Beyond Beats and Rhymes
By Keith Boykin, in pop culture
Wednesday, February 21 2007, 2:10PM
I just finished watching Byron Hurt's documentary Beyond Beats and Rhymes on PBS. It's a one-hour film exploring violence, misogyny, homophobia and masculinity in hip hop music and culture. Byron Hurt is no ordinary documentarian. A former college football quarterback and self-described former "ladies man," Hurt has been a lifelong fan of hip hop, and he brings his appreciation of the culture into his examination of the serious issues.
As you might expect for a quality documentary on PBS, Hurt interviews many of the key players and observers, including Mos Def, Busta Rhymes, Michael Eric Dyson and Russell Simmons. But beyond the usual suspects, Hurt also goes to the streets. He questions sexist men at the Daytona Beach spring fling and bikini-clad women who are verbally and physically harassed by some of the men. And he's not afraid to confront powerful people with probing questions they don't want to answer. Busta Rhymes, Russell Simmons and BET's Stephen Hill all flinch when Hurt asks them about their responsibility.
A lot of thoughts crossed my mind as I watched the film, but I wrote down four of them here to share.
Hip Hop Is Quintessentially American
First, hip hop is very American. It seems that many of us as black people are so desperate to be accepted by the larger society that we mimic the very white culture we claim to dislike and then take it to extremes. The materialism and conspicuous consumption in hip hop music videos is nothing more than an homage to American capitalism. And the violence, misogyny and homophobia in hip hop mirrors the violence, misogyny and homophobia in larger society. Thus, hip hop has become less revolutionary and more evolutionary as we evolve into our own version of mainstream culture.
Because hip hop is becoming such an integrated part of America, it may no longer be capable of challenging America in the way that it once did. Rather than focusing our collective energy to "fight the power" and upset the status quo, the new machismo of hip hop encourages black men to fight one another. Instead of becoming revolutionary soldiers in the struggle against a common oppression, we become enemies engaged in a civil war with elements of our own community. That's why Audre Lorde warned us many years ago that "the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house."
Hip Hop Exaggerates Black Masculinity
Second, hip hop creates and reinforces exaggerated images of black masculinity and then uses its market power to regulate and restrict our own perceptions of black authenticity. The people making the decisions about which music to produce are often white businessmen with no sense of obligation to the black community, and the majority of the people who consume the products are not black either. In fact, 70 percent of mainstream hip hop is consumed by white men, according to Hurt's research. So although we pretend that hip hop is a reflection of black culture, it is a culture that is largely regulated by white people for the consumption of white people.
The baggy jeans, the XXXL t-shirts, and all the other manifestations of hypermasculine posturing by young men are part of what some have called “thug drag.” Black men have been conditioned by the larger society to believe that manhood is to be defined by violence and patriarchy, and unfortunately we have created our own violent, patriarchal sub-culture to prove our manhood.
Hip Hop Perpetuates Homophobia
Third, black LGBT people are in an abusive relationship with hip hop, and to a larger extent the straight black community. To watch three black transgender women in the film talking about how they like the homophobia in hip hop was both troubling and instructive. One of the three described the homophobia as "aggressive," a characteristic that she said she liked in men. That's not entirely surprising given our history.
I've seen black gay men dancing to anti-gay music about killing "chi chi" men, and I've seen many of us pretend that the homophobia somehow doesn't affect us. We worship at homophobic churches, we listen to homophobic music, and we celebrate homophobic athletes. That’s because we’re desperate not to be rejected by our own community. Unfortunately, our community is being conditioned by the larger society to ignore and reject us unless and until we stand up and visibly reclaim our role. As activist Phill Wilson once said, "they can't love us if they don't see us."
All Of Us Are Responsible
Fourth and finally, we all have a responsibility to do something to make our community better and stronger. I was very disappointed to see Russell Simmons argue that it's not within his power to do much of anything about misogyny in hip hop. And I was also disappointed to see BET executive Stephen Hill pass the buck from his own network and attempt to blame the artists for the depictions that his network all too willingly presents on television everyday. Perhaps that's why former Public Enemy member Chuck D told Hurt that "BET is the cancer of black manhood in the world."
