In recent days a lot has happened that has kept the issue of rape and rape culture in the forefront.. It ranges from two female social commentators/ bloggers Zerlina Maxwell and Adria Richards being threatened with rape after speaking out against sexual assault and inappropriate sexist jokes to massive rapes in the military to recent fights and resistance that proceeded the passing of the Violence Against Women Act..
Most recently its come in the form of former law enforcement officer turned rapper Rick Ross, kicking lyrics in a new song that advocates date rape…. At a time where one out of three women globally are sexually assaulted and almost half of Black and Brown women in the US being sexually assaulted, Ross’s words are beyond wack. They’re dangerous, irresponsible and reflective of a corporate business culture that has hijacked cultural expression to plant seeds of poison.
The other day long time Hip Hop activist and former Vice Presidential candidate for the Green Party Rosa Clemente responded to Ross with a stinging rebuttal that she posted on youtube.. It was a stark reminder of whats at stake in terms of whats at stake.. Clemente ask for men in Hip Hop to step up draw lines in the sand and protect the culture and the women around them..She calls upon people to put an end to rape culture and uplift the humanity in us all..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lH7pU7PvFA
Long time industry vet Dee Dee Cocheta stepped up and penned a heartfelt open letter to Rick Ross that appears on All Hip Hop..
Greetings William,
I am writing you a letter because I have sat back and observed long enough. I am coming to you as a ‘sister’ of the human family we all belong to. WE are connected! AND you my brother, I am tired of hearing negative things about you and now I am mad at how you are treating yourself. So please do not take this wrong or feel I am coming at you to scold or beat you up with my words. I am coming to you because I CARE and LOVE YOU!
What brought me to the point of writing this open letter was after reading ALLHIPHOP.com Hip-Hop Rumors on your new song, “U.O.E.N.O.” (you ain’t even know it) titled: YOWZA! New Rick Ross Lyric Will Upset Smart Women! So yeah I’m a little upset and rightfully so as the lyric you wrote about refers to ‘date rape’ and is exactly how I lost my virginity; someone STOLE it at the age of 14 before entering in high school. I take responsibility for being at a party I had no business being at but I want you to know how scary this now 41-year-old woman felt to wake up to blood on the sheets with an aching pain and empty feeling, that your heart is sunken where you feel you lost something. Well I did, I lost the right to choose whom I wanted to share that special moment with because I was knocked out and taken advantage of. See William, your lyric doesn’t educate it only further glamorize what fools like that man did to me 27 years ago. I happen to believe in karma and I know that man got his without me having to lift a finger.
You can read the rest of this letter at http://allhiphop.com/2013/03/25/open-letter-to-rick-ross-from-a-music-industry-vet/
To further demonstrate the extent Rape Culture has encroached upon us, here’s a panel discussion we did last year for Free Speech TV dealing with the topic..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_-YfUKVGKY
Find it worrying that there is a term, ‘rape culture’. Would be admirable if some of the big boys in the industry would come out and condemn this bull. Great post.
how many years have we been asking the so called big boys in the industry to condemn things like 2 decades now?
People that constantly use the b and n-words, dehumanize themselves and others.
Lil’ Wayne’s vulgar reference to women and Emmet Till, Ross’ rape talk, and promoting the murder of Black people by rappers over the years, are just the latest examples..We need to get on the performers, and the companies the chose to promote and distribute this poison.
