okay first off i have to say you look BEAUTIFUL!!! 2nd as a Black Muslim woman from NY with a hotep father who still thinks he has a shot at a rap career, this video SPOKE TO MEEE in so many ways. 😂 Its funny because i never was able to put into words the connection between hoteps, hiphop and the narcissistic God complex a lot of Black men have until watching this. Thanks for such a well produced video essay.

@vsboardza

Жыл бұрын

And the funny thing is the God complex runs through black men even an ocean across. I am African and I see it in my father, brothers and other men I interact with. I think it is the root of misogynoir

@Tullahgit

Жыл бұрын

Same! Black Sunni Muslim here. Ngl when I was younger listening to rap with my dad I felt proud but the older I got I saw that they praised being a black male but treat women especially black women like trash

@SincerelyTahiry

Жыл бұрын

@@Tullahgit THAT PART! I was so happy to hear a lil bit of Islam in a song but after u get past the no pork for me lines it gets veryyyy misogynistic very fast.

@iceprincess825

Жыл бұрын

Black men have a talent for legitimizing the most asinine ideologies. There is also a talent for monetizing their beliefs until things fall apart.

@PTPAUL-ry7jc

Жыл бұрын

I haven't even watched past the introduction yet. But THIS COMMENT! It's illuminating that thing I see in many of my male friends.

When you talk about how much black people had admiration for Japan it's really interesting to me because the Japanese resisted European colonization by becoming basically the Britian of East Asia. They famously beat the Russian Navy and they even had their own like racial pseudoscience to prove their superiority over other ethnic groups in the area. Japan went hardcore for fascism and took to it very well and it's the reason why so many people still hold a deep anti-Japanese sentiment in their hearts in many parts of east Asia. It's also why a lot of people weren't particularly happy that Shinzo Abe had become Prime Minister because his grandfather was a Minister during fascist Japan as well as Prime Minister later on. He also enacted so many crimes against humanity in Manchuria as well as the rape of so many Korean women

@HabitualLover

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing. The history of Japan is not as peaceful and strictly zen beauty as we’re used to thinking. They did truly terrible things on a large scale during the not so distant wars that most Westerners of our generation for sure never heard a peep about in our education even though the repercussions are still loud and clear for many groups of people to this day. The human race has so far to go… sheesh, still.

@starzzzy22

Жыл бұрын

Yep. Japan is one of those countries that, because of the pop culture they export, has been able to portray a really fun, positive, almost innocent identity. However, as soon as you start to dig into their history, it gets really dicey really fast. If anyone is interested in a piece of that history, check out the show Pachinko on Apple TV+ - it's a fictional drama based on a book, but it portrays Japan's occupation of Korea in a very vivid way we don't really see often.

@pouchika5672

Жыл бұрын

They were also allied with Nazi Germany.

@clarapilier

Жыл бұрын

@@starzzzy22 I have listened to a podcast about the Japanese occupation in Korea. God, my stomach turned at the mass murder and rape.

@uncletruth4529

Жыл бұрын

Japan is an interesting case of what could of been. Unique circumstances lead to them being one of the few non European nations to industrialize. However instead of becoming a unifying force for all non white people in the world they turned to fascism/ Japanese supremacy.

Chris Brown is literally proof that they succeeded in creating this thing they were after. Unquestionable, uncancellable, violent, toxic, supported, black man. It’s disgusting.

At the height of my pick-me era, I was a "hip hop head" and the way Id dissect and debate these histories really was a passion. Now, an adult, I can clearly see the negative effects of taking on these oppressive ideologies so casually. It was simply not made with me in mind. The narcissism, capitalism and the great unifier, misogynoir, still have a vice grip on men young and old. Jouelzy, thank you for breaking this down as only you could.

@kaylad1669

Жыл бұрын

Aka “Black Male Worship” 😅

@BreeonaNechole

Жыл бұрын

Ughhhhhhh same sis. Same. Like yuck.

