Have you guys seen Lupe Fiasco’s newest video, B**** Bad? Released
3 weeks ago and watched over a million times already, it’s also nominated for a
BET Award in a new category – Impact Awards. The song challenges the use of the
B word in hip hop. There’s been a lot of talk recently about the B word and the
way women are portrayed in hip hop, with Kanye West and Steve Harvey both
getting into the conversation, just to name a few examples.
But this video gets into other topics too, such as the mixed
messages that kids get from the media and their parents. I really like that he
looks at both sides of his argument. He acknowledges how hard it can be to
protect your kids from mass media. But he also calls out those parents who expose
their kids to dangerous messages without recognizing how it affects their kids.
And the way blackface is used in the video really brings his
whole point home and calls out the industry for its lack of authenticity. Not
only is Lupe reminding us that artists are playing into a role, but he also
asks artists to take a look at the roles they are playing. By the end of the
video, the characters seem to realize that they've been playing a role and decide
not to play along anymore.
B**** Bad asks hip hop artists and fans to question a number of
things about the music that is being created these days and the video uses some
really interesting story telling techniques that you don’t see often in rap
videos. But, some people are saying the video is irrelevant. What do you think –
does it deserve the attention (and the award)?
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