I support wut u guys r doin first n foremost the music industry has changed for the worst i have a 2week old daughter and yung nieces cuzns etc n would kill if n e 1 go as far as scratchn 1 of them to inflict pain! I never hate but i never had an eased spirit about Rick Ross n this proves y im an artistt n i promote love peace n happiness u got my vote interview if needed n e thing to stop this non-sense and get music bac to the real meaning keep up wut ur doin i feel the Lord is behind this n it will come to pass LOVE ALL MY CHILDREN OF GOD GOD BLESS . IF U GET A CHANCE CHECK ME OUT ON Reverbnation.com i have a song called girlfriend where i uplift the women i promote giving credit to the blessing the lord has blessed us men whit (A Woman) May the Lord continue to put it on ur heart to move n the name of all women n families that have been effected by this bs
Im sorry heres the actual link Reverbnation.com/Lilwhit
Whats the matter? I really don’t understand the campaign against so called ‘rape culture’ in Northern Americas. Its a debate about hetero_sexuality, and remember the outcry for Miami Bass in the 1980s with sexual explicit lyrics and feminist attorneys for their literature income criticize there all body of color as sensual_less…Its already a campaign for some bloody NGO’s in profilin thierself in deficit capital_Ism…when you want become political,..please,..start to reflect double-bind communication standards in a time period where porn is a real story narration at every elementary school,..and start to reflect yourself first before criticizing by ‘other_ing’,..yeah my left political point was critical men studies and the double standards of porn by feminist,..but the pleasure to learn an open talk about feeling, safe space and pleasure in the aberrations of Dollars eager red redistricted codes,..hhhmmm,..then talk better about suicide and funeral poems,…its a billion industry with all the puppets beside and its not creative to sanctum each other for political interests…I mean sexuality is more then morality of Mc Carthy and John Money in the Northern Americas,…equal yourself and be aware of such porn talks in Hip Hop industries…Fight the power of the established!
Better follow the ‘Slut walk’-campaign of Black BDSM and queer perverts of color! Right!
The only one to blame for rape is the person that committed the rape. I’m upset with Dee Dee’s letter because she admits that her bad choice of attending a party resulted in her virginity being stolen. Then she continues to describe the man who stole it of being fool. That Ross’ lyrics bring his foolish act to light. Then she starts off by comforting Ross with assurance that her actions are because of her love and concern for his well being. She’s tired of people talking bad about him.
What? Ross is being accused of promoting the drugging and rape of a woman. Fuck his feelings. You don’t comfort a person who is advocating violence on another person.
This is a careful response because we all know that when the lyrics are read from start to finish, the lyric has been taken totally out context.
My experience of rape has affected every thought since I was 9. Hip Hop is not the problem because the music saved my life. Hip Hop was a mighty weapon that won many battles against the evil left in my mind after being violated. Everybody talks a good game of how they care but when a person is actually violated, you make excuses. I want validation! I want the person charged and convicted. I want my day in court. I want you to educate those people who have the nerve to suggest that there had to be something that caused being rape. Nothing else should topic of discussion until the person that has committed the act is punished.
http://www.afropunk.com/profiles/blogs/end-rape-culture
I am over 20 years on Inter_section_ality and Intersex pathologies in…I am also a victim of sexual abuse of the abusement as a boy taboo,..ain’t follow the morality concepts and debates of healin as mirror the medicine can’t afford then support!
Thanks!
Reblogged this on afro'disiaticXpressions and commented:
I wonder, if Rick Rose knows he’s disrespecting the very womb that bore him? I wonder if it’s the industry that promotes such vile behavior or capitalism’s nature on that space/Industry that promotes such dysfunctional lyrics?
First, Rick Ross is WACK. He was a corrections officer. How I grew up, that was the definition of a sell out.
Second, The so-called track is GARBAGE. It must be THROWN out and returned to the essence, or else the blood of raped children will be on his hands.
Third, I am with you and doing my part to CREATE music that HEALS. Children absorb everything. It’s our responsibility to shower them with a world of love and protection. Can we please get back to a culture of ladies and gentlemen? Peace.
p.s. pardon me for putting the R word and children in the same sentence; only, it is urgent that we STOP RR from ruining another young world.
Reblogged this on theblakwatch and commented:
Rick Ross promotes date rape?? Shaking my head!
Some of these rappers are like drug dealers of the mind, getting rich and famous from the pain and suffering of others.
nobody hearing these haters, why waste the breathe your not gonna stop a 50 million dollar empire
@christian
“we gives a fuck if you got money in the millions/
cause muthafucka we got posse in the billions!!!”
-boots
Reblogged this on .
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