Are You A Philosopher? "Your Favorite Political Blogger Biko vs Cornell West"
Posted on April 10, 2008 10:31 AM
A couple months back I interviewed Cornell West for The Source. It was a pretty deep interview that went for about 90 mins. I typically only talk to folks for about 30 mins, but I couldn't help myself with this one. (I also think that he was pretty intrigued by the questions I was asking him.) We chopped it up about every thing from his new CD to the sad state of urban America. He was a real righteous brother. I hope I get an opportunity to talk with him again.
Here is part of the transcript. Maybe one day I will post the whole interview as a podcast.
Professor West this is your third music album. Why do you keep dropping records? Are you trying to switch careers?
No, No. I’m trying to present a danceable education, just like my books are a form of textual education. But the challenge is how do you fuse the fun and funk on the one hand and the struggle for justice motivated by love on the other? Really, I am trying to keep alive the rich legacy and spirit of Curtis Mayfield.
So I’m confused. Are you a rapper or a professor?
Ha, Ha! You know, I’ve lectured all over the country and in places like Paris with Krs-One and he always tell me, “Brother you are hip-hop.’ Of course, that’s the highest honor. But I know I am not a rapper. But I want to be part of a hip-hop community to the degree that I can keep alive the legacy of the greats that shaped me like Curtis Mayfield, Aretha Franklin, James Cleveland and Al Green.
Okay, ok, you’re not a rapper. But you are one of the few professors who get respect from MCs. Why is that?
They can see that I try to love them. I try to listen them. I try to learn from them. And in that sense we are on the same level. They have things to offer me, and me being an older brother, I have things to offer them and we meet in a common place. It’s just like in a couple days I am going to the studio with Rhymefest. He called me up and said let’s go to the studio. Even though I have never met the brother, he called me. I am blessed to have such rich relationships.
Its not like you have to do this. In fact, you’ve been criticized by other academics for being so in touch with pop culture. Why do you keep reaching out to the hip-hop generation?
For me it’s a matter of what your vocation is and what our calling is. Your vocation is never the same as your profession or your career. .And in that sense I am blessed to have a day job at both Harvard and Princeton. But my life calling is to empower, ennoble and enable everyday folk. I take Sly Stone very seriously. How else do you go about serving “everyday people.
In your writings you talk about nihilism, or a willing embrace of hopelessness and negativity. Why do you think the hip-hop generation has become so nihilistic?
I think that you have two things. First it’s the structural causes influenced by the corporate greed at the top that is sucking up so much of the wealth. So you have very, very poor communities with disgraceful school systems, families shattered and no jobs. And in any community like that you are going have some nihlism.. On the other hand, internally we have a lessening of love and respect for each other. When you have both these internal causes and these external causes working you are going to have some despair and some gangsta activity. We just need to be reminded that we come from greater legacies than this. But there are a lot of great MCs that have stirred our souls, its just now they aren’t getting the exposure that they deserve.
I think that it's good that we have a "leader", of sorts, be so in tuned with what todays masses are in to. This is why most young people out there can relate to, or, can conceive a lot of the ideas that Mr. West conveys when he speaks. He is an inspiration and a motivating voice within all communities not just amongs african americas; I am Mexican-American. The country would benefit from having more educated great thinkers, who aren't consumed by their intelligence and can relate and co-exist with the mass majority of the population and not just the top 10%-of rich America. Big Ups to Cornell West - Sacramentos Finest!
(((d( -__- )b)))
To quote the great Ice Cube; "Us, will always sing the blues. Cause all we care about is hairstyles and tennis shoes."
Now, I'm not one to berate corporations who make money. But the record industry, FM radio, and music televisions have more than DUPLICATED what WELFARE has done to the Black family. They have invested millions to take the place of the Black father. And they continue to reap one hell of a return. Because WELFARE dictates that in order for a mother to even recieve welfare, the Black father must be totally abscent from that home. Music, in general, tells and shows us what we need to be at any given time. Meaning, in both instances, the Black father is no there to properly guide his children in the right direction. But, we choose the path to follow. No person or company is forcing us to act out what we see and hear. Education starts at home.
Much respect to Dr West.
Let us know where we can get this full interview with Dr. West. More needs to be done like this. Even before you make is a podcast, can you link us to where we can read the whole text and see what was what?
Drug Dealers!!! Are the main problem, they destroy and exploit the communities and most people worship them. We should do like they did in Cuba and overtake their shit and force them to take their business else where! Sure, people might die but at least you die for something right?! ...cricket, cricket, cricket.
Great Blog! Continue to inspire and challenge people to think outside the box Mr. Baker
Great Q&A.
Although I don't agree with Cornell West, I do respect him. He is a man who has based his opinions on facts and not other peoples opinions. What is better is that not only obtain knowledge but delivers it in an extremely efficient widespread way. If other professors and academics criticize him, why don't they take a look at how well he is able to teach. I feel like he sees his students not only as the ones in his classrooms and lecture halls but all youth. If we all look at the best teachers we've had, they have all been able to connect with us and put what they were teaching into a way we can truly understand. West's ability to be so tied to the hip hop scene and semi-youth (I say semi-youth because hip hop is not just for they youth but all) culture is a gift that allows him to spread his message.
MEDFIRE drug dealing is a problem, but just eradicating drug dealers is not the answer. Drug dealing now does worse to the community than just drugs, it causes violence, and a boatload of other issues... Now what if we take certain drugs (marijuana and cocaine at least, and possibly heroine and maybe a few others) and legalize them. What is now a violent and dangerous (a bad cut) industry that seems to be the reason that so much of our people (I say our as an American citizen, because every race suffers from this, granted some more than others) behind bars into an industry that will create jobs and more opportunities, and certainly less life threatening. We turn narcotics into an industry just like cigarettes. The government puts an age limit to when people can start using, and provide information that will inform the youth of the dangers. When people turn 18 and are legal adults just as they have the right to buy a pack of cigarettes they should be able to pick up a pack of J's. As for the more hardcore stuff, the industry would be overlooked by the FDA to make sure that there aren't bad cuts, no longer would there be people ODing because they don't know the potency, no longer will people be able to cut shit with extremely dangerous substances, and no longer will there be competition over corners, and it will be the end of a war that has had the most American casualties than any other.
Take for example the prohibition: once America went "dry" organized crime began to flourish. The prohibition period allowed organized crime syndicates' pockets to be fatter than ever, but before that alcohol was an industry that created jobs and provided revenue that could be taxed and be reinvested into our communities. Would a school be any different if it was funded by the taxes of a company that sold marijuana than a company that sold clothing? NO!!! Let's get take that tax-free money that the dope kings have and turn it into a taxed industry. The people have been taxed enough by the dope kings by means of the lives claimed and negatively affected. It is the people's turn to tax them back!!!
It isn't our right to force people not to use, but that doesn't mean that there can still be deterrents. Cigarette companies can't advertise in most types of media, and in fact have to fund anti-smoking advertisements. Why can't drug companies do the same?
No longer would the youth of America be behind bars, but instead sitting at desks (which would be ironically funded by what had landed them in prison). Clearly legality isn't a deterrent because people are using and dealing so instead of punishing them at the expense of the people, we can regulate a brand new industry.
Thanks for this post. I am a big fan of Dr. West. I see his concept of the Blue Note manifesting in so many way and I wrote about this in the review of Erykah Badu's new album that I posted on my blog. It is nice to see that he mentioned Sly Stone and that he takes Sly's lyrics to heart. I write about Sly's impact on music, hip hop and society in my book about Sly. Check it out at http://www.lulu.com/content/1412956