Stop Snitching…it
is probably one of the most popular sayings in the Hip-Hop community aside from
the marvelous word “Hater.” Apparently over the course of the past decade,
“snitching” is the worst possible thing an individual can do. Just think of all
the past “snitches” and how you feel about them when their names are brought
up. Kobe Bryant, Jose Canseco and Lil’ Cease amongst others. Yeah…many of
your fists ball up by their damn selves when you think of these famous
so-called “snitches.” But I have some
snitches that you may not even know about. Young
Jeezy, 50 Cent and Cam’ron are a
few that I can think off of the top of the head. Oh you didn’t know? Well
before I explain why these people are “snitches” let me tell you a little
story…
I’m at the Anthony
Hamilton concert about a month ago when in between acts I decide its time
to get up and grab another vodka and cranberry. As I’m walking into the venue
lobby I run into a friend I haven’t seen in years (I’ll leave his name out
because I don’t want to be a “snitch”). So I slap him a righteous five and get
down to small talk that goes a little something like this…
What’s up fam?
Ain’t nothing…how’ve
you been?
I’ve been good. Just
moved back home.
Oh word? How’s life?
Well I can’t complain.
I’m doing my thing ya dig? Making good money doing this electrician thing.
Oh serious?
At this point I’m pleasantly surprised to know that a
brother is doing well and hasn’t fallen by the wayside. That is until he drops
the bomb on me…
But you know me nigga,
I gotta get my hustle on! A nigga gotta be pimpin’ these hoes!
Now it’s not the casual “pimpin’ the hoes” like many of us
think- just having sex with random women and whatnot. Oh no…he means the true
art of pimping. He proceeds to give me his story of how one of his hoes got
“out of pocket” with him at a strip club and was eyeballing another pimp (who
just so happens to be another guy that I know who is a middle school teacher!)
and the two almost came to blows over this ho because that’s messing up his
money.
Now many of you are asking yourself… “Andreas, what the hell does this have to do with Stop Snitchin?” Well
apparently he doesn’t think much of his “profession” to the point where he can
just tell anybody. He and I weren’t that cool to the point where he can air out
his dirt in confidence. But I had to ask myself “If he told me then who else did he tell?” And when the police come
to his door for solicitation and proceed to cuff him he’ll probably be thinking
as his head slams to the car hood “How
did they find out?” That’s when I’ll pop out with a sign that displays my
new campaign for all to adopt…
“Stop Snitchin’ On
Yourself!”
We have been so caught up in this whole “Stop Snitchin” nonsense that it never really dawns on us that we
give up the goods on a daily basis without the powers that be having to use
that menacing Patriot Act. We make their lives a bit easier when it’s time to
build up that rap sheet that they will use against us in a court of law.
Now back to 50 Cent,
Young Jeezy and Cam’ron. Have
you listened to their music lately? 50
has more guns than Barry
Bonds has home runs, Young Jeezy
is the Snowman that still hugs the block and Killa Cam…well he breaks every gotdamn law under the sun in his
music (check out the lyrics to
“Get Ya Gun” if you don’t believe me). These days it has become cool
to talk about the dirt that you do (even though you know that your black ass
still ain’t out bustin’ guns, selling coke or pimping women). And when the cops
are targeting them and may harass them a couple of times they still have the
nerve to say “Why you fucking with me?”
I’ll tell you why! How the hell do you expect to beat a
murder rap when your name is C-Murder?
Stop Snitchin’ On Yourself! A shootout happens at a local club and you happen
to be there. Not to mention you are infamous for saying “Fuck arguing, I let my gun talk for me.” Stop Snitchin’ On
Yourself! A young woman leaves your hotel room and conveniently calls 911 to
say that she has been raped. You have an album out saying how “I’m gonna take that pussy!” Stop
Snitchin On Yourself! You are out “minding your business” when three hungry
kids (not hungry like “let’s get it” but hungry like “I haven’t eaten in 5
days”) break you for your three 50k chains. The very chains you wore in your
last video while spilling Crystal
like water and saying “I got more money
than I can spend.” Stop Snitchin On Yourself!
You kids make it damn hard for us regular folks out there.
Hustlin’ today has become more recreation than occupation. Back in the day cats
hustled to get out of the streets and I’ll be damned if not every drug dealer,
pimp, thug or whoever would openly tell folks what they do. Nobody was proud of
it. And the kids were the first ones they told to “Stay out them streets and stay in them books. You don’t want to end up
like me.” Back then people hustled to eat. Today kids hustle for the sake
of saying that they hustle. My friend was an electrician with no kids (to my
knowledge). Last time I checked electricians made pretty good money. I don’t
think he was missing any meals either. But apparently the art of doing dirt and
broadcasting has become rather cool.
While many still think that your art still holds true to
your identity don’t you think by saying how much dirt you do on record that you
are basically incriminating yourself? Even worse, by making dirt cool for the
kids don’t you think that it may cloud their judgment on what is positive and
what is negative? Go outside and see how many snowman t-shirts you find on kids
under the age of 18. Then ask yourself how many of these kids have even seen an
ounce of cocaine in their short lives. Listen to how they talk. See their
myspace pages. They are so open to incriminating themselves before they even
understand how to do the dirt that they talk about.
The God of rap, Rakim,
had a few choice words to say about those who “extort the streets”…
“It wasn’t cool to
talk about what went on on the block. Especially on a record…I had people that
was close to me that was doing what they do. I respect (street hustlers) for
doing what he got to do, I’ll let him know if it ain’t good, but still I
respect that man he got to get his food. I got people that’s close to me was
doing real things in the streets. For me to get on the mic and start talking
about certain things… It’s like three-dimensional right now, every time
somebody get on the mic and mention some crime, you got 5-0 knocking at the
door or tapping the phone or investigating this crew or this crew.”
*Ring Ring* you hear that? That’s your gotdamn wake up call
kids! Real gangsters don’t publicize. And for those who feel that you have to
publicize your hustle to get props, take a look at Rakim who may be the most influential emcee of all time. How many
guns did he bust? Don’t recall him pushing rocks in his music yet he can be
pointed at as the one who took the game to the next level. Remember that.
So as the pressing companies continue to push “Stop Snitchin’” t-shirts remember that
the person who is saying it probably is either doing dirt themselves or will
probably squeal like a pig when the real pigs apply the pressure. And if not
they are just seriously misdirected in this world. And while we make it cool to
pick up a gun or pimp hoes, why can’t we make it cool to educate and elevate?
When I was with Lupe Fiasco we had a
conversation about the rap game. He dropped some serious jewels but amongst
them he said “Why can’t the hook to Laffy Taffy be ‘read-a-book’?” Think about
it.
But once again we continue to fall for the bait that these
media outlets use to trap us. Sure 50
Cent can talk about guns because the label pays him to do that as well as
feed the impressionable minds out there with the nonsensical concept that
thuggin is “cool.” Think of it like this; Cam, Jeezy and 50 are all
paid actors. You, my naïve friends, aren’t. So when you broadcast your cool
little hustle game you are attracting negative attention to yourself. And when
you are pulled over on the corner with cops harassing you (which they are going
to do anyway but now you’ve helped out their cause) remember these words as
your head gets slammed on that hot 5-0 car hood as the thought of “how did they
find out” runs through your brain….
“Stop Snitchin On
Yourself”
And with that I’ll leave it to the words of the late great Christopher Wallace AKA The Notorious B.I.G. “Don’t you know Bad Boys move in silence and
violence” But I’m just a critic…Who the Hell Am I?
or
Discuss here!