Rantings Of A Mad Rodent

Well, isn't it fascinating what comes out when a popular preacher gets caught with his hands in the booty, um...I meant cookie jar? Not only are we hearing about Mr. Long's proclivities, but we're also seeing his followers come out fighting a like a mama raccoon cut off from her babies. This is what happens when you worship the man talking about God, and not the God that man is talking about. Keep in mind, this is a man that made part of his name off rallying against and condemning gays to hell. Heck, he even held a march against gays, and now he's been accused of doing the very thing that he hates. Isn't that always the case?

His followers are telling us not be as quick to judge him, as they were at judging those gay people that they marched against. Ah, church people, those walking contradictions. They say that the Bible says "An eye for an eye." when something is done to them, but they want their victims to "turn the other cheek.". They're quick to judge those who don't attend their church, but when they or their pastor gets caught up, then it's "Judge ye not." or "He who is without sin...". When people say, "That's why I don't go to church.", y'all try to school them on going for the message and not the man, but won't admit that you drive an hour out of your way to go to that church because of the man, just so you can say, "I go to so and so's church.". I don't know how it is in other cities, but people in Atlanta treat their churches like designer labels.

Here's one of the things that separate us critics from the sheep. We realize that there's a possibility that these charges could be a pack of lies. They aren't ready to deal with the possibility that these charges could very well be true. When I saw him address his flock, and he mentioned that he wasn't "a perfect man" 3 times, I heard, "Okay y'all, some stuff is going to come out. I didn't do what they're saying I did, but I did do something.". I don't think that they are mentally prepared to deal with that something, whatever it may be. Also, far be it from me to tell you how to defend your bishop, but "Those boys were of legal age!" IS NOT the route I'd go.

I do have to wonder though, if these charges were brought against Glenn Beck or one of those idiots, would people like Warren Ballentine and Steve Harvey be willing to wait until "all of the facts are out"? Just like in the R. Kelly case, people are blaming the plaintiffs and not the predator. Also, calling an anti gay preacher out on his alleged hypocrisy and homosexual proclivities, IS NOT an "attack on religion and the body of Christ". Spare me the hyperbole. The surfacing of allegations not only forced us to ask questions of Eddie Long, but some of us in the black community need to also ask questions of ourselves.

I was in Guitar Center one day to mess around with a few bass guitars. I grabbed this Ibanez ATK, and started to play some of my favorite riffs. I played a few riffs by Victor Wooten (well, the ones I could actually play!) and the Woody Woodpecker riff by Les Claypool. It was then that this young bass player approached me, and told me that that was the kind of bass player he wanted to be when he finally joins a band: flashy. Ah, youth!

I showed him how to play a few riffs, and then I asked him to do me a favor. I asked him to go see some live bands that weekend, and get back in touch with me. He called me Tuesday to tell me that he saw 3 really good bands. The music was good and they all had great bass players. Then I asked him how many flashy Vic Wooten/Les Claypool licks did he hear. After about 4 seconds of silence, he said that he'd heard none. "That's the point.", I told him.

Yeah, Vic Wooten has mind blowing licks, but he can also sit in on a jazz jam session. Les Claypool has an array of tricks, but he also has the groove and pocket to sit in on an Allman Brothers tribute album. You know why they have that ability? Because it's about the groove and the song, not their tricks! Just concentrating on being strictly a flashy player, is like having all frosting and no cake. People will look at it, but nobody's gonna buy it. Yeah, other bass players will be floored by your flashy riffs and talk about you to other bass players, but they'll never recommend you for a gig. Trust me on this.

Learning this great instrument of ours take lots of time and hard work. Do you place so little value on your time and hard work, that you would spend it trying to be someone else, instead of a better you? Really? Taking up the bass is a noble and proud thing to do, but remember; we are the foundation on which the house is built. Here's something else to think about: when Flea sits down to practice, he's not trying to be the next so and so, he's trying to become a better him. As for that young bass player? He told me that he landed a blues/rock gig. I guess he realized that having a solid pocket was an even better trick, and the groove became more important to him.

Question: Why is it that when we black folks decide to recognize our African roots, we use Egyptian symbols? People are walking around with ankh tattoos, pyramid charms, and one guy even calls himself "Kemet". Well, guess what? WE AIN'T FROM THERE! I understand that we didn't learn anything about the west coast of Africa (where most slaves were from) in school, but we just can't latch on to ancient Egyptian symbols, just because it convenient and popular. Truth be told, we look like damned fools. Hell, some Egyptians don't even consider themselves African. They prefer to be called Middle Eastern. Before you go marking up your bodies and buying jewelry, how about really learning something about yourselves?

West Africa supplied the majority of the slaves that went to work in the Caribbean and America. The strip of land in West Africa that used to be called the Gold coast and the Grain Coast is the location for modern African countries such as Ghana, Togo and Benin. Other countries that supplied slaves were Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Angola. Notice that I didn't mention Egypt. Some guys like to claim that they're Mandingo or Ashanti. Chances are, you ain't one of those either. Slave traders steered clear of both tribes, because the Mandingoes from Senegal were clever and able to steal the master’s goods. They also said that the Ashanti from the Gold Coast were good workers but likely to stir up rebellion. So, guess who they brought over? You.

