Slipping and Sliding into Senselessness...

One of Kenya's premiere hip hop artistes was in NY for a while and I culled his latest offering from Mocha's blog. Here is the video...


After watching that video, it took me a few minutes to arrange my thoughts in a manner that could be expressed without invectives.

My first question is are Bamboo and Attitude making music for Kenyans or for Americans? The title of the song is "snitch". Please someone out there tell me what the average Kenyan knows about snitches and the stop snitching, stop lying philosophy promoted by the hip hop community that is allowing criminals unfettered freedom in the black community in America? Let's assume that Bamboo and Attitude wrote this song for Kenyans. We all know about the Kenyan police, Bamboo may have spent sometime in Kariobangi South but I assure you that after a few backshots from some starved chaps in remand and "assisting" with investigations at the local Police Station not only will he sign on the dotted line, he will draw it and print out the paper gladly.

Then there is the use of the n word. I will say it out loud, nigga. For the life of me I don't understand why anyone who has a functioning brain and self respect would use it. I have heard the weak arguements behind it. "Oh it isn't the same as the one that ends with er", "using it that way takes power away from it" and "the other person know it isn't an insult." That is a whole load of bullshit, and anyone who thinks like that isn't thinking. When people of other races here black people calling themselves that they think you are not a "nigga" but a "nigger", and all that word connotes; dumb, self-destructive, self loathing and lazy. Why is it that we rarely hear or see other races referring to themselves with negative epithets, I don't see Jews running around calling themselves kikes, caucasians reffering to themselves as crackers, Asians calling themselves gooks and Latinos calling themselves wetbacks.
That word has a long history for African Americans so at the end of the day it is theirs to grapple with, but what gets to me is when I hear Kenyans using that word to refer to each other. If you look into history our heritage and that of black people here in the States is very different, even though we may not be able to trace our direct lineage; if you paid attention in African history you should be able to trace your tribes lineage a few hundred years into the past. So why spit on it? This is in no way me looking down on black people here who lost their heritage via slavery but that is one sad facet brought up by using that word. I have seen bloggers I know use that word in conversation and blogging and let's just say that I respect them a whole lot less for not being able to see and reason past the hype and culture. Just because you hear people on the street saying it and rappers screaming it doesn't at all make it acceptable. Why in that case don't these same Kenyans decide to empower racial epithets used by Indians and Caucasians in Africa to belittle Africans. Why not start calling yourselves "monkees," since many white folk refer to Africans under them and in general as uncivilised lazy monkeys? You don't see black South Africans calling themselves kafirs, so why call each other nigga? It's about time we learnt to respect ourselves as black people.

Anyway let me get back on topic. If we are talking about street cred and fake gangstas, who is Bamboo to tell people about that? I doubt that boy even has a ticket for jaywalking to his name, let alone a felony. How can her rap about studio gangstas, when he is one himself. The he goes on to rap about broke ass MCs. I know music gurus like Msanii are better versed to answer this, how many cds has Bamboo sold? I doubt he has even hit stainless steel let alone gold record sales.

Let me be honest, Bamboo has loads of talent but as the commerical used to go, "power without control is useless." One can still make hard core, underground rap in Kenya and still have an edge ie Mwafrika, Muki Garang, Ukoo Fulani etc; without aping U.S lyrics and style. If Bamboo wants to make money and fame, he should make music about Kenya for Kenyans. It's that simple.

Oh by the way, the chorus of that song sucks!

Ps: The Drama post series will resume later.