So now it's another member of the Cash Money Records team that just doesn't seem to get it. Last time it was Lil' Wayne incorporating the name of Emmett Till disgracefully into a song, and now we have Nikki Minaj doing something that just feels worse than what her label mate did.
Taking the iconic image of Malcolm X staring out of his window with his rifle in hand and making it her cover art for her latest single, Lookin Ass N*gga is a step too far. Who is the ignorant ass running that damn label and what do they not get? Who's next on their list of African American icons to shame, embarrass, and use for money, Rosa Parks, Betty Shabazz, Dr. King?
I understand the image is hardcore and the followers of Malcolm love that picture because it is just that, hardcore. To use it with the language associated with the song however, a word Malcolm refused to let himself be referred as just goes to show that when someone isn't taught history, they are doomed to repeat it.
Hopefully the label will find their conscience (along with their common sense) and change the cover art. And since they seem clueless about their history, hopefully they'll hire someone that will keep them from making this kind of egregious mistake going forward.

Someone needs to smack some damn sense into these celebrities. To troll through the tragedies of history searching for the next controversial money-making marketing gimmick is pathetic and nauseating. Where has honor and respect gone? Is it a lost art? Or is sensationalist PR, outrageous behavior, and disrespect the only thing that registers in these people's minds at this point. Good god...Nikki could spend the rest of her life trying and she still wouldn't be able to have a fraction of the impact Malcolm had. Augh. Maybe Harry Belafonte needs to hold a mandatory history course for these artists.
ReplyDelete