Hip-Hop … The End Of A Legacy Is Here

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Hip-hop, the music of the streets born in the Bronx NY,  took the world by storm and has become the dominant music genre of our times. It recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary on August 11, 2023 with old and new artists coming together in fellowship to toast their success as well as the music that has helped so many to achieve the American dream. The impact of hip-hop cannot be understated. With its core rooted in poetry, street reporting, rebellion, social justice, gang/street culture and self expression, this music has had a tremendous impact on our culture not just American but globally. Most old school hip-hop artists acknowledge their naiveté and ignorance on the future impact of this music. Yet no one denies the compelling nature of its energy. This is why it saddens me today, however, to ponder whether this incredible music has hit a seemingly brick wall leading me to question whether the end of its legacy is near.

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“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.“

Hunter S. Thompson – American journalist and author of Hell’s Angels and counterculture icon

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In the past couple of years, some of the greatest innovators of hip-hop have come under fire for actions so unbelievably criminal (grooming and sexual assault against men and women, human and drug trafficking, money laundering, murder etc.), fans have been forced to reevaluate the music and those who produced it. Countless rappers (Young Dolph – Memphis, Nipsey Hussey – LA, Pop Smoke – Brooklyn – NY etc.) died tragically from gun shots due to encounters and beefs within their own communities. Female rappers are not excluded from this list. Who can forget hip-hop star Meagan the Stallion who was shot in the foot by her alleged boyfriend Canadian rapper Tory Lanez in 2020. He was ultimately convicted and sentenced for 10 years in December 2023. Let’s not forget Russell Simmons, American entrepreneur, writer and co-founder of the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, is living in Bali as a result of sexual abuse allegations. Bali has no extradition to the US. Most recently, Sean “Diddy “ Combs, entrepreneur and founder of Bad Boy Records, has recently been accused of sexual assault and battery by his former girlfriend and singer Cassie Ventura. Diddy settled the civil case out of court in one day for an undisclosed amount (some speculate upwards of $30 million). He has subsequently had additional civil lawsuits from both women and men lodged against him. Several of his homes were also recently raided by Home Land Security as allegations of sex trafficking swirl. WOW! 

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“Diddy” do it or naw?

Update 5-18-24: Naw He did that sh!t!

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There are too many other incidents and allegations against Diddy to name as fear permeates the hip-hop community and the artists affiliated with him. The majority of the hip-hop community and the friends of Diddy have remained virtually silent. Some might be aware of the their fellow artist’s infractions while many others may have actually participated in similar activities. The silence is both loud and deafening. Something is definitely being said about hip-hop at this time.

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Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

“We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”

Attorney Douglas Wigdor., attorney for Cassie Ventura  – CBSNews.com

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No one should expect artists to be perfect humans especially since they only reflect our flawed world. But it has become painfully clear that some have achieved their success using criminal tactics mimicking and also going beyond the lyrics used in their music. The alleged crimes against humanity are what disturb me the most. Perhaps it is because of this that my sensibilities have been so triggered that I now also feel saddened by events as well as disillusioned. Hip-hop, the music of rebellion contained a real trUth that was sometimes painfully raw about society’s underbelly or economically disadvantaged and also based on the artists experience. The lyrics mattered immensely painting a graphic picture about their struggles and aspirations. In no way, however, should artistry excuse anyone clearly demonstrating poor judgement or a limited/nonexistent moral compass for what is right or wrong to do to other humans. Misogyny. Murder. Drug Trafficking. Grooming underaged girls and boys. Robbery. Violence. Human Trafficking. S*xual Harassment and Abuse. S*x Trafficking. Blackmail. Rape. Torture. Extortion. Drugging and Videotaping without consent.

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“Sean “Puffy” Combs propositioned one of my male family members who was an intern about 10-12 years ago.” The family member claimed that, Puff had said, “Come home, stay the night with me, or the internship is over.” It ended abruptly when the intern family member said “Absolutely not!”

