Kreayshawn: The New Face Of White Racism
(See also: “Kreayshawn Reconsidered”, in which I realize I went way over the top with some of the things I said in this article.)
I guess I’m late to this party; a quick look around the interwebs demonstrates that debate has already been raging for months about whether or not Kreayshawn, the Oakland-based white rapper, represents America’s cross-cultural, post-racial future, or if she’s simply recycling and regurgitating tired old racist stereotypes for fun and profit.
At first I was in the pro-Kreayshawn camp; contrary to what some people are saying, I think she’s a decent rapper, she seems to have a good sense of humor and style, and I’ve always been favorably inclined toward any new artist capable of outraging my less-mainstream-than-thou friends.
Curious to learn more about her, I subscribed to her Twitter feed, and for the first couple weeks saw nothing more remarkable than the usual swagger and bluster I’d expect from a rap star on the make and a bold yet insecure girl not all that far out of her teens.
But yesterday she posted a couple things that had me re-evaluating her. The first was “Snitchin in the hood aint good,” the gangbanger mantra that has made it all but impossible for police to get a handle on the murder and mayhem that has become endemic in the America’s inner cities. She followed it up a few hours later with “Ridin round and lookin for something to shoot.” To both of which I was like, SHUT YOUR STUPID FACE, WHITE GIRL.
Kreayshawn, you are not from “the hood,” and I’m not talking geographically. I don’t care where you come from (her bio says East Oakland), you are a pop star for whom “the hood” is a marketing device you can pick up or put down as it suits you.
Ditto for your playing at being a bad-ass gangsta chick mimicking the tragic trope of brain-dead thugs tearing the heart out of one black neighborhood after another with pointless beefs and drive-bys. For countless African-American families, gang violence has meant death or crippling injury for their sons, brothers, and fathers. To your silly white ass, it’s a fashion accessory.
Mouthing mindless slogans isn’t necessarily the worst crime in the world; let’s face it, we’ve probably all done it at one time or another, especially when we were young. And honestly, I don’t think she’s doing it just to sell records or promote her image; more likely she’s just after what white kids have been aspiring to for generations: to be a little more “black.”
Nothing wrong with that: hipsters, musicians, entertainers, or just repressed white suburbanites in pursuit of a makeover, have been doing this since at least the Jazz Age, maybe, if you wanted to stretch a point, all the way to whites performing in blackface minstrel shows in the days when slavery was still the law of the land.
The knock against minstrel shows – and against mid- 20th century counterparts like Amos and Andy, was the way they pandered to the worst stereotypes about black people, mocking them as lazy, conniving, shiftless, unintelligent. The 21st century version of the minstrel show, perpetrated by black artists like Odd Future as well as white ones like Kreayshawn, has added violent, misogynistic, homophobic, drug-addled and sex-crazed to the mix.
Unlike some of her critics, I don’t care if Kreayshawn sprinkles her speech or her raps with n-bombs. As the product of a time when “nigger” still functioned as one of the most hateful words in the English language, I dislike hearing anyone, black or white, use it, but worrying about it is a lost cause now that it’s become a conversational mainstay for kids of all races and backgrounds.
And I don’t think Kreayshawn’s obvious, almost desperate desire to “be” black makes her a racist, either. There are innumerable things that people can learn and adopt from African-American culture, starting with but hardly limited to most of the music I grew up with or the heroism and devotion displayed by pioneers of the civil rights movement. Language, fashion, politics, philosophy: all have been immeasurably enriched by African and African-American influences.
But what does make Kreayshawn a racist – and, you might say, the most problematic, even dangerous kind of racist – is the kind of “black” she is trying to be. I’m reminded of another well-intentioned white guy (at least I’m sure he thought he was), William Upski Wyatt, who in his mid-90s book Bomb The Suburbs urged privileged white kids like himself to show solidarity with black people by turning their own suburbs into urban-style ghettoes.
Cover the walls with graffiti, hang out on your front stoop smoking blunts and drinking 40s, he told them, apparently never considering that there’s nothing intrinsically “black” about vandalism, unemployment, or drug and alcohol abuse. On the contrary, millions of black Americans – no doubt the vast majority – would profoundly love to see all of them banished from their own neighborhoods.
If you’re a white kid who seriously wants to “be black,” there’s no end of admirable African-Americans to pattern yourself after: authors, scientists, community leaders, even the President of the United States, not to mention the millions of working class men and women who faithfully devote themselves to supporting their families and building a future for their children.
But racists like Kreayshawn don’t see any of that. Say “black” to them and all they hear is hood rats, ghetto bling, and prison-bound thuggery. The only thing that distinguishes her view of black culture from that of a Ku Klux Klansman is that she wants to be part of it – at least as long as she can retreat back to her safe suburban home whenever things start to get unpleasant.
So hire a bunch of black actors to be in your videos, pay a bunch of black “friends” to be in your entourage, live out your fantasy, Kreayshawn, but no matter how famous you get, how much money you make, you’ll never escape the bitter truth: that you did it by spreading negative, hateful images of African-Americans that will poison the minds and attitudes of your impressionable fans while letting you believe that you’re “down” and dripping with street cred.
Know it or not, admit it or not, Kreayshawn, what you’re doing, is racist to the core. It will hurt people, a lot of people, while you’re laughing all the way to the bank.
Still harping on the same non-issues I see. Obviously racism can apply in any direction. But cliche as it may seem, and as boring it may be to hear over and over again, it is a fact that Europeans take first prize for race consciousness and race-based insolence.
The whole “whites are victims of racism too” card is so 1997.
Thank you for your comments, and for your *opinion* (racial judgments, no matter what group they’re about, can never be a “fact”) about who is the most racist. But whether what you’re saying here is true or not, I’m having a hard time understanding what it has to do with Kreayshawn or anything being discussed in the article.
How do you know Kreayshawn wants to be black though??? Cuz she kicks it with black people and she’s from the ghetto??? Your the racist one. Why dont you tell us how to act black next?
Mirna: As I said – very clearly – there are a million ways to “act black,” everything from being a preacher, a teacher, a scientist or President of the United States. So obviously nobody needs me or anyone else to tell them about it.
Whether someone is “from the ghetto” or not, and whether they’re black, white or purple, they have a choice of how to act. My criticism of Kreayshawn has nothing to do with the color of the people she hangs with and everything to do with the language and the values she reflects. She’s not necessarily trying to “be black,” but she shows every indication of trying to act like ghetto trash. A lot of white people do that because they think they’re showing respect for their black brothers and sisters; I say they’re actually showing contempt. And I’ve heard a number of black people express similar views when they see a white kid coming across all ghetto and badass in an attempt to fit in with the black community. They’re like “Really? Is that who you think we are?”
Larry I like the message here. I marvel at and somewhat envy the ways you keep up with newer music, even gangster rap. Still, I wish you’d write more about war, politics, economy, justice and the environment.
