Kwabena Sadiki Jijaga Rasouli.
Anti-Semitic Song Would Never Make Triple-Grammys; Yet N-Word Laced Song Elevated
Can you imagine a triple-Grammy nominated record this year—or any year—containing the following lyrics, seemingly encouraging the shooting of Jews—spelling it Joos?
“Cause the codeine had a young joo a swervin’
I got the mop, watch me wash ’em like detergent
And I’m ballin’, that’s why it’s diamonds on my jersey
Slide on opps’ side and flip the block back, yeah, yeah
My junior popped him and left him lopsided, yeah, yeah…”
It would never happen. The same lyrics, however, with the word “Niggers” or “Niggahs” inserted, are considered perfectly acceptable. The record, Rockstar, by DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch has been nominated for three Grammy awards for 2021.
A group called The Clear the Airwaves Project headed by Kwabena Sadiki Jijaga Rasouli believes that these type of lyrics contribute to making young Black men disrespect and even kill each other. Kwabena says his group is making sure that this murderous insult does not take place in silence. They have been addressing the issue of murderous misogynistic lyrics for years and have recently begun to step up pressure on the Grammy’s. Recently in a panel discussion sponsored by the Committee to Eliminate Media Offensive to African People (CEMOTAP), Rasouli termed this triple Grammy nominated song “unacceptable.”
Other members of The Clear the Airwaves Project include author Bernard Creamer who, in his book “Who Stole the Soul,” called these type of violent songs as a part of “weaponization of Hip Hop.” In this week of the Grammys, they are calling for elected officials and community leaders to condemn these types of lyrics and to pressure the Grammy Committee to refrain from rewarding what they call “murder music.” They are also encouraging people to call or write the Grammy Committee to protest this award.
The number to call is (310) 392-3777.
The mailing address to The Grammys:
3030 Olympic Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90404
