PorkChop wrote:Danielson, I get that you're a fan of Kanye and his music but you're really struggling trying to hold his back in this thread.
Slaves were raped, beaten, and denied the most basic of human rights. Instead of providing irrelevant statistics such as the number of black males in American prisons and twisting that to fit your argument, please show me evidence that Kanye's music label beat, rape and torture him. Then you might be on to something.
So are minorities in prisons in the United States. I mean they're being raped, beaten, and denied of human rights today. This is exactly what Kanye was talking about in "New Slaves". Let me show you the stats again
"Today, there are more African-American adults under correctional control than were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War."
That statistic is fucking ridiculous. So how was he wrong when he said that slavery still exists today in America? The fact that 1 out of 3 black males are destined to end up in prison sometime is a ridiculous statistic as well.
Now as for labels, they basically trick most artist into contracts that is a form of slavery as well. An artist can make an 11 MILLION dollar profit for a record label and still be paid NOTHING. They just did all that labor to earn nothing in return. In fact, most of them actually end up owing the record label money.
Hip hop artist are even promoting the same content in Willie Lynch's letter of controlling black people. For example, pitting light skin black people against dark skin black people.
Unfortunately, you won't find such evidence. Kanye has access to clean water, healthcare, he works in sanitary conditions and doesn't live in fear of being beaten, raped or murdered every day. On top of that, Kanye West lives a more hedonistic and luxurious lifestyle than most people on the planet.
Okay but Kanye's message on "New Slaves" was not about himself. Also ironically, major labels don't offer healthcare, dental plans, insurance, etc at all. This isn't about Kanye West himself, this is about what he said. The fact that people are mentally enslaved (consumers, musicians etc) and physically (prisoners). I think you're just missing the whole point of what I'm saying.
You keep talking about how terrible the conditions of slavery was, which I understand because my ancestors and great grandparents were slaves as well but I've pointed out how it still exists today. A form of it exists in the music industry, in private owned prisons, etc. Which is what I agree with. I agree 100% about him saying that labels treat musicians like slaves. You're taking the word way too literal. No they aren't be whipped, lynched or picking cotton, but they're working free labor that puts them in debt. They're promoting the same content that was in Willie Lynch's letter.
Kanye probably hires people to do things for him too, such as cleaners and personal shoppers. Isn't that ironic.
What's ironic? LOL, a cleaner for Kanye West probably makes a better salary than most people in middle America. A cleaner doesn't work for free like most musicians do, cleaners don't go into debt because of their employer, cleaners probably have health insurance unlike most musicians today.
You picked a really bad example. A cleaner isn't promoting or broadcasting messages to millions and millions of people in the world.
The impression I've got from this thread is that you don't actually understand what slavery is.
My great grandparents were slaves, I have a slave name. I've constantly been racially profiled in my life, my mom got fired from her job because of her race, and my uncle was incarcerated for an excessive amount of time for self defense.
The irony is a white person trying to tell me about myself.