Great article. Kreayshawn is ignorant and racist. She is exploiting a small segment of African Americans for her own profit. The good thing is that she is talentless and it makes her not credible. She is a one hit wonders who is mainly backed up by MTV. However, how long MTV is going to support her?
LOL what an ignorant cheap toy racist ape. Libtards like you LOVE to exploit minorities for your own selfish political reasons. GTFO clown.
Sounds like the ignorant person here is you. Obviously, you need to check your facts or go to the sociology department of your local university. If someone is raised in a certain culture regardless of their bloodlines they are nine times out of ten going to embrace the environment and culture they grew up in. Such is the case with Kreayshawn. She is not some Vanilla Ice wanna be who we are going to find out later grew up in some some suburb and is just trying to act like they are from a lower-socio economic status. This young lady did in fact grow up poor. She was shaped by the environment that she was growing up in. Could she be sending a positive political message that would suit your personal white agenda? Sure, but that is not her job nor where her interests are located. Where were you when her mother needed money for food shelter and clothing for her daughter? Where you there to help? Where you there to lend a hand to make sure she got what she needed? What help have you offered other “poor white children in her situation. Are you planning on personally going to all of the poor black neighborhoods in the United States and rescuing all the ” poor white kids” that according to you have no business being there. Because unless that is what you are planning to do to prevent what is obviously a “white tragedy” in your mind, from happening again, I strongly suggest you keep your narrow minded, elitist, opinions to yourself.
Larry, like you said your late to this debate…Just like all the other haters, you figured, I’m gonna jump on the bandwagon and get some PR off of Kreayshawn…You must be lacking in articles that people respond to, so you just thought you would jump all over Kreayshawn…Dude, you don’t know the first thing about her…You think you do, but I have known her since the day she was born…and you couldn’t be any farther off base. You are just assuming this and that, and just writing whatever you think will get people to read this ignorant article…You are just like Michelle Bachmann, making up shit, without even having anything to back you up…You are suppose to be a journalist, I take it…Well, where are your 2 reliable sources, to back up all the lies you have written about her…Dude, get a life, and try and make it on your own merits, not on the merits of Kreayshawn…
I have to admit I didn’t really read your article before I wrote my comment. I just “skimmed” it and assumed you’d gone on another of your late 90’s-era “reverse racism” trips. Ha!
Now that I have actually read your article, I actually think you’re right here. Especially among Generation Y, there is this complex, ironic, tongue-in-cheek almost “motif” of post-racism. I’m seeing it more and more as the generation of kids born in the mid-to-late 80’s, post 9/11 kids if you will, grows into maturity and produces artistic output. You can see another example here, The Lonely Island.
This generation has heard all the mundane talk about the ills of racism, and are usually against the more extreme forms of it, but seem to buy into this caricature that racism is something only people with Southern accents are capable of being. Either that, or they feel it is an inevitable part of society that cannot be rejected because it just is what it is. And, besides, since they have rubbed elbows with people of other races all their lives, grown up on Thai food, went to Hispanic majority schools, and listened to “black music” that they are entitled to make tongue-in-cheek mockeries of people based on race.
Rachel:
I do in fact know a little about Kreayshawn’s background. Your suggestion that I am only concerned about “rescuing” white kids is straight-up racist, as is your assumption that poor people, regardless of color, are helpless victims of their environment and therefore absolved of responsibility for what they say or do.
While it’s true that poor people suffer many unhappy consequences from growing up without adequate nutrition, education and housing, I’m pretty sure Kreayshawn didn’t experience this level of poverty. On top of this, her mom is an intelligent, caring woman (I knew her before Kreayshawn was even born), and no doubt made sure she was exposed to other values besides those of the street.
It’s obvious that Kreayshawn is also very intelligent, enough to know that she has choices about how she lives and – what’s relevant here – expresses herself. To be exposed to the pointless violence and self-destructive values of the ghetto is tragic for a child of any color, but to continue romanticizing those values when you’re old enough to know better and have been given (or gained for yourself) an opportunity to do something great with your life is just plain wrong.
You know who else grew up in sketchy neighborhoods with a poor single mother? Barack Obama. And millions of other people, who, while recognizing where they came from, do not feel the need to celebrate the values that keep people locked in poverty and oppression. Kreayshawn decorates her Twitter feed with an AK-47 or something similar (sorry, I don’t know my automatic weapons): what’s that about? The gun that has spread misery and devastation through (mostly) minority neighborhoods across the land is now a fashion accessory? She has got to know better than that.
Finally, you suggest that it is “narrow-minded” or “elitist” to expect or at least hope that people – again of any and all colors – will grow up showing respect for and refraining from violence against each other. This is easily the worst thing you’ve said, and while I realize you’re a victim of your own environment (probably an academic one), I strongly urge you to think this one through again. African-American children are sometimes bullied or accused of “acting white” if they do well in school; your assumption that it is narrow-minded and elitist to expect them to do well is very much in the same vein.
If you haven’t read it, you might want to get a copy of Nick Tosches’ “Unsung Heroes of Rock & Roll” (http://www.amazon.com/Unsung-Heroes-Rock-Roll-Before/dp/0306808919/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315160701&sr=1-5), if only for his great line about why he hated the Rolling Stones, which is similar to what you wrote about this dim-witted white rap kid.
The other thing your post had me thinking about was how willfully stupid west coast rap continues to be. As Chuck D put it, and I’m paraphrasing here, the whole notion of “gangster rap” is ludicrous. A gangster is, by definition, someone who lives a life of crime, becomes enriched from it and never gets caught, which really doesn’t sound like an apt description of any inner city blacks I can think of.
It seems to me though, what’s going on here isn’t so much white kids wishing they were black. It’s romanticizing the notion of being an outsider or an outlaw. The intellectual error here is in believing that there’s anything romantic about living in a poverty-stricken community where actual death and mayhem are regular occurrences. It’s really the same thing that cycles through the punk world every few years – where you see bunches of kids emulating Sid Vicious or Darby Crash, complete with heroin addiction; or roving around with “white power” skinheads looking for an excuse to start a fight. You’ve got a mainstream society that’s pretty depressing in a many ways, and a future of 9-5ing, commuting, debt, aging and cultural irrelevance causes kids to be drawn to anti-social role models, whether they’re punk rock junkies/thugs or gang-bangers.
So, I don’t know if Kreayshawn is racist so much as she’s just dumb in the same way that many young folks are dumb.
You do realize when she is driving around “looking for something to shoot” that she is a photographer (and a pretty good one)… When I am driving around looking for something to shoot all the time… no need to fear me or my racial motivations….
Yeah, about the “looking for something to shoot” thing, her mom made the same point on my Facebook, to which I can only say *maybe* I read it wrong, or *maybe* she (Kreayshawn) is playing with the double meaning. Given her iconographic use of automatic weapons (as on her Twitter feed), I’m inclined to think it was the latter.
It is fashionable for her to be gangster. Some would say she is mocking the strife of the “hood”.
