The Boy Who Cried Culture Appropriation...

Originally featured on Insomnia's Labyrinth.

This Sunday evening, we witnessed one of the best BET Award Shows in a long time. We watched Beyonce baptize Kendrick Lamar, we saw Jennifer Hudson bring Prince back to life, and we heard the closest thing to a 1960s civil rights activist according to Samuel L. Jackson in the light-skinned form of Jesse fine ass Williams.

Many were moved by his sentiments of embracing every inch of your blackness by defending our black women and empowering our black men.

Many meaning all walks of life – black, brown, white. Including but not limited to Justin Timberlake, who was ambushed for responding to an accusation of commodifying black culture with:

“Oh, you sweet soul. The more you realize that we are the same, the more we can have a conversation.

Bye.”

The reaching was out of this world to be frank.

For starters, let’s look at the definition of culture appropriation.

Culture appropriation is proof that the imbalance of power still exists between the colonized and their colonizers… That some institutions do purposely exclude people of color and later go on to profit from the commodification of the cultures of the very people they exclude.

(& For the white people who think that culture appropriation is a way of “policing” what you can and can’t wear… You’re wrong. & Even if you weren’t, build a bridge and get over it, ESPECIALLY if the sole reason you want to wear an article of clothing that is culturally exclusive to an already marginalized group is simply because you “look cute” in it… You can do without it. To argue that it’s essential in fulfilling a personal need for self-expression kind of sort of doesn’t help your argument that “white privilege” isn’t a thing; rather, it invalidates it).

So just how bold is the line between culture appreciation and culture appropriation? I’m not too sure. But I do know that respect is certainly at its intersection.

Maybe its because the Western world is so accustomed to forcing their traditions and ideals on others that they feel entitled to stealing some of ours… But we already knew that. The Western world is known for trying on our traditions as costumes.

You see, the rest of us at some point in our lives, have had felt pressured to change the way we look, act, and even speak just to earn enough respect to stay employed and even safe. Respect to me that should be a birthright. Nevermind our skill set and intellect. Our vehicles of self-expression are still extremely limited.

But where does that leave us? Are we supposed to just be angry with anyone who isn’t us for the rest of our lives?

Now I know I might step on some toes with this idea, but… Sometimes, I do feel like in trying to achieve our right to inclusion we become exclusionary, which only defeats the purpose of the movement. JT (who by the way, has a permanent seat at the cookout the last time I checked) wasn’t trying to erase and downplay the black experience. He was looking beyond it. He was actually being color-blind to our color-obsessed (or lackthereof) world by saying we are all interconnected. That we need each other. We are each other.

That doesn’t equate to him saying he could ever understand what it’s like to be oppressed and targeted like a wild animal. That doesn’t equate to him saying he knows how it feels for his life not to matter.

But when someone who doesn’t look like us wants to speak on behalf of us, we shouldn’t be so quick to shun them. Because when they don’t speak up at all, we also have a problem. We can’t perpetuate this “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” cycle. This doesn’t have to be us versus them.

We have to realize that our strength is in NUMBERS.

I even saw people saying that it’s easy for Jesse Williams to call out our oppressors because he’s a “blue eyed soul” and doesn’t have to deal with the hardships of being persecuted. Because he isn’t “black enough.”

They don’t want you to stick together. They want you to tear each other apart… To do THEIR dirty work.

Well, damnit. We’re not their slaves anymore. That ship has long sailed.

But that’s why I stress that we can’t just pick and choose when we want to call someone out for gentrifying our genius. In this kind of movement, we cannot afford to be selective.

So I beg the question: Why don’t we give Drake the same treatment… What has he really done other than ride somebody else’s wave? Isn’t exploiting someone else’s lifestyle basically synonymous for culture appropriation?

If so…

Dear Drake, you don’t have to be a culture vulture.

Disclaimer: I am a fan of Drake and his music. But I am a fan of the art first and foremost.

We accepted you just the way you were. We didn’t care if you used to be Wheelchair Jimmy before you became Drizzy to us. We didn’t care that you grew up in the ‘burbs. Or that you had arguably the corniest makeshift episode of MTV Cribs. We loved you for you. Not only did you give us music we could go out and shake our ass to on a Friday night, but you made sure we had music to cry ourselves to sleep to when we came home alone. You reminded us that it’s okay to be vulnerable. At least that’s what I appreciate you for.

We didn’t even care that you had Quentin Miller ghostwriting for you. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Instead, we destroyed Meek Mill for ever shaming your name. And we should’ve drawn the line then… But maybe we didn’t want to accept it. And now look…

Stealing Migos flow, then Hotline Bling with no credits to D.R.A.M., and then completely removing Popcaan from “Controlla.” (Sidenote: Isn’t Popcaan his artist?)

Drake isn’t this generation’s Jay Z. Drake is the Christopher Columbus of Hip Hop.

We know you grew up around a lot of West Indians, and it’s one thing to love the culture and want to pay homage. But to take the reggae artist off the reggae song? C’mon son.

Exposure to a culture has little to nothing to do with culture appropriation. It’s moreso about a “superior” group exploiting the culture of a less privileged, less popular demographic whether its through their experience, history, or lifestyle.

Now, I need it to be clear that I am not putting all the blame on Drake. I think majority of my annoyance lies with his team full of yes men but even moreso us – the fans. When did we stop holding artists accountable for being honest?

Hot 97’s Ebro tweeted, “Drake’s music opened the door for Dancehall & Afrobeat… But the music has to be great!”

So you mean to tell me dancehall or reggae in general hasn’t been popular before Drake came along and blatantly Plymouth Rocked it?

Drake fans will argue that there’s the argument that Drake has a documentary showing love to Jamaicans. I guess that’s why dancehall legend Mr. Vegas had this to say.

Drake isn’t opening doors. He’s shutting them on the young and nameless.

Funny thing is – there are some fans acknowledging that he’s a culture vulture but still finds it “not to be such a bad thing.” These are the same fans who will go to hell and high water to argue that Hillary and any other presidential candidates who pander to minorities are as wrong as sin. The same fans who think Kylie Jenner’s favorite pastime is to appropriate black culture.

So is it because he’s half black, that he gets a pass? Nah… Culture appropriation goes way beyond race.

Speaking of…

Why hasn’t Drake tried making a Jewish banger?

Oh, wait. There’s no award for that.

Drake, we appreciate you… But lesbihonest. You’re self-serving. And as of today, you’re not even a rapper to me anymore. You’re just a wave rider.

Is Drake making us too “soft?” Is it fair to solely blame Drake?

All I know is… Before we call someone out for appropriating a culture… Let’s look in our backyard, too. This by no means is an article asking you to overanalyze everything you do, say, and wear. It’s about understanding when there’s been a misunderstanding.

I’m just asking you to read a little more… Exercise a little more compassion. And be open to take another look at the symbols you use without thinking, the cultures you immerse yourself in without understanding; regardless of color, creed, or belief.