Start Snitchin

Street credibility is killing us. After watching CNN’s Anderson Cooper’s report for 60 Minutes, I’m convinced, more than ever, that many of the well paid Hip-Hop artists need to be taken to Big Mama’s house for a spanking.

The report exposed how “Stop snitchin” is a catchy hip-hop slogan that encourages the attitude that makes those who go to the police the bad guy. The slogan can be found in music videos, on T-shirts, Web sites, album covers and murals. The rule in the streets is never talk to the police.

As a result, police say witnesses are not coming forward and crimes are going unsolved. African Americans have a long history of disdain for the police. Regarded as the enemy of those in the inner city, police departments are forced to contend with the sad reality of the past. The rise and change of focus of the Black Panther Party was stirred by out of control police brutality in Oakland, CA. The movement spread to other urban centers due to the prevalence of police corruption.

In recent years, African Americans have witnessed a series of highly publicized examples that make it difficult to trust the police. Most notable is the Rodney King case and the underlying racial issues during the O.J. Simpson trail. “Stop snitchin” is, for those who promote it, an affirmation that the police are adversaries rather than positioned to protect African Americans living in inner city communities.

“Stop snitchin” is about communities witnessing corruption and a disparity in how crimes involving African Americans are handled versus those involving whites. This law of the streets is designed to bring balance to the system. It brings poise to an arrangement that, in the minds of many, keeps African Americans poor, incarcerated and lacking resources needed to alter their condition.

How bad is it? "People are walking around with shirts. People are going out making, making music. People are saying things that if you're a snitch it's like being an Uncle Tom was when I was growing up," says Geoffrey Canada, an anti-violence advocate, on 60 Minutes. "It's like you can't be a black person if you have a set of values that say, 'I will not watch crime happen in my community without getting involved to stop it."

Canada decided to speak out after Israel Ramirez, a student he had mentored and loved like a son, was shot to death outside a soundstage in Brooklyn. Ramirez was working as a bodyguard for the rap star Busta Rhymes, who was making a music video. Witnesses have confirmed that Ramirez was shot in front of Busta Rhymes.

New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says there were at least 25 people who may have witnessed the shooting. But he says nobody has come forward to testify. "The people that we've located, either were inside and didn't see anything. Or you'll get a version of, 'I have to work in this business. Ask Busta Rhymes what happened,"'Commissioner Kelly said during the 60 Minute report.

Geoffrey Canada said he believes Busta Rhymes refuses to talk because he doesn’t want to jeopardize his “street cred”. To talk to the police would violate the law of the streets-“stop snitching”. "One of the things that sells music is when the artist is looked at as someone who's come up from the streets. Not just any streets, but the toughest, meanest streets of the urban ghetto. And that's called 'street credibility,'" Canada said during the broadcast.

Rap star Cam’ron got shot in both arms in 2005. The shooting occurred in front of members of Cam'ron's entourage, but to this day, neither they, nor he, have cooperated with police. Cooper asked him why. "Because with the type of business I'm in, it would definitely hurt my business. And the way that I was raised, I just don't do that. I was raised differently, not to tell."

"If I was shot, I would want to know who did it. I would want the guy to get caught," Cooper responded.

"But then again, you're not going to be on the stage tonight in the middle of, let's say, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, with people with gold and platinum teeth and dreadlocks jumping up and down singing your songs either," Cam'ron snapped back. "You know what I'm saying? We're in two different lines of business."

"So for you it's really about business?" Cooper asks.

"It's about business but it's still also a code of ethics," Cam'ron replies.

Asked if he thinks there is any situation when it's okay to talk to the police, Cam'ron tells Cooper, "Yeah, definitely. Say 'Hello, how you feel, everything alright?' Period."

"That's it?" Cooper asks.

"There's nothing really to talk about with the police, I mean, for what?" Cam'ron says.

"If there's a serial killer living next door to you, though, and you know that person is, you know, killing people, would you be a snitch if you called police and told them?" Cooper asks Cam'ron.

"If I knew the serial killer was living next door to me?" Cam'ron asks. "No, I wouldn't call and tell anybody on him. But I'd probably move… But I'm not gonna call and be like, you know, 'The serial killer's in 4E.'"