Rachel and Puppy, are you guys related to Kreayshawn? It sounds like you are because you seem to be so emotionally involved in this debate that you can’t think or understand the point Larry makes in this article.
In addition, I would say that her attack on “basic Bitches” on her Gucci Gucci” song is a mockery of the poor segment of African American women who bought into that designers and bling so much glamorized by the Hip Hop community and MTV. The poor segment of African american felt into it (Kreayshawn did not because of her white privilege background). kreayshawn is cruel, arrogant and exploitive.
Kreayshawn lacks of talent and the only thing she has to rebound on is to make noise with controversy statements on Twitter. I don’t know how long it is going to last but people are going to be bored by it very soon.
PS: Vanilla Ice was not very talented but at least he could dance and had a stage presence.
Kreaysahwn, the reality is that unemployment for African American is about 16% and for white about 9% which means if you and an African American woman will apply for the same job. Your chance to get the job is two times higher. In conclusion, if a Black, Latina, Asian woman were as talentless as you are they would have NEVER been nominated for best new artist by MTV. Stop mocking other races.
“SHUT YOUR STUPID FACE WHITE GIRL.” im not sure why you feel she is any LESS or MORE entitled to portray her interpretation of “the hood” (whatever that means to her) as a performer. glorification of violence? have you seen a video game lately? im pretty confident kids watching her are not going to head out and shoot up their neighborhood. derogatory? maybe. her emulation of a certain kind of population does not make her a racist and i cannot agree with your line of argument here, however, i do appreciate reading the discussion that has ensued.
Good point, Abbey, and I’m a little uncomfortable myself with the idea of telling anybody to shut up, thus implying that being white deprives her of the right to have or express an opinion.
I don’t at all believe Kreayshawn is a racist in the conventional sense of the term, but unfortunately the conventional sense of the term is a stereotype in its own right, usually expressed as a drawling, ignorant hillbilly.
Modern racism takes much more subtle forms, and it can be very slippery and tricky to define or even recognize, but I think at its core is the belief that *all* or almost all members of a given race have certain attributes, whether those attributes be positive or negative ones. Way too many people, both white and black, have come to believe that being a thug, a gangbanger, or an inarticulate, antisocial mess is somehow an authentic expression of what it is to be black, and hip hop artists, be they black or white, who romanticize or glorify these values are helping to strengthen and perpetuate these very harmful stereotypes.
Does that in and of itself make such artists racist? Again, it’s a tricky question; and I suppose in order to answer it you’d have to know how conscious they are of what they’re doing and why. But at the very least it makes them a tool and a facilitator of racism, whether they’re willing to recognize it or not.
“I don’t at all believe Kreayshawn is a racist in the conventional sense of the term, but unfortunately the conventional sense of the term is a stereotype in its own right, usually expressed as a drawling, ignorant hillbilly.”
I totally agree. It is the kind of redneck racism. It is based on ignorance which is different from the type of institutionalized racism (corporate one like MTV). They are both dangerous. I also may say that this type of fake liberals have hijacked the Democratic Party. They wear hipster clothes, listen to cool music, have tattoos but in the same time they defend the right to own guns, have not a clue about international politics etc…. I am sure that in 2004 they elected George Bush (because of their ignorance) and now they regret it. Oh education! Oh education! kreayshawn had an opportunity to have an education at Berkeley but blew it. How many black people from the ghetto have the opportunity to get a scholarship at UC Berkeley? if you don’t call this white privilege. I don’t know what to call it.
Rachel, are you Kreayshawn’s mother? Just to let you know that most people struggle with financial issues but they usually don’t talk about it or post it in their Facebook or Twitter account. We all have financial problems, you are not the only one! Stop whining! Imagine being a black single mother. Don’t you understand the difference?
In addition, there is another factor and it’s called “internalized racism” and it happens to black people or other races (Kreayshawn’s entourage) who are backing up stereotypes about their own races.
The other thing is that what Kreayshawn does is not something new. In universities this type of behavior has been discussed and talked for many years. It has been called racist (before even Kreayshawn was born). It’s going to be hard to fool people who have an education.
If you really knew her mother would you be writing such a scathing article about her daughter. Granted she could be rapping about something else but as an artist this is what she is choosing to do. It seems you would prefer to censor her and impose on her right to creative expression and free speech. Brining the president into this discussion is laughable at best. His interests were elsewhere otherwise he would have made a different career choice. I am not stating that people are victims of their environment nor am I promoting a pro-voilence point of view. Had I been a victim I would not have chosen to go to college. A college education was something I fought to achieve despite being told I couldn’t and shouldn’t go. But thank you for your concern regarding my educational victimization. What I am saying is society mostly conforms to what is around them regardless of socio-economic status. Why else would we celebrate people overcoming obstacles to get where they are today. If it was commonplace that people changed their circumstances it wouldn’t even be a topic of discussion. I have personally witnessed several of my friends make their way through their undergraduate and Masters programs at top university’s despite the fact that they could have easily succumbed to the poverty and violence going on around them. These were choices they made and Kreayshawn is making her own choices. Her choices should be respected not condemned. She is a bright intelligent woman and this is hardly the one and only stop on the train. She is going to be riding this train until the end of the line. Most likely in the direction of her true passion which is filmmaking.
Kreayshawn is going into filmmaking! It is so naive to think this way. kreayshawn can’t make a decent music video. Filmmaking requires intellectual knowledge and analytical mind. Do you know any great movie directors who have not attended college? From Coppola, to Quarantino, to Spike Lee to Scorsese etc…. THEY ALL HAVE A COLLEGE EDUCATION!
she is just a “wigger” wanna be .. we see them in the club all the time…silly ass white girls hanging with the brothas tryin to be hard and gangsta… please white people no matter how much you try, no matter what you wear or how you act…. to be something your not you are just a stale lame ass plain white cracker ……just accept it
Rachel:
I don’t comprehend, let alone buy your reasoning that we should accept whatever an artist says. I could be wrong, but I don’t think you even believe it yourself. Let’s suppose that instead of putting forth the message she currently is, Kreayshawn was using her talents to make campaign videos for Michelle Bachmann in which she lectured ghetto kids about cleaning up their act, dressing nicely, learning to speak standard English, and working harder on their studies. Something tells me you wouldn’t be “celebrating her accomplishments” quite so vigorously then. In fact, you’d probably be calling her worse things than I did.
That being said, I realize I was wrong to use such a loaded word as “racist” in talking about Kreayshawn, and I apologize for it. See https://larrylivermore.com/?p=2321
Keep my name out of your mouth, kid. Live your own life because that’s what I’m doing. Do you see me writing blogs about “Larry Livermore” and the way he seems to be so offended by someone he’s never even met? No. So leave me alone and like I said, keep my name out of that mouth of yours.