If you want to reclaim and be proud of your African heritage, learn more about West Africa. Many slaves came out of such Sierra Leone tribes as the Limba Timine, Bulom, Loko, Kono, Sherbro, and Mende. Those from Liberia included the Gbande, Manon, Kpelle, Gyo, Gola, Vai, Ge, De, Basa, Kru, and Grebo. Stop trying to make yourselves look hip and enlightened by displaying Egyptian symbolism. You look like an idiot. You know why? Because we ain't from there!

"Many intelligent black men seem,
To look uncivilized when on the screen.
Like I guess I figure you,
To be some jiggaboo,
On the plantation. What else can a nigga do?"

That was my favorite line by Big Daddy Kane from Ice Cube's "Burn Hollywood, Burn". You know, back in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, black movie fans decried the negative roles being offered to black actors in Hollywood. If a black actor was in a film, and if they didn't have a white love interest, you know that they were going to be playing the part of a criminal, junkie, or buffoon.

We were so pissed off, that we screamed, "Fuck Hollywood!", "We need our own studios!", and "The Jews are running Hollywood, and making us look bad! We need to make our own movies!". Well, let's talk about that. We did make our own movies, and what were they about? Gangstas, drug dealers, and rappers participating in some type of baboonery. Maybe we didn't like the Jews making us look bad, but we didn't care if we made ourselves look bad, because we LOVED those movies. Well, some of us didn't. We had a few directors like John Singleton and Spike Lee that made positive movies, but for the most part, it was the same old same old. Enter Tyler Perry.

Now I'll admit, I'm not the biggest Tyler Perry fan, but I totally respect what he's trying to do. This man came in and made movies that try to show us in a positive light, and all he got in return and arrows hurled in his direction. Some were even shot by other black directors. They called him a "coon", not realizing that this "coon" employs more black people in Hollywood than anyone else. Especially the other black directors that attacked him. Yeah, I'll admit his movies can be somewhat corny, but at least he ain't portraying us as pimps, ho's, and drug dealers. Plus, he's a good business man: he gives his audience what they want! I heard on guy criticize Perry's movies, and then said, "What happened to the good movies like New Jack City, Juice, and Sugar Hill?". Really, dawg? Give me a break!

I recently read a black critic's review of "Just Wright", starring Queen Latifah and Common, and he slammed it. He called it a "corny love story". He also complained that it had no profanity in it. Really, black movie goers, what in the hell do you want? You don't want us being portrayed as buffoons and criminals, and all of the positive roles being offered by black directors, you think are corny. You can't have it both ways.

"Drill baby, drill!", you remember that? C'mon, yes you do! It was the rallying cry of the right, lead by that beacon of brilliance, Sarah Palin. Funny, but I can't seem to find any of these people now. It seems like they've wiped their fingerprints off the megaphones, and hid them away. Now these same "Drill baby, drill!" people are crying out in anger over what has happened in Louisiana. The same people who supported the Bush administration (who loosened up the regulations and safety requirements that led to this disaster), big oil companies like BP (whose rig it was), and Halliburton (who was operating the rig at the time of the disaster. Funny that they're always involved, huh?) have now found a way, with the help of the media, to conveniently lay this at the feet of the Obama administration.

At what point are you people willing to look past money and ideology, and do the right thing for once in your miserable lives?! Seriously, there is no other Earth out there people! It ain't like we can screw this one up, and go invade another one like we've done to so many countries. No assholes, this is the only world we have, and it seems as though you morons chose money and party rhetoric over it. When Obama wasn't 100% sure about more drilling, you said that he didn't care about America, and now that he isn't moving fast enough for your tastes, this has somehow become his "Katrina". Really? You same people that cried for corporate freedom and for the government to stay out of corporate affairs, now want the government to clean up BP's mess with taxpayer money. Those same taxpayers that BP gouged to make record breaking quarterly profits just a few years ago.

Now, it's going to be different. See, with Katrina, you people were able to look at the bodies floating in New Orleans, act outraged and turn off the TV and get on with your lives. Not this time, cupcake. No, this time we're all going to be affected. Maybe this time you'll pay attention, but early indications don't look promising. You people are still trying to play party politics, even in the face of our self inflicted doom. We continue to treat Mother Earth like a battered wife, and just like a battered wife, there's going to come a time where she can't take it anymore. Once that happens, your profits, and your political party will not be able to save you, and all that rhetoric, won't mean shit. If it were up to me, I'd fine BP $50 million per day. I bet they'd find a way to stop the leak then. Some people say that that amount would be too much, to them I say BP should look into all of their bank accounts and stock holdings, and "Drill baby, drill!" to come up with the money.

