{"article":{"id":12761,"heading":"STOLEN CULTURE (Mumia Abu-Jamal)","author":"Mumia Abu-Jamal","created":"2001-11-09 03:05:01","modified":"2005-08-15 00:42:58","last_modified":"Mon, 15 Aug 2005 07:42:58","article":"
\r\n
\r\n
STOLEN CULTURE<\/u><\/div>\r\n
[Col. Writ. 10\/29\/01] Copyright Mumia \r\nAbu-Jamal<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
Every generation must, out of relative \r\nobscurity,<\/div>\r\n
discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray \r\nit.<\/div>\r\n
--- Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the \r\nEarth<\/u><\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
The current craze in rap\/hip-hop music, \r\ncommonly<\/div>\r\n
called 'gangsta rap,' is widely criticized by \r\nmiddle-<\/div>\r\n
class, and middle-aged, observers, who see \r\nthe<\/div>\r\n
music as (if they see it as 'music' at all!) \r\nnihilistic,<\/div>\r\n
foul, negative, and profoundly anti-woman in \r\ntone.<\/div>\r\n
It is this very negative response of the elders of \r\nthe<\/div>\r\n
Civil Rights and Feminist eras that further \r\nendears<\/div>\r\n
it to the very young, who have few thrills in \r\ntheir<\/div>\r\n
lives that are sweeter than upsetting their \r\nparents<\/div>\r\n
and other elders.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
However, neither the phenomenon called \r\n'gangsta'<\/div>\r\n
music, nor the related pimpology that is reflected \r\nin<\/div>\r\n
popular music, comes out of the other.  Both \r\ntrends<\/div>\r\n
arise from the commercial exploitation of \r\nBlack<\/div>\r\n
popular culture, and also from the political \r\nrepression<\/div>\r\n
visited upon Black America from the national \r\n<\/div>\r\n
government.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
In a recent discussion with a twenty-something who \r\n<\/div>\r\n
was a new import to Death Row, the writer \r\nwas<\/div>\r\n
surprised by the young man's positive remarks \r\nabout<\/div>\r\n
pimps and pimping.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
When several elder men asked him about his \r\nideas,<\/div>\r\n
and where they came from, they were further \r\nsurprised<\/div>\r\n
that the source for his positive views was a \r\n1970s-era<\/div>\r\n
flick called \"The Mack,\" which glorified pimp \r\nlife.  He, <\/div>\r\n
in turn, was truly surprised to learn that the \r\nmovie<\/div>\r\n
was a fantasy, and that in many communities, \r\nsuch<\/div>\r\n
as his hometown, Philadelphia, the term, \r\n\"pimp,\"<\/div>\r\n
was a term of derision; a put-down.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
\"You mean it wasn't really like that, ina old \r\ndays,<\/div>\r\n
like it was in 'The Mack'?\", he asked, \r\nincredulously.<\/div>\r\n
Such is the power of film, that a youngster can \r\nview<\/div>\r\n
such escapist fantasy, and think it portrayed true \r\nlife.<\/div>\r\n
How many young rappers, who glorify pimp \r\nlife<\/div>\r\n
in their music, think the same thing?<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
There is another, far more sinister reason, \r\nexplained<\/div>\r\n
by Geronimo ji-jaga, the former Defense Minister \r\nof<\/div>\r\n
the L.A. Black Panther Party, and former \r\npolitical<\/div>\r\n
prisoner:<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    Huey Newton gave a lecture on \r\nthat one time<\/div>\r\n
    and we had foreseen that this \r\nwas gonna<\/div>\r\n
    happen.  After the \r\nleadership of the Black<\/div>\r\n
    Panther Party was attacked at \r\nthe end of<\/div>\r\n
    the '60s and the early '70s, \r\nthroughout the<\/div>\r\n
    Black and other oppressed \r\ncommunities,<\/div>\r\n
    the role models for the \r\nup-coming <\/div>\r\n
    generations became the pimps, \r\nthe <\/div>\r\n
    gangsters, the drug-dealers, \r\netc.  This is<\/div>\r\n
    what the government wanted to \r\nhappen.<\/div>\r\n
    The net result was that the \r\ngangs were<\/div>\r\n
    being formed, coming together \r\nwith a<\/div>\r\n
    gangster mentality, as opposed \r\nto the<\/div>\r\n
    revolutionary progressive \r\nmentality we<\/div>\r\n
    would have given \r\nthem.  So, by <\/div>\r\n
    eliminating or driving the \r\nprogressive<\/div>\r\n
    leadership -- the correct role \r\nmodels<\/div>\r\n
    underground, killing them and \r\nputting<\/div>\r\n
    them into prison eliminating \r\nthem --<\/div>\r\n
    all of these younger generations \r\nwere<\/div>\r\n
    left prey to whatever the \r\ngovernment<\/div>\r\n
    wanted to put them into. \r\n<\/div>\r\n
    [fr. Interview with H. Kleffner (1993)]<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
Therefore, the 'gangsta'-pimp twist has its \r\norigins<\/div>\r\n
in economic, cultural exploitation, as well \r\nas<\/div>\r\n
government, political repression.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
Similarly, long-time \r\nreaders of this column will<\/div>\r\n
recall the tale of yet another young Death \r\nRow<\/div>\r\n
denizen, who, although he possessed an \r\nacute<\/div>\r\n
intelligence, knew absolutely nothing \r\nsignificant<\/div>\r\n
about the Black Panther Party, even though he \r\n<\/div>\r\n
was born, lived, and almost died in North \r\nPhiladelphia<\/div>\r\n
streets, perhaps a mile from where the old \r\nPanther<\/div>\r\n
office stood, on Columbia Avenue (since \r\nrenamed<\/div>\r\n
after the late civil rights lawyer, Cecil B. \r\nMoore).<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
His most influential cultural \r\nconsumption?<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
While he listened to rap, he was turned on the most \r\nby<\/div>\r\n
the exploits of Cuban gangster, Tony Montana, of \r\nthe<\/div>\r\n
film, \"Scarface.\"  More young rappers were \r\nperhaps<\/div>\r\n
deeply influenced by the obscene wealth accrued \r\nby<\/div>\r\n
the immigrant cocaine dealer, than by the \r\nexploits<\/div>\r\n
of other rappers.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
The lesson here is that toxic cultural productions \r\n<\/div>\r\n
further produces toxic cultural products, and \r\nwhile<\/div>\r\n
one is lauded as powerful art, the other is damned \r\nas<\/div>\r\n
dangerous doggerel.  What is missed, however, \r\nis<\/div>\r\n
that they are all intimately related.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
For both art forms are based on what the late Dr. \r\nHuey<\/div>\r\n
P. Newton (founder, Black Panther Party) called \r\nthe<\/div>\r\n
\"illegitimate capitalists,\" or those who sought to \r\nacquire<\/div>\r\n
capital through extra-legal means.  And both \r\nreflected<\/div>\r\n
U.S. populations that were excluded from \r\nwell-paying<\/div>\r\n
avenues of American economic life.  One \r\nproduces<\/div>\r\n
the other.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
Copyright 2001 MAJ<\/div>\r\n
==============================><\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
THEY ARE PLANNING TO MURDER \r\nMUMIA!!<\/strong><\/div><\/strong><\/div>\r\n
<\/strong> <\/div>\r\n
SAVE THE DATE - DECEMBER 8TH - FOR \r\nMUMIA!  <\/u><\/strong><\/div>\r\n
PLEASE PASS THE \r\nWORD!<\/strong><\/div>\r\n

