Arrested Development MC Speech caused a social media uproar last week following what many deemed a controversial Instagram post.
The veteran Hip Hop figure posted a photo of JAY-Z, Sean “Diddy” Combs and T.I. (among others) with a lengthy caption reminding people that many Hip Hop artists became successful for “perpetuating the worst Black stereotypes.”
After actress Raven-Symone shared Speech’s post, she quickly became the target of the internet’s wrath. Symone’s repost yielded a response from T.I. who told her, “ur sins ain’t no greater than yours ma’am. The air must be thin as hell up there on that high horse you sittin on.”
Although she deleted the post, The View co-host assured people she still stands behind Speech’s words.
Speech, who rose to notoriety in the ’90s as the de facto leader of Arrested Development, is also holding firm. In a comment to HipHopDX, he said his statements are “needed.”
“Hip Hop is at its most crucial and important moment,” he tells DX. “It’s bigger than ever, and the artists can make money in more multiple ways now! It’s super important that we don’t leave half the fans behind by making it primarily about drug selling, degradation of women and violence! We NEED BALANCE and exposure of the White Supremacist agenda unknowingly played out by our favorite artists.”
On Sunday (February 4), Speech shared another video to his Facebook page further explaining his position.
“Salute to all the people out there that understood the simplicity of what I was saying, which is simply that a lot of Hip Hop artists, not just he ones in that picture, but a lot of Hip Hop artists have been congratulated by a white supremacist system of thinking that congratulates people and promotes and puts music out there that pretty much solely talks about our destruction.”
Since the beginning of Arrested Development’s career, the outspoken group has made a point of being a Pro-Black alternative to gangsta rap. Songs like “Mr. Wendal” and “Tennessee” spoke to Speech’s experiences visiting family in an impoverished area of the south. In 1993, the group earned two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, Best R&B Performance and and Best Rap Performance for Duo or Group.
Speech vows to continue broaching the topic despite any of, what he calls, “haters.”
As he said on Instagram last week, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Who else on the Picture does that Black Supremacist mean then? Swizz Beatz??
Am I a white supremacist if I believe everything that these rappers tell me is true and then assume black people actually do these things? I mean, I’m not black so I don’t know what it’s like right, I can only take your word for it. I always wondered this, cuz when I was growing up I idolized black culture and not a day went by when I wasn’t told by a black person in some way or another that they’re gangsta and not to be fucked with…so if after hearing that, I cross the street when a black dude is walking by me, am I racist or just taking a black man’s advice?
No, it means that the white supremacist music industry wins, because it leads many white kids to believe that all black stereotypes are true and it leads black kids to believe that there’s only one or two ways to be successful in life (drugs or music). In the end, we (the consumers) are the losers.
At one time we had different lanes in hip hop today is the worst era when the fake gangsta tales began to take over and reduced it to one lane and yes many got rewarded for helping ruin the lives of inner city youths wit making drug dealers hero’s and pimping as something respectful and showing our little girls its ok to be a stripper now they pushing the gay agenda and being on drugs .Trust one thing is for sure those who push this will pay a Heavy Price !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jay Z has switched up his lyrical content Big Ups to him !!!!!!!!!!!!
Every brand of hip hop is not for everybody true there needs to be more balance but every one is not into conscious music regardless of what these guys rap about they do a lot of good in the hood, but know one talks about that
The culture dictate where hip-hop goes, not the corporations or white supremacist. It’s been that way from the start. There are plenty genre’s of rap, but today’s society is driven by money and violence. If people in the hip-hop culture started singing opera, you best believe these corporations and label heads are gonna push country music down our throats. They only concerned about making money. The problem is not the label heads, the problem is us as a people. We rap about our surroundings. THATS WHAT RAP MEANS IN THIS HIPHOP CULTURE. *Don’t hate on my opinion*
*opera not country lol*
He has a point though, let’s keep it 100. They made millions off telling black kids how to destroy themselves and their communities
He is right about needing balance. There used to be different artists who had their own voice. It seems like now its different rappers with the same voice rapping about the same things. They seem scared to try something so they always use the same batch of producers that have a certain sound.
Black people remain the only people who claim the kind of music their people make train their kids lol..bad parenting do u hear white, asians, hispanics saying rock n roll, pop music or even hiphop ruined their kids no! Mofos need to raise their kids, rap is entertainment like a horror movie or action movie do u act it out? Therefore why act music out fools..back to the lab!
The difference is when you live in a real City like NY or LA this becomes a life style. This is culture especially for inner city youth. Look at heavy metal and all it’s dark Satanic and Occult references this stuff does have an effect on many.
Hip Hop by definition is a rebels genre for catharsis and addressing social issues . Just like Jay stopped selling dope and went coprate and Nas left his esco ways to be a venture capitalist is the reason we should celebrate great artists who “evolve” from their dark pasts. Shitting on them while u let the pill popping lil, young mumblin fools out here run free just reeks of jealousy and nothing else!
whoa speech comin wit it!