Journalist and cultural critic Touré Neblett – guest appearance on Joy Reid’s “The ReidOut” on MSNBC

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Hip Hop is not the only genre in the entrainment industry with individuals who have questionable ethics or committed criminal acts. A recent documentary about Nickelodeon, “Quiet on Set:The Dark Side of Kids TV,” recounts the stories of young underaged child actors being sexually abused. Hollywood (aka Hollyweird) is also known for having a different set of alleged rules on how many have achieved their success whether it is the “casting couch” or other forms of payment required in addition to raw talent. Infamous producer Harvey Weinstein was convicted of a criminal sex act for forcibly performing o*al sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006 and rape in the third degree for an attack on an aspiring actress in 2013. His alleged behavior was an open secret in Hollyweird. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Rock & Roll great, Elvis Presley, was involved with an underaged Pricilla Presley back in the 50s without the glare or judgement of the media or public on them. Let’s not forget financier and accused sex trafficker, Jeffry Epstein’s famous Epstein island the alleged playground for celebrities, politicians, billionaires and even scientists. Epstein was eventually arrested and thrown in jail in July 2019 on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking. All of these examples proves that no entertainment executive or celebrity should be worshiped or idolized as many have possibly committed moral and heinous acts. We truly do not know what they’ve done to make it. If we did, perhaps many would feel let down a bit as the cost of success might not measure up to the highest ethical standards. Our fantasies about such celebrities and others would indeed be shattered.

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Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

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“I gotta protect my integrity and that virgin hole I’ve been telling you about. P. Diddy be wanting to party and you gotta tell him no.” 

Comedian Katt Williams on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast

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All I can say to you now is that the glorification of hip-hop and its artists has diminished significantly in the court of public opinion. I personally loved hip-hop the first time I ever heard it growing up in the midwest. The beat was infectious. The lyrics were clever and motivational with stories describing the artists’ world view. They were shocking yet therapeutic in some cases as the trauma expressed by the artists resonated with me and others in my community. My home life was different but their stories of the ghetto thug life was also intriguing and compelling. The black experience is not monolithic – – not every person of color has the ghetto experience – – but we all have some understanding of historical past struggles and the effort it has taken to succeed.  Yet as now I listen and look at those who produced the music, I also feel disappointed that some who have used their POWER to abuse others. They’ve tarnished hip-hop’s legacy by their actions. Maybe this is why the music has changed so much with a progressive decline into more base content elevating artists entrenched in “city girl” culture (304) and promoting unabashed materialism, fake lifestyles and superficial aspirational goals void of understanding trUe authentic wealth, social and economic mobility. There was more of a balance in hip-hop when I fell in love with it (thug street life, social commentary & justice, party rap etc.).

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“It’s a bad day for hip-hop…for the culture…Black people, because if one looks bad, we all look bad. That’s definitely not nothing to cheer about. But I’ll tell you what, Puffy: your life is in danger. Diddy knows “the secrets” and because of that, “they gonna get you if they can.”

Suge Knight, Incarcerated Death Row Records co-founder – Collect Call podcast with Dave Mays

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At this point, I must disclose that I briefly held a few jobs in the entertainment industry in mid 2000’s.  Whenever I tried to tell people about my own experiences, suspicions and observations (2 times fired and quit once), I was often met with blank or incriminating stares. I was the common denominator so it must be her right? So what did I see during my time in the entertainment industry? Intellectual property theft. Workplace sabotage. Sexual harassment. Listening devices in my office and phone. Intimidation and humiliation tactics used to force compliance. Incompetence/cheating rewarded while competence based on talent was destroyed. I was around some of the most brilliant and most psychotic, narcissistic people I had ever seen previously in my professional working career as a crisis management publicist in the private and public sectors. I had to learn very quickly how to protect my work, navigate the traps and pitfalls of the business, avoid the saboteurs and suspected deviants and to maintain my personal integrity. I was miserable during my stints in the entertainment business (record company, radio network, broadcast media) but I forced myself to continue because I had worked so hard to get there. 

As some of you read this, you too might wonder if I just wasn’t good enough like others speculated at the time. I was traumatized by the responses I received back then but now I understand why no one could relate. Most rational minds and even my haters alike would find it hard to believe that these types of people and that workplace culture was allowed to thrive. The glitter of celebrity culture often blinds us to the real trUths of what lies beneath the surface. There really are evil and monstrous people in the world. I told people this whenever I talked about the entertainment industry in general and speculated like the rest of you on events happening in the business after I left. 

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Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

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I am still surprised, however, about what is being uncovered and and the depth of depravity but there are definitely two sides to the entertainment story including:

• Not all alleged victims are victims. Some (both women and men) willingly compromise their integrity and participate in the extra curricular activities and games in order to succeed in the business. I often wondered how many were forced to make a difficult choice or were they so already morally bankrupt to begin with so it didn’t matter to them. This statement sounds judgmental but we all have our own boundaries and one soon learns that not everyone thinks or processes their actions or non actions the same way you do. Yet there are clearly ethical and moral choice we make everyday. Obviously children should be excluded from any type of judgement.

