A few years back, a local news story got my
attention. Two mothers–with a total of five children
between them–decided to leave their respective
apartments and meet with a third woman for a ‘Girls
Night Out’ at a local bar. Mother number one had a
nine year old watching her other child; mother number
two had an eleven year old watching her two young
siblings. According to published accounts, about one
o’clock in the morning, the nine year old began
screaming for his mother. Of course, the concerned
neighbors called the police. After a bit of
investigation and waiting, the two mothers came
staggering home drunk–and were promptly arrested and
their kids were turned over to Child Welfare workers.

One Rap Video offerings flashed on my TV recently
which reminded me of this story. Interestingly
enough, a young, vivacious mother walked out the door
of her house, to jump into a ‘tricked up car’ with
some of her girlfriends to head ‘out on the town’.
This ‘hip mother’ left her pre-teen daughter to care
for the house, while she hit the streets to ‘get her
roll on.’

Welcome to the electronic plantation. Massa IS back
in town.

Gone are the whips, chains, and beatings of old. Old
man cotton may be gone, but has been ‘replaced’ with
Nu Skool rap tracks, sagging and bagging ‘gangsta’
style of individuals of our OWN race, and the ever
present whip of the ‘No Snitch Code’.

You never HEARD of this term? HOW can I call this
SLAVERY?

Well, IF you remember your history (or have read the
Willie Lynch letters) Black slaves were
treated/handled thusly:

*Men and women were pitted against one another for
leadership

.

*Education was held to be ‘useless’ and ‘illegal’ by
Massa.

*Entertainment was held to be higher than
Empowerment.

*Children were thrust into adult situations to force
them to grow quicker.

*Marriage was discouraged & families were broken up
quickly.

*Men were ‘coddled’; Women were ‘cauterized’.

*Color, Class, Economics–even Religion were used as
weapons.

Am I getting through?

Sadly, the results of this new plantation abound.
The statistics and body counts are piling up in
schools, juvenile facilities and prisons across the
country. Expulsions, suspensions, and dropout rates
among young Black males–and now Black
females–continue to march upward. Street gang
recruitment is reportedly starting at the grade school
level in some parts of the country. Lastly, our
modern day ‘massas’ are completely without shame in
playing the ‘race’ card and the ‘sex’ card–as
effectively as the slave owners of old. And, Yes,
there WERE Black slave owners ‘down south’.

On the electronic plantation, the chains are made of
INVISIBLE materials. Sound waves, rap tracks, and
infrared scanning; MP3s, CD, turntables, vinyl sound
cards.

Many of the ones with the lash today were freed by
the Civil Rights struggles of yesterday. They are
full aware of the Black churches of yesterday were
strong and the center of our communities. The new
massas have infiltrated and corrupted the Black
church, making her weak and allowing everything from
hip hop ministries, to full blown crunk services in
its doors. Many of the religious symbols that some of
us hold dear have been incorporated into the ‘gangsta’
and ‘hip hop’ lifestyle–from crosses to Bible verses.

NEW TOOLS–OLD SLAVE OWNER MINDSET?

It’s OK to have ‘religion’ on this plantation–as
long as it ‘persuades’ you to serve the Hip-Hop/Rap
‘massas’ in a more ‘docile’ mindset.

They ‘like’ religion; just not ‘good’ religion.

They ‘like’ holiness, purity, and virtue–during the
daylight hours.

They ‘like’ the Bible…as long as you don’t read it,
live it, nor believe it.

Oh yes–the new hymn; the new ‘field song’? Dollars
matter–lives DO NOT.

Now, there are more than likely some who may think
that I’m being a little harsh. Comparing Hip-Hop/Rap
to the ‘plantation’? In public? On the printed page?

“Well,” some may be thinking as the smoke is pouring
from their ears, and they are snapping their fingers,
“this is the music for OUR generation!”

Balderdash! Music is one thing, but murder, child
abuse, and sexual immorality are something else. For
the life of me, I can still remember the Isley
Brothers saying “Fight The Power”, not “Off Some
Cops”.

But, I digress.

Let me provide a few quick examples regarding life on
the old plantation and today’s modern electronic
counterpart–based upon my travels and interaction
with young people.

RULES OF THE ‘NEW’ PLANTATION:

First, the electronic plantation–like its older
ancestor–has a specific language, which must be used
by the participants in order to be considered a
‘legitimate’ member. The deliberate misspelling of
simple words, or the insertion of symbols where
letters belong may not ‘look right’ on an employment
application or a high school exam…but so what?
Education is held to be something for losers.

Second, the electronic plantation–like its older
ancestor–has a specific rivalry pattern determined by
the ‘high tech massas’ (accountants, producers,
clothing designers, talent scouts, television/video
executives) of the Hip Hop/Rap industry. Only
‘certain’ members of the genre are cleaned up
(criminal charges disappear, drug/sex appetites go
into the closet, mainstream language used), covered up
(clothing, hairstyle, traditional morals are put
forth) and ushered out for public consumption in the
mainstream. These new ‘HouseRappers’ are constantly
held up as the people to emulate. Meanwhile, the
‘FieldRappers’ are still struggling in the business,
still chase and emulate the ‘bling’, and still mangle,
curse, and shoot. Some of them are ‘held up’ to
emulate as well.

