Dr Boyce Watkins Breaks Down The Bobby Shmurda Situation Brilliantly

[Soundbwoy]

I don't think he meant HE saw him as a pet monkey but that's what the video gave the impression of to them because of what he was doing. I think nearly everyone was uncomfortable with that video. I thought he was quite reasonable with Bobby actually, he mainly blamed Epic and them and possibly Bobby's mentors etc for allowing him to be exploited like that and being that naeive.

You can perform but the video looked like he was 'turning up' and being ignronant for white people either for their approval, a cheque or both. And from the perspective of some selling out his race in the process. I don't believe you'd see KRS-One or Rakim or many many others performing like THIS for them.

I agree the blame doesn't mainly lie with Bobby but the video of him performing was extremely uncomfortable to watch to me. I don't like that he did that, but ultimately the blame lies with those in power putting pressure on artists to do that kind of thing.

while I understand the context, Kanye use to do the same thing coming up to whoever he would run to, it's common practice for artist to perform in boardrooms the only difference is the video

 

[Mike Otherz]

That's the thing though, I wasn't disturbed by it neither did I find it extremely uncomfortable.
I'm a rapper, I've been around rappers, I've been around producers, studio owners etc.
When you want people to invest their time and energy into you, they want to see if you're really about what
you say you are. So when it's time you better be ready to belt out a note, rap a verse, etc. because if not, they can
and will find someone else. And in Bobby's case there was considerably more on the line than just being looked over
he was obviously involved in some criminal activities that would ultimately derail his career and he was/is poor so I'm certain
he saw that check they were waving in his face and weighed it against where his life currently was and where it was going
and the choice was likely a no brainer.

I agree that it's fukked up that he likely didn't think they thought he was expendable and they probably sold him a ton
of bullshyt to get him to sign away his publishing and other things that would ultimately bring him wealth down the line
if his career took off but on the other hand, I try to see it from his perspective and others like him.

I also don't like that Boyce insinuates that Hip Hop has some sort of mystical mind control properties and that the issues facing
Black Americans are exacerbated by Hip Hop music. It's lazy, overdone and ultimately has been proven wrong.

And I really, REALLY want to take a second here to say that "Hip Hop" is being used as a euphemism for "Gangster Rap" in this thread.
"Hip Hop" is inherently being painted in a negative light because of that.

Boyce Watkins, Tommy Sotomayor, and other youtube activists come off as just that, people who try to speak on complex situations that are beyond their depth
and somehow, someway amass hundreds of thousands of followers who share the same views and have tricked themselves into believing they care about
the well being of "Black people" while still endorsing and reinforcing negative stereotypes and beliefs.

lot of black activists/intellectuals are shake down artists. sorry to say. now there are real people out there doing real work and i never want to disrespect them, but these ones with big mouths who are obsessed with rappers or black celebrities who they take upon themselves to lecture and hold accountable as thier MO, well, they are a little transparent to me.

 

[The Ruler 09]

That's the thing though, I wasn't disturbed by it neither did I find it extremely uncomfortable.
I'm a rapper, I've been around rappers, I've been around producers, studio owners etc.
When you want people to invest their time and energy into you, they want to see if you're really about what
you say you are. So when it's time you better be ready to belt out a note, rap a verse, etc. because if not, they can
and will find someone else. And in Bobby's case there was considerably more on the line than just being looked over
he was obviously involved in some criminal activities that would ultimately derail his career and he was/is poor so I'm certain
he saw that check they were waving in his face and weighed it against where his life currently was and where it was going
and the choice was likely a no brainer.

I agree that it's fukked up that he likely didn't think they thought he was expendable and they probably sold him a ton
of bullshyt to get him to sign away his publishing and other things that would ultimately bring him wealth down the line
if his career took off but on the other hand, I try to see it from his perspective and others like him.

I also don't like that Boyce insinuates that Hip Hop has some sort of mystical mind control properties and that the issues facing
Black Americans are exacerbated by Hip Hop music. It's lazy, overdone and ultimately has been proven wrong.

And I really, REALLY want to take a second here to say that "Hip Hop" is being used as a euphemism for "Gangster Rap" in this thread.
"Hip Hop" is inherently being painted in a negative light because of that.

Boyce Watkins, Tommy Sotomayor, and other youtube activists come off as just that, people who try to speak on complex situations that are beyond their depth
and somehow, someway amass hundreds of thousands of followers who share the same views and have tricked themselves into believing they care about
the well being of "Black people" while still endorsing and reinforcing negative stereotypes and beliefs.

I see, I guess we'll agree to disagree with that. I've seen artists perform and it's just a performance. Dude was acting crazy in that video. Most likely about killing other black people 'nikkas' in his words infront of a bunch of white people predominately, along with dancing for them and jumping on tables, I personally find that uncomfortable to see.

I didn't really feel he made that insinuation but did state it's an influence, which I'd agree it is, and not just that but something that is systematically ochestrated.

Agree can never use Hip Hop as a synonym for gangsta rap cause there is so much more to Hip Hop than that.

