FN MEKA - The A. I. "rapper' who'd been signed by Capitol Records is the Venn diagram intersect of virtual blackface and virtual gentrification

 FN MEKA. FN MEKA. FN MEKA.

Yes. He/It/They is not human but its creators wanted the thing to be the future of music artistry, at least rap music artistry.

I am glad it failed. Capital Records rescinded its deal with the "performer" when the "authentic" representation of a modern rapper was found to be a little too "authentic." It pissed off real, struggling performers who wondered what was Capitol's agenda, and members of its potential audience. 

The digital dilettante wasn't even a full line into its initial song before it let fly the n-word. Atlanta rapper Kyle The Hooligan, who voiced "FN." wasted no time in getting to that word. I swear it was like the 4th word in the first line of its ouevre. (The dude, more or less, said he got stiffed for his part - https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/rapper-who-is-allegedly-voice-of-fn-meka-speaks-n-ggas-just-ghosted-me-news.156865.html For such a lauded, supposedly monumental step in music, the creation was as insipid as any other popular rap act out now. "FN" wasn't bringing anything new to the game. It was same-o, same-o; it was just in another garish package. A package that got returned to sender after some folks realized it was insulting, stereotypical and far from innovative. "FN" was yesterday's faux-pas before it could even leave the gate.

Why?

'Cuz people who examined "FN" saw that it was, is, offensive. The thing's creators didn't even try to hide their inherent bias in when constructing the thing. 

Oh, and see its creators below. No surprise there. Another level in monetizing Blackness without acknowledging the real deal, or respecting it.

                               Antthony Martini and Brandon Le

These "innovators" obviously had a list of what constitutes a rapper. And they ticked off every item on their list.

The items: 1) the "performer" appears racially ambiguous. The day's hot selling point. Be a little brown, but not too brown as to be BLACK. But sound black and give off a "Black aesthetic."  Appeal to everyone aurually AND visually.

2) a grill, tats, piercings, painted fingernails, colored hair (like Daniel Hernandez had before going to court) colored contacts, tons of gold jewelry - all "markers" of a rap "star"

3) it drops the n-word like nobody's business.

Did I miss anything?

I suppose I can't blame the thing's makers as most rappers look like that now but it does show that there  is a biased blueprint in a lot of people's minds as to what a rapper must look like. 

Which brings me to the backlash the creature received. A plethora of musicians who are FLESH AND BLOOD rappers cried "foul" at the signing of "FN" to Capitol. Why? Because it isn't like there is a deficit of real, live rap potential to choose from. I mean, hell, Capitol, there a lot of REAL, young, hungry folks at there waiting to be snapped up. There's no need for digital artists. Or is there?

Possibly labels were searching for a way to acquire "talent" without liability. Look at the number of rappers who are in trouble with the law - Gunna, Young Thug, Mystikal, ASAP Rocky, etc. It costs labels time and money when a performer is out of work due to alleged criminal activity. It's hard to tour from a prison cell.

Plus, a label could work this new type of "performer" day or night; weeks-long or months-long. Years-long even without needing to pay it, feed it or its entourage, or house it. There would be no need for venues as one would be able to "attend" a concert online. It would be a cash cow that would not need a barn.

So no matter how offensive, tone deaf and short-sighted, creations like "FN MEKA" are coming. He is not the only one. One thing for certain, two things for sure, he was just a test balloon. Its balloon might have been popped but others will fly. Check out Little Miquela, another digital "singer" who is popular with real people. Hell, reference the holograms of Whitney and Tupac. dead folks still working from the grave. Creepy.

"FN's" stereotypical depiction of a rap "star" aside, "FN" didn't sit right with me (as in why does a frame in its video have it being beaten by a cop? Why?), but then, again I am not its audience. The "creators" did follow the present protocol when baking their cake. So it should have been foolproof. Or so they thought. 

Believe me. After these "creators" or others find a way not to not commit the same faux pas, they will be back. It ain't over. 

