I finally get to talk about some of the few rappers that I respect and enjoy! The year is really shaping up. Seriously, Queen Latifah and LL Cool J are both entertainers who’s performances I have enjoyed for years. I even referred to them both when I made my post Rating Rapper in Movies. For those looking to be in the entertainment industry, especially if you are a Black African American or Hispanic, these are examples to emulate.
I find it interesting that while Queen Latifah has won an Oscar for her work in Chicago, she has not been approached with more substantial film roles (or so it would appear from the body of work she has done since winning). Most actors get, or at least it would appear by the substantial increase in pay and style of movies done, a lot of higher profile films after winning such a prestigious award. Of course Queen Latifah has been able to headline several films and produce 4 (of which one was executive producer). At the same time there has been many more roles for her. All in all she has made quite a name for herself, whether the discussion is about rap hip-hop music, television shows (she was a key co-lead in Living Single where she honed her acting chops I think), or feature length movies. In an age of mainstream rap/hip-hop that is misogynist in nature, and where the few women that have come to the forefront tend to generally be feeding into that mentality, Queen Latifah is a wonderful role model. More importantly she is a Black African American entertainer that is of note and showing everyone that there are alternatives that are equally (and in my opinion more self-sustaining) beneficial.
As for LL Cool J, he is another entertainer that has shown longevity that his peers in hip-hop is far from being matched. While he has not gotten to the caliber of either Mr. Wil Smith, nor the success of Queen Latifah, there is no denial that he stands proudly on his own. His beginnings on television (the show was In The House as I recall, please correct me if I am wrong on that) equally prepared him for the work he does today. He continues to pursue his rap hip-hop success as well, being more active than Mr. Wil Smith or Queen Latifah at the moment. In his performances, in any venue, he has shown the males, and particularly the Black African American men, that there is no need to embrace the lowest forms of black culture to attain success. His past is no less difficult than many, and he has encountered bumps as he has matured. There is no question on that. Yet he is capable of maintaining a stature that should be looked up to and followed.
What I really enjoyed reading was a discussion with both entertainers, about the latest movie (in which both star though Queen Latifah leads) Last Holiday. One of the highlights for me were the comments made by LL Cool J; which at a guess I would imagine is echoed by every parent involved in the rap industry or listening to the music. His exact words are, “As a black male I see a lot of insecurity amongst our men, cause we feel like we gotta dog women and make ourselves look better.” Also stated in that same interview was, “When you have a 6 year old or 5 year old running around feeling like they gotta wind their body cause that's what girls are supposed to do, cause that's all that's on the videos, that's crazy. What are we teaching our girls? Not that we shouldn't have sexy records or make great music and show women being beautiful. I'm not saying that. It's how we do it.” It’s nice to hear other, more famous and influential individuals, particularly those that are Black African American Hispanic or another minority, stating the same things that I believe and say here in my blog.
Perhaps we will see a change one day. I can only hope that future entertainers, regardless or race, chose to forgo the easy money made at the expense of entrenching stereotypes and belittling the culture. The promise of the future is worth more than the price tag for a Dome. [I can’t find a site for this so they may not be made anymore, but they were a hand-made high end sports car. I was shown the one Mr. Kadeem Hardison used to own by Mr. Hardison. Pleasant man, on a very bad day.]
On a lighter note, I just want to say that I really enjoy watching the Colbert Report. This is not only comedy, its satire on a fantastic level. Few can match the arrogance and confidence with which Mr. Stephen Colbert utters ‘truthiness’ and defends his stance on that being his creation. (It doesn’t show in my spell checker so I go with Mr. Colbert on that, cause that’s how I feel in my gut!) Of particular note is his segment the Word of the Day. If you haven’t seen this show, I’d suggest it. I like it .
This is what I think, what do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment