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Sparkle (2)
When rapper Lil Wayne was released from prison last year after being incarcerated for eight months on a gun possession charge , Hip-Hop media outlets and his fans welcomed him home with open arms. Last week, Watoto from the Nile, three precocious little girls, released a video on YouTube using Wayne’s track “Why I’m Single” to express their displeasure over his lyrics that contain misogynist content and in their opinion, glorifies drug abuse.
Here are some of the lyrics:
“I’m a girl that’s only ten, but for my sisters I must represent”
“I can’t understand the way you talk, act…I hate when you be doing that.”
“People say say no to drugs…so tell me sir who should I trust.”
“You lack the knowledge, information, inspiration and your single…and then you start cursing, they make it even worse when they play it on the radio”
“My daddy tell me I’m a queen, but you call women other things….sir don’t call me out my name again..be like Steve Harvey and show your love.”
While the sisters, Nia, 10, Nya 9, and Kamaria, 5, have produced a number of YouTube videos under their group name, this was the first one that has created an online buzz. This is the message that appears with their video:
“Letter to Lil Wayne" is a direct statement of justice from Watoto From The Nile. Growing tired and fed up with the constant degradation of Black women inside of Hip Hop music, they voice their views and opinions on this melodic track.
Since the beginning of the Hip-Hop genre and culture, women -- especially Black women -- have openly discussed their displeasure with artists who choose to use derogatory language and/or violent imagery against women. I remember listening to UTFO’s “Roxanne Roxanne” and then picking up their 1986 album Skeezer Pleaser -- and not realizing until much, much later, what a "Skeezer" actually was. This topic matter is nothing new, and the presence of extremely talented women MCs who provide an alternative view (focused on female empowerment, and positive sexual empowerment) seem to be ignored in favor of women who aggressively use their sexuality to be seen as relevant in the mainstream media’s eye.
What is interesting about this news item is the age of the girls and the assistance of their father in creating their videos. Obviously, they are the product of good parenting -- and many of the blogs who have written about this video have nothing but positive things to say. What is also interesting (well, more disturbing) is the venom from some commenters who do not see the video a positive (albeit critical) commentary on one of Hip-Hop’s most famous artists; but as a signifier that these little girls, a) do not have the right, as women / girls to comment; and b) that it is Black women in general who are the problem. Here’s a comment on the YouTube video page:
If this lil girl was doing homework and not listening to lil wayne in the begining then there would be nothing to talk about. He makes his money the way he do because people buy what he say. If the lil girl or anyone else dont like what he say then dont listen to it. If women stop acting like bitches and hoes then he would not have such personal experience to speak upon. I believe someone in her family seen a big ticket item and decided to use this lil girl to talk trash about lil wayne so that they could make money in the process. There are other ways to get her little career starting then trying to pick a fight with lil wayne just so she can become famous. Lil girl do yo homework and leave that grown man and his grown man business alone.
And another one from a commenter who seems to believe that when Black women -- in this case, girls -- have a opinion that differs from what he feels is the general Black consensus, that they are race traitors: (large caps courtesy of the author):
BLACK WOMEN ,YOU MUST UNDERSTAND ,YOU WERE BROUGHT TO AMERICA TO BE SLAVES ,NOT JUST TO PICK COTTON ,WASH PEOPLE CLOTHES ,CLEAN WHITE PEOPLE HOUSE, & TAKE CARE OF WHITE PEOPLE ,BUT TO DO ALL THE WORK FOR WHITE PEOPLE, BLACK WOMEN ,EVERY DIME YOU MAKE ,YOU SPEND EVERY DIME RIGHT BACK ,WITH WHITE PEOPLE ,BIG COMPANIES . THE SAME