 

[TL15]

What I meant was a short term cash cow to use and disgard. Now he's finished his use, easily dispensable and thrown away. They made their money and now done, don't give a fukk what happens now, they can easily replace him by exploiting many others.

I agree with you...but that's corporate America...and any business...

Free Bobby... seemed like a good dude

BUT... and this is the REALLY sad part...bruh "did the crime"... he was caught with guns etc. and the company he worked for backed away from him. It's a sad reality but the company you work for owes you 0 loyalty when you mess up

Ray Rice
Rae Carruth
Plaxico Burress
Mike Vick
etc.

Epic Records isn't his "mother" or "father" or homie...they are his employer. The same way that if you or I was arrested during a raid because we always spoke about gang activity near and with gang members our employers would more than likely "fire" us without legal assistance as well.

As a black man I completely feel for Bobby...he got a bad wrap...but I don't understand why anyone would expect anything different from a company. We can't expect a corporation that's run by people who look nothing like us, come from nothing like us, to actually care about us more than we can make them money. Guaranteed I couldn't call the CEO of my company to bail me out of jail in the same situation and I've made them tons of money as well. Bobby was a paid employee. I don't understand why we expect employers to "raise" anyone or be financially accountable for their actions outside of the agreed upon contract.

Larger...we need to start policing ourselves. Where was Snoop (who BEAT a murder charge)? Where was Diddy, Meek, Shyne, Ja Rule, TI, Game, or anyone else who has done any amount of time behind bars to pull Bobby aside and say "Yo lil homie...you're on now.. GET OUT of the streets!!! These cac's ain't gonna look out for you..." where was Dr. Boyce or Dr. Umar BEFORE he got arrested? Why aren't we reaching out to the young rappers who are getting on and telling them to stay away from the BS? Instead, we dance to the song aimlessly and provide no tangible tutelage. And then we want to point fingers blindly.

Long rant but why the hell would we expect anything else from Epic?

 

[StretfordRed]

These racists definitely see this dude as a pet monkey or whatever one wants to call it. They don't give fukk about them, to them he's just a '******' to make them money, that's why they let him rot with the quickness. He's a cash cow, that's all they see him as, not a human being, Bobby has some blame certainly but even more the corporations for the exploitation.

Wait what??

Some blame? Epic weren't the ones telling him to lick shots and hell, what about all the GS9's who got locked up and weren't signed? They should not be in the same pen as Bobby because he got a deal?

The shootings/whatever crimes happened before dude got signed, too many excuses for his actions

 

[The Ruler 09]

I agree with you...but that's corporate America...and any business...

Free Bobby... seemed like a good dude

BUT... and this is the REALLY sad part...bruh "did the crime"... he was caught with guns etc. and the company he worked for backed away from him. It's a sad reality but the company you work for owes you 0 loyalty when you mess up

Ray Rice
Rae Carruth
Plaxico Burress
Mike Vick
etc.

Epic Records isn't his "mother" or "father" or homie...they are his employer. The same way that if you or I was arrested during a raid because we always spoke about gang activity near and with gang members our employers would more than likely "fire" us without legal assistance as well.

As a black man I completely feel for Bobby...he got a bad wrap...but I don't understand why anyone would expect anything different from a company. We can't expect a corporation that's run by people who look nothing like us, come from nothing like us, to actually care about us more than we can make them money. Guaranteed I couldn't call the CEO of my company to bail me out of jail in the same situation and I've made them tons of money as well. Bobby was a paid employee. I don't understand why we expect employers to "raise" anyone or be financially accountable for their actions outside of the agreed upon contract.

Larger...we need to start policing ourselves. Where was Snoop (who BEAT a murder charge)? Where was Diddy, Meek, Shyne, Ja Rule, TI, Game, or anyone else who has done any amount of time behind bars to pull Bobby aside and say "Yo lil homie...you're on now.. GET OUT of the streets!!! These cac's ain't gonna look out for you..." where was Dr. Boyce or Dr. Umar BEFORE he got arrested? Why aren't we reaching out to the young rappers who are getting on and telling them to stay away from the BS? Instead, we dance to the song aimlessly and provide no tangible tutelage. And then we want to point fingers blindly.

Long rant but why the hell would we expect anything else from Epic?

True, but they are exploiting that lifestyle but then when the artist actually gets in some shyt they dispensable. They want to sell a detrimental fantasy but not have any culpability in the reality. The sad part is that Bobby himself thought it was different than that, when it never was, that's the message that needs to be gotten over, they really and truly don't give a fukk about you, be aware of that.

Yeah I agree, ideally there would have been some mentorship from somewhere to be like, you on now, chill on the dumb shyt, even how to roll properly and safely.

 

[The Ruler 09]

Wait what??

Some blame? Epic weren't the ones telling him to lick shots and hell, what about all the GS9's who got locked up and weren't signed? They should not be in the same pen as Bobby because he got a deal?