P. S. Lil, ole dense me just realized "FN" stands for the informal English "f##kin'." My bad.

More Black actresses from the Race Film era of Hollywood - Lucia Lynn Moses

 https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/moses-lucia-lynn-c-1906/

Lucia Lynn Moses. Born December 23, 1906, Washington D.C. - Died October 1984, New York

She was a P. K. (preacher's kid), a chorus girl at the famous Cotton Club and a theater performer.to her family's chagrin. Her two sisters (Ethel and Julia)  followed her into acting, becoming part of Black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux's stable. 

Her sole film was The Scar of Shame, a 1927 movie shot in Philadelphia during the day as she had to be at her other job in NYC at night at the club. The movie has been incorrectly labeled a Micheaux work but it is not. Its plot showed intra-racial conflcit by highlighting a troubled married couple unable to resolve marital problems that end in a divorce and a suicide. Moses' performance was praised as touching, authentic and heartbreaking. A tour de force.

Moses returned to theater and subsequently married a pianist and retired. 

The two kinds of law enforcement outcomes in the States

No. I didn't post anything for the 4th. It's a holiday I really don't think of except when I view it through my uncles and one aunt's service in the Armed Forces. Other than that, it has never been a "golly, gee-whiz" holiday for my family.

So no. Personally, the booms of the fireworks near me got on my nerves. Now on to the post's topic.

Well. Well. Well.

While the police in Akron, OH were on tenterhooks about how the Black populace was gonna react when the dept. was scheduled to release the body caam footage of the straight-up MURDER of Jayland Walker, a White, probable incel (sorry but from the looks of his photo, no sane chick was entertaining him) opened fire on a July 4th parade in Highland Park, Il.

 Hmmm.

Law enforcement is always focused on Black folks while certain White folks are preparing to wild out. I say "preparing" to wild out because the shooter had social media posts declaring his intent waaaay before he acted out.

    (this is a stock photo before anyone gets in their feelings)

Not saying Akron cops should have known anything about the Highland Park shooter. It's not their backyard, but Ilinois cops should have watched the dude in their backyard as he was an incident waiting to happen because they had had PRIOR RUN-INS with him. Like all previous mass shooters he was KNOWN by the police and had a very unhinged social media presence.

Anyhoo, Akron's Black populace stayed calm when the brutal body cam footage of Jayland Walker's execution was released. I bet that deflated some goons balloons. Oh, well, guys, don't fret. Y'all will get to gun down and/or beat down more Black people soon I am sure.

But back to the Highland Park shooter. Killer of 6, wounder of many more.

Unlike Mr. Walker, who had NOT shot and killed anyone and, yes, had led the cops on a high-speed chase and supposedly had fired a gun out of his car at them (strange as a gun was found in the BACK SEAT of the car. Ummm), was cornered and hit 60 times out of the 90-bullet barrage 8 cops sent his way, Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo III, a killer,  was sought and taken into custody without incident. 

Oh my. How was that orchestrated? 

Did he cry and throw himself on their mercy? Did he lie down on the ground? If so, did he get Mickey D's, like Dylan Ruff did, after they "took him into custody?"

No. I do not want to see people be riddled with gun fire when chased by cops BUT why is it ALWAYS the Black folks who get slaughtered whether they have fired a gun or not? Whether they comply or not? they are killed on the spot like unruly livestock.  And the Crimo types get apprehended "without incident" when they HAVE shed blood? Make it nake sense.

I know the answer, You know the answer. We all know the answer.

I did a little research. Seems Highland Park, Il. has a high Jewish population - @50 percent. Is the shooter a "Great Replacement' theory believer or just mental? Or both? If his social media has posts about certain ethnicities, hiis charges will reveal what the authorities beleive his motive was.

In any case, he's dangerous and needs to sit in a big cell with Dylan, Payton,  and all the rest of the mediocre menaces.

P. S. My hometown's July 4th concert ended with a bang. Literally. A shooter shot into the crowd hitting 2 cops. The culprits are still on the loose. I find it interesting that as huge as the crowd was, a shooter could accurately hit 2 cops.  

Hmmm.Interesting indeed.

    (this is a stock photo)

Link to the plice body cam footage of the shooting of Jayland Walker. It is a long video (18 minutes) and is pretty ghoulish at the very end when he is gunned down in a parking lot. by 8 officers. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8HfS2jZ0RU

Note that the man is clearly dead but for some reason he is handcuffed after the fact.

Just a lil rant about TikTokers who give advice on how to steal romance ebooks

Well. Well. Well.

Tik Tok.

The platform that is the newest home to SJWs, is also the home of thieves.

Broke-assed, sorry-assed, bold, proud thieves.

Thieves so proud and bold that these assholes have no problem giving out tips on how to read books, (mostly romance books, but I am sure it is happening to authors of other genres) for FREE!

Yeah, the lil darlings have been doling out help on how to read the hard work of authors for FREE

The tips? Well, if you are a dishonest, broke, cheap smartass, you implement this stealing through Amazon. 

QUELLE SURPRISE! Amazon whose name is whore in my book because they take money from anyone for anything. They also return it too. No questions asked.

But I digress.

As I was aying these lil shytes purchase an ebook from Amazon, read it then return it for a REFUND.That triggers a deficit for the author as the author has to pay for the return. So the only one profiting is the reader. I know of authors who have had their whole series consumed this way. One author had @8 books in a series and this happened to every one of the installments.

And Amazon does nothing. NOTHING. Don't the geniuses in the publishing arm of that business see a pattern? Are they even paid to think? You'd think Bezos would get tired of issuing refunds.Or doing extra transactions at the very least. But Jeffy is too nusy piercing the stratosphere to care because the publishing arm of Amazon operates at a loss. A loss that is offset by all the other stuff it sells. Soooo...Help from Jeff probably won't be coming any time soon.

There are authors who have ceased writing because of this theft. A petition started by authors is going around to stop this stealing. Will it work? Who knows. That would take someone at Amazon giving a shyte.

I would love to see romance authors who use Amazon as a publishing platform, stop giving a shyte and stop writing for a bit, or cease using Amazon to publish. Let the thieves twiddle their thumbs while searching elsewhere to steal. 

Hey, you bottom-feeders out there! You aren't concerned with helping anyone but yourselves.

But I knew that.

ODUNDE IS BACK! AND PHILLY HAS IT!

 https://www.odundefestival.org/

The official Odunde Festival is LIVE again! Having been forced into virtual word for 2020 and 2021 due tot he plandemic, the real deal is back!

It began in Philly 47 years ago (Lord, I can't believe I went to the 1st one!). Founded by the late Lois Fernandez, it has been carried on by her daughter, Oshunbumi Fernandez-West.  It will span June 8 through June 12, 2022 ending with the huge street fair that day with lots of entertainment. In fact, June 11th , an all-wWhite Attire Yacht Party will take place on the Delaware River from 6pm-9pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Penn Museum, 3260 South Street.

Its purpose as taken from the website:

ODUNDE was created in 1975 by Lois Fernandez. The festival attracts UP TO 500,000 people annually and is the largest African American street  festival held in the country. The ODUNDE festival, whose concept originates from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, West Africa, celebrates the coming of another year for  African Americans and Africanized people around the world. It is an occasion highlighted by a colorful procession from  23rd and South Street to the Schuylkill River where an offering of  fruit and flowers is made to Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the river. ODUNDE is also known for its authentic African marketplace featuring vendors from around the world selling merchandise from African nations, the Caribbean and Brazil.

 Each year, on the second Sunday  in June, ODUNDE takes place covering 15 city blocks and has 2 stages of live entertainment.  ODUNDE will be celebrating its 45TH year in the  traditional South Philadelphia location near 23rd and South street. The festival started in 1975 with a $100.00 grant and neighbors from Fernandez's South Philadelphia community. Since then the ODUNDE Festival has become a national model for cultural street festivals in the country.  The eclectic mix of vendors, entertainment, music, food, jewelry and African art  attracts people from around the WORLD.  ODUNDE IS FOR EVERYONE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THIS YEAR!!!

