RadioOnFire.com - Right now it seems that everybody loves Gucci Mane, and it's only natural that the Atlanta rapper loves everybody the same. Although, if you are a Black man, as Guwop is, many feel that he should have a particular sense of solidarity with his people in the aftermath of the recent shootings of Black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota. Thus, an "All Lives Matter" benefit concert headlined by the Atlanta rapper, has been scheduled for September in Mississippi.
"Gucci Mane and Friends: Stop the Violence" concert will take place on September 24 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The show, which will mark Guwop's return to The Magnolia State after a nearly three year hiatus in prison, is sure to jog fans' memories with a few of his classics mixed in with the long anticipated work of his impendingEverybody Looking LP [July 22]. But with the controversial "All Lives Matter" mantra driving it's promotion, it is at this point unclear whether the event is an actual product of an All Lives Matter organizer, or if the phrase is simply a matter of semantics.
Since the July 5 and July 6 shootings of Sterling and then Castile, an onslaught of protests via open letter, music, PSA, marches and rallies have flooded headlines with the names of some of the biggest names in politics and entertainment. Black Lives Matter, which celebrated it's three year anniversary as an organization on July 13, has in that time has ever expanded in it's popularity and acceptance by the mainstream on one hand, while being denounced by some who define it as a radical movement on the other. As an adage however, "Black Lives Matter" has been declared by many who use it, not in association with the BLM group, but for it's linguistic effect; for how the saying captures the spirit of the millions who've at one point or another felt vulnerable to injustices that aren't prevalent under the oversight of law enforcement in white communities. It has therefore, not been uncommon for Black public figures to claim the phrase.
"All Lives Matter," however, has in large part had the opposite effect in the Black community, as it was a phrase created and perpetuated in reaction to protesters proclaiming that Black lives matter after the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012. There would later come "Blue Lives Matter," after the murder of two police officers in New York City in 2014. Both of these phrases have been perceived by followers of the Black Lives Matter movement who were active when "All Lives Matter" first surfaced by the word of mostly conservative demagogues, as a means of silencing Black Lives Matter.
Gucci may face some ridicule considering how over the past week such artists as Fetty Wap, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Milian and Kevin Gates, who may or may not have been aware of the roots of "All Lives Matter," have faced backlash after declaring the phrase. Despite his perpetuation of the adage, Gucci's intentions appear to be definitively supportive of those who've lost their lives to police violence, as proceeds from the event will go to the families of Sterling and Castile.
Source: xxlmag.com
No comments:
Post a Comment