• There are real victims too. In fact, I generally believe all the alleged victims until proven otherwise because the POWER held by abusers in the entertainment industry has been ABSOLUTE. No one would believe alleged victims (even involving minor infractions) and they were often vilified and careers destroyed for speaking out and driven away as if they had done something wrong. This is just how UN-fair and UN-balanced it has been. 

Fortunately for me, I had more professional work experience and was resolute in my boundaries during my stint in the business. Yet, it still left an emotional scar due to some of the traumatic encounters and mind f*ckery. I walked away with my integrity, sanity and without compromising my WOMANHOOD but my reputation was in tatters since that is the only way one can leave the POWERFUL (the smear campaigns and black listing is real). Thankfully, my intuition and protective instincts compelled me to document e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. I only had to use my evidence once to prove my case (too private to reveal) but trust me – – I WON.

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“These guys get drunk with power, allegedly — Diddy has said that these allegations are false — but they get drunk with power and all of a sudden they lose their balance and what’s right and what’s wrong, and they’re insulated, and they get everybody telling them they’re great.”

Chris Hansen, the former host of “To Catch A Predator” – Fox News

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Hip-hop’s legacy is being destroyed. The next several years will see the tragic decline of one of America’s greatest exports but it’s not just the music industry. The entertainment business, as a whole, is ripe with some of the most prolific abusers in our society whether it be in film, radio, sports and music. I hope you can tell by now that I’ve deliberately tried to avoid getting into all of the specific salacious details of events currently happening. Supporting the alleged victims in their pursuit of justice interests me the most. Yet, there is one lingering question that stands out for me now as well. What will we, the masses, do with this information? Will we continue to blindly idolize and worship celebrity culture or prop them up as heroes? Hopefully, those with eyes to see will view beyond the illusions presented about the superiority of such artists. We can all appreciate their gifts but they must be held accountable for actions that break the law particularly crimes against humanity. Since hip-hop has to be more than the actions of one, two or three etc. bad deeds of artists and others, redemption is still possible but only after full accountability. 

Perhaps the future of hip-hop is one that empowers its artists and those representing them to express their highest level of creativity and still maintain some social and moral authority with personal accountability. Expressing one’s creative trUth need not mean sacrificing one’s integrity for FAME, harming the innocents or enabling anyone to abuse, extort or un-alive a person in the name of POWER and SUCCESS. Is it too idealistic to expect a more just work environment in a ruthless industry that operates closer to an “organized crime ring” with  “street rules and justice” ? What about the higher ups on the food chain who supported and enabled these music executives and artists to commit such alleged heinous acts? Is this an effort to bring down hip-hop or black men after it celebrated its 50th year anniversary as some have asserted? Many of those being accused are some of hip-hops biggest champions of the music and culture. One is still innocent until proven guilty but the preponderance of rumors and stories about alleged infractions committed by them is very compelling, It’s all too much for me to process and definitively make any final judgements but trUst me the rabbit hole probably goes much deeper to include every unbelievable conspiracy theory imaginable. For now, however, I’m sitting back waiting for the next “incriminating lyrical bar” to drop in real time. 

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*** This blog post is dedicated to MC Justice – Lawyer * Rapper * Philanthropist * Mentor * Husband * Friend * Farmer ***

RIP 2024

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Update 5-19-24:

Sean “Diddy” Combs issued a public apology for his behavior after video footage from a Los Angeles hotel was leaked showing him brutally assaulting his ex girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

I will not post the video or his apology.

Here is why …

Most people think that accountability means admitting one’s mistake(s) even after committing every infraction (big & small) or crime possible. Issuing an apology is just the beginning of accountability especially if the abuser committed heinous crimes or slandered the alleged victim in an attempt to make themselves seem innocent. Full accountability ends with CONSEQUENCES for said actions. This is often when true repentance happens for some. They resort to REVISIONIST HISTORY and can often dish out pain but cannot take it.

In addItion, whatever HIGHER AUTHORITY you serve or not is fair in delivering CONSEQUENCES whether we receive it immediately or later. Those bringing up forgiveness often want to move from CONSEQUENCES to avoid true repentance and restitution.

I know the difference between an AUTHENTIC versus a PUBLIC RELATIONS apology. So does the Universe… And I make these statements not simply being judgmental but acknowledging the lessons I have observed, learned and experienced in my own life. 

Take what resonates. Reject what does not. I respect your decision either way.

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