The Music Specialist

The Music Specialist

            BET = BLACK ENTERTAINMENT THUGS


Someone has to take a stand against the negativity, unrealistic expectations and outright lies being perpetrated on the youth of the world under the guise of art and Hip Hop.  My recent travels to South Africa showed me one extremely important thing.  All over the world children, teens and young adults ALL believe the lifestyle of the American Hip Hop artist is factual and they try to emulate them.  The concept that Hip Hop doesn’t affect people’s behavior is a lie and I question the sanity of anyone who says it. This psychological training of repeated audio and video is creating a cultural consumer dilemma.
Dope slinging is universal especially when these kids know that life is better with a blunt.  The biggest names in Hip Hop have told them that fighting is a way of life, indiscriminate sex is the norm and cheating on your mate is something you are supposed to do.   Shooting another person and leaving them “stinking in the alley” is cool and makes your reputation and manhood stronger.
Women have an even tougher life for they are told that they should become sex objects that “bend it over touch your toes” for men, while scheming on how to take as much money from the man as possible.   The female Hip Hop iconic vision has long straight colored hair, skimpy attire, high heels and attitude.
The family structure has become “me & my boys/girls”, men are regulated to “baby daddies” while the women are all looking for a better man.  The authority figures are the police and occasionally the feds who elicit a “us against them” mentality leading to gunfights, chases and ambush.
If you stop and look at your local news you will see everything I just stated is true and happening now, wherever you live.
So why do we have an awards show that perpetrates this to the world?
The BET HIP HOP Awards
I have tried to find out exactly what the BET Hip Hop Awards signifies and have been unable to find anything but ”hype” sayings. The BET AWARDS celebrates African Americans and other minorities excellence in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment thus setting a goal of attainment.    Who has ever heard of an award show that is supposed to set the bar for all things Hip Hop and no one can define what that bar is?
Qualifications for individual categories seem to be based on who has the most popularity or which company has supported BET with money.



This is what I am seeing

1. RED CARPET – now you can show off those new sneakers, gold, diamond, platinum chains, teeth, fake butt or pseudo designer dress with your peers and feel that someone will not steal it or rip it off you at that moment.  The message given to the many youth that watch  the BET Red Carpet is that ostentatious shows of wealth is the goal that you should set your sights for.

2. FIGHT – There has not been one of these events where there wasn’t a fight backstage or in the parking lot.  The police even know that they can make drug arrests and weapons charges any time they want, even during rehearsal.  Children it is all right to hate one another in fact here is a special word for you HATERS.

3. FASHION – Whatever you r personal uniform is it will be seen here.  Men will always have 2 or 3 chest out designs plenty of sneakers and gold, platinum, diamonds galore.  For Women it must be form fitting, low cleavage or almost see through, the idea is to be the most wanted and talked about woman here.

4. ACCEPTANCE SPEECH - Once a performer has won a category they first thank God, but not one of them thinks that what they are performing is against morality and community development.  They do not once look at how they are psychologically hurting and destroying their audiences while creating negative ideas within the young.

Why expect quality when no person of color owns or makes final decisions at BET?  When you don’t control media you can’t control the message.  Since the significant changes in programming of the entire channel after the sale from Bob Johnson, all vestiges of positive, morally correct programming, educational programming and solid intelligent images of Africa or African Americans has vanished.
Not once have I suggested that Hip Hop was wrong or evil, I believe that the genre itself is a powerful means to reach an embattled world.  Hip Hop could and should be a way of communicating societal problems with corrections to an ever expanding world populace.