There is something we can do. If nothing else, we can refuse to consume a product that denigrates us and pits us against one another. We can refuse to be pawns in a commercial chess game that seeks to exploit and commodify a distorted and racist vision of our culture. And we can nurture and support enlightened artists who challenge the violence, sexism and homophobia.
Comments conceal
Cincinnati NAMjA
February 21 2007, 2:58PM
I am definitly going to have to track this down and watch the entire thing.
Buddy
February 21 2007, 3:52PM
Powerful statements/observations. Food for thought.
bubba
February 21 2007, 4:06PM
I loved it, and yet it was the most horrifying thing I've seen so far in 2007. The utter refusal to take responsibility by the so-called "men" poisoning the masses with their excuse for culture and music - ick! Busta, Russell and Stephen Hill gross me out to no end. Even the hip-hoppers who don't promote those regressive attitudes still employ insincere agression to craft an image. For these reasons, I resentfully have no identification with a huge segment of black America. I think the documentary failed in trying to draw parallels with hypermasculinity in other media aimed at white audiences for decades. The reality is, black men have proudly taken the conditioning to heart. I never heard Bono sing about smacking his bitch or shooting people.
Deacon
February 21 2007, 4:12PM
For it to have been only an hour long it was one of the best documentaries on hip hop, it was very honest and real. I have to give Byron credit for the having the guts as a straight brother to call other brothers out on their issues and start a much needed conversation black men have been avoiding for over a decade.
gs
February 21 2007, 4:28PM
I watched this documentary and it was awesome!
Karim
February 21 2007, 4:34PM
Sounds like a worthwhile video.
Johnny Diaz
February 21 2007, 5:11PM
You raise some interesting points in your recap, issues I hadn't thought of but you elegantly elaborate on the documentary and the filmmaker's vision. Great insights Keith :)
rpcjr
February 21 2007, 7:41PM
some friends and i were just having this discussion the other day. we all grew up in the 80's when hip-hop was still considered a fad. by the 90's, things were already getting out of hand. things seem to have spiraled down since then. what's really sad is that so many of the black women and men behind the scenes refuse to accept responsibility for or take to task any artists. 'Don't Knock The Hustle' has become the anything goes mantra as more and more people are just spouting ignorance on the mic.
the comment about hip-hop being controlled by white men for white men really hit home. i'm constantly having to remind white coworkers that BET is not an accurate dipiction of the Black experience. so many people think quoting Yung Joc is equivalent to reading about Marcus Garvey or donating $10 to the UNCF.
Mark Norris
February 21 2007, 8:34PM
Keith I love you for this commentary. You are so right we all need to do our part to erase this hate and discrimination. That is why I so support the new movement HomoRevolution with such artist as Deadlee, Melange Levonne, Tori Fixx, transgender hip-hop artist Foxxjazell as well as others. They are touring the country at different locations. Can you only imagine the type of opposition these kids are going to recieve it they are not already. I also know, Keith, that Deadlee is going to be on CNN's Paula Zahn Now this Wed. and I believe you will be on that show as well this Wed. I am just not sure if you will be on together.
So, slowly we are making progress.
Mark
Marty
February 21 2007, 10:13PM
The documentary is through a good PBS program called Independent Lens http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/
Around here it's shown various times throughout the week, so you may want to check your local PBS station listings.
Chris
February 21 2007, 10:32PM
Representations of manhood in hip-hop... I'm sorry, but nothing in this documentary is going to be breaking news... kinda obvious
Chris
February 22 2007, 8:25AM
It's going to be obvious, but it's obvious racism and homophobia still exist and talking about it helps. Making light of the situation is the most important thing.
I watched the YouTube thing. God I hate Busta. And :dead: at when that guy said "you colored people."
jared
February 22 2007, 9:05AM
this wasn't shown in my area, but, i did see the "paula zahn" segment on it last night, and that "music" is poison, and the perpetrators are the so called "artist" and the fool women who jiggle in those foolish videos and have no self esteem. it should be banned, and that "network" bet should be put off the air, since it does more to perpetuate negative stereotypes about blacks than anything the kkk could produce.