@nehemie1255

Жыл бұрын

​@@kaylad1669 Oh no! I was never that. Ive been calling out sexism (and the like) in my household since I was a very small child. Thankfully, I could always see. I cant say the same for everyone else and unfortunately music seems to be a most potent conduit, so again thank you to Jouelzy for breaking this down. As aware as anyone can be, there will always be bits and pieces of conditioning present. My comment and the oppressive ideals affected the ways I saw myself in relation to the community. It was always the music and sound for me since I have never revered men in those ways but the negative messages still pass through. Its up to the individual to self reflect (as seen in the comment above), identify and adjust views. Buzz terms and words just arent enough and in this case, not applicable. Nuance will help you.

@kaylad1669

Жыл бұрын

@@nehemie1255 I wasn’t saying you were a black male worshipper babe lol I was saying what you described is what black male worship is!!! The conditioning to accept this narcissism, capitalism, misogynoir and conditioning is where black male worship stems from! I’m just connecting the dots! 🥰❤️

@MarinaAli

Жыл бұрын

It takes alot to admit when you had a mindset in the past that was wrong or toxic. Im glad you worked past it and learned from it! 💯

this was such a good video Jouelzy! Hip-hop would look very different if black male rappers who align themselves Jesus iconography were to actually adapt the values espoused by Jesus: humble, non-materialistic, anti-capitalist and community minded.

@noproblems3192

Жыл бұрын

They don’t get it…evvaa😂

@sakuraesther6309

Жыл бұрын

Now now , you want them without hoes and out fasting for forty days . Hell nah they want violenceeeee

@bmoe4609

Жыл бұрын

Nah jesus is everything but tht. Read the bible plz. Im an athiest i was ex christian. I read it seriously. Read it again n take off the " his love is great" glasses

@VioletFem

Жыл бұрын

@@bmoe4609 I didn’t say anything about what they should do or what they should believe. I’m pointing out the hypocrisy wanting to align themselves with Jesus but everything about what they represent in their music, their artistry, and even their lives is the very opposite.

@noproblems3192

Жыл бұрын

@@VioletFem idk how they got that from what you said lol

Lil’ Wayne @20 years ago with the lyric: “The Bible said every girl is sour, don’t play in her garden, don’t smell her flowers…” He was the most feral individual pop music had ever seen at that point. But nevertheless, here we all are today, squarely in harm’s way from a resurgence of misogyny and gender-based racism. To be fair, the music industry has been staunchly committed to dehumanizing black women for shock profits despite protests and various genuine efforts from the community, church, and academia (specially even HBCUs- to their credit) since I was a kid in the 80s, and I witnessed that the music industry is more powerful than every institution the community had. That industry just exploits every weakness and weak person in the African American community for entertainment profits. It’s a very dirty business- and half of it should be illegal as hate speech, truly.

@kamigriff

Жыл бұрын

Definitely hate speech, but then they’d be called racist for going against the black man’s oppression of black women.

@iv1908

Жыл бұрын

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

@jayhezexel

Жыл бұрын

I thought that was 14 years ago on the carter 3

@mariahyohannes

Жыл бұрын

How long can you blame the industry until you realize they can't exploit us without our consent?

@homeoftek5844

Жыл бұрын

If the lyrics were "The Bible said every man is evil" or whatever tf, would you have a problem with the message? I have to ask bc our community seems to be in a gender war where both sides are just pointing fingers at eachother

Came from Tee’s video on Diddy, so glad to find more feminist black women essayists.

Before i get into todays sermon, i must say that your hair is exquisite and you look great Jouelzy🫶🏾

@clarapilier

Жыл бұрын

Amen

@popularreject626

Жыл бұрын

Right!

@refining_chaos

Жыл бұрын

I agree

@alexandrapasquinelli2291

Жыл бұрын

Gorgeous

@gwenbby2

Жыл бұрын

So gorgeous! 😍

I can remember my very Christian mother denouncing rappers as the work of the devil. I'm agnostic now but I think I understand what she meant. The way you broke this down is incredible. I've always equated the shift to capitalism in rap to be due to the desire to hoard wealth but it's so much deeper than that.

@j.r.4627

Жыл бұрын

My very Christian mother did the same and saying "I'm not allowed to listen to that" wasn't fun as a kid but it likely saved me from a lot of mental gymnastics that people employ to explain away the misogynoir and capitalism of their favorite artists

@lukejones7164

Жыл бұрын

Hiphop was always Capitalistic. Getting money was always a thing in Hiphop culture

@Denzel_X

Жыл бұрын

@@j.r.4627 thank you for this! People go to bat for these man and for what??

@lukejones7164

Жыл бұрын

@@j.r.4627 Capitalism has brought more people out of poverty than literally anything else in history. Only dumb folks and people with crab in a barrel mentality are against it. And Hip-Hop isn't anymore misogynist than the Bible or any traditional African culture. If you can't handle it when an artist tells the truth about women then that's your fault.

@lukejones7164

Жыл бұрын

@@Denzel_X The truth?

Today is my 62nd birthday. Thank you for this gift. Your thoughtful observations and considered articulations are always appreciated. You are among a cohort of young black scholars who greatly soften the impending reality of my aging out of existence. They were wise to teach you to read. You do it extremely well. Blessings.

@ambriaashley3383

Жыл бұрын

Happy birthday!!! ❤️ 😊 Take care 🙏🏾

@yes_anotherone3260

Жыл бұрын

What a beautiful sentiment, Birthday Woman!

@AFOS94

Жыл бұрын

Happy Birthday 🥳 🎈❤

@MynameisNOTthepoint

Жыл бұрын

I hope you had a great birthday🫶🏾

@iceprincess825

Жыл бұрын

Happy Birthday 🎁

The way I stopped arguing about Kendrick with black people…

@kosco9658

Жыл бұрын

What do u mean?

@ahkenaten522

Жыл бұрын

You hating cause he a black Nigga with power get off nuts

@isaiahnoriega7081

Жыл бұрын

Yeah what do you mean

@badzula93

Жыл бұрын

Huh?

lesson of the day: Don't wear crowns made of thorns. It's bad for ya mental health.

@diamonddallasgsus6236

Жыл бұрын

What about the ones looking and complaining about the one wearing the crown?

The Jesus thing has always rubbed me the wrong way which is why I was never a fan of Kanye. I had no idea it went this far back. Thank you for this sharing this thought provoking essay.

@Nekole1

Жыл бұрын

Same, I agree

These men are so lost and delusional. And it's really scary that we have been sucked into these falsehoods and inadvertently given them what they really desire - white patriarchal power. Nothing else. I hope we get to the space where we can look within to get inspiration and find purpose.

@AngelicaAngel888_

Жыл бұрын

More like the perception of white patriarchal power. The white man has no problem letting these men know exactly where they stand if they get out of control.

@ahkenaten522

Жыл бұрын

Two Culture Ciphers, one bag of wet Heavy rain fucked my kicks up, wasn't looking, splashed in the puddle Bitch laughing, first thought was beat the bitch up Moseyed off gracefully, New York's most wanted cheeba hawk

@phylliewilly

Жыл бұрын

@@ahkenaten522 Get tested. You're on the spectrum.

@ahkenaten522

Жыл бұрын

@@phylliewilly that’s Ghostface face killah supreme clientele, but okay. That’s why y’all get oppressed you literally just disrespected people on the autism spectrum because I posted some lyrics.😂😂y’all not as holy as all think do some self reflection. Furthermore that shit fire though. That picture he painted was vivid asl

@lukejones7164

Жыл бұрын

There's nothing "white" about being rich and powerful. GTFO with that Marxist nonsense.

"And whoever shall exhalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted" St. Matthew 23: 12 I guess most of these rappers missed that Memo! You mentioned the wonderful & much missed "Toni" Morrison: she became Catholic & took the name "Toni" from St Anthony of Padua.

