretend to be sane and do tests to find out what's defective about their brains.

Conscious white folk need to start giving back. That means artists, professionals, Internet heads, and hip-hop fans with assets. The communities that created this culture are being wiped out. God sent us to do more than sing along and nod. We need to support grassroots organizers of color and come off that loot! I'm done being honest with white people for now.

Anyone want the job?

[infinite59]

"Sane people who take tests to see what's defective in their brains"  that was ill right there.  If you've read any of his books or anything he's all about self-education.

[ZILLA THA GOODFELLA]

Ummm, Dats quite a story u got there....

[bLaDe]

i'mma too lazy to read it  

[Jay ay Beee]

"It's about skills, dog. It ain't about skin color."

[lee]

i'm lost what did all that mean?

[Hittman]

i'm lost what did all that mean?

[AlerG]

i look at rappers for their skills, and the way they project themselves...i hate the bling, bling shit, but sometimes i might feel a track...it's about what you feel, and what artists you feel the most...i'd rather listen to a cd that i'm feelin 90 percent of the time rather than listening to a cd that i'm feelin for them 2 tracks, you know...that's why i ain't buying many cd's no more because i'm not feelin the shit...it sounds too pushed, you know...people say shit like dre takes too long to release his shit!, but when he does the shit is worth it's while...rappers that are putting out a cd a year usually can't pull it off, because 80 percent of the cd is filler, you know...even the shit they are releasing of pac now, i'm only feelin about half of it, mainly because he wrote the shit 5-6 years ago and it might not of been made to be put out...people are so eager to make money off the next dude...perfect example of how money makes the man...as for this dude that's writin about all this white shit, as long as you know you are giving back than fuck guys like that because he's now realizing that he needs to give back and this is how he's gonna do it...worry about yourself and not about everyone around you, that''s my opinion, peace.

[infinite59]

AlerG, He's trying to educate people, what's wrong with caring about the people around you, and trying to elevate their minds.  William Upski Wimsatt has done alot.   His books are bestsellsers, and he put a non-profit album out, "no more prisons" that had Mos Def, Talib, and Dead Prez on it, to help change the prison system around for the better.  If he has knowledge, why should he keep it to himself?  Nobody ever apologizes for saying something ignorant.  But people always feel like they should apologize for saying something intelligent.  Even in that article he felt like he had to apologize.

[NobodyButMe]

word infinite59