Stop Reinforcing the B.S!

Alright. I’m tired of this. Upon hearing about the alleged upcoming release of “Video Phone” as a single, I just couldn’t take it anymore. When you look at Beyonce’s entire body of work, there are more jewels than pieces of crap (hence me being a fan), but the pieces of crap are significant.
I feel that African-American artists have a responsibility to their culture to NOT create music that fosters, encourages or glamorizes negative things that paralyze or afflict our community. OUR music directly impacts OUR culture for many reasons.  With us being a smaller group, everything inter-group related is going to have a ripple effect and impact everyone else. The other reason is that OUR music has always been our commentary and our outlet. The place we can go when we aren’t allowed to be anywhere else. That being said, African-American artists should be conscientious.  Especially now, considering that black music is currently mainstream and the “pop” music of today. Black music is serving as a representative symbol of our culture for those who don’t know much about us.

There have been worse offenders of lacking conscientious, but Beyonce` is guilty and I’m holding her accountable. The biggest offense so far has been her use of the word “bitch” in her song “Ego”. The exact lyric is “you must admit, I have every reason to think that I’m that bitch.” Now, even though the reference is SUPPOSED to be complimentary and denote power, it really doesn’t. The idea that you can use a demeaning term in a “complimentary” way is just ridiculous. It’s the equivalent of saying that “nigger” can be used as a term of endearment (but that’s another debate). You can never denote power by demeaning yourself. In a time where we want to be known as something more than “bitches and niggers” in black music, its regressive and sad that one of the leading women in popular black music would refer to herself as such and further continue and reinforce the practice of black self degradation. This is also a problem because Beyonce` is viewed by many as a feministic icon or symbol. When you are considered to be a “leader for women”, a representative for women or an example of empowerment for women, calling yourself a “bitch” is a poor choice. What does that say about what a “feministic icon” is, looks like or behaves like? What message does that send to the women that respect and admire you? Especially for the teens and young girls that idolize her and watch her every move -they are going to feel that there is nothing wrong with calling yourself a “bitch” and that the label is a positive one. (You can say that parents should intervene there and that Beyonce` isn’t responsible for what people’s children do, but we all know that there were plenty of moments were we went along with something our parents didn’t agree with, but again, that’s another debate).

Beyonce’s other offenses are on “Video Phone”, “Soldier” (from Destiny Fulfilled with Destiny’s Child) and “Sexy Lil Thug” (a remix of 50 Cent’s “In Da’ Club”), where she encourages having a “thug” image as a male. In each song, she implies that the “thug” style appeals to her and that it’s sexy. That very well may appeal to Beyonce` (although the man she married is far from the guy she describes in these songs- Jay is very clean cut 90% of the time,  but I digress), but again, at a time where THE PRESIDENT has to address the ridiculous, overwhelming issue of black men not having pride in their appearance by wearing their butts out (among other eyesores), it just seems like a neglectful move for Beyonce` to lyrically give sex appeal to a man wearing his pants “grow man low” (what does that even mean?!? That quote was from “Video Phone”, by the way), or having grills: “open their mouth, their grill gleamin” (soldier). At a time where we would like to have more of our men in college or in the boardroom (the amount of black men attending colleges decrease every year), Beyonce’s glamorizing hanging out in the streets to gain street cred’ and smoking weed. Furthermore, “Soldier” perpetuates and reinforces the idea that a man isn’t strong or a “soldier”, unless he’s rough, hood, has street cred’ or all up in the trap.
And the problem with having no pride in your appearance as a black man, by the way, is that you’re a visual archetype of what a “thug” is and you’re living the stereotype that all black men are street rats who look AND live trashy. And let’s face it: you can’t become the president of the United States or enter anybody’s boardroom with your hair uncut, your draws hanging out, a grill in your mouth and a janky XXL white tee smelling like weed. Get real. But I digress, yet again.
Moral to the story stop reinforcing the B.S., Bee. Don’t be a part of the problem.