The Grass On The Other Side Is Such A Better Shade Of Green

We live in a culture obsessed with exteriors. A culture that takes appearances as truth and hides interior lives with guilt and shame. The frivolous surface is taken with such seriousness that it then manifests itself into real-life consequences. Our shallow first impressions can turn around and impress themselves into the depths of our inner lives.

This is why Race is at once completely irrelevant and, at the same time, the most important thing in the world.

Skin color is as meaningless a trait as hair color or height but Racism is as real as oxygen and can cause bodily harm, emotional and psychological distress, and at times death.

You may want to ignore Race because you know it doesn't matter. You know that assholes come in every shade, gender, and sexual orientation, and when you meet somebody you can actually stand, you better not let something as stupid as race come between you.

But you can't.

Because to ignore it is to ignore the very fabric of America. To ignore it is to ignore truth.

Then there are cultural differences that form in segregated groups. When a group of people who look the same, all act the same as well, it fosters the impression that they share some genetic pre-disposition to act that way.

This is a comforting idea to Americans it seems. People become walking color-coded name tags. It keeps things organised and helps to maintain the status quo. And those who step outside of the normal operating parameters assigned to their race run the risk of ridicule, humiliation, and possible punishment.

In this song MURS writes a love song to race-traitors. Telling these women that it's OK to be whom-ever they want to be. It is a beautiful sentiment and a touching song.

Peace to MURS and all the human race.

MURS: D.S.W.G. (Dark Skinned White Girls)
from Murray's Revenge (Record Collection 2006)

The Big American Rap Star

Artist on Aritst: Al Gore and Mos Def

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The first thing that struck me when I watched this video was pride. I was proud of Hip Hop for becoming the HUGE global force that it did. I had to reflect on how amazing it really is that a true MC, a real Brooklyn boy, is holding his own next to the man who was elected president. It shows, in a way, how legitimately Hip Hop is respected in American Culture. What was dismissed as a fad that would fizzle out, later a scourge to be banned and censored, would persevere and end up changing the world (and then die. Hip Hop Is Dead.) A culture invented by children raised in poverty grows up to stand toe to toe with great power. It almost made me proud of America.
Almost.

Then I had a second thought and wanted to contrast it with this video:



For those who don't know
Mos Def, on the night of the VMA's, pulls up outside Radio City Music Hall with a giant rented truck and starts performing for the crowds of star-gazers, autograph hounds and weirdos waiting outside of the venue.

He performs his song about Hurricane Katrina for about 12 bars before the cops bum rush the stage and rip the mic out of his hand.

First of all - can we give it up for Mos Def. He is a fucking Movie Star. He's INVITED to stuff like the VMA's. He could be inside with a tux on sipping cognac with David Bowie. Instead he's outside, bandito style handkerchief on, singing protest songs. Coming out of his pocket to rent this huge mobile stage and knowing he might spend the night in jail (or get manhandled and hassled until he can post bail). He doesn't HAVE to do stuff like that. In fact it would be EASY not to. That's why I love Mos Def.

My thoughts:

1. Would they treat Beck or Timberlake the same way if they pulled a stunt like that? No. Of course not.

2. The disconnect between what Mos was doing (singing a song) and the reaction of the cops (violently pushing him and ripping the mic out of his hand) is crazy! Watching him being hand-cuffed all up against the car like a fucking drug dealer or something - It made me think of that song "Mr. n***a" where he says: "no evidence, no apology, and no regard, even for the big American Rap Star"....and he wasn't even that famous when he wrote that.

3. That's the contradiction of America. It's virtues and it's festering rotten underbelly all at the same time. In one situation a man can be honored as a great artist known the world over and in another instance he can be just another N***er.


Mos Def: Dollar Day For New Orleans

Mos Def: Crime & Medicine
Mos Def:Sun, Moon, Stars
From: True Magic (Geffen: 2007)

Mos Def:Umi Says (Zero 7 Mix)