@God-Love-Freedom

Жыл бұрын

The fastest way to make God upset is trying to be Him. That’s why many of these self-proclaimed rapper lords fall before our very eyes.

@Memento_Mary

Жыл бұрын

@@God-Love-Freedom 👏🏿🎯

@yes_anotherone3260

Жыл бұрын

Toni Morrison was a Catholic convert? Interesting!

@Memento_Mary

Жыл бұрын

@@yes_anotherone3260 Yes she was. Another dimension to her incomparable personality.

@anissa2361

Жыл бұрын

Hmm I learned something new today

So to sum it up: they’re basically/blatantly mocking Jesus Christ.

@ladybug3380

Жыл бұрын

Like Satan did. They’re lowkey demonic.

@eastend.zulu.

Жыл бұрын

@@ladybug3380 this comment section is insane

This was an excellent video! You were so spot on about the narcissism of it all...either way you split it: the hyper capitalist who credits God for his success to the woe-is-me figure with the Jesus complex. They're both a lazy veneer for self aggrandizement. Edit: I've always found the Jesus iconography that Kendrick and many others utilize irritating and you explained it well. Like he's not the "healer" black men need, Kanye can not put "love" in a m*ga hat, and ultimately every artist who leans in to this idea proves themselves to be every bit as flawed and ridiculous (if not more so) as the rest of us.

@yes_anotherone3260

Жыл бұрын

Who IS still doing conscious rap incorporating anticapitalism and community?

Even my favorite rapper Tupac played into this image before with Makaveli. Also I’m ashamed to say I was a Kanye fan when he first came out. Every rapper who played into the Messiah complex should be called out even if they are some of our favorite rappers. Nobody is above accountability.

@nocsy7806

Жыл бұрын

Don't be ashamed, the majority of us loved KW when he first came out.

@Soul.in.the.garden

Жыл бұрын

The way I never liked Tupac. This is coming from a southern Cali woman. I found him appalling, misogynistic, and hypocritical.

@majestymxnt7384

Жыл бұрын

@@Soul.in.the.garden To just outright call Pac misogynistic when he made songs like Dear Mama, Brenda’s Got A Baby and Keep Ya Head Up is disingenuous. Hypocritical however is accurate. But you also have to understand his life and the many things he went through to understand why. Not saying it was right or excusing. But it should be understood where that came from.

@noproblems3192

Жыл бұрын

@@majestymxnt7384 people go through different things that make them who they are good or bad.

@thabiso5792

Жыл бұрын

@@majestymxnt7384 he's a rapist and most of his songs have the misogynistic language that most mainstream rappers have

I understand and appreciate your very valid points on the messiah and “enlightened” black male tropes that are often presented and taken on by many conscious black male rappers. I get tired of that character lol. However I have to say I don’t fully understand your point on Kendrick. The Mr. Morale album is about Kendrick trying to dismantle and put away that “messiah” mantle that he thought he had to live up to. It’s ultimate message is him revealing to everyone that he’s not this messiah that Hip-Hip has made him out to be and that he’s a normal man who makes mistakes and doesn’t have all the answers just like everyone else. And that is his exact reason why he could never be the messiah everyone wants to make him out to be. The “Mr. Morale” character is ironic rather than literal or what he thinks of himself.

@OMJunkie

Жыл бұрын

it’s as if she didn’t listen to the album. this video would have been better of she had quoted lyrics of the rappers she claims have these traits as proof. mr. morale and the big steppers pushes this conversation of rappers being overly idolized as a step in the right direction and leads this conversation for the majority of black men that still hold judeo christian mysogonistic beliefs. kendrick, by stepping away from his messiah complex puts him front and center as a viable candidate to lead black men out of this mass delusion. there’s still more to be said about black people and our association with christianity

@dannynah156

Жыл бұрын

It's jus what I thought too....but I don't think they listened to the album

@majestymxnt7384

Жыл бұрын

I agree with you both lol I don’t think she actually listened to the album. Because that album literally wholeheartedly agrees with what she’s saying here in this vid. This vids topic is the main point of the album.

