The Rise and Fall of the African American Part 5

Issues Under Fire: The Rise and Fall of the African American Part 5 

The Fall: Rocks to Riches 

No matter how many young African American males were getting locked up for selling crack (Rock) cocaine, the risk always seemed to be worth the reward. The newbies to "The Game" had some of the best role models in the business, stepping up to the mic to show them how the game is played. They were bold, brash, bad and they had attitude. They were Niggazs With Attitude and they were on tour. 

With other hardcore Gangsta Rap "artists" launching successful music careers hyping the art of "the game", one could say performers like NWA, Ice T, Snoop Dogg, etc. did as much, if not more harm than Freeway Ricky Ross and (the Agency) The message in their music was clear and the visuals in their videos was graphic. With sex, drugs, alcohol, guns and money being the prize, the new niggazs couldn't wait to play. 

Gangsta Rap crews described a lifestyle that would have any young impressionable, fatherless, directionless African American male lapping up every word and taking notes. Street smart but book dumb, suddenly these kids had a path to follow and that path was paved with Rock Cocaine. The Gangsta Rappers made the lifestyle seem almost fun, carefree and easy. When they did rap about the shootings, the killings, the cops and the getting locked up, it was just all a part of "The Game". 

You have to be able to appreciate the daily life of the Drug Thug to fully understand how and why a young poor undereducated African American male, with no father, no role model, no guidance and no future would be lured into the game. You stay up all night dealing dope and partying with your crew. You get to sleep late and chill all day, smoking weed and tossing back a forty or two while waiting for the pager to vibrate for the day's first deals.  

Watching T.V. and scantily clad eye candy hanging around just to be hanging around or hanging around in the hopes getting a free hit, did sound like a fun, carefree and easy lifestyle. If you didn't mind dodging the bullets and constantly looking out for the cops, to keep from getting locked up, it could be a really cool way to make a living. Besides, one day you too, could have a successful music and movie career.

If Dr. Dre can brazenly tell the world through his music how he made his money and get away with it, everybody thought it was possible. Legions of new niggazs decided to give it a try. Hell, it seems all the smart Drug Thugs laundered their money through the slimy music industry. How hard could that be? Financing their own careers off profits from slinging rock cocaine, pimping and other strong-arm activities, these now media darlings have scrubbed their images and are worth millions. 

Oddly enough, while America's mainstream media was demonizing "The Game", it was at the same time glamorizing the players. When it was understood these legends of the new nigga nation could be exploited, Hollywood's corporate elites took the best and brightest of the lot and made them stars. Of course, that Hollywood elite made millions for themselves in the process.  

BTW, Straight Outta Compton starts August 15th 2015 at a theater near you.

Today's podcast of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe is just below.