Jackson G. Tickle Enterprises Presents…Panama’s Propositions

[***I've added Little Brother's first critically acclaimed album, The Listening, to the playlist over there at WJGT Radio (which can be found by looking at the right of the screen under WJGT Radio, graduate). For some reason, my radio blog puts the songs in reverse order. Methinks I got a bug or a roach or something. Either way check out the album, its quality hiphop music and go pick up their second album, The Minstrel Show, on September 13th. ***]

Oh I’m SO done now.

There is a rumor circulating (and assuming its true and bears credence, one that BET has yet to put out an official press release disputing though this really isn’t even making a ripple anywhere, maybe because its BET and nobody cares) that the executives at BET won’t be playing the video for Little Brother’s first single “Lovin’ It” because it’s “too intelligent.”

Too intelligent??

Somebody.

Kill.

Me.

First the Fat Boys break up…now this.

Wait, wait, wait, I see a bunch of folks looking around wondering, who the hell is biship, and why hasn’t he been called to trial?

Er…I mean who is Little Brother? Sorry, I been listening to Wyclef’s The Carnival again.

*crickets*

Right. I know a lot of people out there have no clue who that is but many people on the underground hiphop circuit have been singing their praises for years, to include myself. Little Brother is a hip-hop group out of Raleigh, NC, who specialize in good music. Their first album, The Listening (which I might put up on the radio blog as a kind of intro for folks that don’t know), was heavily praised by ?uestlove from the legendary Roots crew and Pete Rock.

*still more crickets*

The producer for the group, 9th Wonder, produced the song “Threats” on Jay-Z’s Black Album and produced the songs “Girl” and “Is She The Reason?” on Destiny’s Child’s swan song Destiny Fulfilled.

OH!!!

*still more crickets and now we got a praying mantis sighting*

Forget it, it’s not important, but go pick up their album on September 13th anyway. It’s called The Minstrel Show.

Let’s focus on the total, utter ignorance of BET…and yes, those two words do go hand in hand, but still, DAMN. BET, purveyor of all things educational and worthy of black notice, might have put the proverbial nail in the coffin for me.

Even though I’ve written off BET long ago as one of the most useless networks in existence, and save the reruns of Martin, TVOne is pretty pointless too, I was always of the belief that one day, just one day, maybe BET would realize that its programming and show ideas have, for lack of a better word, sucked. I always hoped that the executives would all come together and say, “you know what, this can’t be what BET has come to. We just can’t show Prison Song one more time, it’s already come on 2,786 times. And if I have to watch Fire and Ice one more time, I’ll kill all of you.”

I always kind of hoped it would turn around and be a station that had some intrinsic value to the black community. Something?!!? It’s BET. Black Entertainment Television. To me that means providing quality entertainment relevant to black people of all backgrounds…to include black people that read.

But now, fuck it…burn all the buildings, fire all the staff, and just put some loud annoying unending beep on the channel that houses BET.

Assuming this rumor is true, and given the fact that it is BET, I’m just not ready to dismiss the rumor, BET has finally admitted what they think that we’ve assumed all along.

To BET, black people don’t want or aren’t ready for anything that might actually cause thought outside of the box.

And let’s be clear about something hear. I’ve heard and seen the video for “Lovin’ It”. We’re not talking about a song that incites you to read Chaucer or Shakespeare. Hell, it’s just a party song. So what I assume that BET means by the whole “too intelligent” thing is that Little Brother caters to an audience that they just don’t know how to reach…niggas that read. The audience Little Brother caters to is not the 106&Park crowd, not the 8-17 year olds who only want to hear 50 Cent or Lil Bow Wow. Hell, Little Brother isn’t even the Rap City crowd anymore since Rap City plays the same videos that come on 106&Park now.

Do you mind if I take a tangent? No? Thanks. I remember when Rap City used to be the best place to catch up on real hiphop. At 4pm EST everyday, you could see all the latest underground hiphop and see videos of up and coming new rap acts. Between Yo!MTV Raps and Rap City, one could venture into the world of real hiphop. I’m not ready to get into a dialogue on what real hiphop means today, as to me, it’s just one of those things you know when you see it…similar to Little Brother. It’s a damn shame what Rap City has devolved into. The Rap City Top 10 is damn near the same as the 106&Park Countdown. They just replace the R&B songs with R&B sounding rap songs.

Back to the lecture at hand. This whole situation, assuming its true, begs a better question. What exactly does BET think of its patrons if they are willing to deem a video “too intelligent” or are unable to figure out where to run a video?? I’m inclined to believe that BET ultimately thinks its patrons aren’t too bright or would be unable to appreciate something that deviates from the norm. Essentially, BET caters to the braindead.

And yes, if you watch BET, that means you. I stopped watching BET (except for the BET Awards) when I took the blue pill and left The Matrix. Besides, MTV is WAY more entertaining I mean have you SEEN Laguna Beach??

Hmmm…mayhaps that was too much information.

Yeah…where were we?

Oh yes! BET has decided, and it didn’t take them not playing a video that abstracts from the norm to discern this, that if the artist doesn’t pack mainstream appeal (such as your Kanye’s, Jay’s, LL’s, or talking about bling, bitches, and bentleys) then there is no place for them on BET. I guess they aren’t black entertainment. Or maybe, they’re just not the kind of black entertainment BET believes black folks are capable of understanding or enjoying.

You know the biggest shame in all of this?? BET could really be a station of amazing impact. And I won’t even say that they haven’t tried and I understand its a business. They are competing for advertising dollars, and aren’t getting any, evidenced by the fact that there is a whole day which features nothing even remotely consistant with black entertainment (Sunday). I don’t know who to blame for that but good gotdamn, BET has really dropped the ball somewhere, be it in their executive choices or business decisions.

BET could honestly be a place where black shows featuring, music, issues, and THOUGHT were present. It’s like they’ve systematically (and intentionally) reduced BET from a place where people who read and aren’t afraid of information could venture to a place where thinking isn’t necessary…hell, it isn’t even wanted. And TVOne is no different. TVOne only exists because people complained about BET and yet they are damn near interchangeable.

That’s why pulling the “too intelligent” card makes sense. Why even put anything that could be deemed challenging. And like I said, the song in question and hell Little Brother, isn’t akin to calculus. They are just better than average rappers who speak to the common man, with better than average production, that when pulled together create great music. Put plainly, it’s entertaining music.

BET has shown what it feels about its patrons, and to borrow a line from an editorial on hiphopsite about this situation, if you watch BET consistantly, you should feel dumb as fuck right now, since BET has indirectly deemed all of its programming to be intended for the simplest of minds.

So to BET, die.

I’d say this is another sad day in BET History, but it almost seems like everyday is a sad day in BET History nowadays.

BET…welcome to the REAL Minstrel Show.

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