COONING – The New Black Hustle

What’s really good people?

I must say I am fighting some writers block in recent weeks. But just when you think you might be running out of fresh, provocative and informative things to share and discuss with the people, just grab a seat and turn on your television set and take-in an experience like no other. Let’s Go!

Ok people; let me get focused…

   

Catch anything of interest in television programming lately?

What’s that new hip-hop song they play like 20 times a day on the radio again?

See any BUFFONERY in the last African American movie you watched at the theater or in the confines of your own home?

Did you go buy your child a pair of JEGGINS or SKINNY JEANS from the local department store so he can SAGG his a** on his first day of school?

Oh, how can I forget; have you seen any of the recent Republican Presidential debates within the past month?  

The dictionary defines the old slang term COON as “disparaging and offensive; a black person; rustic or undignified person”. As a Nigerian American I unfortunately have come to see this unattractive side of my race, community and country far too many times than I can remember in recent memory. To the point that I have actually come to terms on this point, I can tolerate a SELL-OUT but I hate a COON. And just like Chris Rock elegantly put it in one of his best comedic stand-up performances; “There’s like a civil war going on with black people and there’s two sides. There’s black people, and there’s n****s. The n****s have got to go… I love black people, but I hate n****s, boy. I hate n****s. Boy, I wish they’d let me join the klu klux klan s**t, I’d do a drive-by from here to Brooklyn”. CLASSIC!

You know for the longest time I use to think the term Sell-out and COON were interchangeable. But the more I look around and start to pay attention to things, COONING is just outright vexing.  I see a Sell-out more like a misguided and naïve soul that needs some direction. A COON on the other hand is a character, someone deliberately and willfully playing a designated role or part for some type of compensation.

The origin of the COON stereotype began in the 1600s when white Americans looked at their black slaves as “Good for Nuffin”. A COON was typically regarded as someone you could not count on or who would rather live off of the work of others. The lasting images we saw were of males who moved very slowly and talked slowly. They could never manage to speak proper English and were easily manipulated by their slave owners.  So when I see these shameful images of people of color on my television and listen to the content of the music glamorized in today’s pop culture, I cringe and question what exactly do we value and deem respectable in our communities.

The three word answer is MONEY MONEY MONEY. People of color have become so distracted and influenced by consumption of wealth that they will absolutely do anything for money. They sell their souls to the devil, loose any of their moral fiber; make their families/race look worse all in the name of EXPLOITATION.

Just a week or two ago I loved how so many raved about the hip-hop cyphers in the recent Black Entertainment Television (BET) hip hop awards. The hip-hop cyphers were such a big hit that even Nigerian hip-hop artists back home staged their own. But if you watched the award show in its entirety, you get a sense that this is an exploiting of blacks at its best. I mean from the saggin pants, hollerin’ and cussin on stage, raunchy & provocative attire put on by the females, endless gold teeth etc… (BTW; let me be the first to acknowledge that I too do Sagg my pants and its something that I work on everyday to correct).

 

Now for the sake of not naming names because I can easily do so; can we just take a closer look at who makes, writes and decides on the themes in a number of films featuring people of color as leading actors? COONING!

The highest Court in the land here in America has one African American representative in the Supreme Court and what have been his rulings since he took the bench? Just know that the same laws and civil rights acts such as “Affirmative Action” that help propel him in his career are legal statues that he is now AGAINST. COONING!   

Finally, I present to you the African American vying for the Republican nomination for the 2012 ticket presidential ticket “Mr. 9-9-9”… Believe me when I say the acts of COONERY are all around us and you can’t run away from it. It’s even now in politics and more than ever it is the key to winning a party’s nomination ticket. Take “Mr. 9-9-9” for example, the Tea party pays him money to defend their white supremacy and do their dirty work in American politics. White power Rednecks in America love to use these characters as chess pawns in promoting their agenda. COONING!

SAGGIN Backwards = N****S