Hip Hop Awards and the Untimely Death of a Beloved Balladeer


The dichotomy of life and death, love and pain, joy and sorrow have been unusually clear this week. With the mid term elections and the resounding cry from Americans against the fiasco in Iraq, the message was certain that we want peace over war. We want resolutions over confrontations. We want a kinder, gentler, embraceable and admirable America.

How ironic is it then, that African Americans celebrating the $4 billion dollar hip hop industry this weekend here in Atlanta, would lose one of our most lovable singers of the past two decades. Gerald Levert. Hip Hop with its glam and bling and celebration of all things material is the truest example of our nation's and indeed the world's obsession with fame and riches. Celebrities have become gods.

No surprise that at the same time we have a presidential administration that disrespects the will of the people; domestic and international, Americans are idolizing the misogynistic exploitation of young females, especially those of color, while also applauding the disrespect that rappers spit at one another. Never before in this writers life has the lack of respect for other human beings been so in vogue.

I guess you could compare the current hip hop phenomenon with Hollywood's ever lasting infatuation with mobsters. From the great western movies as early as 1903, to the Al Capone and gangster movies of the 50's, the 1983 cult favorite(and a favorite to hip hop artists) Scarface, to the recent HBO hit Sopranos, the American entertainment industry craves villains. But never before has our infatuation had such a broad audience.

Eighty percent of hip hop records are purchased by white people, 2 out of every 10 records purchased in America are hip hop. Asian nations, New Zealand, Israel, Europe and Latin America have all been infused with the fashion stylings and rhythmic mastery of America's hip hop artists and urban culture. Nothing has ever melded the races before like this. Rock and roll cannot even compare. But what are we saying to each other and the rest of the world?

Gerald Levert sang about love. Everything love. How much he wanted, needed and adored women and his woman. He sang about his love for his father and family. Gerald was one of the last of the R&B legends who held their black women in high esteem and regarded them as their queens. Honorable and worthy of monogamy. Blessed to have them as the mothers of their children. Happy and yes proud to raise their family and meet and beat the struggles together.

He was scheduled to appear with Wanda Smith of W-VEE radio station V103FM here in Atlanta next week. We women were excited that Gerald was coming to town. He was someone we could look up to as one of our great black men. He reminded us of how special we are, how lovable we are and he kept our hope alive for meaningful, fulfilling relationships. Women who grew up learning about love and family, listening to other legends like Luther and Marvin Gaye , the Commodores and the Whispers and Gerald's daddy Eddie with the Ojays. Holding on to a time when love meant something. God was God, not our celebrities and they balanced their craft with their spirituality.

I hope that as the fans and the stars converge this weekend, this bold and passionate example of a man is remembered and pondered. I hope as the radio stations, even the hip hop ones, play tribute to Gerald, the fans and the stars take time to listen to his lyrics. I hope that Gerald's raw and unforgiving love expressed in that deep baritone voice penetrates the hardness that has settled in too many young hearts.

I like many 40 somethings do listen occasionally to hip hop and enjoy the beats, finding it easy to dance to and swiftly get caught up in the energy of the music. Still, I find most of the lyrics offensive. Much of it lacks originality or critical thinking, repeatedly ranting about cars and money and women and not much more. Hip Hop from its inception talked about style and prestige but it also had a social message. Whether it was about break dancing competitions in the street, to the plight of urban living, it was more about expression than possession.

Now it seems most of what it's about is possession, things and people. Women are regarded as possessions less revered than the diamond jewelry the artists wear. Though we all know the cars, the money and the fame is all to attract the very women they later exploit. As if there isn't enough money to go around, beef between artists often leads to the death of a rival performer or one of his crew. To have legitimacy in the industry you have to have street credibility. If you never sold drugs, or pimped women, or jacked cars or either shot someone or got shot, you aren't the real deal.

I would advise these performers to take a look in the history books and especially view the film Ethnic Notions, http://www.newsreel.org/nav/title.asp?tc=CN0026

This documentary explores the stereotypes that have been propagated through white America for years, even centuries. Whether by purpose or omission these stereotypes are everywhere in the hip hop videos. The savage brutes that were used in newspapers and posters to terrify white women and men alike have the same faces and demeanor of our scowling black men on the tv screen today. Wide eyed pickaninnies, sambos and minstrel men look a lot like what's being produced in the modern day videos. Black women are still portrayed as either mammies with children in tow, or as some kind of exotic sex animal unable to control her own lusts and desires. What is sad that even now with some of our own black men becoming the music moguls and taking over the powerful roles of white men in the industry, these stereotypes keep rolling in, video after video. The psycho and sociological effects of years of being told who you are and starting to believe it.

There are some bright examples of hope though. I see more collaborative efforts than rivalries. I am noticing that some artists are taking the lead of rap legend LL Cool J and adding some rhymes about love and what it is to love their woman. I notice that some women are being portrayed as sexy and beautiful with most of their clothes on! Rappers sagging and ill fitting jeans and t's are slowly being replaced with tailored suits and smart casual clothing. Some of the rap community are developing foundations and programs in their home cities and across the nation to provide opportunities to inner city children and even some of the poorest countries in the world. And still others are finding God the creator and opening their minds to a new and different kind of hip hop. A hip hop that celebrates the best about our culture and our people.

Now hip hop has the power to influence the way the world thinks and behaves. It is already evident. What a mighty work they could do. What a change they could inspire so that a new dichotomy might arise and hip hop would be the better of the two.

God Bless you Gerald Levert and may heaven hold you as dear as all of your fans and loved ones have.

In loving memory.

That's Melavision. What's yours?