Kreayshawn: There is no such as a private act, especially when you’re “living your own life” in the full glare of the mass media. The same audience that brings you fame and fortune will also bring you judgment and criticism, some of it fair, some of it not. Either way, it goes with the territory. I am not offended by you in the slightest; I admire your success and the intelligence and creativity that enabled you to achieve that success. What I’m challenging is the values that you’re representing, whether consciously or unconsciously, in your work. I know I shouldn’t have attacked you personally the way I did, and I acknowledge and apologize for that here: Kreayshawn Reconsidered. But I don’t apologize for questioning the effects of the images and ideas you put forth, because they have the power to affect millions. And I’m one of those millions, so please don’t try telling me it’s none of my business.
kreayshawn is ignorant and people who live in Oakland like me are tired of her talking crap to the medias about how violent is Oakland. We have all the right in the world to let people know that you are not truthful! This is the reason why people call you a racist! You forget about people like us (white people) who live with a large community of African Americans families, Latinos and others who are middle class, well educated and who NEVER get involved with gangs or violence! You are stereotyping us. GO TO HELL! YES, WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMPLAINT ABOUT YOUR LIES AND RACISM!
PS: You are talentless!
We know Kreayshawn is lying because the fact is that how could a little white woman like her could have survived the violent environment she pretends she grew up? I bet she never encountered physical violence or assault.
Matter a fact, crimes in Oakland have decreased 5.5% since 2009. It is still high but it’s NOT what Kreayshawn pretends it is. Matter a fact people can be in danger anywhere! IGNORANT!
Fuck you, Larry Livermore.
I’ve read a lot on Kreayshawn, watched her videos — why, I don’t know — and have come to the same conclusion as Larry… to a point. I’m a white male from a downtrodden city. Kreayshawn actually came here: Flint, Mich. So I know a thing or two about what she is “trying” to say — I think. Fact is, if a white kid, even from the “hood” paraded around Flint like Kreayshawn struts around (or has led me to believe she does) in Oakland, they’d be quickly met with, well, met with some problems. Same would go for her sister, who uses the N-bomb like nothing. I didn’t grow up in the “hood,” but I’m from Flint. I know guys who did, and they don’t act half as “ghetto” as Kreayshawn tries to act. She is ridiculous. And by the way, from what it sounded like to me from a few friends who attended her show, Flint doesn’t want her back here. I once liked Bay-Area rap. I grew up listening to E40 and The Click, Too Short… I wonder what they have to say about this girl.
I believe everyone has the right to be themselves. If you’re a white kid from the hood whom people believe “acts black,” well, that’s you. I mean, what about African-American kids that grow up in the suburbs?! They act like the rest of those whom they grew up with, right? So the product of your environment concept applies to Kreayshawn, if she’s really from where she claims to be from… Which I’ve read is untrue, she’s actually from the ‘burbs, but moved to Oakland. Either way, if she’s genuine, that will be seen and she’ll do well. If she’s fake, that, too, will be seen and she’ll flop.
Not a big fan or her music, although “Gucci, Gucci” has a nice beat. Be yourself, Kreayshawn. You must have known you’d be met with some criticism. But if you’re so “hard,” and “gangsta,” words shouldn’t bother you.
And Larry, maybe you did misinterpret her “looking for something to shoot” Tweet. But, maybe, like you said, it’s double-meaning was meant to be vague.
After all, she does “always keep a chopper,” Larry. Says so in the video.
All you old uptight people trying to sound smart sound hella dumb. Let them kids shine.. Old people stick to talking your own generation, talking about taking acid at woodstock or doing coke with jefferson starship or whatever wack ass thing you all did.
Nice one, “Anonymous”! You’re no kid yourself if you remember both those old stories of mine!!
@anonymous I am 24 years old who goes to college and live in Oakland. My studies are related to Intercultural Relations therefore I feel concerned by this small segment (you) of my generation that misrepresents us. Kreayshawn, you might be able to convince your 12 years old fans but not us!
You did not invent or created anything special. You are just a representation of what we call a more complex and subtle form of racism. Nothing new! Kreayshawn. By the way, Oakland is a really cool city to live with its large community of artists, hardworking families etc… Most people in Oakland don’t hustle or deal drugs.
The other thing I wanted to say is that people are not only a part of their environment, there are other factors (biology, personality traits, family history etc…).
LARRY, I THINK THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN HACKING YOUR BLOG BECAUSE I TRIED TO SEND THIS LINK TO SEVERAL OF MY FRIENDS AND THEY CAN’T ACCESS IT. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW.
https://larrylivermore.com/ seems to work just fine.
Or https://larrylivermore.com/?p=2315 to go directly to this article.
Anonymous 24-year-old: You make a good point. And I’ve noticed that the younger generation (I’m 29) is buying into this whole “swag” movement, which is nothing more than a fashion trend — in my opinion — than it is about the actual music. The music is horrible. Rapping about weed and money is such a new concept. I love her originality. Guns, hustling, all brought to the forefront by Oakland’s No. 1 thug, who is a true representation of her town… Sense the sarcasm yet?
If people are, like a few on this board seem to be, concerned about what she’s doing to music and the image she portrays, it’s only a matter of time before she’s outed for the fraud she’s said to be. I’ve never met the girl, so I can’t say. But I do find something a little fishy with her act. I’ve watched a lot of her interviews, and she backpedals, looking quite intimidated, when asked about her said use of the N-word. She quickly reminds viewers that it was V-Nasty who threw it around, and that she doesn’t condone the use of it. However, there was an article I read that “Gucci, Gucci” originally had the word in it, but was removed by the label.
Maybe even the record company thought she went too far.
Like I said, I’m all about self-expression. I was heavily into all types of art when I was younger, and she’s definitely artistic; has a little style going. I’d venture to say she’s not half-bad as a person, but she’s capitalizing on this image that like you said, teenager’s are asking for. The hipster-thug-I-smoke-weed-all-day kid is just another teen phase.
By watching Kreayshawn’s interviews, I don’t think she believes in what she’s selling, nor what she says. But she has a catchy little image that can fetch some dollars for a record company, so she’ll likely play the role, make some money and be done. A real artist will outlast that fad. I’ll use the Beastie Boys as an example. Even they said they played characters — today, they’re not 100 percent proud of their image from the mid-80s. Let us not forget, they started as a punk band — music in which I understand Kreayshawn has roots in.
She’s either Vanilla Ice or the Beastie Boys, in my opinion.
In what song does she say Nigga? Perhaps you’re referring to V-Nasty. It’s interesting how much flack this broad gets because of her ignorant partner. Aside from that I wish people would stop calling things racism and people racists. Obviously so many do not know actually what it is to be racists.
If you are young and don’t like Kreayshawn, you are a hater.
If you are old and don’t like Kreayshawn, you don’t have the right of your opinion because you’re not “hip”.
Racism is still alive and everywhere. Denying the existence of racism is dangerous. George Bush, Fox News, right wings people believe that racism is extinct. The reality is that people of color are still struggling at all level (employment, housing, health etc…). Wanna be liberals like Kreayshawn have hijacked the liberal party with their “stylish” look. This is the reason why this country is falling apart.
