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CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: First and foremost, in the interest of full disclosure, I fux with Rick Ross's "B.M.F." single hardbody karate ... it has been in regular rotation since "The Albert Anastasia EP" dropped a few weeks back. It's a dope song. That having been said, upon learning that he had named a song after the legendary "B.lack M.afia F.amily" crew, I immediately recognized the giant turd in the proverbial punch bowl that Mr. Rawse had just dropped. Now we have the matching Official B.lowing M.oney F.ast T-Shirt to add insult to identity theft injury. (DISCLAIMER: I would totally wear this promo t-shirt if 1 of my friendly Def Jam Records connects where to procure this Perrier-Jouët poppin' pièce de résistance for me ... lol.)
Pop culture in general and, with regard to this situation, Hip Hop specifically, has had a longstanding L.O.V.E. affair with all things "gangster". Rick Ross is no pioneer in this sub-genre. Many rappers have named themselves after infamous criminals such as Al "Scarface" Capone and John "Teflon Don" Gotti as a way to pay homage to these men as well as liken their own self-proclaimed exploits to these larger than life villains in the hopes of somehow placing themselves amongst the pantheon of gangster greats. Cool. I get it.
However, with the recent copyright infringement lawsuit levied against the rapper Rick Ross by the real cocaine kingpin whom inspired his stage name, L.A.'s "Freeway" Ricky Ross, having been unceremoniously thrown out of court (READ: Dismissed) and the failure of the B.M.F. song to illicit the outrage that I initially thought that it would cause (NOTE: Shortly after Rick Ross dropped his single, Young Jeezy did release a song entitled "The Real B.M.F." featuring the collect call vocal stylings of the real Big Meech as he chastised B.M.F. impostors. Nevertheless, what I, and everybody else with ears, believed to be a warning shot fired @ Señor Rozay for his blatant biting of the B.M.F. brand was later discredited as a diss song as Twitter reports emerged that Big Meech, in fact, liked and approved of Rick Ross's tribute song. So, there that goes ... lol.) it would seem that, today, nothing is sacred.
I have heard some people say that misappropriating, for instance, the name of John Gotti is exactly the same as utilizing "Freeway" Ricky Ross's name and should be similarly viewed as the harmless exercising of artistic license. People of that opinion are clearly more industry than actively "in-these-streets" and lack a fundamental understanding of what makes for good hood etiquette surrounding such sensitive topics. Simply put, the liberal use of the names and likenesses of still living gangsters from our urban communities can prove particularly precarious because of their often close proximity to the entertainment business and, indeed, our everyday world. Names like John Gotti and Capone have nothing to do with Hip Hop or the Black community. Nobody in Hip Hop has any meaningful relationship to these notorious Italian-American gangsters, thereby rendering the employment of their names as aliases by rappers a pretty much victimless crime ... lol.
On the other hand, the groupie-like invocation with which a name like Big Meech is shouted by people with whom he has had no ties is bound to hit a sore point with those who do truly know the man and continue his legacy. For Young Jeezy, and many like him, Big Meech isn't a SMACK DVD character or Don Diva Magazine article come to life; he simply is a life. He is flesh and blood. His impact on our community is tangible. These names that have become woven into the fabric of contemporary urban folk lore are real people facing real time ... some niggas are still trying to come home on appeal. Respect the game.
I know that make-believe can be oh so much fun and provide a much needed splash of color to most rapper's otherwise blank canvases of a life, but not everything is to be sensationalized. Message To The Rapper Rick Ross: Follow your own advice. Sometimes, shit really is "Deeper Than Rap".
Don't get it fucked up though homie; I enjoy Rick Ross's music all damn day - he is 1 of the best rappers in the game right now - but, my appreciation of his work does NOT preclude me from calling him out on his bullshit. Real recognize real. Know the ledge.
Pop culture in general and, with regard to this situation, Hip Hop specifically, has had a longstanding L.O.V.E. affair with all things "gangster". Rick Ross is no pioneer in this sub-genre. Many rappers have named themselves after infamous criminals such as Al "Scarface" Capone and John "Teflon Don" Gotti as a way to pay homage to these men as well as liken their own self-proclaimed exploits to these larger than life villains in the hopes of somehow placing themselves amongst the pantheon of gangster greats. Cool. I get it.
However, with the recent copyright infringement lawsuit levied against the rapper Rick Ross by the real cocaine kingpin whom inspired his stage name, L.A.'s "Freeway" Ricky Ross, having been unceremoniously thrown out of court (READ: Dismissed) and the failure of the B.M.F. song to illicit the outrage that I initially thought that it would cause (NOTE: Shortly after Rick Ross dropped his single, Young Jeezy did release a song entitled "The Real B.M.F." featuring the collect call vocal stylings of the real Big Meech as he chastised B.M.F. impostors. Nevertheless, what I, and everybody else with ears, believed to be a warning shot fired @ Señor Rozay for his blatant biting of the B.M.F. brand was later discredited as a diss song as Twitter reports emerged that Big Meech, in fact, liked and approved of Rick Ross's tribute song. So, there that goes ... lol.) it would seem that, today, nothing is sacred.
I have heard some people say that misappropriating, for instance, the name of John Gotti is exactly the same as utilizing "Freeway" Ricky Ross's name and should be similarly viewed as the harmless exercising of artistic license. People of that opinion are clearly more industry than actively "in-these-streets" and lack a fundamental understanding of what makes for good hood etiquette surrounding such sensitive topics. Simply put, the liberal use of the names and likenesses of still living gangsters from our urban communities can prove particularly precarious because of their often close proximity to the entertainment business and, indeed, our everyday world. Names like John Gotti and Capone have nothing to do with Hip Hop or the Black community. Nobody in Hip Hop has any meaningful relationship to these notorious Italian-American gangsters, thereby rendering the employment of their names as aliases by rappers a pretty much victimless crime ... lol.
On the other hand, the groupie-like invocation with which a name like Big Meech is shouted by people with whom he has had no ties is bound to hit a sore point with those who do truly know the man and continue his legacy. For Young Jeezy, and many like him, Big Meech isn't a SMACK DVD character or Don Diva Magazine article come to life; he simply is a life. He is flesh and blood. His impact on our community is tangible. These names that have become woven into the fabric of contemporary urban folk lore are real people facing real time ... some niggas are still trying to come home on appeal. Respect the game.
I know that make-believe can be oh so much fun and provide a much needed splash of color to most rapper's otherwise blank canvases of a life, but not everything is to be sensationalized. Message To The Rapper Rick Ross: Follow your own advice. Sometimes, shit really is "Deeper Than Rap".
Don't get it fucked up though homie; I enjoy Rick Ross's music all damn day - he is 1 of the best rappers in the game right now - but, my appreciation of his work does NOT preclude me from calling him out on his bullshit. Real recognize real. Know the ledge.
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