Y’all KNOW who you are. Why should I give you ‘free
pub’?

MALE AND FEMALE ‘MASSAS’:

Let me interject a point of information. A ‘high
tech massa’ does not have to be of one particular
race, or one particular sex. There are a host of
Black ‘massas’ –male and female–firmly embedded into
the Hip-Hop/Rap business. Unfortunately, they never
see the ‘success’ of their ventures…lining either the
jailhouse, or the morgue. Once more, they keep THEIR
children AWAY from their ‘art’.

But, let us march on. Third, the electronic
plantation–like its older ancestor–is only concerned
with the wealth generated; not the lives obliterated.
The general public rarely sees–or hears–about the
dangers of ‘too much consumption’ of the plantation
wares–unless a death results. Crime rates, OOW
births, STDs, lowered literacy rates, dropout rates,
etc. are thought of as being ‘unfortunate problems’ of
society, but can never be laid at the doorstep of the
‘high tech massas’ home.

Up to this point, I’ve mentioned three similarities
to the old plantation system. This fourth point is
even a bit more twisted, and I have to go back to the
old plantation system once again. Massa just is not
all that willing to have a stake of truth inserted.

Some folk have been on the electronic plantation for
so long that they not only refuse to leave, they make
big money by bringing in ‘newer human performing’
slaves–at younger and younger ages. Independent
producers and recruiters use money from the drug or
gang trade to put unsuspecting ‘performers’ up on the
auction block of fame and public recognition. Now we
have middle school children being ‘shuttled’ from one
venue to another–sometimes on school nights–to let
the public get a ‘taste’ of a future electronic slave.
“Hang the curfew laws and getting up early for school
mama; your own Lil G can be the next Hip Hopper on a
box of GRITS! Just let ‘us’ take him around to the
sites tonight!”

THE WAY OFF–BEGINS WITH THE MIND:

Several friends of mine who are still in the
education game let me know that they have students who
have made straight Fs–repeatedly–and are not phased
by their poor academic performance. Of course, these
same students have the latest electronic toys–BUT you
can’t get some of them to carry paper, pencils or
textbook to their classes.

That is–IF they decide to go.

It was MORE than forty years ago that the Civil
Rights movement really made it into the public
consciousness. However, it was TEN years after
this–in New York City–when the Hip-Hop/Rap genre was
born. Ten years LATER, in 1984, Hip-Hop/Rap started
to smooth out its appeal and presentation enough to go
mainstream on Black/Urban radio stations. By 1994,
the MTV/Hip-Hop/Rap connection was starting to bond.
Today, the electronic plantation is doing a booming
business, with ignorance being held as a highly sought
virtue–and the ‘breeding stock’ of new talent is
endlessly trotted across MTV, BET, and other music
video screens and C.D. cases–while 70 percent of this
product is purchased by WHITE males.

There is only ONE way to be free of the electronic
plantation.

It’s called ‘Escape through Deliverance.’
AKA–Bankrupt the massas!

Like a cigarette smoker, alcoholic, or drug addict
has to put up a major league fight to truly break
their habit, those who truly want off of the
electronic plantation must ALSO WANT to be delivered
from Massa and his/her crew.

How?

It starts with a reduction of consuming the offerings
from the plantation.

It means having the guts to invest some of your
disposable income into things that will uplift your
family, instead of tear it down. It starts with
focusing the long term vs. the short term. It
continues with the realization that there is more to
life than what comes through some headphones and C.D.
players, or from a television screen. It continues
with the firm realization that there are consequences
for actions taken, relationships neglected and
responsibilities avoided.

It ends when one is not only free; that one has the
courage to free others.

The clock, though, continues to tick away…as newer
methods of enslavement are discovered and practiced.
Once upon a time, it was ‘forbidden’ to show
elementary-school aged children involved in
Hip-Hop/Rap productions. That taboo has been broken.

More and more videos are showing eager and anxious
children participating in everything from the throwing
of gang signs, to mimicking the crotch grabbing and
butt shaking moves of their older siblings–all in
full view of the photographer’s camera.
In some segments of the community, that would
constitute child abuse.

On the electronic plantation, this is merely business
as usual.

Is it any wonder we’re seeing more young people
facing the prison and the unemployment line rather
than the school, the church, or the family? They
aren’t interested in the long term; interested in know
that if you get a criminal record NOW, you won’t be
able to get much of a job LATER.

Firing a few people for saying a few things on the
airwaves only seems to enrich and empower the wicked
and the exploiters. MANY of them have a plan B and a
plan C AND the lawyers and accountants to have their
vacations result in fatter contracts down the road.
The ONLY way to make a point with Massa; the ONLY way
to make impact with THIS crowd of high-tech pirates
its to make them walk the bankruptcy plank with their
wares firmly chained to them…like they have chained
our communities for a number of years.

MIKE RAMEY is the author of THE MANHOOD LINE. A column
written from a biblical, business, and common sense
perspective. The column appears on fine websites
around the world. Emails to manhoodline@yahoo.com.
©2004, 2007 Mike Ramey/Barnstorm Communications
International.

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