I Got That "Ignorant Shit" You Love

Ignorance is the black plague of the black race in the United States. I say this because on many occasions, black people (collectively) do not know about them selves and were they stand in American society. Instead of working as a group they individualize themselves, not on purpose, but because sometimes they have to in order to let at least one person prevail. Although the word ignorant has a negative connotation, it simply means not knowing. I find that the Black community suffers from " not knowing" not only on an institutionalized level but in their everyday lives.

This past weekend I dug into the archives and revisited Kanye West’s freshman album, College Dropout. I was on my way to the Museum of Natural History listening to some of my favorite Kanye tracks, Spaceship, Never Let Me Down, and Jesus Walks. Spaceship is the song in which Kanye talks about his experience working as a salesperson at the Gap; in which he is a “token Blackie”. He also explores the concept that racism is very much alive. It’s funny how music can inspire, from listening to that one verse on Spaceship I was able to let my mind wonder and think how many other people my age are hearing, listening, feeling, and doing something about what Kanye is saying?

That verse along with many other Kanye songs made me realize the reality, depth, and awareness Kanye brings to the ears of his millions of listeners. He is one of maybe two handfuls of rappers that speak to the issues of racism in America and is part of a genre of music which is predominantly consumed by white suburban America; so is it safe to say that his message may be missing its most necessary target-Black youth of America, in particular young Black males? Or is it that we all hear him and all the other self aware rappers, but that black males are just not listening? Well I asked some of today’s youth and some of my peers and many of them seem to think that those rhymes don’t apply to them. They are looking at it in an individual sense as oppose to seeing what the song does for the entire race. So I thought do the songs about balling, money, cash, and hoes relate to them? Many of them said that they are not consumers of Kanye, Common, Talib, or even Jay-Z. But do we blame it on the media, because although these issues are touched on the albums, it’s the radio airtime that mainly reaches the masses. When I asked the head honchos over at Hot 97.1 they assured me that they only play what the people want to hear. So what does that say about our society and our future?

Black culture, particularly Black youth in respect to today’s generation and tomorrows future, has spiraled into a culture that has detached it self from its immense history and clung to a culture that thrives on the latest fashion and tangible objects. As a whole, the culture has lost its pre-Civil Rights Movements values and it’s about time someone catches this declination before it’s to late.

For one I come across many brothers who are content with jobs or hustling as oppose to pursuing higher education and possible obtaining careers. In my college courses there are sometimes less than a handful of males let alone black males in my class. Not that I am not aware that college isn’t for everyone, however the way the country is shifting we are being forced to pursue educations in order to obtain the most simplistic jobs such as being a receptionist. Education is emerging as the new barrier between the non-elite and elite, the black low class and everyone else. When I say education I don’t necessarily mean the act of going to college is the only means of education. All I know is that a college degree is what the world requires from you, but educating your self and your people about your history (meaning world history, American history) is what you should require from yourself.