Kanye, Kim & The Disconnect Between Black Men & Women

     In one aspect Kim and Kanye represent the future of America in a truly post racial society. Where we identify by our cultural heritage and not the color of our skin. The Kardashian-West children are biracial children born of African American and Armenian American decent. Their “variations of a skin tone” are a glimpse into a world free of hatred and preconceived connotations. During the ramp up of the 2016 New York Fashion Week, Yeezy Season 4 premiere, Kanye caught a lot of heat for doing a "multicultural women only" model call. Whether you feel the use of the word “multicultural” was a slight against Dark complexioned women or just a chance to observe our definitions of what holding multiple cultures at home mean, it got people talking. It is fair to note, that since its inception Yeezy Season has featured models of all shades. Even still with this fact, it’s safe to say Kanye West has a polarizing effect on pop culture.

Kanye West’s polarizing characteristic are synonymous with his career. His ultra-high confidence, political views and incomparable talent make it so. We’ve seen enough interview reactions and think pieces to start a small library. The lack of conversation seems to center around the nearly 5-year marriage of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian and what effect that has had on the community who loved Kanye first.

Kanye represents a legacy of artists who grew to popularity in the Black community and later became larger than life. Garnering fans from across the globe, he no longer belongs to just us. It is no longer ok for Kanye to make statements like “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.” He has to represent all his fans, all their pain, and all their struggles. It is a burdensome position for any person to be in.  While the majority of his fans understand it, Black women have a hard time accepting this from Kanye.

His change in rhetoric can be greatly attributed to his marriage. Kanye has the golden touch, and many Black women feel that the man who said “And when he gets on he’ll leave your ass for a White girl” should’ve blessed someone other than Kim Kardashian with it. Kim’s rise to fame can easily be attributed to Black men. From the notorious Ray J co-starring sex tape, to Kanye West rolling out the red carpet into the world of fashion elites for her. Yes, Kim was a reality star with her own money and seasons of success before Kanye, but she was nowhere near being the pop culture icon we see today.

In 2012, after the couple became public, KUWTK aired an episode featuring Kim, Kanye, and stylist Renelou Padora throwing away the bulk of Kim’s closet. She reluctantly let go of her wardrobe and former style at the advice of Renelou and Kanye. He rebranded Kim into fashion royalty. Herein lies the problem. 

Kanye is singlehandedly responsible for the appropriation of the aesthetic and beauty of Black women from various backgrounds but primarily Black women in the hood. There has not been a single “hood Black girl” trend that the Kardashian’s haven’t adopted as their own. While Kanye has never publically addressed the appropriation issue, he has also never publically condemned it either. He is the direct connection into our world. Teyana’s starring role in the Fade music video is the first time we’ve seen Kanye center Black women in his art since his marriage to Kim. When Black women call Kanye West out, celebrities included, it is met with a sea of Black men rebutting against them, saying who he chooses to love or marry should not be our concern. That it is hateful and in opposition to a better future where racial identity doesn’t matter more than cultural identity.  

Black women want to see Black men condemn Kanye for abandoning Black women, but it’s not going to happen. Black women are the only ones who identify the issue. We are the only ones who see Kanye’s creative genius as an inequitable exchange for his actions or inaction. In the wake of racialized violence and widespread White Supremacist ideology, Kim Kardashian took to the internet to tell Black women and Black queer men, to “get over” the racist rhetoric of YouTube beauty guru Jeffree Star.  Adding another stat to an already extensive list of cultural missteps perpetuated by the Kardashian/Jenner clan. 

We want to believe that marriage is more important than politics, that art is more important than mistakes, and that two people with different cultural backgrounds can be united in the name of love. Through that union much will be sacrificed, but Kim has not sacrificed any part of her world or her message. In 2015, the couple took a highly publicized trip to Armenia, to bring attention to the Armenian genocide, which took place between 1914-1923 and took the lives of 1.5 million Armenians. Kim Kardashian-West even took out a full page ad in the New York Times to write about it. On the other hand, Kanye has been preaching a message of unity and coming together. He no longer speaks about the injustice of Black Americans but instead the benefits of multiculturalism, even going as far to meet with Donald Trump following a highly controversial Presidential win, to discuss these ideals.

