Rhymefest Mixtape Controversy
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The A.V. Club has expressed misgivings about Rhymefest’s new mixtape “The Manual” because of Rhymefest’s blatant homophobia. I can understand, I’ve been in situations where someone tells a racist/homophobic/misogynistic joke and is completely serious. Usually I try to feel someone out and try to get them to call me “one of the good ones (I’m half Latino). Sometimes though, it’s a co-worker situation, and I realize my taking a stand won’t turn 40 years of indoctrination. I live in a red state where country music stations are second only to neo-con talk.
Pretty much everyone can agree that hate in most forms is somewhere between “not cool” and “morally unacceptable under all circumstances”. But that still leaves a lot of wiggle room for a persons tolerance for bigotry and everyone is going to feel differently about some situations. Some people live to get pissed off about things that don’t even affect them. One time a white friend of mine said “nigga” and another white friend of mine got on friend #1’s case about his choice of words. Thus began a discussion of how being offended gives the word power and validity, and how letting it evolve into something else will make it cease to hurt anyone.
No I don’t think the A.V. Club falls under the category of people who are just waiting to be offended, but they do ask a couple of questions:
how do you reconcile what you love about a favorite artist with what you hate about them? Or are some things unforgivable? Does the good outweigh the bad when the bad is so transparently ugly and wrong?
My answer is with music. None of it safe for work.
Louis Logic – What you think what I know
Apathy And Celph Titled – Donkey Ass
Dr. Octagon – Girl Let Me Touch You
Blood For Blood – So Common, So Cheap
I should also mention this, I thought The A.V. Club article was originally about the Rhymesayers record label and I was already committed to writing this before I realized that this was about somebody who music I don’t even have. I haven’t listened to the mixtape yet, but I will, and if I hear anything that offends me, then I’ll bring it up. But I doubt that will happen.
