What effect does
this new DJ Khaled, Jay Z, and Future video have on you?
Full admission, I was watching the BET Awards and the BET After Party where they premiered that linked video. The video struck me as even more Us vs. Them than Williams' speech based on the nature of the video and the homogeneous casting of the two sides facing off (minus the poser Khaled.)
I didn't want to share the video earlier because I wanted to keep the focus on Williams' speech, but now that we're sharing other videos....
I don't really see anything I object to personally in that video.
I've done a lot of work in rough neighborhoods, and work that required outreach in the community, from the pillars to the villans, preachers and gangstas and politicians and police.
And for the toxic structure that I firmly believe our criminal justice is, and the notions of being institutionalized, we have to hope to find a balance of reality and practicality.
There is a disconnect based on my experience, that should be part of the dialogue such as seen in the video. Because I can tell you, there is a significant segment of the community, that while they don't like the incarceration rates as a whole, also want what everyone wants, a safe neighborhood to be in, to come home to and to have their kids play in.
What DO you do with some idiot that would open fire in public unless under absolute self defense? What DO you do with someone who would rob and steal from people? That's the hard duality at play in most of these communities, there might be a very healthy, well founded, mistrust of the police, but by god, like anyone else, they want them there when they need them. I can also tell you as easily as a criminal gets instututionalized, so too does a cop working the beat in these neighborhoods.
As for the message of the video, again, no problem, there's a long history of prison art work and the like and there's a universal message that resonnates in the concept (if its not musically my cup of tea). I have no problem with Folsom Prison Blues any more than I have an issue with this.
My issue with Jesse Williams is, in his construct, I'm not allowed to have an issue.
But I DO look at it the same way I look at say, a Bruce Springsteen or a Jimmy Buffett. At this point, Jay Z is a character, a persona, as much as Bruce or Buffett. He has more in common with them than his target audience. Now, they both draw on a well of experience and influence and background in these lifestyle to make their music. But Jay Z in jail? Come on. Not happening, never would happen. But Johnny Cash never did hard time either.
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