@mojaslatt

Жыл бұрын

Exactly

@AndreRay1127

Жыл бұрын

Your explanation is cool and everything but let's not forget that Kendrick had an expensive thorned crown made for him for the promo of that album. I believe it even has a mechanism that releases blood down his head. What the hell is that?!

I have no idea about the Asian black man ideology. You don't have to be a scholar to know that the Japanese government aligned themselves with the fascism of the 1930’s and 40's. It does not surprise me Jay-Z freaked out when he was called a capitalist. We all seriously have some reading to do.

My dad was hotep light from the Caribbean - Afro Caribbean. My mom is fully B l a c k beautiful Afro Latina. He was obsessed with my mother. She was 17 when they married and he was 29. He was a good family man and took great care of us. But the BM is God really, really ruined that generation. BM could no longer be criticized, held to any standards, told that they weren’t doing their jobs to build communities or that THEY were the ones making them unsafe. BM are Gods came before BM are Kings. I remember my mom asking, how do you correct a God?

@yes_anotherone3260

Жыл бұрын

This is really sad to me. This god/king complex man take on makes true partnership impossible.

@PeukinsPoint

Жыл бұрын

Wow. This is so interesting. I see the same in my family and I completely agree. Thanks for sharing

@Morenita570

Жыл бұрын

I think the BM is God spread in the working class/ middle class school pro b l a c k homes like Chris Rock’s in Everybody hates Chris. BM is King took place in more Urban homes like how Jay Z grew up. Of course there was overlap.

@crystalsthefutureempress

Жыл бұрын

I'm trying to understand how you can be a "king" with no kingdom? How you can be a "king" and not desire to build or leave anything behind besides your seed? How you can be a "king" and not have any type of pride in ones self? 🤔

@Morenita570

Жыл бұрын

@Crystal The boomer women made them Gods in the homes. And degenerate BM culture made each other Kings in the streets.

Come on LOCS! The thumbnail stopped me dead in my tracks. This the one girl ☝🏾

I love this channel. When you go into deep dives, you not only do the research, but you ACTUALLY know wtf you’re talking about and don’t cloud the conversation with painfully biased ill-informed opinions (like so many others on this platform, no shade😭lol). Thank you Jouelzy❤️

As a huge Kendrick fan, I wanted to be mad but you told no lies. Anyways, love video essays like this that are for us (Black people), dig deep and aren’t chasing the algorithm.

@yoyodre

Жыл бұрын

I'm perplexed about the misogyny label for Kendrick. Is this about the "bitch bad, woman better" thing or is there more to it im not aware of.

@ronaldmcdonaldjuniorghost

Жыл бұрын

I love Kendrick too but he thinks he is god now. Like no sir

@Dara-po3dd

Жыл бұрын

@@ronaldmcdonaldjuniorghost you're misunderstanding the point. he never said he was God in the first place. Did you listen to any of his albums?

@ronaldmcdonaldjuniorghost

Жыл бұрын

@@Dara-po3dd that’s not what he said on baby keem family ties song and he said it on one of his songs on his new album too. Go listen to them

@ronaldmcdonaldjuniorghost

Жыл бұрын

@@Dara-po3dd don’t get me wrong on some songs he will admit that he is a mere mortal and not a god, for example “savior ft baby keem” but he’ll turn around and proclaim himself as a god on some other songs 🤦‍♂️ trust me I know what I’m talking about I’m a huge Kendrick fan

There is a clear rhetoric between certain types of black men and their following, almost like a dog whistle. I am glad you brought this full circle for me to start my journey of understanding why so many of the black men I encounter, even on a daily basis, continuously certain themselves and people like them as the know all be all that other humans couldn’t possibly understand or grasp. 🤦🏽‍♀️ Thank you for your amazing work 🙏🏽 and you look lovely per usual ♥️🙌🏽

In order for me to speak, I'm gonna have to run this back a few more times.