Kreayshawn, do you belong to the right wing NRA? You should advertise for the right wing NRA and promote guns. It’s your Twitter symbol.
It’s called “Convert racism”. It’s a very dangerous form of racism because it’s not direct in your face. Her association with VNasty her support and work with VNasty is an example. Her language and her appropriation of African American culture. Her song Gucci Gucci is about slamming poor African American women who have been taking advantage and exploited by the corporate Rap industry (MTV). She refers t them as basic Bitches because she feels so superior!
So she’s supposed to act a certain way based on her skin color and not act in the manner in which she was raised? That’s stereotyping. You’re very ignorant and bashing a “racist” for acting “black”? So talking about being from the hood is acting “black” and breaking down racial barriers makes her a “racist”? How stupid are you? Honestly, people never cease to amaze me.
Oh and also, in not a single one of her songs does Kreayshawn herself use the “n-word.” You ought to get your facts straight.
Hello, Mr. or Ms. Anonymous!
Please note: I never said she did use it in her songs. Get your own facts straight. I was referring to her use of it in casual but well-publicized conversation.
Also, regardless of what some of the other commenters here are saying, my issue is not whether she’s “supposed” to act or represent in a certain way because of her skin color or where she’s from, it’s about the kind of values that she’s representing. I’d say the exact same thing about Odd Future.
OMG! People really lack of education re: races. Covert racism is not new to the academia. Kreayshawn is a text book example of it. Ethnic studies where created by African Americans, Asian, latinos academic staff at universities not by white people. I’d rather refer to them than to white people talking about other races. Talking to rednecks doesn’t go anywhere it’s like explaining this to people at Fox News (which has been attempted so many times and their response is the same as the people here!). Nothing new! Sometimes I feel like to give up. Red necks will always be rednecks!
Hi Larry, my name is Preston and first of all I want to say I really like your blog, really interesting stuff. I mean seriously look at the discussion you got from calling someone (I had never even heard of this girl before you wrote this article) a racist. Normally i just lurk and read from the shadows but some of the comments on this subject were so uninformed and poorly voiced that I figured I could do just as well as them. First, to all her defenders who cares seriously. It’s all marketing anyways. If this chick wants to be famous people get to criticize her. If that really was her telling larry to fuck off because he has legitimate concerns about the image she is projecting she can go fuck off herself seriously. I you come on to HIS website to argue with him about what he says on HIS website? Also if you read whats on his website you will see larry is no stranger to growing up in a rough enviornment. Growing up in detroit, carrying guns to school or almost dying in the woods in the snow. Larry is smart guy and I’d be honored if Larry was “talking shit on me”. He’s very smart and I’d at least reanalyze some of what I was saying and doing. It’s ok if you are just marketing yourself that way because that stupid shit sells. But to come onto his website and tell him to fuck off because he had an opinion that makes you look very ignorant even if you weren’t before. Probably just an imposter anyways. Ok next I want to say that as a Younger person I really don’t appreciate that way some of my older PEERS are describing us from a younger generation as stupid hipster or whatever. Most of the people my age are naive and don’t know what they are doing or what they are talking about and are just testing the waters until they eventually drop the bullshit and sellout like everyone in the normal 9-5 world do. It’s no different than when you were all younger I’m sure. I do agree though about this concept that people my age like to pretend that racism doesn’t exist anymore because they like to eat thai food and they have some friends that are of different ethnic origins so they can say nigger and stuff all the time. Even just typing it makes me feel uncomfortable. It’s true and I’ve seen happen to many upper middle class kids i grew up with. They start rapping in highschool talking about their “struggle” unaware of how ignorant they sound and I’m sure this lady krearyshawn or whatever is the same way. Look at facebook, half the people have at least one gangster-esque photo with them with some sunglasses with smoke slowly coming out of their mouth with a tag like “we blow every day”. It’s just stupid and the marketing of it appeals to them not unlike how it appeals to this girl. I’m sure in 20 years she’ll feel dumb about the way she is acting now as much as I’m sure you all feel dumb about your younger days. Finally though I just want to point out that everyone needs to lighten up a little. Larry deserves his opinion as does this kreayshawn or whatever her name is. Face it white privledge along with white guilt are here to stay. We are going to be having this argument forever. She is young just like me and we have never seen blatant racism so don’t get mad at us just because we don’t know. But she needs to step up and if she is really as smart as I assume she might be She needs to really analyze herself and her actions. Thanks for the great writing larry sorry everyone is jumping up your ass on this stuff. take care
To the younger poster Preston before me you make some very valid points. These arguments aren’t anything new though, I ran across some old 90’s articles with people debating about the whole Italian mafia don culture at that time (Junior Mafia/Biggie, Gambino Family, about 100 rappers named Gotti etc) & whether or not they belonged in the rap game. Also being discussed were “new” rappers like 2pac & Nas and their authenticity. My main concern is this: We all know Hip Hop started as the voice of the ghetto, a medium of the overlooked members of society to be heard. Of course you had the light-hearted dance songs & what not but there was balance & the foundation/roots remained intact. Now in an age when rapping is a career its far less authentic, you have a corporate takeover & their interests lie in the almighty $dollar$. The once prevalent voice of the struggle is being pushed to the background in favor what’s hip. Hip hop is slowly making a transition to a new form of “Pop”. I like to use country music as an example. It takes its roots from blues(once a voice of our people) but they stay true to their roots as down home southern music for “good ol boys/gals” they still talk about the woes that affect them as a people. With mainstream rap today that is not the case anymore, everyone has an opinion on what direction it should go usually with no understanding of the culture or history of it instead of the forefathers & original people meant to represent its portrayal to the world. In an age when anything different is cool & money, cars, & swag is hip pop – nobody wants to hear about problems yet they still exist. Other forms of rap have the right to exist it just shouldn’t be the main representation of our culture but a subculture. But I do agree w/ Preston that we sometimes go too hard on the younger generation, we were once them I came of age in the late 90’s early 2000’s still discussion & debate is healthy but the way you come across gives me faith in our future generation.
Haha fuck this guy. Your just keeping racism going. And she probably meant “shoot” as in take a picture. She is a photographer. Jackass
How is questioning and challenging racial stereotypes “keeping racism going?” And the “shoot” thing has already been covered. She uses guns as decorations and marketing devices. She (and you) know damn well that “shoot” has a double meaning, and to try to pretend otherwise just makes you look like a liar.
The woman is not only racist but is also a psycho! LOL! Now she says that she was a Drug dealer, a Craigslist pimp, a graphic designer, a DJ, a model, a music video director. Wow! Psycholiar b***H! In fact she grew up in Alameda, CA (a white middle class town next to Oakland). I am wondering why she is making up all of this? In her twisted mind she may think that she is going to be the next Madonna or Britney Spears! Seriously!