In all honesty, I love Kanye West. His contributions to the art world are endless and its always exciting to see what he will create. But in recent years I’ve grown disenchanted with Kanye the person, the icon. He seems to be lost in the curse of Hollywood stardom, where fame is more sought after than integrity.  As a Black woman I don’t feel as loved as I once did by Kanye. The All Falls Down music video seems like a shell of both Kanye and Stacy Dash. It leaves me scratching my head and wondering how the same Kanye who promised Mr. Rainey that he was gonna marry his daughter, and who loved his mother more than any words could articulate, would be so far away from the man that told the truth about America post Katrina. I look at Kanye’s line on Gold Digger as a premonition of the future. The ultimate goal of Mr. West. I’m neither surprised nor offended by him and Kris Jenner’s dedication to Kim Kardashian’s manufactured identity. I can wish for the old Kanye, but he will never be that person again. It is selfish to hold him to a standard he can no longer meet. Instead I wish that future Kanye remembers his origins, that he was born to a Black woman who was arrested at a sit in at age 5, and whose blood he claimed destined him for greatness. Keep changing the world Kanye, but don’t forget about the ones you started with.

Why "Shinin’" Said Everything We All Needed to Hear

This past Sunday (Feb. 12, 2017) we all witnessed one of the most stunning Beyoncé performances to date, at the 2017 Grammys. Beyoncé presented a 9 minute, beautifully intricate and visual performance that seemed to be an ode to motherhood and Black women. This performance being the first time many of us has seen her since the February 1st announcement that The Carters were having twins. Beyoncé’ received 9 nominations for her 5th album titled “Lemonade”. The album doubled as a film, a visual representation of each track, taking us through the stages following heartbreak to healing.

This year was a particularly interesting year for The Recording Academy, at the heels of national protest against our President, and last year’s outcry of “#OscarssoWhite” We all wanted to see if Beyoncé’s incredible album could snag the coveted Album of the Year recognition. While Beyoncé did win for Best Record, and Best Urban Contemporary Album, she lost out on AOTY to Adele’s 25. Adele in turn gave a tear jerking acceptance speech that proclaimed Beyoncé as the one deserving of the AOTY. Rihanna’s 8 nominations for Anti went unanswered, which Justin Tinsley proclaimed as her Magnum Opus, but I’ll save that topic for a different post.

Immediately following the end of the award broadcasting, Tidal, the Jay-Z owned music streaming service, released “Shinin” a DJ Khaled joint featuring Beyoncé and Jay-Z. As the up-tempo beat comes in and we hear DJ Khaled say “I worked my whole life for this one.” It was evident that we had another Carter classic.

  “Shinin', shinin', shinin', shinin', yeah
All of this winnin', I've been losin' my mind, yeah

Oh, hold on
Don't try to
Slow me down
Hold on
Don't try to
Slow me down"
 

The chorus holds all the love of this track for me, a poignant point following the alleged Grammy snub. The lyrics go on to say that, “We smilin’ for a whole nother reason, it’s all smiles through all four seasons” followed by a classic Jay verse where he joyously raps about the upcoming birth of his twins.

While the scathing think pieces roll out criticizing the institution of The Recording Academy, who has only awarded AOTY to 2 Black artists in the last 20 years, The Carters are back to business. The loss of this award has no effect on the reasons this family is smiling and will continue to smile. They’re blessed beyond even their own imaginations, and with two new lives coming into the world what’s another Grammy in a home that already houses 43 in total.

My Formal Apology to Migos

 In 2013 I was in my kitchen cooking dinner while my boyfriend played a collection of trap/drill music. It was a mixture of Chief Keef, Young Thug, and Migos. He was playing songs just to watch me roll my eyes. “They all sound the same to me, why would anybody listen to this.” Coming up in a household as the only child living among adults who ranged in age from 48 to 17, I heard a variety of what I believed is good ass music. From Ray Charles, to Maxwell, to Slick Rick, and N.W.A, I can’t deny that I’m a tad bit of a music snob. Born in 89, I experienced growing up during the golden age of Hip Hop. Like anybody who loves the lyricism of the 90s, I’ve had low tolerance for the new age rap that relies heavily on its producers and not so much on forming poignant thoughts through rhyme schemes and punchlines.

