What's on the surface?

I think it's a matter of representation...

Strangely enough, watching the American Music Awards got me a-thinkin'. I wrote another blog about music. Check it out. I wrote couple blogs about being Black. Check them out. But I'm speaking more globally here. Bottom line, I don't want some of the people who represent me representing me. They can't represent me...there's no way. Let me explain...

Somehow, he made his way back...the self-proclaimed Ringleader himself, Mr. T-Pain. For anyone who saw the AMA's, you know what I'm getting at. But this man looked like a fool. Not a regular fool, but a Black fool, which is a whoooole kinda different. In some circles he'd be referred to as a coon. Urbandictionary.com defines "coonery" as: Antics and behavior displayed by certain underclass individuals in the Black culture, the end result being the embarrassment of the rest of the upstanding Black community. Except for the whole underclass part, this man was guilty of anywhere between 5 to 8 counts of coonery. Now speaking as a proud Black man, this was simply insulting. I feel you T-Pain, do what you do. But you're out here just acting a complete ass. Whites who aren't exposed to Blacks see him, they see 50 Cent, they see Pacman Jones, they see the local news, and extrapolate the rest. So to them I become a menace to society (I don't want to know what that combination would yield).

More food for thought: I don't know if anyone noticed, but the New Kids on the Block are back. Like for real back. They have an album out and everything. A new tour, and a shit-ton of fans. Really? Like that's the best we could do? I remember the "boy band" scene was the shit back in the day. Backstreet Boys, N*Sync, 98 Degrees, 5ive...it didn't stop. Everybody had a boy band (I'm going to stop saying boy band...it makes me uncomfortable). But now that that time is thankfully over, we've moved on to better things. Or so we thought. So now we have NKOTB once more. I say again...really? That's the best we could do? Again, it's all about representation. NKOTB are representing the current state of the music world. Scary, right?

And this is why I feel like I need to make it.

Now in an attempt not to be relabeled as a hater (trust, it's all love), I'd like to highlight an example we can all relate to. Not everyone who reads this is Black or an aspiring musician but I'm pretty sure y'all are American. So George W. Bush. He was the face of this country for the past 8 years. If other countries around the world weren't laughing at us, they hated us, and it was all because of this man. This horrible man. I'm done making my point. He sucks.

I know what you're thinking "well that muthafucka don't represent me!" He doesn't. You're right. I don't know T-Pain very well as a person, but I like to think we don't have much in common outside of being Black. NKOTB...yeah. No comment. Nothing in common with them either. The people whom I love and keep close to me represent who I am. But T-Pain and them...they represent groups I belong to. Black. Musician. American. When I think of times I'm ashamed of being part of a whole, those people are usually involved. Think of a time you were proud to be Black or Canadian or South American. When you were proud to be a woman or a man or a father or mother. Or proud to be a Baltimorean, New Yorker, or Texan. That means someone who represented those groups did something noteworthy. And those sheltered individuals who don't know you personally could easily be tricked into thinking you're the same as them. I guess it's a gift and a curse.