Ok, so I also skimmed your article, and from what I understand, I agree with what you’re saying on some level. I don’t know that much about this girl, but from what I’ve seen, she needs to STOP. She’s not talented at all! Her song is called “Gucci Gucci”, talking about people wearing designer things. She can’t rap at all, she’s a hipster/ stereotype and she needs to stop representing Oakland. I’m from Oakland and I’m embarrassed. My younger cousin showed me her “Gucci Gucci” video, and I’m thinking to myself how stupid this is and I’m thinking how she’s inspiring these young girls, this kind of stuff needs to stop. Anyways, that’s what I had to say.
One more time, “Kreayshawn”…Please STOP REPRESENTING OAKLAND, YOUR EMBARRASSING.
^meant “YOU’RE EMBARASSING”^
I met a bunch of kids like this a couple of summers ago. They were redneck fuckers from a rural area. They just talked about how much weed they smoked and drank. They’d drop names like Wu-tang clan, Tupac, etc. Shit from the 90’s. I mean, Wu-tang is good and all, but these white ass rednecks were just like you say, they were stereotyping. I really hated them. I’m not black, either, but I don’t really understand what drives kids to act this way.
She gravitates towards the more grimey element of the hood and clearly blacks in her circle must have never checked her…or felt the need to check her for saying the word nigger…its a ugly word but it eas blacks who have over time transformed it into regular speak…I think that in most situations a white person be met with confrontation..shit is ridiculous but I’m not buying that she is rascist
Ah naw…I doubt she “pays” blacks to hang out with her. May seem like I am being a cheerleader for her “street cred” (for lack of a better turn .Ha! In truth I don’t care.. In my experience the bay area is a microcosim of urban kids reffering to each other as “blood”.
Looking for something to shoot
As in a video to shoot.
Y’all non-Oaklandish types are hella dumb.
Not nearly as dumb (or as dishonest) as people who believe (or pretend) that words are only capable of having one meaning.
you know why this article doesn’t make sense? You keep mentioning acting black. But then you mention if white kids want to act black, they should mimic blacks like Obama. But Obama is an example of how any person from any race can be anything. I mean, it would be one thing if he delivered his speeches with a slang that is commonly associated with hip-hop, and which YOU would therefore associate with black people, but he doesn’t. He has distanced himself from hip-hop culture. The bottom line is you are mad at her for doing things that you say are offensive stereotypes of black culture, but really you are the one associating the things she does with black culture in the first place. The real problem here is that even though you love hip-hop, you cannot stop yourself from feeling that there are problems with its messages. But you keep those anxieties under raps, because hip-hop is fun and you have to ignore those feelings to enjoy it. So when she acts a certain way you interpret as a negative, stereotypical black behavior, and you then claim to have a problem with it, you are actually revealing that you have a problem with what you perceive to be the negative aspects of hip-hop, and thus, to you, the negative aspects of black culture. When you see Kreayshawn behave like she does, you feel comfortable attacking her about it because you feel a white person should see these negative things in hip-hop culture and distance herself like Obama has. But remember, you are the one that considers these aspects negative. You are frustrated that she would behave this way, because you associate her being white with having a choice not to behave like this. You have the same feelings towards black artists, but will not admit it because you like what you think is negative about hip-hop (making you a hypocrite), and therefore want to protect black people from being labeled as negative due to their involvement in hip-hop by acting like what is reflected in this music is black culture in general and therefore it is expected of them to have particular qualities that you feel are negative and so they cannot be criticized for it because of that reason, but really you are wrong. Everyone knows that any black person can behave in any manner they want, and that when they do, it is that person’s choice. You are the one associating hip-hop with black culture, no one can force your mind to do that… After all, these are all just attempts for you to persuade yourself that you are not a hypocrite for thinking it is wrong to make music about the topics hip-hop covers even though you love listening to it and you love the feeling the music gives you. GET OVER YOURSELF. If you attack Kreayshawn for acting the way she does, it reveals that you believe NO ONE should act like this, which means YOU are the one throwing dirt on black culture, because you are the one who associates hip-hop with it. But if you believe she should not behave like this, then you must believe it is unacceptable for anyone to behave like this, or else you are being hypocritical and racist which it seems that you have no problem being.
furthermore shes 22.. you understand the implications of being from such a generation, do you not?…
No. What is your implication? That being 22 absolves a person for being responsible for their words and actions? Perhaps you’d also like to raise the voting age to 35 or 40, so as not to give power over electing our leaders or establishing our political destiny to “such a generation?”
cite an example of her dropping the “n-bomb”
http://www.vladtv.com/blog/49198/kreayshawn-defends-her-right-to-use-the-n-word/
Brilliant article and I agree with you wholeheartedly. When I first heard this on our DMX music system at my workplace, I thought to myself ‘What is this bullshit? Did someone sneak a mixtape in on us?’. Then I heard it again and I was intrigued so I looked it up. The song itself is utterly mediocre and looks like it was produced on a home computer with a 30 day trial, mixing software. Furthermore the song itself sounded like someone with minimal education originating from a ghetto could’ve come up with it. I was a bit unnerved to see a scrawny hipster white girl with hipster accessories ‘rapping’ like a hoodrat. At this stage I’m wondering if this ‘Gucci Gucci’ crap is satire and whether she’s poking fun at the ‘ghetto life’. Furthermore if it were a black girl who came up this crap, would an exec at Sony even entertain her for more than 5 minutes?
http://www.sfexaminer.com/entertainment/2011/12/oakland-rapper-kreayshawn-back-track
Hi Larry. This is an interesting article. This person is kind of a ding bat. The only thing I would take issue with is calling the criminal element she is trying to ape “brain dead” thugs. One of my best friends ended up in prison for doing some really stupid shit in Oakland about a decade ago. Through that relationship I’ve had the chance to meet some people who would fall under that category and about the only thing I can say is that the reasons why they did and in some cases still do what they do are extremely complicated and the sad truth is once someone becomes a part of the criminal subculture in a place like Oakland it is extremely hard to leave it behind. Some became a part of that culture as early as 10 or 12. Anyhow, thanks for the interesting piece. I’m using a phone so please excuse any typos. Cheers.
This is a very good point. Through my volunteer work I’ve come in contact with a lot of criminals, and in my younger days, to be quite honest, I was somewhat of a criminal myself. While, as you say, people might not always make good choices, that’s far from the same thing as being “brain dead,” and I should have known better than to make such a glib and facile generalization. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
The crazy thing is that Kreayshawn is on the new issue of Marie Claire wearing designer brands (Gucci, D & G etc…) How hypocrite! She puts down the “basic bitches” (women of colors)in her song Gucci Gucci because they are label whores according to her and here she is! I noticed that she NEVER put down the corporations (Gucci or others) but it’s easy to go against poor women of color who have been brain washeed by corporations to buy designer brands! I guess she is cashin’ WHO IS THE WHORE?
@me-gawd SO SPACE OUT! Ahaha! You sound like Sarah palin talking about why she can negotiate with the Russian (remember?) She said that after all she could see Russia from her kitcen window! RIDICULOUS! Don’t make any sense.
