An Open Letter To The Brothers By Vinnie of Naughty By Nature
December 3rd, 2008
It’s really time to step up and grow up. We have the first black (family) in the white house. Let it be the example of what’s to come. Our hoods are under seige.
The Black man is getting sucked up in a horrible vacuum. Our youth are dying too young and being incarcerated for life for mostly non-violent crimes. African-Americans are no longer the minority. Our Hispanic brothers and sisters are the new minority. The Black man must step up for self preservation or Barack Obama’s win will only be a stepping stone for the “New” minority to succeed in politics (there’s nothing wrong with that).
The Black man is becoming extinct. I see it every day in New Jersey. There aren’t many father figures in the ‘hood, also there is no lineage between our 70 thru 20 yr-old Black men. Our men conceive kids with women, but there’s no follow up in raising the child. Our youth are running around the hoods of America like packs of wild dogs. Most of their fathers are either dead or serving most of their lives in jail. Now it’s time for the Black men who have suceeded against the odds to adopt their local neighborhoods and join forces with other Black males. I’ll use this analogy: you and your spouse are homeowners with three children. You work every day and pay all the bills in the house. Would you let your children run rampant in your household? That’s whats going down in our neighborhoods. We need more “James Evans” from Good Times role models. If we had more fathers like him, our neighborhoods would be better off. Imagine a community of concerned, educated, professional fathers with the James Evans demeanor. We would police our own neighborhoods and account for our own children. Once they are accounted for, we adopt the stray kids and work with their guardians to keep them in line.It’s time for hip-hop to grow up as well. Hip-Hop has grown past the initial monetary rewards. It’s time to stop giving our money back to “the man” and re-invest in our communities, namely developing housing. The price of a Bentley or Ferrari could buy you half a city block to further develop. The big, unecessary mansion that will get foreclosed on within 10 yrs could buy you an apartment building so you could develop affordable housing for the people of the ‘hood we so-call “Love” so much. Not only that, the residual income will have you set for life and we begin to develop generational wealth. Hip-Hop has earned and generated enough money to develop a significant portion of under developed neighborhoods. Any local politician would love to get distressed properties back on the tax roles. From there, we could continue to educate our children from a decent housing environment.Black man, we have to stop “One Upping” each other. We have so many successful Black males who’s egos won’t let them strengthen the brotherhood that should be. Our forefathers of the Civil Rights movement had far less financial resources than we have and did a much better job in organizing, especially for political growth. I’m calling on other Black male professionals in the world of finance, medicine, law, etc. to come back to the ‘hood and reinvest time and money in the futures of our young brothers who are getting left behind.We need more family role models like the Obamas so our young men understand what it is to be a one woman-man and lead by example. Although it was written by us as teenagers, I totally understand the effects of a song like O.P.P. It encourages people to not be committed to one person and those habits could translate across different aspects of one’s life. Our young men need to understand the full family structure is the only thing that will preserve our neighborhoods, cultures and the Black man himself. I pray that Jay-Z and Beyonce’s marriage lasts and they have a beautiful family. They will be our “hood” role model of a family. Once our entertainers and athletes show it’s okay to have one wife and a family, others will be eager to follow suit.I’m starting in my own neighborhood. We are working with our local city council and mayor’s office and are challenging government, law enforcement, and the education system as well as all willing and able Black men of all ages to step up and form a fraternity of preservation for our black youth. I love my black brothers and “We” including myself have been selfish enough. It’s time to give back to our sisters and children and “put in real work” in our neighborhoods.
Peace,
Vinnie Brown
Naughty By Nature
TAGS: Hip Hop Vs. America, Naughty By Nature, O.P.P., Vinnie Brown
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Everything hes saying is true. History in the making and African American men do need to start taking responsibility for their children. If not for you, then do it for them and their future.
AMEN!!!! I agree with everything Vinnie said except the reference to Jay-Z and Beyonce. People need more tangible role models – people they can, not only see, but touch, converse with, and hear CLOSE UP. That is more realistic. We need to stop living our dreams through Hollywood images. Jay-Z and Beyonce are Hollywood illusions. Nothing against them as people or performers, but not everyone will reach the Carter-Knowles celebrity and financial status. The obsessive longing for these lavish riches is what has destroyed us as a people. The people, our people, need the “everyday brother and sister” to be our best examples.
I am glad to see someone in the hiphop community take responsibility and hopefully others will follow suit. We have a lot of complex issues in the hood and facing the black, man woman and child. We can just start by following a simple code in the streets: “when you look another black man (or woman) in the face say hello or what’s up!” It is about time we just show some simple respect and appreciation for one another. This can help to begin the healing process that so many of us need.
