Weezy F. Baby fans REJOICE!
It looks like “Operation: FreeWeezy” has finally paid off. After serving 8 months of a 12-month sentence , rapper Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter is finally released! If you can recall, the Louisiana-born rapper’s sentencing dates back to July 2007 when he plead guilty to gun possession charges (he initially faced up to 15 years, but later struck a deal to reduce the sentence). So, what’s next for the hip-hop icon? A close associate in his “Young Money” camp boasts of an extravagant “welcome back” party for the rap star, complete with riotous amounts of liquor and (of course) strippers. No time to reflect, no downtime at all, no space to put things into perspective, or balance out thoughts…NOT good.
Looking further, there’s a bit of a game of “Penitentiary Piggyback” between Lil Wayne and rapper T.I. (whom we’ve covered in the past). In the same month Weezy was admitted into prison, T.I. was released and placed into a halfway house. And NOW…a few days prior to Weezy’s release today, T.I. checked himself into a federal prison. This habit of Black male recidivism, especially in the hip-hop culture, is appalling. There is an unspoken “rite of passage” attached to incarceration and the maturity of Black men. What sort of image are these rappers portraying to young Black men? That it’s OKAY to slip in and out of the big house? That prison will make you a more refined individual with every stay? LET’S GET REAL! Unless you are shuffling out millions on a lawyer, or have diplomatic immunity, someone needs to educate our young Black men! These artists and celebrities are coming and going through prison like it’s a resort; at least ONE of them should have the courage to view it for what it is: NOT a matter of civil discipline or behavioral correction, but of “street cred”.
We must not allow our young Black men to become bamboozled by the illusion of legislative ease their more fortunate counterparts create. These celebrities, first of all, have MILLIONS; the average young Black man does not.
If T.I. goes to jail, he will still have a job when he’s released…
If Lil Wayne goes to jail, he will still have a job when he’s released…
If YOU go to jail…you will NOT have a job to go back to, less apply for…
We MUST encourage our young Black men to excel in ANYTHING they attempt, and hold themselves in high regard. By doing this, we can start to build stronger leaders of good character, integrity and respect.