@BeautifulEarthJa

Жыл бұрын

Frfr

Damn not investing in private probation 😦 Jesus take the wheel. Also this video brought me back to my initial kid reaction to that NAS video, like quietly to myself feeling the evil-feeling inversion of it all. Ironically it reminds me of the portion of To Kill A Butterfly where the voice says, “he knows the Bible too,” talking about the devil.

As someone who's not into HipHop and also not American, not even black, this video was still super interesting to me. You have a great essay style, those 26 minutes were really flying by

This was an interesting analysis and I’d be happy to see this topic expounded upon further. Thank you for the continued thought provoking content.

Damn. I didn't expect to like this. At first I thought you was on some 🐂💩 with the thumbnail (especially me being a Kendrick fan). But when you made the comparison between "The (made) Messiah Rapper" vs The People who were publicly murdered for actually trying to uplift the community of their(our) issues while still living in the neighborhood's that they're trying to uplift; yeah I had to humble my azz down. Thanks for the new lens.🙏🏾💜🙏🏾

These Rappers are *EXHAUSTING* AND U LOOK GAWWGEOUS

Girl...I have to stop you at barely enough height. that was funny fr

Kanye definitely learned from Kris Jenner, who co-found the California Community Church aka the Life Change Church.

@yes_anotherone3260

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for adding this context!

I screamed when I read the title! Yes ma’am! Let’s get into it PLEASE! 💁🏽‍♀️

“The late 90s - early 2000s hip hop of P Diddy and Jay Z really did usher in a new era of moral bankruptcy that kept individual pockets lined fat, and their egos as personally unchecked as their bank balance.” Oooouuuuwwweeeeee.

17:41 was my FAVORITE PART‼️ Please continue to call this bs out!!!

Thank you Joulzey for verbalizing exactly why I stepped away from hip hop as a teenager in the 90s. I felt the cultural shift and envisioned the effect on the community. The misogyny, materialism, self-deprecation (N word), all wrapped up in this moral superiority complex of the most immoral messages. Hip Hop could have been so much more….higher

@imanisteel7960

Жыл бұрын

Love your comment. I was picking up on the nonsense back then too. It made me a skeptic although I still listened I no longer trusted the artists. My one pet peeve with the N word was the rise and normalization of the B word. After that I never looked at the genre the same again.

@loriwalters9158

Жыл бұрын

@@imanisteel7960 amen 🙏🏽

This is one of the best video lectures youve ever done and that I’ve seen on this platform. The historical foundation of this messiah performance and the contemporary examplesof it are so well connected and you point out so well the moments in which it shifts and transforms. I don’t know what your research focus is in grad school but you should definitely publish this as an article too.

Sis, You always bring it..... I always learn something new.

"He can hate on Kris Jenner all he wants but that lady definitely put him on to some well-paying capitalistic pursuit." Jouelzy spitting pure facts

@vlllcxrvllcxr7309

Жыл бұрын

Actually he put her and her family onto that. Lovelyti2002 made a very detailed video about that

@curtiscj3087

Жыл бұрын

Delusion

@nxrth9463

Жыл бұрын

How?

@vlllcxrvllcxr7309

Жыл бұрын

@@nxrth9463 it’s actually the other way around. Anna wintour used to talk so much shit about that family and how they’d never be on Vogue or invited to the met gala. Kendall Jenner is the highest paid model right now and the first show she ever walked in was a Yeezy show. Kanye transformed their image using the concepts and relationships he built from his black, fashion designer ex, Alexis Phifer, who was often invited to fashion shows from NY to Milan while she & Ye dated. I hate that joulzy said that. It’s such an egregious oversight. They were making money but were not at all taken seriously by the media due to their poorly cultivated image that KANYE changed. Not the other way around

I don’t know when I was younger I was unsubconsciously taught that if you say that you are God… you gone get in trrrrooouble

@TYLERTHEBAE

Жыл бұрын

I'm still watching the video & I'm still pretty young and have a lot of learning to do, but as I'm growing up & rethinking religion, not speaking for the capitalists or criminals of the world... when saying that, I take it as somebody trying to embody God, which isn't that what he would want? or thats too far?

