For the Tub of Money

By now you've probably heard the news about Harriet Tubman's image gracing the $20 bill.

If you haven't, you must have been living under a rock ... deep in a cave ... at the bottom of the ocean ... blindfolded ... with your fingers jammed in your ears.

Purely from a historical perspective, this is a pretty big deal. The United States has had the likeness of women on its currency in the past (Sacagawea and Susuan B. Anthony for example), but Ms. Tubman could quite possibly enjoy the widest distribution of them all. Think of just how commonly a $20 bill is used on a daily basis.

Plenty of people are thrilled by the idea. There are African Americans who rejoiced because a major contributor to the Underground Railroad, who aided countless slaves to freedom, is getting recognition. There are women who delight in knowing that a woman will be on the face of a popular denomination.

There are others, though, who aren't as excited by this decision.

Guess who falls into that category.
(I know you can't see me but I'm raising my hand with a blank look on my face.)

Let's see if I can attempt to briefly explain why putting Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill doesn't really mean anything to me:

1. Remember how excited people were when Obama was running for office and when he first got elected? Remember how a lot of people thought somehow he was going to solve everyone's problems? (This includes the people who thought he was going to singlehandedly obliterate racism.) Yeah? Have you noticed that a lot of the problems faced by African Americans haven't really gone anywhere in the last eight years? Why is that? Hmm ... maybe because Obama was never going to be capable of fixing all of that by himself (and to be fair, he never claimed he was).

This is sorta like that. Switching Jackson out for Tubman isn't going to magically reverse systemic racism and free wrongly convicted prisoners. It's not going to right any serious wrongs.

2.  If you've noticed, there have been several changes to our currency over the last 15 years or so - some were more subtle and some were more obvious. Those cosmetic changes didn't actually do anything to or for anyone. I don't think any Texans have benefited in any significant way since the image of the State of Texas replaced the bald eagle on the back of the quarter. Harriet Tubman's face is no different.

3. Her face isn't going to bridge the wage gap between minorities and the majority.

4. Her face isn't going to bridge the wage gap between women and men.

5. If replacing the likeness of a slaveowner (Andrew Jackson) with that of a freedom fighter (Harriet Tubman) is somehow a just action, what is to be said about the fact that Jackson's face will still be on the back of the bill?

6. I don't personally carry a lot of cash these days. When I worked as a server in various restaurants I had cash all the time. Now I swipe almost everything. That being the case, even if I were to be somehow encouraged by Tubman's face it would still be a rare occurrence.

7. Read the comments section. Pick a social media site and read the comments. Not just about this, but about anything that could have any kind of racial tie. This is just going to remind us all how some people REALLY feel.

I'm actually going to cut it short simply because I could go on for a long time ...

Changing directions, ask yourself what actually was accomplished.
Some people have said that it's a step in the right direction, while admittedly small. They assert that, like Obama's election, it shows how far Black people in America have "progressed". So ... going from slavery to freedom (with Jim Crow, lynching, segregation, etc. in between) to having an African American POTUS and the face of a rebel slave on a denomination of currency is progress on the part of Black people?

Chris Rock made an interesting point once. To paraphrase, he explained that the changes in circumstances don't attest to improvement on the part of Black people in America. Instead, it shows the (very gradual) decline of the oppressive system that kept them in those conditions. I believe his exact words were "White people used to be crazy, now they're not as crazy anymore". I'm not going to blame White people (because this isn't the place for finger pointing) but I will agree that he has a point.

The new face of the $20 bill isn't an advancement. It's an allowance. What adult wants an allowance? More importantly, what adult wants to be in a position where he/she has to request an allowance and then rejoices after receiving it? To borrow an expression, what's chewing gum to a starving child?

On a positive note, I will say this: 

I'm still all for the jokes, whether good, bad, or ugly. I just don't wanna hear the racist ones.

If "they" really want to make a difference, they'd use this image of Harriet Tubman.

Chime in while you dine in.

