The recent beefs and shootings around 50 Cent has prompted Al Sharpton to call for a ban on music that uses violence as marketing. I like this idea because it puts pressure on the media outlets who collect the blood money, while the rappers take the bullets.
Sharpton says:
"We may not be able to stop people from shooting, but we can stop people from profiting from the violence."
Makes sense to me. Protesting is for suckers. But boycotts are gully.
However, Jay Smooth and Davey D are not happy Sharpton is entering into the discussion.
Jay says:
"It troubles me that instead of joining with the grassroots movement already organized around these issues, Rev. Sharpton is ignoring/bypassing them and potentially drowning them out with a totally different agenda and focus. It also troubles me that his agenda involves asking the government to step in and regulate hip-hop artists?"
While Davey D says:
"First we have to ask ourselves where Sharpton was over the past few years when these media reform campaigns were first conducted, the most prominent being the ‘Turn off the Radio Campaign’ that was launched and supported by community activists Bob Law, the December 12th Movement, Chuck D of Public Enemy, dead prez, The Zulu Nation and numerous others community organizations in New York."
Davey D goes on to list other movements Sharpton has been absent from, while hip-hop activists have taken the lead (though I am sure Sharpton could list many issues he's taken on that hip-hop has been silent on, like voter registration before the last prez election, and police brutalty before Diallo made it fashionable.)
I think Davey and Jay are making a big mistake by airing out Sharpton publically. If their complaints spread, then they may end up taking focus off the real enemy and just sparking more black leadership infighting. Hip-hop activists should be happy that the headline making Sharpton is latching onto this issue and seek to engage him, rather than wonder "what's his agenda?"
Dag, didn't anyone watch The State of Black Union? Two points that were made is that Black leadership needs to learn how to pull each other's coat without trying to upstage or embarrass, and we need to be unified in the struggle in order to make real progress happen.
Forget mediation between 50 Cent and every other rapper. We need Sharpton and every other Black leader to peace-up first.