@getboogie1950

Жыл бұрын

@@TYLERTHEBAE Nope. A different perspective is always enlightening. I'm a lot older at 46, and you just didn't play with his name like that, I don't know.. it's not like I'm holy or even in church actively 💁

Read a comment that said Kanye created Sunday service right after slavery is a choice and harriet Turman comments. Smh. He can run to religion and hide

Oh Joulzey is gettin ready to SMNAP on this one- so here for it and I am ready to have my axioms shook to their core… This is one of my favorite videos - you pulled a lot of things together least of which the cult of black rapper personality…. Sis brava!!!!!

You have THE BEST reads. They’re so eloquent.

This was a great video because alotta rappers think they have that God like complex and im glad you talked about Jay-Z because I don't called him Hov and never will

@TheodoreBakes

Жыл бұрын

Omg why did this comment enlighten me to the fact of what Hov stands for!?! MIND BLOOWWNNNN!!! I never k ew that until now! Mannnn that's makes so many other things make sense and also makes question more.

@everythingberline6060

Жыл бұрын

@@TheodoreBakes what does it mean?

@everythingberline6060

Жыл бұрын

@Love JamieAnne thanks! That’s crazy!

@ahkenaten522

Жыл бұрын

I call jigga hov all the time

All those short jokes at dababys expense lol

This was amazing to listen to! Greatly loved every part of it.

You look amazing.

@hennyondatube3133

Жыл бұрын

And do!!

@jouelzy

Жыл бұрын

Thank you friend!

Kat Blaque sent me here, and I'm grateful she did. I've got a new channel to binge watch

Glad you included Kendrick in this. I didn't listen to his last album. Something about DAMN just wasn't sitting with me. And then the role out and social media praise of the new one just turned me off in a way that I just couldn't explain. This analysis helped it all come together

@TheLily97232

Жыл бұрын

I saw him live and I felt weird about the performance, I felt like it was something more than just a show. Couldn't understand why

@VirgoGoddessXxo

Жыл бұрын

Same thoughts

@ummmm_okay

Жыл бұрын

what was the roll out?

@ummmm_okay

Жыл бұрын

@@TheLily97232 then why did you go? lol

@BlissfulMartini

Жыл бұрын

@@ummmm_okay I'm pretty sure they expected to enjoy the performance but realized it wasn't what they thought it would be. You don't always know what you think of something without trying it.

I truly admire how you really apply the education behind your points. Great material. Kept me glued. The Messiah complex and misogynoir is so real and I feel like it definitely keeps Black Cis men in bondage, especially through entertainment.

@neo1053

Жыл бұрын

Black men weather he is gay or not

Music is not for community it's for entertainment. People gotta let go of worshipping musicians. Enjoy the sounds and don't look for them as saviors or allies.

@diamonddallasgsus6236

Жыл бұрын

Our own people have a big problem with this, the other races can decipher from the two

The fact that I wasn't able to find out about Kendrick being a hotep while listening to him for awhilr is pretty concerning and goes to show how much a blk woman's perspective can illuminate certain issues.

To me it didn’t sound like Jay Z was comparing the n word & the term ‘capitalist’. I think he was saying that he has been called so much worse (n word, monkey) that being called a capitalist (in a capitalist society) is like…laughable. They have to come up with a more aggressive insult

You did your good research with this one boo!

This was fantastic. Thank you for the in-depth analysis!

And I know God is Love because the way no lightning has struck…

I like the analysis of this video. However, I think on Kendrick he is basically telling the fans that he is not their savior. He’s not portraying himself as godlike.