That’s a steep price to pay for “street cred”. There was a time when people didn’t snitch because the police were the enemy. Cam’ron is promoting a code of ethic to promote his music. Cam’ron has taken on 50 Cent in a recent video viewed more than a million times on YouTube. He attacks 50 Cents “street cred” for being a “snitch” for allegedly cooperating with a police investigation.

Cooper met Victoria, Alex, Derrick, Darnell, and Tess through a church-based organization called Uth Turn. They’re 14 through 19 years old, and they told 60 Minutes the "stop snitchin'" code doesn’t just apply to rappers.

"A snitch is a tattletale, a rat, somebody who goes around telling other people business instead of minding they own," Alex tells Cooper.

Asked if he believes that, Alex says, "Yes."

Anybody who comes forward and talks to the police about something they witnessed, a murder or a crime, are they a snitch?" Cooper asks.

"Yes… It's a crime, remember, in our community, to snitch," says Tess.

Most of these kids had witnessed at least one violent crime but had not helped the police identify the culprits. Victoria saw someone get shot a few years ago; she says she was scared to talk to the police then, and she wouldn’t identify the shooter if the same thing happened today.

Asked why, Victoria says, "Because that's the rules."

It’s the rule! Is that what you say to the mother who just lost her son? It’s the rule! That’s what you say to the woman who has been raped? You look her in the face and say, “I know who did it but I can’t tell you because that’s the rule.”

The rule promotes the continuation of crime and violence in inner city communities. Those who live by it deny themselves the right to live void of the fear of crime. The criminal is honored more than being safe. That’s not a law, that’s insanity.

Making things even worse is how the slogan is promoted to give “street cred”. I suppose it’s easy to do that when you no longer have to live in the hood.; when your talent has provided you the resources to move on up to the East side.

Cooper asked Cam’ron an important question. "If your record label said to you, 'Look, we're not going to promote you, we're not going to distribute you if you keep calling Curtis Jackson a snitch.' Or you keep, writing about guns and selling drugs, would you stop?"

"No record company in the world would say 'We're not promoting if you keep calling somebody a snitch. They know what makes money," Cam'ron says. "A record company would never be that stupid. Ever.”

Go back to the plantation. Mr. Charley said you still a slave. We ain’t free.

