Now is a tremendous time to be a Hip-Hop fan. Not only is Hip-Hop global, but it’s international. By that I mean not only are we seeing music released everywhere for everyone across the globe, we’re all hearing from artists across the globe and seeing collaborations with artists all around the globe.
Now you might say we always had that, but the level of quality has gone up. The pockets of sound are more pronounced and it’s a beautiful thing.
But with that global reach, comes global exposure. This has been a crazy year for Hip-Hop and a couple weeks ago, when the Chris Brown track was posted, some felt the need to malign him. Hip-Hop is a community that welcomes everyone and Hip-Hop Heads is a community that welcomes everyone, but Hip-Hop has a rich history in speaking out about the injustices that beset the disenfranchised.
If people ever want to criticise someone that’s being spoken of in this community, you’re absolutely free to. But please be consistent and self-aware. You can’t in good conscience shit on Chris Brown and not equally shit on Eminem. They both have chequered pasts. I always implore people to ask themselves why they’re happy to act one way to one artist but not to another.
Hip-Hop is about bringing people together and giving voices to people that don’t ordinarily have voices. Best of all, Hip-Hop is so diverse that there’s something for everyone. Sometimes things just aren’t for us and sometimes they’re just a spectacle. But all the time, Hip-Hop is for the people. Hip-Hop will make you laugh, cry, dance, speak up. For every Eminem verse, there’s an Brother Ali verse and for in reverse, for MF DOOM verse, there’s a Chris Brown verse.
Sometimes, as a community we need to do better and call shit out, but we need to do that as a community and consistently.
Ultimately, there’s a lot of fun to be had in this community and I’m really looking forward to hearing new music and seeing you alls reaction to new music.
I just wanted to say that there are intricacies to this genre, but ultimately it’s fun and I’m glad we can enjoy it together.
I felt I needed to put this out there with some of the allegations that are floating around and I truly hope that should there be any truth to any of it, justice is served. Independent of Hip-Hop or music, everyone deserves to be safe.
You can’t in good conscience shit on Chris Brown and not equally shit on Eminem. They both have chequered pasts
A verbal argument ensued and Chris Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door and attempted to force her out. Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit, he took his right hand and shoved her head against he passenger window of the vehicle, causing an approximate one-inch raised circular contusion.
Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F.'s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle.
Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, ‘I’m going to beat the shit out of you when we get home! You wait and see!’
The detective said Robyn F. then used her cell phone to call her personal assistant Jennifer Rosales, who did not answer.
Robyn F. pretended to talk to her and stated, ‘I’m on my way home. Make sure the police are there when I get there.’
After Robyn F. faked the call, Brown looked at her and stated, ‘You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I’m really going to kill you!’
Brown resumed punching Robyn F. and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face. She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in [an] attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown.
Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand, causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps (sic) that was approximately two inches in diameter and numerous contusions on her left hand.
Robyn F. then attempted to send a text message to her other personal assistant, Melissa Ford. Brown snatched the cellular telephone out of her hand and threw it out of the window onto an unknown street.
Brown continued driving and Robyn F. observed his cellular telephone sitting in his lap. She picked up the cellular telephone with her left hand and before she could make a call he placed her in a head lock with his right hand and continued to drive the vehicle with his left hand.
Brown pulled Robyn F. close to him and bit her on her left ear. She was able to feel the vehicle swerving from right to left as Brown sped away. He stopped the vehicle in front of 333 North June Street and Robyn F. turned off the car, removed the key from the ignition and sat on it.
Brown did not know what she did with the key and began punching her in the face and arms. He then placed her in a head lock positioning the front of her throat between his bicep and forearm. Brown began applying pressure to Robyn F.'s left and right carotid arteries, causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness.
She reached up with her left hand and began attempting to gouge his eyes in an attempt to free herself. Brown bit her left ring and middle fingers and then released her. While Brown continued to punch her, she turned around and placed her back against the passenger door. She brought her knees to her chest, placed her feet against Brown’s body and began pushing him away. Brown continued to punch her on the legs and feet, causing several contusions.
Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away. A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.'s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order.
Eminem’s chequered past is what exactly? Writing shitty songs as a homophobic, misogynistic character?
Eminem did assault people and brandish a firearm during his mess of a divorce. Then Kim tried to kill herself which I’m sure all the wild shit Em said about her was a factor. Difference is in my eyes is Em has shown remorse and growth and I don’t see any of that outta CB’s scuzzy ass.
Exactly. Maybe I am simply uninformed about Chris Brown’s remorse and growth. But I don’t see it either.
Why do you feel the need to defend mediocre artist who has demonstrated that he has a complete inability to learn and grow past his horrific behaviour? Hip Hop is littered with abusive, mysoginistic, violent arseholes and each one of them should be called out.
If you’re specifically worried about people talking about how Chris Brown is an abuser, but not Eminem, you can rest easy in the knowledge that he has justifiably been criticised for his behaviour for the entirety of his career. The difference is Eminem never swept any of it under the rug, nor did he shy away from speaking about his problems with drugs and mental health, and the harm he caused because of it, specifically to the women around him.
The same cannot be said for abusers like Bambaataa, his defender KRS, NAS, Dre, Puff Daddy, Chris Brown or any of the other countless motherfuckers who use their money and position within the hip hop community to avoid criticism and consequences for their abhorrent behaviour.
It is one of the best genres of music of all time even with the ups and downs.