The shootings/whatever crimes happened before dude got signed, too many excuses for his actions

What I meant was in regards to allowing himself to be exploited like that. He didn't have to do that, some people choose not to.

 

[nineteeneightysix]

Hip Hop is dumb people's culture...If you say Hip Hop is your culture, I just don't respect you...Period.

Selling drugs is dumb (unless you are wholesaling and getting it straight from the cartels). Spending your hard earned money to flaunt materialism is done. Not going to school is dumb. Promoting senseless violence is dumb.

Hip Hop is entertaining like watching wild animals in a zoo or videos of lions killing zebras, but when you start to think about it using an academic brain, you just realize that is one of the most dumbest trends in the Western World today.

No lasting community building positivity will ever come out from hip hop. It will remain a vehicle for promoting ignorance, poverty, unrealistic materialism, senseless violence and negativity...

 

[Soon]

That audition performance off was extremely uncomfortable to watch, it was sickening. That's what goes on in many ways on a broad scale but that shyt was just in your face and plain as day what was going on.

Let me get this straight, Shmurda was in a gang, shot people, sold drugs, and now its Epic Records fault he danced on the table?

You think Chief Keef had to dance on the table for Jimmy Iovine?

Why are people trying to attack rap? Like we took a hand in creating Shmurda.

It was cool at first, but its at the point where we are the hen in the coop that is comforting the wolf. Shmurda and the GS9 Crips would shoot me dead in the street if I came through their block, so its pure comedy that we treating these folks like they are helpless.

It was cool at first, with NWA and B.I.G., but we are move way past the idea these guys are just reporting what they are seeing in the hood. These guys are really the main people behind what they are seeing in the hood.

It was cool at first, but the biggest low lives are being adored and celebrated. I know better, these guys are dangerous and don't care about me or rap music.

 

[The Ruler 09]

Let me get this straight, Shmurda was in a gang, shot people, sold drugs, and now its Epic Records fault he danced on the table?

You think Chief Keef had to dance on the table for Jimmy Iovine?

Why are people trying to attack rap? Like we took a hand in creating Shmurda.

It was cool at first, but its at the point where we are the hen in the coop that is comforting the wolf. Shmurda and the GS9 Crips would shoot me dead in the street if I came through their block, so its pure comedy that we treating these folks like they are helpless.

It was cool at first, with NWA and B.I.G., but we are move way past the idea these guys are just reporting what they are seeing in the hood. These guys are really the main people behind what they are seeing in the hood.

It was cool at first, but the biggest low lives are being adored and celebrated. I know better, these guys are dangerous and don't care about me or rap music.

I'm saying a lot of these people who have power within the industry put pressure on artists to make negative self destructive music. I'm not speaking specifically about Bobby as I'm not an expert on his background. There's artists out there who are conscious and/or positive rappers but they get pressure often to make gangsta type records, or records about money and "bytches" and drugs.

Who's attacking rap? I'm certainly not and I don't think Dr Boyce is either. But I think it's undeniable that some of the people who are controlling the industry are enemies of the culture.

I'm not defending Shmurda at all, but that dude is merely a pawn in a much bigger systematic problem, and societal problem beyond that.

I know what you're saying, there's a bunch of different artists out there though, that are much better than Bobby Shmurda too by the way, MUCH more talented but they are not getting the opportunities from the music industry, you feel me? So THAT'S a huge problem, Shmurda was a puppet, the puppet masters are even worse.

 

[big bun]

So y'all still doing the Schmurda dance or what?

 

[kingjones29]

True, but they are exploiting that lifestyle but then when the artist actually gets in some shyt they dispensable. They want to sell a detrimental fantasy but not have any culpability in the reality. The sad part is that Bobby himself thought it was different than that, when it never was, that's the message that needs to be gotten over, they really and truly don't give a fukk about you, be aware of that.

Yeah I agree, ideally there would have been some mentorship from somewhere to be like, you on now, chill on the dumb shyt, even how to roll properly and safely.

he made hot nikka before he got signed to epic people tend to forget that

 

[Soon]

I'm saying a lot of these people who have power within the industry put pressure on artists to make negative self destructive music. I'm not speaking specifically about Bobby as I'm not an expert on his background. There's artists out there who are conscious and/or positive rappers but they get pressure often to make gangsta type records, or records about money and "bytches" and drugs.

Who's attacking rap? I'm certainly not and I don't think Dr Boyce is either. But I think it's undeniable that some of the people who are controlling the industry are enemies of the culture.

I'm not defending Shmurda at all, but that dude is merely a pawn in a much bigger systematic problem, and societal problem beyond that.

I know what you're saying, there's a bunch of different artists out there though, that are much better than Bobby Shmurda too by the way, MUCH more talented but they are not getting the opportunities from the music industry, you feel me? So THAT'S a huge problem, Shmurda was a puppet, the puppet masters are even worse.

Just remember they found those GS9 Crips with more guns than Rambo...so, its at the point where we are the hen in the coop that is comforting the wolf.

 

[JayGatsby]

how epic screwed bobby?

all he does is