Something that YOU already know about me, I love ideas. So, I do not want to spend too much time foraging around events and personalities. However, DaBaby’s recent inadvertent foray into socio-political commentary provided what I see as a platform to explore ideas I am driven to share.
A few years ago, I wrote “And Why Should We Be Alarmed At Lil' Wayne's Sacrilege?” as a reminder that cultural interpretations of history serve as defensive mechanations in psychological warfare. Further, I decclared my fear that too many younger Black people lacked a sufficient understanding of that cultural interpretation of history. This lack of cultural awareness breeds an inability to appreciate, let alone treat as sacred, those artifacts and ancestral rites that would provide them armor from becoming their own worse enemy.
That time, my impetus was Lil Wayne’s line “Beat that pussy up like Emmett Till”. This time it is a call-to-action performed by DaBaby during his Rolling Loud Miami set.
At this venue, DaBaby states:
“If you didn't show up today with HIV/AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that'll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cell phone light in the air,” he said. “Ladies, if your pussy smells like water, put a cell phone light in the air. Fellas, if you ain’t suck a n-gga dick in the parking lot, put your cell phone lights in the air. Keep it fucking real.”
He also revealed Tory Lanez a la “Masked Singer” prior to Megan Thee Stallion’s performance.
So, there are a number of ways this can be problematized, but I only wish to address his homophobic comments, his horrific AIDS/HIV commentary, and his not so subtle alliance against a Black WOMAN with someone accused of shooting a gun at her.
There is a pernicious myth festering like a tumor inside Black united states of amerikkka. This myth can be worded in part as a belief that only heterosexual males can be militant or worthy of having their sacrifices valued.
DaBaby subscribes to this myth. How do we know?
DaBaby intimates here in his Twitter apologia(yeah, I thought not adding scarequotes there might make it even more ironic) that only Gay people that would be offended are those that also do not fight against state violence. This immediately caused me to believe that DaBaby does not know Kuwasi Balagoon’s name.
What passes presently for a Black Nationalist academic and literary canon is clogged like a toilet, overflowing with homophobic fecal writings. There is not a lot of writing on Balagoon. What we know of him exists in trial notes, prison letters, and poetry. In writing of his diverse characteristics, those closest to him state:
“Even in the midst of amazing friends and colleagues, and even while living and working in extraordinary times, Kuwasi stood out. Distinctions surrounding other labels and descriptors — New Afrikan revolutionary nationalist and anarchist; gay, bisexual, and/or queer; poet, militant, housing activist, Panther — can be discussed and debated and reflected upon, but Kuwasi’s greatest quality was surely his lasting love for the people and his ability to transform that love into tangible acts of resistance.”
From Kuwasis: A Virtual Roundtable of Love and Reflection
Compiled and coordinated by Matt Meyer, with Joan P. Gibbs and Meg Starr, featuring Sekou Odinga, bilal Sunni-Ali, Kim Kit Holder, Meg Starr, Danielle Jasmine, Amilcar Shabazz, Ajamu Sankofa, David Gilbert, dequi kioni-sadiki, Kai Lumumba Barrow, Dhoruba Bin Wahad, and Ashanti Alston
Beyond DaBaby’s lack of awareness of an extremely key figure of anti-state violence is his obliviously crass and ill-informed regard for AIDS as well as AIDS victims. I have stated several times already how I dislike whyte people lecturing DaBaby vis-a-vis intersectionality. That being said, as a Black Man, this is absolutely unacceptable. Kuwasi Balagoon, an openly bi and queer man living in those early 1980s contracted and subsequently died from AIDS related complications.
Musical tastes and HipHop purism aside, members of a community as disenfranchised as US Blacks are, it is gross negligence to allow someone this tone deaf and disconnected to be allowed a microphone without first be reeducated. This is a much greater deal than canceled stage shows. This young Black man sincerely believes he is connected to a movement of liberation with no regard for that movement’s giants.
Good faith and strong intellectual moral fiber dictates that I also remind us that DaBaby brought Tory Lanez on stage after Meg(thee Stallion). I once asked a group of Black WOMEN about their thoughts and feelings when considering Black Nationalism. One sister replied
While have no clue to why DaBaby and Lanez decided to share that stage at Rolling Loud, it does reek of a certain sort of bonding. What “certain sort of bonding” is that, OWL??? That kind where men unify around othering WOMEN in what amounts to trauma scaling and inadvertently more criminalizing of those same said Black Men. Both young men apparently need identity expressed in their maleness. Unfortunately, that maleness is defined in contrast to there supposed straightness and misogyny.
I find it appallingly hypocritical for DaBaby to call for solidarity around Black violence by state authorities, while giving a nod of solidarity to Lanez in same forum as Meg without ever addressing it. That’s very messy.
This is a historical lesson that should be shared in our community. We should never allow or bow to progressive liberal dogma that suggest or dermines what being a man is as a black person. Very well stated and honest presentation of these occurrences.