Florida School Board Allows Teen Marching Band to Perform in Strip Club-Themed Rap Video?

The Miami-Dade School Board is not very happy.

And whoever made the decision to allow members of the Miami Northwestern High School marching band to perform in a music video is not very bright either.

Now, this is no condemnation of hip hop music. But seriously, which school official who knew anything about the past music videos of Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, and Juicy J thought,"Yeah, this video will feature our minor students in a classy light. All ladies will be wearing clothes that cover their lady bits. There will be no poles or fishnet stockings of any kind. Yeah, that sounds about accurate." Really? Do these people not research?

Apparently not.

In August, school officials approved a producer's request to have members of the Marching Bulls in a video called "Bandz a Make Her Dance." Mistake number one.

The video came out recently. Six of the band members can be seen behind the rappers.

School officials claim that the producers told them the marching band students would be performing in a drum line. It seems as if producers neglected to mention that the drum line would be in a strip club with strippers and advertisements for a pornography company. Representatives for the school board say that the band members were filmed performing in front of a blue screen and later edited in to fit the strip club motif of the video. The school district is suing for "unauthorized publication of likeness of students" and trademark violations. However, there was no formal written agreement. Mistake number two. Attorney for Lil Wayne, Ronald Sweeney, has written to general counsel for Sony asking that they remove the students from the video.  

This whole ordeal could have been avoided if school officials used a bit more common sense. Somehow, SBW thinks this was all part of the producers' plan. Currently, the song is in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, selling over 30,000 copies. We're sure the controversy over the video is only helping the sales.

More here.

Move Over BET: Magic Johnson & P. Diddy Launch Rival African American TV Networks

Former LA Lakers basketball star, Magic Johnson is launching ASPIRE, a new African American themed tv network. Launching in June 2012, ASPIRE will feature positive images and shows highlighting the African-American community.

Of course, Grammy award-winning rapper P. Diddy also wants a bite of the action, and he is launching his own African American themed tv network called REVOLT which will feature music and social media.

Let's just hope MTV's Real World, Jersey Shore, and BET's College Hill shenanigans don't air on these networks.

Read more about ASPIRE. Read more about REVOLT here.

Shame on New Daddy Jay Z - "I Won't Say the B-word", "Just Kidding, I Will"

Rap mogul Jay-Z says he will keep using the b-word.  In a recent interview, Jay-Z reveals that he never gave up the b word, and he has no intention on giving it up in the future. Apparently, the poem, penned to new daughter Blue Ivy, was a fake.

Read the full story here. [He took a prominent stand against brothers wearing jerseys, but no stand to be taken about misogyny.]

In between the new papa's denial of his fake decision to give up the b-word, we drafted a petition letter to Jay Z, hoping that he would use his influence for good:

Dear Jay-Z:

Congratulations on the recent birth of your daughter.

Also, thank you for your vow to stop using the B-word in your music out of concern for its degrading nature.  It is an honorable gesture that you refuse to use a word in the future that has had such a prominent role in so many of your previous hits.  We wish you would do the same with another word of frequent use.

We implore you to go further and pledge to stop using the N-word as well.

In seeking to decrease misogyny against women, why not work to decrease racism against African Americans?

Times have progressed dramatically between one of your first hits “Ain’t no N***a” and your most recent chart-topper “N***as in Paris.”  [We saw you in the VIP section at Barack Obama’s inauguration as America’s first Black President in 2009 and are fairly sure no one greets him with, "Hey my, n***a.  Why don't other African Americans deserve an equal amount of respect?]

The continued use of such a word in the American lexicon makes us question how much progress has really been made.  We have fought long and hard to get ahead despite having so many disadvantages and have made great strides as Americans.  Nonetheless, this choice of vocabulary word reminds us of a time not so long ago filled with 'strange fruit' and strife.  Whether it ends with an "a" or a sharp "er", there is still shame, pain, and worst of all, degradation.

There is no 'need to take it back' in order to try to remove the hate from it or to make it a positive word.  Or a term of endearment.  That is an impossible task.  The hate is still there no matter how many times people say it, how catchy it is, or how well it rhymes in songs.  

Although there is money to be made by perpetuating racism, stereotypes, and stupidity, we all know that there is a time and a place.  No longer should the N-word have a place in our society.  Enough is enough.

This is a new year.  Let us respect our ancestors, ourselves, and most importantly, our children.

Please help us in leaving the N-word behind.  It is a vestige of the past that should remain in the past.
 
Sincerely,

A Strong Black Woman

Also, see Julian Curry's brilliant Def Poetry Jam: