Hip-Hop And ''Scarface''

The other night on TV, there was a retrospective documentary of the 1983 movie, ''Scarface''. I watched it because, quite frankly, there was nothing else on and it was on one of the cable channels. Sometimes, I feel the pressure to watch these channels, even though, most of the time, there ain't dick on. But, since I'm paying for these, even the most rudimentary show will get my attention. So, with my long-held interest in movies, I put my glimmers on the program for two hours. And, I was rewarded with some good viewing. There was some interesting information about the movie, some good interviews with the cast and crew. A good show. Until the end. That is when the rappers and hip-hop ''artists'' came on, and, through whatever language it is they are speaking [ they call it ''street language''. I call it talking ''like a dumbass fool'' language] they explained what the movie ''really means''........ According to these most celebrated of intellects, the ''Scarface'' character, Tony Montana, is a street hero, a reflection of the struggles and prejudices that greet them everyday as a victim of life. Montana is someone they admire because he didn't take shit from anyone and saw his dream clearly and was not afraid to do whatever he had to do to get it. Even murder. You see, class, according to these prophets, Tony Montana doesn't bow down to anyone, people are in fear of him. Therefore, he must be respected and honored. Word....... Well, if you read between the lines, you can see another, darker idea behind their rational. They are saying that the establishment [i.e. white establishment] must be attacked by ''whatever means necessary,'' as Malcolm X stated, which means violence. In plain English, violence is the only alternative to use to get back at society. The oppressed must use it in order to get their fair share. Tony Montana sees this, the simpletons in hip-hop argue, so that is the clear lane to drive down. Be a thug, they proclaim. And, no one will fuck with you...... Rational minds see it differently. But, we are talking about hip-hop ''artists'' here. They do not think rational. They think with the violence that is seething around in their souls. It comes naturally to them. Why pick up a book and improve your mind and work hard at a goal when you can just pick up a gun? Immediate satisfaction of the lazy, violent person triumphs over the long-term hard work of a non-violent person. These fools call the rest of us fools because we do not go around looking for violence and a perceived revenge factor. The movie, as they see it, is an instructional tool of ''don't fuck with me'' that is so close in their body language that it practically jumps out of their skins. And, they take the ''message'' in the movie as gospel, to be lived and breathed with life, into what passes as their music. Never mind that the actual ''message'' of ''Scarface'' is that the main character, Montana, is a scumbag and got what he deserved. The makers of the movie have stated that for years---- Tony Montana is not someone to admire and emulate but someone who rightly got his comeuppance. Clearly, the geniuses that do hip-hop [and the people who analyze hip-hop music, as if the ''music'' is too complex to understand by a single listening] do not see the forest through the trees. Tony Montana is an idol, the hero to the downtrodden. The ultimate ''gangster''. That is why he is proudly displayed by some ghetto kids on shirts and posters. The celebration of the thug. A murderer. I have seen Al Pacino grimace in interviews when this is brought up to him......... No amount of common sense thinking can get through to these idiots. If a white person challenges their ideas, he or she is branded a ''racist'', the most effective fighting tool with these assholes. And, if a black person also challenges the same thugsters, then, he or she is called a ''sellout'', someone who does ''the white man's bidding.'' I know of an older black gentleman who I used to drink with. He is gone now but I remember the pain and anger that used to creep into his voice and face whenever he talked about the hip-hop ''artists'' and their mentality. He always overlooked the ''music'', because it must be overlooked. But, he concentrated on the attitude that the ''music'' brought with it. The talk about the cop killings and women as ''bitches'' and ''ho's.'' He said, ''You know, Jimmy, I marched once upon a time. I experienced genuine racism and hatred that none of these rappers have. And, I learned that non-violence brought people together. Eventually, it all seemed to come together. And, I look around now and I realize that the next generation wasn't worth the effort. These kids drive around blasting that shitty music and cannot speak properly. And, this is what I put my safety on the line for?''........... There is a sad truth in this. The marches of a few generations ago were for genuine human rights, the advancements for everyone. And, its come down to this. Hip-hop ''artists'' and a frightening large portion of their audience completely missing the brave ideals of the marchers. It continues to astound me that a woman would listen to them. The degradation and violence that is directed at them is unrelenting. The demeaning terms and sayings that are peppered across the board in this bile. Some women I have brought this up to say they don't take the words seriously, only the beat. They can dance to the music, which is the only thing that matters to them. I point out that, by their rationale, is if a catchy song about child molestation or the mutilation of their loved ones was danceable, then that would still be ok? They laugh and walk away, saying I don't understand. Which, is true. I will never understand a supposedly adult, intelligent person embracing violence simply because they can shake their booties to the beat......... Or, that the violence makes fine entertainment in a movie. ''Scarface'' has many fine features to it. I like the movie enormously. But, I see it as it should be seen. It is a cautionary tale, not a way to live your life. These rappers and hip-hop supporters see it as the culmination of the violence that society has driven them to. The rappers are just enacting the violence that is wedded deeply in their souls, the movie is a natural release for the psychodrama of violence that has always been there. The movie just awakened it........ One last thing that can somewhat be tied into the ''Scarface Nation''. This foul element of admiring the ''gangsta''. Among the many simple things in life that are beyond the mental capacities of a rapper and their audience, there is the foolish adulation of how a gangster lives his life. Again, this is tied into the myth of movies like, ''The Godfather'' and ''Goodfellas''. Fine movies, indeed. But, isn't it amazing on how the same message of these movies gets to most people but completely goes over the heads of others? The hip-hop ''artist'' admires how the gangster goes about their day. Collecting money, screwing the hot women, and giving out death because, as we know, ''nobody fucks with a gangster!'' The rest of us, the rational and intelligent people, see this differently. We see the horror and pain and cruel violence that, thankfully, a small percentage of the population does, while we live non-violent lives. That is foolish, say the ''gangstas''. We are the fools and innocents!!! These men must be adored and emulated!!! Once again, it feeds into the thug mentality that is in these ''artists''. And, they take the wrong message of these films and spin it for their gullible audience to further provoke social and ethnic alienation. In their pea brains, it is a badge of honor to be called a ''gangsta''......... In my family, there was a small group of what you would call gangsters. They are long-dead now but they are somewhat famous in family lore. And, we do not admire them for it, a key distinction with the current generation. We kids were never privy to how these men earned their living. We just kinda figured it out as they made some ''dirty money''. It wasn't until years later, after they were gone, that some stories came out. My Dad had an Uncle Joe. He worked for the Chicago Mob. He got his hands dirty running numbers and stealing. And, there was a strong suspicion that he murdered people. Uncle Joe also had brothers and cousins that did what he did. But---- and this is key---- these men knew that what they were doing was morally wrong. That is why they never wanted their kids to go into the same line of business. There is the famous scene in ''The Godfather'' where Don Corleone tells his son, Michael, that he never wanted him to go into his way of life. That is why he did what he did, so Don Corleone's kids would have a chance at a clean and prosperous life, free of crime. And, that was what the men like Uncle Joe did. They knew they were bad men destined to eventually end up in Hell. But, they wanted their children to not do this. They wanted them to be legit. It was if they were saying, ''We will do our time in Hell so that you will be in Heaven.'' You can have a debate about whether this was justification of their violent actions but the idea must be investigated. These men knew they were damned. They went reluctantly to this world. They were not proud of their actions. But, they saw the long-term goal, for their children. These rappers and hip-hop cock-roach motherfuckers [to coin a phrase from Tony Montana] do not see it this way. They pollute the air with their vile, baseless, ''music''. They took an easily defined movie like,''Scarface'', and bastardized it for their base of audience. And, the destruction continues......... One last thought. My Dad's Uncle Joe. He always preached to my Dad about how he never wanted this life for my Dad. Go to school, use that fine mind of yours to do good things, he told him. Dad, who never had a mean bone in his body and would have made a terrible gangster, did not need much coaxing in this way of thinking. Dad loved his Uncle Joe and, while deeply bothered by his actions, still respected him and saw him often. The last time Dad saw his Uncle Joe was in early 1982, about six months before Uncle Joe died. It was at a funeral. The funeral was for Uncle Joe's son, Sammy. Sammy, not listening to his father's warnings in all of those years growing up, had gone into the gangster lifestyle. And, one night, Sammy came home, parked his car in the garage, and was shot dead in cold blood. Execution style..........