“Looking for something to shoot
As in a video to shoot.”
I think your article is a bit confused. I agree wholeheartedly with the idea that there isn’t anything intrinsically ‘black’ about violence, drugs and alcohol abuse, but I think that illustrates that this girl and others like her aren’t trying to be ‘black’, they’re trying to imitate a cultural idea propagated by (mainly) black musicians. Black musicians also tokenistically use the ideas of shooting and smoking blunts and blah blah blah when they don’t come from the ‘hood’. There are middle class black rappers. It’s annoying that lots of people want to imitate this ideal of being ‘street’ and everything that entails, but it’s not racist. In order to consider that it’s racist for her to take on these stereotypes you have to assume that ‘black’ is synonymous with all those bad things, which you (and I) don’t seem to think? I just thought this was a confused piece. Admittedly, so is my response to it, but I’m a bit tired.
Me Gawd well put… “Ridin round and lookin for something to shoot.” To both of which I was like, SHUT YOUR STUPID FACE, WHITE GIRL.”– this is beyond stupid… Riding around and looking for something to shoot has historically been a white american thing..Ask millions of Natives & Blacks killed at the end of a barrel of a white racist. How did the roles reverse. When did violence become synonymous with being black? We still have yet to commit the type of genocide against any people (including ourselves) at the rate of our white brothers & sisters.
There are a lot of logical fallacies here, and there are more broad arguments against your point then there are for it. Also, I think you’re promoting just as much (if not more) racism as her.
You’re welcome to cite some examples.
Logical Fallacies: the fact that the entire article is about her acting like a black stereotype which you yourself are stereotyping/categorizing. Also, she was looking for a “video to shoot” with her camera, because she edits and directs videos (which is publicly known). Another is the fact that V-Nasty says the N word and Kreayshawn has answered to many allegation with the fact that she does not say the N word, and it is in fact one of her White Girl Mob members who does. Perhaps next time do a little more research before presenting an argument like this!
All points which have been brought up a number of times already, but I’m happy to address them again.
1) There are indeed some people who stereotype “black” or “ghetto” behavior in the way it is portrayed in Kreayshwan’s video. I am not one of them. Having spent the majority of my life in big cities with racially diverse populations, I am aware that that kind of behavior does go on, but so do lots of other kinds. You can debate until the cows come home about what Kreayshawn’s intent was (and maybe she’s not even totally sure herself); the one thing that’s difficult or impossible to refute is that she portrays a predominantly black group of people in what is clearly meant to be (or is) “the ghetto,” behaving in a stereotypical way, and, in my opinion at least, glamorizes it.
2) Yeah, like people never use double meanings to make jokes (or serious statements) about sex and violence. Only an idiot would not realize how “looking for something to shoot” is going to read, especially when posted by someone who routinely tries to portray herself as hard-ass and thuglike, and when read by someone (e.g., the vast majority of the public) who is not aware of her photography hobby. Kreayshawn is not an idiot. She knew how people would read that remark.
3) I seriously don’t care who said or didn’t say the N word; what matters is that Kreayshawn is providing a platform from which that word is being said, and not only said, but said without being challenged.
My bad on the grammar there. She grew up in that environment and mocked what she saw, creating a personality that balances the suburban / hood aspects that she integrates into her lyrics (if you listen to her music where she mentions that she had the opportunity to go to college as a photography major but decided on being a “self taught prodigy” instead), which is okay at her age to do. It’s not a huge deal.
She said in an interview that she constantly told V-Nasty not to say the N word and that she doesn’t condone it. Also, she directs all her videos and mentions shooting videos/photographs in her songs, which is known by her fans, who follows her on twitter? her fans.
Also telling her to “shut her face stupid white girl” is immature and racist in itself. Perhaps drop the stereotypes and racial slurs yourself before you write about someone else who does the same thing… just saying.
i honestly think its more racist to say things like, oh hes acting black, or shes trying to act black. kreashawn is not trying to act like anything, she just is.. my mom spent most her life on the streets and ive lived in the hood for a very long time.. i think its fucked up when white people put black people in a box and try to pretend to be something that their not, but i for one am a product of my environment and kreashawn is too!
It’s amazing how much heated debate about “racism” against blacks goes on solely between sanctimonious limousine liberal-type white people with zero input from actual blacks.
It is clear Larry regards general American subversive urban “ghetto” behavior as “predominantly” black behavior. That’s partly because of his age and partly due to the areas in which he has lived, and partly due to his own cultural biases. Urban ghetto behavior exists everywhere. In many different countries, it takes different cultural forms. There is nothing inherently “black” about any of it. Go to Korea, Russia, or India, places where there are no “blacks,” and you will see similar urban ghetto behavior with gangs, vandalism, drugs, and violence among youths.
It’s clear that you need to review your reading comprehension skills. In fact, my argument is not that this type of behavior is specifically or predominantly “black,” it is that artists like Kreayshawn, by perpetuating that stereotype, help contributed to people making that mistake.
And in fact I have seen urban ghetto behavior in such widely disparate places as New Zealand, Hawaii and Greenland, although it’s only fair to note that the style, slang and sound track in those places are heavily influenced by American thug/gangsta ways.
But where you really reveal yourself as a menace – worse, really, than Kreayshawn, who I think was mostly trying to have some fun without realizing the underlying message she was putting out – is where you romanticize or idealize “urban ghetto behavior” as “subversive.” This is the schtick of dunderheaded white liberals since at least the 1960s: trying to use the tragedy of wrecked lives and dysfunctional societies as masturbatory fodder for their revolutionary wet dreams.
I’m sorry, but there is nothing remotely “subversive” about the dead-end cycle of drugs, machismo, drive-bys and death that our ghettos produce. It is a straight-up tragedy, and the fact that a few enterprising artists have been able to spin it into lucrative songs and stories to enthrall gullible consumers like yourself doesn’t make it any less so.
Lest I sound entirely negative, of course the ghettos are filled with stories of inspiration and hope as well, but all too often they get buried beneath the imagery that people like Kreayshawn promote and that you apparently fetishize.
Well first of all, taking your time out to write a article to degrade Kreayshawn’s personality is fuckin stupid. Then you wanna call her a white girl ? Seriously, your making yourself look racist.How the fuck do you know where she’s from or if she’s acting ? Saying people want to be “black” is racist/stereotyping, because acting black in your case is being ghetto, or being from the hood, or the way you speak, or type of music you listen to, which is ignorant, because your degrading the black society, & your categorizing black people on how a majority of them act, which is wrong, like saying if your white you cant be from the hood, which in your case is kind of sounding like what your saying. Which is wrong, look at eminem, he’s white and he raps about shit like being from the hood. So this article isignorant, and you and everyone else that has something to say about her lyrics or tweets should hush because everyone has a freedom of speech and can act anyway they please.
KREAYSHAWN’S A #BADASS!! && I AM BLACK! this article is bullshit! People can act && be as they want and i dont think this girl’s Racist at all..SmH People Needa get over Some shit!
