In the past week, I was glued to the television watching CNN’s groundbreaking series Black in America 2, the follow-up to last year’s investigative report on the livelihood of African Americans. It debunked myths and stereotypes with truths of real people living the American dream. This summer the show’s moderator, Soledad O’Brien, introduced viewers to the individuals who are trailblazing the path to solutions for some of the most prominent issues affecting African Americans, including education, poverty and health care. As enlightening as the show was, I felt it might have missed an important cause that is administering change through our generation’s two largest mediums — hip-hop and the Internet — to help change the group most affected by these adversities — the youth.
A large facet of the hip-hop culture isn’t always what is heard, but what is seen. Ever since RUN DMC rocked “My Adidas,” fashion has been an intricate hand in the mainstreaming of this art form. Recent years have seen extremely successful clothing lines from some of hip-hop’s most popular personalities, including Jay-Z (Rocawear) and Diddy (Sean John). But with each Gucci rag and Louie bag purchased to perfect one’s swag, the more materialistic the message in mainstream hip-hop becomes.
Soulja Boy’s recent hit, “Turn My Swag On,” is nothing more than a boisterous ode to his monetary gains. And while everyone knows it’s just entertainment, this isn’t the value system we want our children — a large percentage of Soulja’s fans — to instill in their lives. So how does one create a quality product in a quantity-focused industry? They get “dangerous,” of course.
dangerousNegro is an organization I learned about during my freshman year of college. Founded in 2005, dangerousNegro is a movement rooted in hip-hop that goes beyond the bling bling mentality. Its purpose is to re-educate the masses, transforming collective mindsets to a higher plain of social conscious. In turn the organization hopes to empower the black community and provoke change. So what exactly is a dangerousNegro? One need only to read the description found at their blog:
A dangerousNegro is a Danger to America’s racial paradigm, a Danger to low expectations, a Danger to degenerate black mentalities, and is Dangerously contagious to the miseducated individual. Are you a dangerousNegro or soon to be endangered Negro?
Using the tag line “The Style’s in the Message” dangerousNegro has taken the art of the graphic tee and turned it into more than just a fashion statement. Its online store provides an array of apparel for men and women with messages to spark passerby interests. For instance a highly popular item is the “Smart is the new Gangsta” tee. This particular quip attempts to replace hip-hop’s violence culture with that of a weapon that trumps brawn 99 percent of the time. The pen is always mightier than the sword. Their latest design gave tribute to the late Michael Jackson, an incredibly charitable artist, with the “Man in the Mirror” T-shirt.
In the past years, its empire has expanded. Its close knit roots in hip-hop have spawned an independent record label, dn|Be Entertainment, which gives artists an alternative apart from the financial and artistic politics being signed to a major label includes. The label’s first signed artist is Chicago native Rhymefest, who aided Kanye West with songs on The College Dropout and released his debut Blue Collar, back in 2006. Rhymefest is set to release his sophomore album, El Che, sometime this year.
Finally, dangerousNegro reaches its public through dialogue. With the continuous growth of social networks, one can follow dangerousNegro through their blog for enlightening stories concerning race, politics, entertainment, and other subjects that affect the African American community. Can’t find a computer? Allow your phone to do the checking for you as they are also found on Facebook and Twitter. One can also register for their newsletter for updates.
So stop paying it safe. Don’t believe the hype. Get dangerous!