Kwesi
February 22 2007, 10:36AM
Great commentary Keith. Many of these Hip Hop entertainers now are basically people bonded in modern slavery. They are so possessed by the almighty dollar, that many of them do not care if their music is potentially destructive to this generation and future generations. These guys have so sense of history. They have no sense of identity. They have no love for their own people. They are basically "zoombies" at the mike with no cultural substance. If they had any substance, there would have been more positive Hip Hop to make our young folk think about their future. Music is part of who we are as a people, but unfortunately, their psychologically-damaged minds have turned it into a destructive mechanism. And sadly, many do not even realize it!!!
Javier
February 22 2007, 11:34AM
As always, you managed to hit the nail on the head. As a latino that primarily dates african-american or afro-latinos, it's amazing to see how self-destructive people can be.
Our culture, for as rich as it is and can be, is somewhat misguided and we refuse to take hold of the true social power we possess because a lot of it is centered around the gay male that is artistic and creative in almost any arena, usually effeminate, but not always.
Labels consume our society and we largely try to break away from those because we desire some sense of anonymity and labels mark us for who we are. The gay "masculine homo-thug" phenomina is self-depricating and creates facades.
Gary
February 22 2007, 11:49AM
In the documentary, Mos Def, who obviously has a lot of creative energy, says that before Hip Hop he used to be a "nerd". He chose a phony masculinity over his authentic self, chose a vocabulary of "bitches" and "hos" instead of something more enlightened. There are no cash and prizes worth losing your integrity.
Gary
February 22 2007, 2:46PM
In general, I believe that most of Hip Hop music supports toxic prejudicial attitudes in the minds of both black and white viewers. Many of BET’s videos end with the police coming to take away a black man. This never ending message has to have negative effects on the expectations of black men. In a study conducted by sociologist Devah Pager in 2003, it was shown that a white job applicant with a prison record was more likely to be called back for a job interview than a black applicant without a prison record. With the help of Hip Hop, people often think of black men as criminals and black women as “bitches” and “hos”. It’s not good, and that’s why I am a R&B fan.
Javier
February 22 2007, 3:38PM
I was extremely disappointed at Mos Def. I thought he was a bit more intelligent than this.
Ty
February 22 2007, 6:53PM
Gary, you said a mouthful! That whole genre is toxic, and the stereotypes, off the charts with the negative way young black men and women are depicted, and many fall into that trap of easy money without working, and women strutting around dressed like the word they call them. That slave mentality just won't go away.
How to fix it? I don't know, since it always comes down to one thing, the dollar, and the fools that sing it or whatever it is they claim to be doing, will sell out to the highest bidder, and in the end, end up broker than before and in jail. And, some one needs to put a boycott on BET, that chump network is AWFUL, and not just with rap crap, just on so many derogatory levels.
I'll stick to dance music and disco.
algie
February 23 2007, 12:41AM
yeah i was a bit disturbed at mos def laughing at busta's sad comments about gay black men and some people have the nerve to ask me why i don't care for busta. he is so wack as a rapper and i refuse as well to support someone who feels that i am worthy of being belitteled.i wish the rap world could go back to the days of heavy d mc lyte dela soul salt and pepa kid n play and public enemy
yeahisaidit
February 23 2007, 12:27PM
...I love hip hop...name one thing under the sun that's not problematic..I'm not going to waste time and space trying to defend it here point by point since many of the previous posts have universally panned the genre...I just wanted to go on record as one who loves my hip hop, (which BTW is NOT a monolithic music, there are many forms it can take), even as i can understand it like anything and anyone has COMPLEX issues to address...also i wanted to big up the documentary on PBS, it made for great viewing and was informative on various levels...
Mel Smith
February 24 2007, 12:08AM
Well, the problem is based on how hip hop don't love us. To Busta and the rest of them, you are just scum. That's why we must unite and demand respect in society, and we must also stop agreeing with people or industries that equate us to being a lowlife. People disrespect us because we are full of self hate and we don't challenge oppression. I guarantee you, once we start fighting back, people will respect us. I'm not eating with NOBODY who does not want to eat with me!
yeahisaidit
February 24 2007, 3:08AM
...mel smith, no offense to you, but just in case it was me saying, "I love hip hop," that makes you think I'm one of those you refer to as "agreeing with people who equate me to being a lowlife", or that I'm "consumed with self-hate" let me STOP you in your tracks because neither accusation is the case, thank you! Yes, rap music has serious issues, but thankfully Busta and his ilk don't solely represent hip-hop culture...Please recognize that Hip hop can be navigated just like anything else...so don't be so quick to generalize about groups of people gay or straight because that's when it always gets twisted despite whatever opinion you are reppin'...I ain't mad at'cha, I just wanted to clarify my love of hip-hop and the culture it generates can be valid in spite of parts of it that i might find disagreeable...