#BreakBreadBro

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15 (More) Things That Hip Hop Needs

You probably read the original post "30 Things That Hip Hop Needs".

If you haven't, stop here.

Check that out first, then come back.

Done? Great. So ... we posted a list of things we thought would be great for hip hop in general. Obviously the list should have more than 30 items, especially depending on how specific each item is. We took some of your feedback and decided to compile another list.

So moving along, in no particular order ...

1. A real Hip Hop Hall of Fame, complete with an induction ceremony and all the necessary pomp and circumstance (but done "our" way).

2. More dancing - at some point in the past everyone became gangstas and it suddenly became uncool for rappers to dance. Have we completely abandoned our rhythmic roots?

Maybe the average rapper these days doesn't have the lungs to dance and spit at the same time.

3. More Performance - in theory anyone can rhyme, especially if someone comes up with the lyrics for them. Is it wrong to expect performance artists to get on stage and deliver performances for their audiences? It isn't that much fun to go to a show and watch one guy mumble into a microphone while seven other guys yell over him every few bars.

4. More music about artists' children - Royce da 5'9" and The Game both did great songs dedicated to their sons early in their careers. Every song doesn't have to be about the lives you (fictitiously) ended. Make a few about the lives you actually helped create.

5. More DJ/MC crews.

"He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper" - Remember that sorta thing?
Modern version

6.  A divorce (or at least trial separation) from the music industry - hip hop started as a movement from the streets. It definitely benefited from the exposure that only the music industry could have provided at the time, but over time that relationship yielded more bad results than good ones. The entire music industry and its familiar elements (record labels, physical records/tapes/CDs, contracts) are antiquated and unlikely to last much longer. The internet changed the game; now it's possible for anyone with access to share material with a vast audience. Why chase after a record deal if you can release your music directly to the public and just get paid for shows and merchandise?

7. More support from educators - imagine how different things would be if all of your high school English teachers had you dissect lyrics for meaning and literary devices. They did it for poetry, right? Isn't rap a form of poetry?

8. An honest approach to physical health - too many artists have died young, and it is an accurate reflection of the condition of Black men and women in America. Drug and alcohol abuse, excessive consumption of junk food, and a lack of exercise are sending many to early graves. Somebody needs to start talking.

9. An honest approach to mental health - this also is a reflection of the general state of Black men and women in America. Somebody needs to start talking.

10. A change in attitude toward machismo - the idea that a man has to be extremely strong and aggressive didn't start with hip hop, so it's not up to hip hop to change it. Still, the shift has to begin somewhere. These dated concepts influence the aforementioned issues related to physical and mental health.

11. More collaborations (period) - it's always refreshing to see artists with different styles (or from different genres) come together and create something new. We're all used to seeing associated acts work together on a regular basis, but we need more people to step outside of their comfort zones. That should take us (the audience) outside of our collective sonic comfort zones, and everyone benefits from expanded horizons.

12. A spotlight on those less popular regions -  right now there's (probably) an 18 year old kid in Topeka, Kansas with BARS you can't even imagine ... but nobody expects lyricists to come from anywhere but New York, New Jersey, Philly, Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, and L.A.

13. More support for lesser known brands - Polo is a staple in the black community largely because of hip-hop. "TV Johnny" Dang became a nationally recognized name thanks to getting shouted out by several Houston rappers. Drake has made celebrities out of strippers and waitresses. Think about the boost your small business would get if a hot rapper cosigned it.

14. Appreciation for the past and predecessors - it seems that any material over five years old is immediately classified as "old school" (check any old school hip hop station for its most recent songs). A lot of artists are so worried about being relevant and not being considered old or dated that they compromise their art. Unfortunately, after 40+ years of existence, hip hop is still seen solely as a young man's venture by the majority. Forty seems to be the unofficial retirement age, and anyone who's still active after that point is taking a major risk. Nobody wants to be the old guy. Either you die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain, right? Surely if artists from other genres can maintain their careers well into their 60s and beyond, we can figure something out for hip hop.

