These Rappers Choose With Their Wallets Not Their Values
Tags: Music, Culture, Equality, Race, White Supremacy

These Rappers Choose With Their Wallets Not Their Values

If They Ever Had Values In The First Place

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The last week or two has been chock-full of rappers showing their priorities to their fans. As the Election Day approaches, quite a few rappers—Ice Cube, 50 Cent (though he walked it back—too late), Lil Wayne, Lil Pump, have chosen to endorse Trump. While their fans are horrified, this is not too surprising. A wealthy celebrity is like any other wealthy individual—they want to keep as much of their money as possible. To hell with the rest of the world.

It’s a Problem…Till You’re The Problem

Same as those who rave that all must be held accountable, saying the elite shouldn’t hoard money and that, overall, through tax breaks and loopholes they pay far less in taxes than someone working a 40 hour work week sounds wonderful. But when it hits too close to home, look how quickly they try to tell masses on social media that sh*t is gold.

Cash rules everything around me. Cream. Get the money. —Method Man from C.R.E.A.M by Wu-tang Clan

No, Method Man is not one of Trump’s supporters (as far as I know), but these lyrics illustrate the mentality of far too many individuals who reside within a higher income bracket. The wealthy are constantly given concessions and perks, from free products to tax breaks but still want more.

Taxes

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What’s got them riled is that the Biden tax plan would make them actually pay more. A person making over $400,000 anually would be taxed 39.6%. About 1% of the population in the U.S. makes over $500,000 and most of them get that amount from keeping wages low, laying off/firing workers when the business is not making their projected profits, etc. $400,000 is closer to the one percent than they are to being destitute. Hell, many people I know could survive on 100k a year easy. They make what they do by keeping us down, just look at Bezos and all the other elite.

Biden’s tax plan would benefit people and the economy, but the elite don’t want everyone to benefit. Who would they look down on? They need someone to suffer so they can feel good. Honestly, rappers like Ice Cube, 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, Lil Pump and Kanye are no different. They need to feel like gods.

Trump’s tax plan would give more tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations and that’s the biggest reason they’re endorsing him. They already pay less than most of the population but they’re greedy and want more. That’s it. No different than a lot of the elite who prefer Trump. They’re gonna ride his train and it will run over everyone else—including poorer Trump supporters who’s hate for non-white people and their longing for the “good ol’ days” makes them uninterested in anything else, except seeing Black people and people of color suffer.

When we talk paying less and more in taxes, use the rule you damn sure should be applying for celebrity and elite donations: percentages. Who gives a damn if a celeb donates a million dollars when they’re annual income is 50 million. Unlearn feeling grateful for scraps thrown on the floor. The wealthy don’t pay as much because the majority of their income doesn’t come from wages.

Misogynoir

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There is a level of misogyny and misogynoir prevalent both in the U.S. and heavily exists within the rap industry. We don’t have to look far to see the responses from people regarding Tory Lanez shooting Meg Thee Stallion. There was little to no sympathy for her, everyone said she was lying or wasn’t hurt that bad after being shot twice in the foot. This is an industry built on glamorizing keeping them hos in check. Society has taught them to ridicule, abuse, kill and demoralize Black woman.

Why else would they gravitate to a president that has double digit accusations of rape, sexual assault and pedophilia combined? Makes you wonder about these rappers and question what may come out about them in the future. This president has incited his base to violence again Black people, immigrants and people of color, yet they endorse him.

Because they see a man before they see white. They see a kindred, abusive spirit who will also let them keep more of their money. These are not rappers struggling to survive. They don’t care about Black people or anyone else if they have to actively demonstrate it. They just have words. An abuser endorsing an abuser is not quite as shocking when you look at it that way. Rapper 6ix9ine is a pedophile and abuser and fresh out of prison he said if he can vote he would vote for Trump. Trump attracts the dregs of humankind.

Trump is seen constantly ridiculing and targeting Black women, from news reporters to representatives and they are either happy he does or, again, don’t care because it’s just a Black woman. They’re preoccupied with benefitting from their position as wealthy Black men and closing their proximity to the white patriarchal system to care that, in the end, they are still Black. Proximity does not matter when you already have a strike against you because of your skin color.

Cast Them Aside

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Granted, one would think they would understand that their wealth is not a shield for the race. Like any other Black man, all it would take is one trigger happy, police officer indoctrinated in the slave patrol mentality for their life to be snuffed out. But, alas the rich are different.

Don’t support people who are actively working against us. Who are more interested in getting close to a predatory, racist, xenophobic, anti-LGBTQ, anti-disabled president than than are helping everyone who isn’t white. 2020 has done one blessed thing in this whole horrific year, we have seen how are favorite celebrities feel. Don’t excuse it, don’t ignore it. Acknowledge it and write them off. After all, they did that to us a long time ago.