Now that I'm older, a little wiser, and have traveled the world, I've seen and learned a lot of things, and up until now, I thought I had most things figured out. I was wrong. The one thing that continues to puzzle me, is trying to figure out how the "blame game" works. As a bass player (El Pus, India.Arie, Anthony David, Sol Cypher, etc.) and former rapper (Tony MF Rock), I've been a part of an industry that's seen more than its fair share of blame. When groups like N.W.A. and 2 Live Crew were around, they were often blamed for a lot of bad things kids were doing at the time. N.W.A.'s "F**k Tha Police" and Body Count's "Cop Killa" were both blamed for police officers being shot in the 80's and 90's. , I'm pretty sure rampant police brutality had nothing to do with it. "Gangsta rap" was blamed for the rise in gang violence, even though gang violence was already bad before "gangsta rap" was even around. Hell, where do you think "gangsta rap" came from?

When the media first started blaming music for crap happening, people immediately took up the cause. People like Tipper Gore and C. Delores Tucker even made it their personal crusade, and records were required to display warning labels. As for me, I thought, "It's a reach, but I kinda see your point. If an impressionable kid listens to hardcore rap, it may cause him to go out and do some things. Okay.". From then on, the "blame game" was on and poppin'! Then in 1993, the World Trade Center bombing happened, and shortly after that, both CNN and ABC News ran follow up reports on it. They had an "expert" on the panel pointing out the flaws in the terrorists' plan to bring the WTC buildings down. This "expert" said that the only way to bring down a building of that magnitude, was to hit it from the middle and up. In 2001, that's exactly what they did! Oddly enough, nobody blamed those CNN and ABC News reports for "influencing " the terrorists like rap music influences gang members.

In the 90's and in the early part of this decade, we witnessed a rash of school shootings, and the media was quick to blame some forms of metal music, just as they had when 2 kids committed suicide after listening to a Black Sabbath tune. In most of the cases, the kids doing the shooting had been bullied, but instead of blaming that or the school administrators for not doing their jobs, blaming the music made more sense. When Bill O'Reilly took to the airwaves to called abortion doctor, George Tiller, a murderer, Tiller was gunned down soon afterwards. Did anyone blame Fox News or O'Reilly? He was simply called a "person who was passionate about his beliefs". Uh, yeah, okay. Maybe if Bill had said what he said with a "gangsta rap" track playing in the background, he'd have gotten his share of blame.

I thought I knew how the "blame game" worked. If video games like Grand Theft Auto can be blamed for the rise in vicious crimes among teens, then surely people like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh can be blamed for the rise in domestic terrorist plots, right? No? Hmm. Okay, then how about this; "Mind of a Lunatic" by the Geto Boyz was responsible for a few women getting raped and beaten, right? Yeah? Okay, I got that part. And Glenn Beck is responsible for helping to increase the division between blacks and whites, right? No? Really, why not? Is it because it wasn't done to music? CNN did story today pointing out all of the incorrect things done by the guy who failed to detonate a car bomb in Times Square. If they next guy, remembering what he learned watching that report, is successful, would CNN be as culpable as they made Marilyn Manson for the Columbine shootings? No? Okay, help me out here. I'm really having trouble trying to figure this "blame game" thing out.

The other day, my nephew was telling me about Chris Brown going on a local station and literally begging for his records to be played, and for fans to help save his career. Then he told me that Brown is also on the verge of being dropped from his label, because of poor sales. This kid has done everything that was asked of him, and people still won't give him a second chance. I'm not particularly a fan of Chris' and I'm totally against what he did, but I do wonder when is he going to get his second chance? I guess Americans are selective about who they give their second chances to, and I found the way that black radio dee jays have treated him to be the most shameful and hypocritical.

The 2 that treated him the worst were Tom Joyner and Steve Harvey. Hell, these 2 clowns wanted to actually fight Chris Brown for hitting Rhianna. Oddly enough, I don't seem to recall them wanting to fight Mike Tyson for hitting Robin Givens, but I digress. These 2, and many other dee jays will not play Brown's songs, but they still play R. Kelly songs. Tom Joyner asked Kelly to remix his theme song and was yucking it up with him on air, while the Steve Harvey show promoted his current tour. Warren Ballentine called Brown a coward, but uses R. Kelly's music as the intro to his show. I guess to them, it's cool to have sex with and urinate in a 14 year old girl's mouth on camera, but hitting a woman for hitting you first is somehow crossing their continuously moving line.

I heard many black people say, "Man, what R. Kelly did was sick, but '12 Play' is my jam! I'll still bump his music.", but after the Chris Brown story broke, I heard the same people say, "I'll never listen to his music again!". Really? You wanna know how pathetic it got in the R. Kelly case? I heard MANY black women blaming the 14 year old girl! Hell, the NAACP even nominated him for an Image Award! We all showed up with the mentality of an angry mob to defend Michael Jackson against molestation charges, and now that same mob is showing up to lynch Chris Brown. I guess we black folks don't care about children as much as we do pretty women.

A lot of these black holier than thou morning show hosts and their listeners frequently hoped for the end of Brown's career. Keep in mind, these are the same black people that like to whine about white folks not giving Michael Vick a second chance. The next time a black celebrity gets in trouble and pays his debt to society, and you black radio personalities start whining about "the man" not giving him a second chance, think about the second chance you gave Chris Brown. How in the hell can we black people complain about the "white man" not giving us a second chance, when we won't even give our own a second chance? Jus' sayin'.