You know what, Justina? I think she’s a badass, too. And pretty talented, too. I didn’t write this to tear her down, though I know it could have come across that way. I wrote it because I felt she needed to think more carefully about what kind of message she was putting out there. With great talent comes great responsibility. Yeah, people can always “act and be as they want,” but truly great people want to be truly great, not just pander to the lowest denominator.
ya’ll are some funny ass wanna-sound-smart motherfuckers talkin hella shit bout a young lady who grew up in a very unique locale. I’m a white boy from the south and i was called nigga way before i ever used it and i wasnt all “OMG he just called me black or a ‘nigger’ because you gotta be clear enough to realize whats beneath the word. Dude. Man. Cuz. Bro nigga. Forty years ago some youngster calls a random older stranger dude and he gets beat down when all that’s meant is ‘my fellow human being’ or buddy. I’ve heard black buddies talkin bout this white supremacy skinhead in our neighborhood like, “that nigga Grumpy (dude’s name) just got a new car…” and nothing was meant by it. Now my neighbor grumpy calls me a wigger and a race traitor and he’d get mad if he ever heard himself called nigga. So fucking stupid, him and you. I act black?? Like how the fuck am i supposed to “act”? White? Non-black? Hey man, 60’s youth weirded out squares and check this out, nigga you trippin 4 nothing
so anyway I’m from the south, raised with blacks and was never taught that i was white or that there was a white way i should adhere to. Grew up on hip hop, WITH hip hop being born in 77 myself and in the seventies nigga hadn’t grown as a word beyond blacks. I imagine. The 80’s hit and you got this new term, wigga, or to be accurate, ‘wigger’, as I’d heard it. This is before nigga’d been assimilated still. Then in the 90’s I’m being called nigga by blacks who dont even know me, got my homies coming in the pad, ‘what’s up my niggas?!’ to a mixed race room… Then it was years of hiphop culture evolution and race lines just dont get drawn amongst my peeps, my homies, my niggas. Relevant to that subculture of course. I dont roll into church and say ‘hey nigga put something in the collection plate’ cause in that environment they’d take offense. Maybe cause they’re sensitive or whatever but I’m not stupid. Then i moved to the bay and its all street love AINT no real niggas giving a fuck
then you got your fake niggas and i ain’t talkin bout blacks, fake people are fake niggas. Fake niggas is fake people. They the ones, no matter what race, giving a big fuck. And i can dig it, it’s a got word with lots of emotion tied to it. But settle down, dont cry, dont threaten, dont trip. Just like the term motherfucker, some people get offended if it’s used “on” them. Like CHILL OUT MOTHAFUCKA. But they dont hear me tho and you dont either. For those that do, you the real ones DONT judge based on color, dont take offense when AINT none given. Or take offense sucka? IDGAF. But i went to the bay area, went to jail and prison and so racial grouping I’ve never seen in jails down south (miss,atl,tenn) and I’m in a elevator at court with all blacks and a youngster is taking all the sack lunch food he can get. He’s now got am armful and I’m like ‘damn this nigga hungry!’ and a og (older) black dude says, real composed, ‘watch your mouth.’ nuff said, i get it. Not the time or place.
in CA prison its race politics. In my pod there is a white shower and a white phone and white tables. I gotta respect the blacks’ tables same as they respect the other races’ resources. Its fucked up especially cause i got blacks in my family and i never liked racist whites (racist blacks aint cool either) or separation BS. But its the law of the land and if your race is saying en like this or get stomped out, you do like they say. And i got over it, rolled with it. Also was out there, called race traitor for listening to rap. Also saw that white pride is just as valid and innocent as any racial pride. I think it’s all dated and just like most ism’s will one day be overcome. I hope. And all ya’ll feeling hurt pride cause i got my niggas and they may or may not be black, nor may i… Well get the fuck over your ego riding all up on me. Arrogant fuck. I had a lame ass associate once and we were talkin and i said ‘dog, it’s been a good day’ or something, and hein complete sincerity says:
he says: dont call me dog. I’m like youre joking? And he’s like no, I’m not a fucking dog so dont call me one. OMG. This nigga’s fo real. And i didnt push it, just said dog, thats how i talk bro but if you ain’t cool with that i wont call you dog. Censorship over something someone is offended by, even when I’m not calling him a dog at all. So silly just like someone thinking I’m being called a nigger when my dogs say what up nigga. Quit raining negativity and regulation on others you prideful cunts, get the fuck over YOUR EGOS. Just words dog, dont mean shit. Unless you want it to, unless you’re hung up on something. And i can respect that. Simply put, my bad, you AINT my nigga. You’s a hoe. Check out YouTube skit ‘the nigga pass’ for some light on this. Peace and love over discord bitches. ‘M out.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&hl=en&client=mv-google&v=afMd_FnkllU
Racist? This whole article is racist! Your whole point here is that she is racist because “she acts black”. Can you please define that?
No, I did not say that. There is no single or particular way of acting “black.”
You need to read the article more carefully. What I said was that she is acting out a negative stereotype that some people, especially racists, mistakenly believe applies to black people in general.
This article exemplifies your racism far more so than Kreayshawns. She is interested in a ‘culture’ not a ‘race’. The cultural references she takes her cues from are not race specific and could also be found in hispanic communities etc.
“To your silly white ass”
If I came accross an article where someone was referring to a black person as:
“To your silly black ass”
I would find it abhorant.
I do agree some of the things she aparently said on twitter were ignorant and misguided but consider those that you chastice whilst making sweeping remarks.
The Bomb the Suburbs author you mentioned, is William Upski Wimsatt, and he grew up on the South Side of Chicago in Hyde Park near the University of Chicago, not the suburbs. And frankly, your synopsis of his book is incredibly misguided and inaccurate. I’d love to see where you grew up. I think Kreayshawn is a joke myself, but you clearly are way off base and writing about something you know very little about.
I don’t care where Wimsatt is from. His fundamental premise is that there’s something intrinsically “black” about graffiti, loud boom boxes, and similar antisocial behavior, and that white suburban youth should their support for oppressed African-Americans by emulating that behavior.
It’s a notion that is insulting, counterproductive, and just plain racist, the kind of idea that one could expect to see springing from the solipsistic mind of a privileged white man who views black people in cartoonish terms, almost as if they were pets or toy soldiers on which he can try out his crackpot theories without having to worry about suffering any consequences himself. For reference, see Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, the episode where white leftists incite an uprising among African-Americans, then flee back to their own enclaves, leaving black people to suffer the beatings, arrests and imprisonment.
Wimsatt’s pie-eyed view of ghetto life as a nonstop minstrel show of break dancing, blunt smoking, and scatological rapping closely mirrors the image put forth by Kreayshawn in her first video, and conveys a similar intellectual depth. It’s like urging people to celebrate Irishness by drinking a lot and getting in fights, or to show solidarity with Asian immigrants by mixing up their pronunciation of “l” and “r.”