15. Less critics and more contributors - everybody wants to talk about what's wrong or what needs to be fixed, but not as many people want to add to the culture. Sidenote: There's nothing hypocritical about this statement being made in a blog post about what hip hop needs. No hypocrisy at all.

Share the post and share your opinion.

#BreakBreadBro

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30 Things That Hip Hop Needs

30 things hip hop could definitely benefit from, in no particular order:

1. A collaboration between Kendrick, Cole, and K.R.I.T.

2. A Clipse album (or at least song) with a Saint vs. Sinner theme.

3. Another Outkast album

The specifics don't matter as long as it happens

4. A solo André 3000 album (doesn't matter if he raps, sings, or plays guitar and saxophone while musing about life) ... and although it has been a pipe dream for years, it seems as though it may soon become a reality ... MAYBE

5. An Outkast/Nas collaboration (why hasn't this happened in the last 20+ years?)

6. An Outkast/K.R.I.T. collaboration

7. An Outkast/Cole collaboration

While we're at it, 3000 recently said that A Tribe Called Quest and OutKast intended to collaborate on an album ... but for unspecified reasons, it never materialized. Now that Phife is gone, it's just a wish. *sighs*

8. Another Dungeon Family album (that includes newer members like Future)

9. An official Nas/Cole collaboration

10. Legitimate, competitive, nonviolent beef ... artists need to challenge each other and drive each other to produce their best without getting to the point of wanting to cause physical harm to each other.

11. More independent radio stations that don't have playlists dictated by big businesses

12. More artists whose desire to make great art is stronger than their desire to be famous and rich

13. More experimental production, especially with live instruments

14. An actual Awreeoh/Pharrell album (who must we petition to make that happen?)

15. Acceptance of "different" sounds

16. Less misogyny (wishful thinking?)

17. More women (with bars) in the mainstream who aren't thriving primarily off sexuality as a gimmick

They aren't the only ones, but you get the point

18. Substance ... bars that are actually about something would be really nice, ya know ...

19. Authenticity - surely by now it's okay to NOT be a dope dealer/killer, right?

20. Originality and creativity (or do you REALLY wanna see and hear the same thing duplicated constantly?)

21. Balance - some people wanna hear DMX growling and barking, some people wanna hear Drake whining and singing. Sometimes those are the same people. Why do we act like there isn't enough room for both (and everything in between)?

22. Less emphasis on negativity - art imitates life, true enough, but all rappers haven't sold drugs, killed people, and abused women. That being the case, more (honest) music about your actual lives just might be interesting and entertaining.

23. More sampling from unexpected sources (imagine how DJ Premiere could spin a blend of "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by Bach and "Back Seat" by Atlas Genius)

24. A little less reliance on sampling (which goes along with the experimenting with live instruments)

25. More emphasis on positivity - is there any chance that someone could make an enjoyable song/album about his strong black family?

26. A return to its roots with regard to speaking out against social injustices

27. A Rakim/Big Daddy Kane collaboration

28. A less divisive attitude - old vs. young, old vs. new, us vs. them, etc. prevents people from working together to create and reach wider audiences.

29. MORE CYPHERS

They don't even have to be televised. Just start rhyming!

30. Diversity - hip hop is originally a Black American thing (and ultimately it will always be that), but it won't hurt to accept the contributions of artists from other demographics. Art tends to unify people that way.

There's a lot more we could say, but then where would your input go? The list will never be complete. Tell us what you think.

#BreakBreadBro

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Let's Eat

Everybody's talking, but not a lot of people are making sense.

Can anyone cut through the noise and say something meaningful?

We can. We're willing to bet you can too. That's why we're here.  In the house that is Tea Time 24/7, this room was built for people to share their thoughts about music, current events, politics (maybe/maybe not), religion (maybe/maybe not), and anything else that you feel is relevant.

But enough of the formalities - the conversation has already started.

#BreakBreadBro

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