Well herein lies the problem, the original producers were DJs and everyone knows there would be no Hip Hop without the DJs. The original Emcees, spit catchy lyrics over familiar beats and the magic seemed to be in the simplicity of the rhymes. A lesson in Hip Hop history will make you less of music snob, but that wasn’t the turning point for me with Migos, and while I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve just recently caught the wave, I should’ve been a fan.

“Bad & Boujee” is Migos latest chart topping single. I wasn’t checking for the song until I seen a video posted of them doing a show in Nigeria (see below), the crowd was gassed up when the beat dropped and the infamous “Rain Drop, Drop Top” line came in full blast. Seeing how Hip Hop is still connecting cultures and continents gave me goosebumps. After watching the video a half dozen times, then playing “Bad & Boujee” 20 more times, I went through their catalog and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It made me regret my early dismissal of their sound, because it’s some of the best music to come out in the oversaturated rap era.

Young Rich Niggas is now in regular rotation and “Rich Than Famous” is not just a motto it’s a lifestyle. Seriously, listen to YRN and see if you can make it through the whole thing without bopping.  It’s inspiring to see 3 Black men carve a way for themselves without taking on the pitfalls of signing to a label. They represent a mindset that all Black creatives should be adopting, never taking no for an answer, going into business for yourself, and never forget the ones you started with.  

I’llI spend the first few months of the year familiarizing myself with Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset. And simultaneously trying to figure out which one is the “Beyoncé” of the group. I would like my readers and Migos to know, I apologize. 

Oh yeah, shout out to Donald Glover for helping catapult "Bad & Boujee" to become the #1 song in the country. Look what happens when we stick together.

The Honesty of J. Cole

  When I first started writing this piece I wanted to write about the powerful performance J. Cole had on the Late Show with David Letterman. Cole was there to promote his 3rd album  2014 Forest Hill Drive. The song he performed was titled "Be Free" and was originally released following the Mike Brown tragedy. An emotionally vulnerable chant about the pain that Black Americans have been feeling for centuries. A statement of protest, the song isn't even featured on the album.

   Most mainstream artist would have released their hottest single as promotion on the legendary David Letterman show. They would have fallen in line with the rap persona that we have all become so comfortable with. The misogynistic, materialistic, violence glorifying, rap artist. In an era of Hip Hop where the image will get you more success than the truth, as we see with Iggy, Rick Ross, and many others, J. Cole's honesty has proven itself to be a breathe of fresh air. In an interview with the Angie Martinez on Power 105, J. Cole gives an insightful yet sickeningly truthful perspective on the ills of America. He shared his thoughts on racism, capitalism, and the present state of Hip Hop. Not since the days of Tupac Shakur have we seen a rapper in the mainstream spotlight speak so openly about the problems in America.

  I think that it's important to highlight that many hip hop artist before Cole have spoken out about the systematic problems America has placed on it's Black citizens and the plight of a capitalistic system on the human psyche. Artist like Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def), Michael Jackson, Common, Erykah Badu, and many more. Most of the truth seekers and truth speakers never make it to main stage. Due to the fact the music industry profits more off bubblegum pop than it does off of realness. I believe with this album and this message Cole has established his-self as a champion who will continue to carry the torch for conscious Hip Hop. The type of Hip Hop the culture was born out of. As a fan of the art I can appreciate J. Cole for staying honest when fraudulent behavior is worthy of a Grammy nomination.  

[Edit] J. Cole's first week sales topped out at 361,120 copies. Wow. In the words of legendary producer 9th Wonder "Never Ever Compromise"

Congrats to @JColeNC. Never, ever....compromise...#361k

— 9th Wonder (@9thWonderMusic) December 16, 2014