On Tuesday, one of my
professors played “Karate
Chop Remix” by Future featuring
Lil Wayne to ignite our
daily discussion. The song begins
with Future rapping about
drug use as if being drugged
out is the coolest thing in
the world. The song worsens
when Wayne happily declares,
“Bout to put rims on my skateboard
wheels/ Beat [it] up like
Emmett Till.”
Granted, I do listen to mainstream
hip-hop. But Lil Wayne
is an artist I cut off long ago for
his absurdly chauvinistic music.
Despite how little I think
of Lil Wayne, this song takes
his ignorance to a completely
different level. His decision
to incorporate such a racially
degrading lyric denotes a how
little respect he has not only
for Till, Till’s family, and the
historical struggle of African
Americans in America, but it
ultimately conveys how little
respect Lil Wayne has for himself.
What self-respecting man
could so nonchalantly reference
a boy brutally beaten to death
for no legitimate reason as a
comparison to sex?
People are quick to jump to
Lil Wayne’s defense as a lyricist,
swearing how he so cleverly
utilizes wordplay, but there
is nothing clever about the line.
Music such as “Karate Chop
Remix” contributes to why so
many people, outside of our immediate
demographic, have a
negative view of hip-hop overall.
Mainstream hip-hop entertainers
ruin the perception of
their lesser-known counterparts.
Big K.R.I.T, Talib Kweli, The
Cool Kids, and Pacific Division,
are all artists who do not make
degrading African Americans
the focal point of their music.
Regardless of how disgusted I
am by Lil Wayne’s clear detachment
from the African American
community, I can only be so
surprised. I have come to expect
nothing but trash and foolishness
from him.
My frustration does not end
with the lyric in itself. After listening
to the song in class via
Youtube, my professor scrolled
down to the comments. One
read, “I love Lil Wayne! His
comment was rude but for all the
people who still talking about it
get over it! Like he isn’t the first
artist to do something like this
he’s still a good rapper.”
All I can do is shake my head
at this individual not only for
her clearly blissful state of ignorance,
but also at the thought of
her ever procreating offspring
who will likely be just as –for
lack of a better term-stupid as
she.
To think that younger generations
are growing up to this
debauchery disguised as music
disheartens me. I often find myself
caught in a limbo between
feeling hopeless about the state
of our generation and thinking it
will get better.
I have never been one to hold
entertainers, mainstream or not,
directly responsible for the influence
their music may have on
listeners. It is ultimately up to a
child’s parents to instill certain
morals within him or her. Upon
reaching adulthood, it becomes
an individual’s responsibility to
make decisions regarding who
he or she will become in life.
However, artists must realize
they serve as ambassadors for
their generation. People outside
the ages of 12-25 who listens
to “Karate Chop Remix” will
view the Emmett Till reference
as representative of every African
American youth. They will
hear that lyric and presume we
all live with that same simpleminded
frame of thought even
though all of us do not.
Lil Wayne never should have
made such a disrespectful lyric.
Not only does it make him look
like a fool, but it also serves as
a poor representation of African
American youth everywhere.
- Justine riddick Copy Desk Chief