Taalam Acey: There’s a market for ni$$as

by Carmen Van Kerckhove

What do you think of this spoken word piece? It’s an excerpt from the documentary What Black Men Think.

I love so many of the points he makes in this video, but I think it’s a bit of a stretch to suggest that it’s only white people who are supporting these images in hip hop. Blacks, Latinos, Asian-Americans — all of us, really, play a role. As Saul Williams pointed out, even Oprah has been known to boogie down to some 50 Cent:

Like the rest of the world, I watched footage on AOL of you dancing mindlessly to 50 Cent on your fiftieth birthday as he proclaimed, “I got the ex/if you’re into taking drugs/ I’m into having sex/ I ain’t into making love” and you looked like you were having a great time. No judgment. I like that song too.

(Hat tip to SOULcrates via Oh Word.)

Trackbacks & Pings

  1. Movie Review: What Black Men Think at Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture on 12 Sep 2007 at 1:44 pm

    […] and assumptions that plague black men to this day. (Racialicious has mentioned the film before, here and […]

Comments

  1. Mz Coko wrote:

    I watched this yesterday… and it’s deep.. and I agree it’s not only whites that support this.. but I don’t think he’s necessarily trying to blame it all on whites.. but at any rate.. there is truth in his words

    Posted 03 May 2007 at 11:41 am

  2. eric daniels wrote:

    Hey, If Oprah wants to boogie to 50 Cent’s music then more power to her. I wonder if she likes Lil and the East Side Boys “. I saw both and was really impressed with what average brothas say about issues affecting them not the ‘Black Thought Police’ and their supporters.

    Posted 03 May 2007 at 6:20 pm

  3. Kesha wrote:

    one word.

    YES!

    Posted 03 May 2007 at 7:50 pm

  4. gatamala wrote:

    no, whites definitely aren’t the only ones. The market of which he speaks includes the rest of the planet.

    These folks who sell themselves, and their race “-out”, only see units moving. They don’t see, or care, that this mess is the ONLY thing they hear or see about us. And then you wonder why folks come to the US with negativity that can often surpass that of the natives.

    It’s disturbing how people can go from one limited, isolated place (purportedly the “hood”) to another rarified world and have no understanding of that vast chasm in between. Middle America is not the only bubble.

    Posted 04 May 2007 at 8:47 am

  5. Clyde Smith wrote:

    It is a spoken word piece so it doesn’t have to present a fair and balanced argument.

    It’s strong, evocative, discussion inspiring, great art.

    Posted 06 May 2007 at 7:19 pm

  6. Carmen wrote:

    He is not stating that only “white people who are supporting these images” what he is saying is that “wealthy racist white men
    exploit and mass market poor young black men who are willing to denigrate themselves for money….
    Since you mentioned Saul’s letter to Oprah you may want to take a look at

    Notes on “An Open Letter to Oprah Winfrey” by Taalam Acey

    Click Below to read the notes:
    The Views I Agree With: Notes on “An Open Letter to Oprah Winfrey” by Taalam Acey

    Posted 11 May 2007 at 4:13 pm

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