ChicagoChild
February 24 2007, 9:19PM
While "navigating" hip-hop recently, I found it ugly and un-useful. Seems like all of the talented singers, writers and musicians had either been killed or run out of town by the gangsters, hustlers, pimps and hoes.....
VERB
February 27 2007, 1:38AM
Gary & Javier...
Maybe you got Mos confused with someone else. I watched the doc twice, even taped it. In the documentary, he didn't say anything about a "bitch" or a "ho." What he did point out was that as a kid he was a nerd but if a situation was critical (someone testing him), he was not going to just take the abuse.
I just want to put that out there cuz I too have been a Hip Hop fan since the beginning and find Myself always defending the quality MC's out there. I agree the situation is critical but W/we gotta be accurate with O/our information.
JamesnPaul
February 28 2007, 1:19AM
Hip Hop is what it is. Funny, when was the last time anyone did a stint on Hollywood and its abuse of women. You can't go to a movie nowadays w/o some woman having to get naked or show her breasts. Mostly white men run these movie machines and no one is making a story about them and their choice to denegrate women and the image of african americans. Keith, most of the time I don't agree w/ you, but u did quite well on this one....except for the overuse of the word homophobia...give it a break, aiight. To disagree does not make one homophobic.
Bellah
February 28 2007, 1:00PM
I just saw this documentary Sunday night and was just astounded. I am still reeling from the images I saw at the hip hop event. While in some ways I was not surprised, I am witness to some of this behavior on a daily basis, But these scenes were overwhelming. I know this is a film I will need to see a few times to really be able to digest all that I saw.
I wonder if Mos Def's responses would have been different in a different setting, or by himself. I am still a fan but was somewhat dissapointed in his responses.
I havent been a fan of Russel Simmons for some time. (Have you seen/heard his wife and home?) The values he represents are not ones that I choose to emulate. Money does not equal success. High priced hookers have more value.
stephen
March 1 2007, 1:03AM
I don't think hip hop is inherently bad, I think it's just the state its in now. Everybody wants to hear the club bangers, and the "stories" about violence and hoe pimpin, so even artists who start out with something positive end up jumpin in with the rest of the garbage.
My beef with hip hop isn't so much the violence, or homophobia, but it's the lack of originality and talent. It seems like when someone comes out with something new, you hear the same thing in a different voice 11 times over. I guess that doctumentary dealt with the subject matter of most hip hop music, but I think the sharp decline in album sales has to do with the lack of talent.
But at the end of the day, all those record companies, and BET are in the business of making money, not pleasing people who want to see hip hop used to uplift black people.
deejay
March 4 2007, 5:52PM
thanks so much for the heads-up on this excellent film. I finally watched it last night.
I have also ordered a copy ($25) at:
http://www.mediaed.org/videos/MediaGenderAndDiversity/HipHopBeyondBeatsAndRhymes
Sadly, there are kids, young men especially, in my extended family network who are not exposed to public television, especially offerings like this one.
So, in the spirit of "Each One, Reach One", I'll be sure to take a copy of this DVD along the next time we all meet at a relative's home. Give the family something other than the usual "Madea" DVD on the "downstairs TV".
Harvey
May 29 2007, 11:09AM
I will have to watch the entire program! This is who Oprah should have had as a guest on her recent show (after the Imus/Rutgers fallout). What is prophetic is that this is a PBS Independent Lens peice from 2002 that made it's way through Sundance and the comment made by the woman about being called "bitches and hoes" (they're not talking about me) and the follow up with the Pres. Bush comment, well, hm, smacks of hints of the Imus debacle.
I'm glad I peaked in the archives to read this post. You are on point!
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