I'M SNITCHIN'!
The Media is to blame, not Hip-Hop
By Hotep
I didn't want to write this article. In fact, I've held back the temptation for the last 5 months (since Cam'ron appeared on 60 minutes). My hope was that the hypocrisy would die down quickly. But with the recent upsurge of the "Stop Snitchin" campaign in the media, I felt it necessary that I put an end to the nonsense once and for all.
It is absolutely ABSURD for anyone to insinuate that the concept of not snitchin' came from Hip-Hop. This is simply NOT TRUE. The truth is, "not snitchin" is a very deeply ingrained aspect of our nation's cultural fabric. Here are a few areas that demonstrate the No Snitchin' Code. None of them have a thing to do with Hip-Hop.
Anyone who ever watched the movie, The Godfather caught at least a glimpse of the very real ITALIAN Mafia. The Mafia was notorious for having a code of silence when dealing with the police. I can't count how many times I've heard the terms "rat" or "stool pigeon" used in Casino, Goodfellas or even the popular HBO series The Sopranos. We are all very familiar with the "no snitchin" code in this context AND the severe punishment for breaking this rule. Is the media trying to claim that these movies were purely fictional?
Right now, in elementary schools across the United States, teachers can be heard saying, "Stop tattling" or "Don't be a tattle tale" to their students. Is this some new trend started by Hip-Hop? NO! I'm sure all of us can remember being instructed to stop "ratting" on classmates at least once in our younger days.
Even children have their own "no snitchin" code. Or am I the only one who has ever had a classmate who was infamous for being a tattle tale? No one wanted to play with that child; he/she was often ostracized by his/her peers. Why does the media blame this "phenomenon" amongst our youth on Hip-Hop?
It is true, that we as Black Folk in America have had a history of avoiding contact/ communication with the police; but this is mainly out of distrust and fear. Need I remind the media of the innumerable atrocities inflicted upon us by our own "Justice Department"?
On top of that, anyone who watches Law and Order as much as I do has seen the police regularly trapping, abusing, coercing and otherwise bullying witnesses. After watching a couple episodes, even the most straight-laced citizen (Black OR White) would think twice about getting involved in a criminal case.
Yes, the thuggish, ultra-violent and misogynistic elements of American Culture have infiltrated (and now seem to dominate) the positive elements of Hip-Hop music. But let's not forget, the same is VERY TRUE of every other aspect of our society.
Over the last 20 years, video games, songs, movies and TV shows have all suffered from a severe morale decline. Back in 1987, Nintendo's Super Mario Brothers ruled the video game world and The Cosby Show was one of the top TV programs. Compare this to the R-rated video games and the common use of the words "Ass" and "Bitch" in T.V. shows of 2007. It is plain to see that today's image of Hip-Hop is only reflecting the same changes the American macrocosm is witnessing. Why then, does Hip-Hop always seem to be the blame for our society's ills?
The media purposely distorts our perception of reality and diverts our attention from the true problem….. greed! Our country is run by CORPORATIONS, not government. These corporations practice extreme capitalism, which has no moral regulations. They did it! Their love of money is root of all their evils. They did it! They OWN & DISTRIBUTE the super-violent video games, sexually explicit songs/ movies and morally depraved TV shows that plague our minds. They did it! These corporations also own the very same media that we rely on for our daily information, which targets Hip-Hop as the scapegoat for our country's biggest problems.
Put simply, in the words of the legendary Hip-Hop group Public Enemy, "Don't believe the hype!"
(P.S. How's that for snitchin'?)
Hotep is founder of HustleUniversity.Org. Hustle U is an itinerant educational institution for independent minded entrepreneurs. It consists of a series of innovative workshops and presentations focused on out-the-box thinking for people in business for themselves. He is also author of the urban entrepreneurs bible, The Hustler's 10 Commandments. For more information goto www.skinnymen.com
Hustle University, Higher Learing for Today's Independent Minded Entrepreneur
Hotep, Lead Instructor: 404-294-7165