>>which is the main arguemnt here. she does what works for
>HER.
>>but at WHO'S expense?
>
>>the expense of those who are directly impacted by these
>kinds
>>of things?
>>
>>the expense of those who have family/loved ones oppressed by
>>the ameriKKKan judicial system?
>
>so are you saying that anyone who produces art in response to
>what they "only" see is hurting those who've experienced it?

honestly, i don't know how you came to assume that since that's clearly not what i said.

>i hope not, 'cuz i feel that type of view would fatally stifle
>art & what it means to be an artist. i spoke to a coworker of
>mine about this thread & she made a good point: artists create
>work based off of life. to me, that might mean any number of
>things: their own personal experience, what they observe going
>on in the world, what they experience in their own fantasy
>world; i could go on & on. if badu had tried to come from
>some other angle not true to herself, wouldn't that invalidate
>her art to at least some extent? we always complain about
>folks who lie in their "artistry", so why are we not okay with
>badu putting her take on things out there? after all, it is
>HER take on things. no, it probably doesn't jive with what
>someone else sees, but that's why we all have different pairs
>of eyes and different brains.

im not arguing over 'artists' having a right to express thier views. im saying if these artists are going to talk about 'fuck the police' yet in the same vein have cute quotables like 'peace n light' in their sig.... these 'artists' are going to have to be expeceted to be questioned by people.

all these 'artists' do is sing and rap on records.

they have no special entitlements from not being scrutinized for thier rhetoric.

and they will have to accept the fact that people will challenge the shit they say.

>what are the pre-requisites for a person to feel that change
>is necessary? does one have to be well-researched and
>super-versed in every last detail of the drama?

if someone is going to throw on 'colors' or pictorals of 'freedom fighters' across thier body and not have any sense of history associated with those images.... what is the revolution for?

what does 'fuck the police' supposed to mean, then?

to feel 'cool' or 'down' with some bogus, boho bulllshit ideology is short of being some nigga standing on the streetcorner talking about how they got the block on lock.

if they cant back thier shit up... then what the fuck are they saying??

or could it
>be enough to just notice the pain & tension in the air when
>people have been violated? i mean, yeah, i've been racially
>profiled, so i know what that isht is like in a way that a
>"priviledged" peson can't. on the other hand, i've never had
>to live on the street, but i can still see that the system is
>too effed up & has no intent to really effect change in
>society. so would it be wrong of me to argue and/or fight for
>a change in the system?

i don't know... would it? only you can answer that question.

>not having actually experienced
>something does not completely invalidate how someone feels
>about that issue.

it does...IF these 'artists' cant support their position on the message they're showcasing on worldwide venues.

otherwise, ...they would be asked again. ""what the hell are you really saying???""

THAT is the CRUX of this issue.

to me, what you've been saying has come
>across like a slap in the face to folks who want to provide a
>network of support in solidarity with those who have
>experienced the drama.

lmao! a network of support????

STOP the MADNESS!!!!

a network of support for who??? ....buttersoul?? ask her what kind of support this network of solidarity your talking about...has helped her and her family.

you talk about solidairty? solidarity against what??

....i havent seen ANY of these 'artists' who shout REVOLUTION! ....at the front lines denoucing the racial attack against glenn moore in howard beach, queens three weeks ago.

i didnt see ANY 'artist' shout FUCK THE POLICE! when an african-american womans home was recently raided by new jersey police officers by 'mistake', while her teenage son was sleeping in bed and her pregnant daughter was walking down the stairs. oh! ....how about an outcry for REVOLUTION! ...when the woman asked for an apology, the cop turned to her called her an ANIMAL?

or how about the FBI who've been profiling arab/black americans in lido, california... following them in thier cars as they go to work or to school or stake out thier homes day on night.... innocent law-biding citizens who have absolutely NO affilation or association with any 'terrorist' organizations.

..these are NOT isolated events.

..these events were broadcast on the national media circut.

so where are the rally's? ...where is the solidarity? ....sure...it seems to be prevelant at the concerts and tower record store promotionals across the world when these 'artists' relese a new album.

these 'artists' seme to only build on solidarity when its convienant for packing concert venues and vie for that platnium plaque ....at the expense of the brave few who DID march and protest in howard beach with sharpton, with little next to no outcry or demands for justice from these 'artists'.

so please... stop.

>i can't be upset with you about how you feel. but it sounds
>kinda like you have issues with the industry as a whole, not
>just this particular artist.

1. no.

2. your bringing up a subject that has nothing to do with the issue of this post.

3. you clearly didn't read and understand what i was saying.

>it's not improbable to me that perhaps badu is just saying
>"yo, i see what you're going through, & this is how i feel
>about it. i'm in y'all's corner."

she's not in anyone's corner if she's talking about beating someone's ass to help them lose thier 'baggage'.

oh, but wait! .....peace n light. right?

uh huh.... whatever.


>
>>granted, she may be "manifesting
>>>her perspective" on the situation, but isn't that part of
>>what
>>>this artistry is all about?

'this' artistry? ...or 'her' artistry?

maybe.

but that doesn't make it excusable either.

>>
>>sure it is. but these artists also need to be prepared to be
>>challenged by those who live 'that shit' everyday of their
>>lives... and aren't penning imaginary stories from what they
>>'think' they hear and see around them.
>>
>>this is what happens when these 'artists' try to play the
>>game.
>
>i think the very nature of art is set up to spark all kinna
>isht, so yeah, talk about it. on the flip-side of the coin
>you tossed, remember not to take everything so personally. an
>artist has just as much right to defend (or to not defend)
>his/her work as does the critic.

i agree.

"or to not defend."

which is why badu's post ended up being straight up and down foolery.

>sometimes folks decide to bow out of certain battles - whether
>just for a while, or for good. their reasoning is anyone's
>guess, but not really anyone's business.

its EVERYONE business if these 'artists' shout this 'fuck the police' bullshit in public.

ALL artists are open to scrutiny and judgement once they open thier mouth and claim knowledge on the political and social platform.

personally ..badu....sade...jill scott...jayz..common....whoever. all they do is sing and make music that i like ...sometimes.

and in the REAL WORLD...none of these people are absolved from criticism just because they are celebrities.

if they are going to talk about situations, scenerios... shit that REAL folks go through on a daily basis... their words are going to be examined and questioned.

that is the price these 'artists' pay when they say shit and are put on the spot to explain thier shit.

and if they can't ...they need to stop with their pseudo-black liberation army mockery bullshit. because imo ...that alone is an insult to the REAL freedom fighters and REAL revolutionaries who fought and DIED to expresss thought and challenge the oppresive authorites who to this day...continue to villify minorities.