\"We are fighting the last battle to Free Mumia, and need \r\nsupport now <\/div>\r\n
more than ever.  We need donations of money, calling \r\ncards, copy cards, <\/div>\r\n
etc. and we really need manpower.  We need people to be \r\nin the streets <\/div>\r\n
every day putting out information, demonstrating, raising \r\nmoney, and doing <\/div>\r\n
whatever you can to help.\"

\"Tell judge pamela dembe to \r\nhold an evidentiary hearing and a new
post-conviction relief appeal, to hear \r\nthe confession of Arnold Beverly
and to let Mumia be at the hearings in his \r\n\"trial\".  Tell mayor john
street to keep his promise and do what he can \r\nto help Mumia receive a <\/div>\r\n
fair trial and to hold an independent \r\ninvestigation into the case.  (you <\/div>\r\n
can get a sample of both of these letters \r\nat http:\/\/www.freemumia.com)

pamela dembe: \r\n1417 criminal justice center 1301 Filbert St. philadelphia
pa, 19107 Phone \r\n215 683-7148 Fax 215 683-7150

john street: room 215 city hall \r\nphiladelphia pa 19107
Phone 215 686-3000 Fax 215 \r\n686-2170\"

PLEASE CONTACT:
International Concerned Family & \r\nFriends of MAJ
 P.O. Box 19709, Philadelphia, PA 19143
 Phone - \r\n215-476-8812\/ Fax - 215-476-6180\/
 E-mail - icffmaj@aol.com \/www.mumia.org
AND OFFER \r\nYOUR SERVICES!

Send our brotha some LOVE and LIGHT \r\nat:
    Mumia Abu-Jamal
    AM \r\n8335
    SCI-Greene
    175 Progress \r\nDrive
    Waynesburg, PA  15370

  !! \r\nPEOPLE GET READY !!
<\/strong><\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
******************************************************
This \r\ncolumn may be reprinted and\/or distributed by
electronic means, but only for \r\nnon-commercial use, and
only with the inclusion of the following copyright \r\n
information:

Text (c) copyright 2001 by Mumia Abu-Jamal. All rights \r\n
reserved. Reprinted by permission of the \r\nauthor.
******************************************************

Mumia \r\nAbu-Jamal is the author of three books: 'Live
from Death Row', 'Death \r\nBlossoms', and 'All Things
Censored'.

Write to Mumia directly \r\nat:
Mumia Abu-Jamal AM 8335
SCI-Greene
175 Progress \r\nDrive
Waynesburg, PA 15370

<\/div>\r\n\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"Every generation must, out of relative obscurity,\r\ndiscover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.\r\n--- Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2001\/11\/mumia_abu-jamal2.htm","filesize":"13.6 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2001\/11\/12761.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}