No Keys for Hip-Hop Please

When a person prefaces their comments with a word of clarification, be very careful. That person may be attempting to sale you swamp land. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the books- before you say what you mean; tell them what you don’t mean by what you say.
So, let me preface by saying I’m on record as a critic of Hip-Hop and what it has created among today’s youth. I’m fed up with this bootylecious generation that’s more enamored with bling-bling than the pursuit of a quality education. I’m saddened at how the hard work and sacrifices of grandma and grandpa have been thrown out the window in favor of shaking that groove thang to a two quarter (a.k.a. 50 Cent) beat.
Now comes the tricky part. The political leaders in my fine city are out of touch with what’s happening in the world of Hip-Hop. There is some good in Hip-Hop just as there is some bad in R&B, Jazz, Country and Western and Classical music. There are bad apples in every batch of good just as there are some amazing examples of good character among the apples that have worms in them.
Bill Bell, the Mayor of Durham, North Carolina, has been offered the chance to present a key to the city to-drum roll please-Ludacris. It appears that he may jump on the Bill O’Reilly bandwagon by discrediting Luda’s worth as a contributor to making the world a better place. A few years back O’Reilly pushed Pepsi to remove the Atlanta based Hip-Hopster as a spokesperson. In this age of playa hating on everything that looks and acts like a thug, the beverage makers jumped.
Brother Luda has gone through an impressive metamorphous since his big hit anthem “Shake Your Money Maker”. It seems that playing the role of a self-absorbed rapper in the movie “Hustle & Flow” began a journey down the proverbial straight and narrow. One has to wonder if that scene where he has his clock rocked in the bathroom by Terrance Howard made him question his own rise to stardom. One can only speculate about what goes on inside a persons head. One thing is clear; Ludacris has become an example of the emerging face of Hip-Hop.
It started with his new clean cut look. Part of the point Ludacris is making is the need to be careful not to judge a man by his hairstyle. Remember his comments at the Grammy’s? “I guess I had to cut my hair to get one of these.” He went on to talk about his hit song “Runaway Love.” “This proves that not everything in Hip-Hop is bad.” So true. Critics like Durham’s City Council member Thomas Stith could care less. John McCann, columnist for the Durham Herald-Sun, got a feel for how the Republican candidate for Mayor feels about Ludacris. “As a father of three daughters, I’m really concerned about the lyrics, and in particular how women are portrayed.
Stith is referring to the proposal to present Ludacris with a key to the city. Bill Bell, the current Mayor, is engaged in a heated contest with Stith, a current member of the City Council. The two have already butted heads on a variety of issues ranging from incentives for business development to ways to tackle gangs and crime.
The request to give a key to Ludacris could fuel a controversy that would stir public opinion in the direction of Stith if Bell would decide to grant the wishes of the promoters of an event that will have Ludacris as a guest. These aren’t keys to a Chevy. These keys symbolize the community’s acknowledgment of the significance of ones contribution in promoting all that is good. It’s hard to imagine that you can do that while shaking your money maker.
That’s were things get tricky. Ludacris is not your average Hip-Hop artist. He has committed himself to improving young people. He is using his music to inspire youth to reach for the best. I went to the website of his foundations and was a bit shocked at what I learned.
His foundation funds a number of projects. Stand Up 101: “Stand Up Initiative” is “dedicated to lifting the spirits of youth with disabilities. Our goal is to assist individuals in achieving active and productive lives by working with hospitals and other non-profit organizations by providing music, gifts, outings and surprise visits.” That one brought a few tears to my eyes.
Then there’s Hip-Hop 101: "Hip-Hop Culture" The website reads "this course explores the culture of hip-hop from the beginning to the present, and its impact on the world. The program incorporates music, art and dance in an educational curriculum. Successful individuals in the hip-hop community speak to the class on various contributions they have made to the culture. Students, parents and educators are enthusiastic about the program. Our pilot program was located at Southside High School in Atlanta, Georgia. Surveys taken at the school showed that the program increased student attendance, and improved research and communication skills. In addition the program increase parental involvement in student course work and promoted dialogue between students and parents.” Sounds like the program based out of Duke University headed by my good friend J-Bully and the one at North Carolina Central University taught by my friend Christopher “Play” Martin and 9th Wonder. There are lessons to be learned from Hip-Hop. There’s more.
Goals 101: "Goal Setting Program" The website reads “This program represents one of the foundation's Principles of Success. This program contains a financial literacy component and is design to help youth understand needs vs. wants, budgeting and strategies to reach financial goals. The program partners with local community organizations to reward youth for setting and achieving their goals. Program materials include Financial Literacy and activities for youth to take home and engage their parents in the fun and learning.” Sounds like some of what the City Council funds in Durham, NC.
Luda 101: "Luda Cares" “During the holidays, The Ludacris Foundation focuses on underprivileged youth and families in housing communities around the country. Luda Cares supports community events, hospitals and other outreach programs. Toys, food and clothing are provided to children and their families. This program was launched in the Atlanta neighborhoods of the Bankhead Community, Herndon and Hollywood Homes.”
And then there’s Lifestyle 101: "Healthy Lifestyle" “The program provides youth, ages 8-14, with the opportunity to learn healthy eating habits in a fun environment. Kids receive simple instructions on how to prepare healthy meals at home. The Healthy Lifestyle program involves youth focusing on their own health and ultimately their own future. The program offers encouragement for improving eating habits and reducing obesity. Youth will participate in cooking a healthy meal while learning more about healthy eating habits and lifestyle changes. They will also learn about the importance of physical activity in their daily lives. Community centers and Boys and Girls Clubs in 10 cities have been selected to have the program hosted there. In line with The Ludacris Foundation's 7th Principle of Success: Physical Activity- we believe proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle should be a way of life. A celebrity chef provides youth with the opportunity to work one on one with professional chefs and create foods that are healthy and delicious while learning more about food preparation, ingredients and etiquette. Kids also participate in a rap session at the end of each event to discuss everyday issues they face. Program materials include healthy living guides and activities for youth to take home and engage their parents in the fun and learning.”
Sounds like Luda has a lot going on down in Atlanta. This leads to a difficult question. When does the good that a person does outweigh the bad we assume due to the methodology used by that person? It goes even deeper than that. At what point do we embrace those who seek to make a difference while we suffer with the assumptions we make due to our cultural differences.
These are tough questions when faced with raising three daughters. I suppose we need to be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath water. Luda may be calling for us to shake our money makers, but didn’t James Brown tell us to “get on the scene like a sex machine?”