P.s. Hey, I know you can't attend but go check out the gallery on the website. it's as close as one can come to being there.

Odunde (oh-doon-day) means "Happy New Year" in the Yoruba language of West Africa, and celebrates the coming of another year for African Americans and people of African descent worldwide who observe the Yoruba faith.

So, ODUNDE!

Oney Judge, or her correct name Ona Maria Judge Staines, enslaved by George Washington in Philly, made a great escape

https://www.phillytrib.com/commentary/michaelcoard/oney-judge-enslaved-by-george-washington-in-philly-had-great-escape/article_43e45d58-a872-5565-a002-46e1bc216753.html 

Oney Judge ran away from the great cherry tree feller (actually his wife Martha) when girlfriend heard through the grapevine that she was gonna be presented, by Martha, to Martha's oldest granddaughter as a wedding gift! 

Ain't that a bitch! Had these folks not heard of gifting china or silverware or...Never mind. I suppose gifting humans requird less wrapping paper.

Anyhoo.

Oney beat a hasty retreat when word came down. She'd been Martha's body servant and an expert needlecrafter. since the age of ten. She was about 17 when she'd been schlepped from Virginia to Philadelphia with her owners, the Washingtons.As i've stated she'd had enough of bondage, servitude and disrespect. She wanted out after being seen as an inanimate object all her life. So, with the help of free Blacks in philly, she left one evvening while the Washingtons were eating supper! 

She made her way, through Underground Railroad stops, to New Hampshire by way of New York. There, she married a free Black sailor and had 2 daughters. She was hounded by America's 1st president until his and his wife's deaths . Ridiculously, they had kept insisting she return to them because how could she have done such a thing to them?

Say what? Now that's some nerve. Or as we'd say today, some privilege.

In any case, Oney ignored them. Sadly, her sister Delphy became the substitute wedding gift. Sorry, Delphy, but when you gotta escape,  you gotta escape.

The story of the long-distance exchange bewteen Oney and the Washingtons is hilarious, if I do say so myself. The book lays it out in such a fashion that the whole interaction becomes a huge WTF moment.

Even though Oney's husband and children pre-deceased her, she outlived the 1st couple by almost 50 YEARS!

Go, Oney, with yo bad self!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HMXRZNM?ref=KC_GS_GB_US

How the formerly enslaved are credited with the creation of "Memorial Day" in America

 https://www.lx.com/black-legacy/dont-overlook-memorial-days-black-southern-roots/53453/

Hampton Park, Charleston, South Carolina - a cemetary, birthplace of Decoration Day or Dedication Day, finally Memorial Day. It first took place on May 1st, 1865.

Formerly enslaved were entrusted with basically the "clean up" in the area after the Civil War. They unearthed a mass grave of Black Union soldiers and honored them properly - proper preparation of the remains for burial, the tidy alignment of individual graves and finally the re-burying of the dead with dignity. Many cities celebrated this remembrance but Charleston had them beat by about 100 years! 

This act was a way of the ex-enslaved thanking the men who'd died fighting for the Union and it also was a dig at the defeated Confederacy.. Needless to say, the custom did not sit right with white Charlestonians. They clung to the the myth of the "Lost Cause" - a re-telling of the Civil War which casts the South in the role of the loer because the North had more manpower and resources. It explained that the war happened because the North was jealous of a paradisical antebellum South. its kindly slave holders, and "happily enslaved darkies." The "Lost Cause" never mentioned the brutality of chattel slavery as a cause for the Civil War. The theory is a doozy - https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lost-Cause

Anyhoo, the origins of Memorial Day are not discussed even today. One must research it to discover the true origins.

Whatevs.

Today, I salute 3 of my uncles who served in WW2, and my father and 1 aunt who were in the Navy.

Happy Memorial Day and thank you.