Well said and so TRUE. I agree with you Gloria about the JayZ & Beyonce comment not necessary. But everything else is so true. We could have such a bright & successful future if men would take responsbility & take care of their kids and help other kids without fathers or guardians. This is the first step in helping our community. And let all that materialism go and help build the community.
Real talk vinnie,real talk! I think its time we african_american men drop tha *ganstsa attitude* sort of thinking and be real men!We can make this work if we put our minds to it.Lets be our own heroes.God bless America!
Big up to Vinnie, speak the truth that so many of us won’t. it’s time to build up our people. Our people love to live in the negective. It’s like we can’t live without it. Black men need to start taking responsibility. Without us there is no future.
Well said Vinnie,
It is heart breaking to see only seven comments including mine about what Vinnie has said here. And rest asured, it will not be long before some Black people come on here and diss Vinnie for what he said. They will say “he’s talking down to the Hood”. That would be crazy.
Vinnie, I love everything you said. I agree our black men do need to stand up and become more family oriented. Gloria, you are so correct, we need realistic role models, I too love B and J and hope nothing but the best for them but it is what it is they are HOLLYWOOD we are in the HOOD a big difference. Brothers we need you, we love you all we want to do is be there for you but we need you to be there for us and your kids. Love is more than any amount of money you can give to anyone! Then we get the money..LOL and just live our lives.
Very intelligent young man. I am glad to see someone that has profited from hip hop speaking out about our communities and what these hip hop moguls true responsibility to the community is.
HIP HOP IS WHATS HAPPENING… ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS ASK ANY OF THE YOUTH IN YO HOOD, AND DON’T HESITATE. I HAVE ISSUES WITH THE DOWN-PLAY UPON RAP MUSIC, IF IT’S NOT YOUR THING DON’T SWING WIT IT. THE ONLY REASON OPPOSING FORCES SEEM TO HAVE AN AFFECT ON OUR CULTURE THIS RAP MUSIC THAT IS, IS BECAUSE WE HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO ACCREDIT THEMSELVES FOR OUR DEVOTION IN REACHING ANY AND EVERYONE WITH OUR MESSAGES. MUSIC IS A FORM OF EXPRESSION WITHOUT IT, MUSIC THAT IS, THEIR WOULD BE NO NATIONAL ANTHEM, NO BABY-MAKING MUSIC, NO CADENCE TO MOTIVATE OUR SOLDIERS. WHAT ABOUT ALL OF THE PROCEEDS GENERATED BY RAP MUSIC, WHAT ABOUT ALL OF THE POSITIVE MESSAGES MOST MUSIC ENDOWS. ALL IN ALL THE PRINCIPLE OF THE MATTER IS THAT WE SHOULD UP-LIFT NOT DOWN-PLAY THE POSITIVT EFFECTS OF ANY INDUSTRY, FOR INSTANCE LOOK AT THE AUTOMOTVE INDUSTRY AND ALL THEIR DOWN-FALL INVOLVED(SAVE ME, SAVE ME!! IS WHATS BEING HEARD FROM THEIR MOUTHS) LEAVE IT UP TO ME I’LL TURN CADILLAC FACTORYS INTO RECORDING STUDIOS FOR THE POOR AND UNDERPRIVILEDGED, I KNOW I KNOW THE BIG 3 IS THOSE OTHER COMPANIES RIGHT. WELL CADILLAC AIN’T NEVER DROP ME OFF AT THE ASTHMA CLINIC WHEN I WAS A WEE LITTLE LAD B4 SCHOOL, BCUZ MOMMA OR DADDY WOULDN’T STOP SMOKIN AROUND MA’ KRIB, FEEL ME!!!
Yo Tony,
Why is it that your comment seem so far away from what Vinnie is talking about?
I totally agree the neighbor hood i live in the parents let their kids run like a pac of wild dogs as soon as school is out their outside running wild and the kids and the parents have the nerve to talk about me not letting my kids out like that because when my kids get out of school they do their homework thats first priority in my household. When black people see someone different they always say oh they think they all that, just because i’m not following in line as the other parents i don’t like my neighbor hood when my kids want to go out and play i take them somewhere else in a different enviroment. I tell my kids just because you live in a certain area doesn’t mean you have act like everyboudy else in the hood be different and do better. We as black people need to wake up!!
When are people going to get tired of the welfare handouts ? Start working for the money , this madness must stop.
Yes PASTER VIN ROCK! YES! My idol of all time is preaching to all the blacks and black immigrants!
Yall need to stop blaming the parents for these kids runnin the streets…most these childs parents are trying to make a decent living to survive in this world…times are ruff!!! Thanks Vin for giving back to the hood we need more celebs and people like you.