@MONET8iAM

Жыл бұрын

@@jumpdumppyy I think his “costume” is just a play off of what he is laying out in the album, that he is viewed as such. In the album he reflects on how he portrays himself through his work and how people interpret it and hold him to this image and standard; while he realistically is living this troubled, hottep lifestyle. He’s acknowledging his responsibility in creating these interpretations despite being unsanctified, and saying “hey take this with a grain of salt, and look elsewhere. I’m just here to get express and entertain.” His honesty gives an excuse of sorts and doesn’t make anything better, but at least he told us… I guess.

@ashlynn8961

Жыл бұрын

It’s still blasphemy either way!

@MegaHAZE21

Жыл бұрын

@@MONET8iAM What you think is right. Both you and the OP have the right idea about what the album is. I really didn't agree with the part of the video analysing his last album much, down to the take on its name. He deliberately goes out of his way to show you he's not "that" guy to the point where he has an entire song about it, just to beat the dead horse incase you didn't catch the hint. I found the title (and to an extent the album art) to be ironic. Because he's the exact opposite of mister morale, that nigga ain't jesus, he's not God like. He's just a messy, flawed human being (like everyone else) who finally accepts that he can't single handedly save a community, and having the audacity to think he could was both bad for his mental health, personal relationships, and highlighted how naive and ultimately fucking stupid it was to think that. That's what I got from that album. And if you ask me, the god complex you're looking for, the messianic hubris that would've been a great critique for this video, was on (and around) To Pimp A Butterfly.

Excellent video! I so enjoy your perspective of current topics. Always a unique, well-researched take.

I’m revisiting this a year later because I’m always finding myself referencing it. With the recent release of The Book of Clarence I needed a refresher & im catching so many gems that I missed the first time. There’s definitely a tremendous overlap with this line of thinking & how many Black men in the community function

Listen, I haven't even gotten past the 8 second mark, but I already know its a banger. Gratitude always Jouelzy

This was an enlightening and well made video. Thanks!

Loved hearing someone say 'Conscious'. That was the 'Woke' of the 90s. Thx

Off topic- can you do a quick video on your grad school experience & how you’re feeling? I just feel like school is kicking my ass and im still working to get into grad school. My fiancé just finished last week. Id love to hear how you’re doing.

🙏🏽 thank you for this comprehensive analysis of black men and their god complexes and the nuances between them and their beliefs with their presentation

@ahkenaten522

Жыл бұрын

[Verse 1: 2Pac] You probably crooked as the last trick Want to laugh at how I got my ass caught up with this bad bitch? Thinkin' I had her, but she had me in the long run It's just my luck, I'm stuck with fuckin' with the wrong one Wise decisions, based on lies we livin' Scandalous times, this game's like my religion You could be rollin' with a thug Instead you with this weak scrub, lookin' for some love

I agree with the Jay Z and Nas assessments but T.I. and DaBaby are T.I. and DaBaby, I wouldn't expect any deeper points to them using Jesus imagery and it's probably just the face value idea of them being crucified as you said. I doubt anyone's look at either of those 2's examples very seriously in the ideological regard Kanye is a weird case because his belief in Christ has always been prevalent and I don't think the point was to ever portray himself as Jesus, yes the name "Yeezus" invokes that idea but he never tied himself in to actually say he's Christ. Even the song "I Am a God" is just portrays his character with delusional levels of pride to later be addressed and undone on the same album Your Kendrick assessment seems off too. Obviously there's the thorn crown imagery but the album's entire idea is that Kendrick ISN'T Christ-like. The two most important songs have Kendrick repeat that various celebrities are "not your Savior" [on 'Savior'] and "I choose me I'm sorry" [on 'Crown']. He also stated that he isn't Pro Black on the album so to me the theme being pushed is that Kendrick's fans placed a "crown" on him by expecting him to be their leader of sorts. MM&TBS makes it clear that Kendrick never wanted the role and received it unjustly in the same manner that Christ never placed the crown of thorns on his own head. That all may seem like a stretch but when you look at how people were slandering Kendrick for not speaking during COVID and the George Floyd riots (he trended on Twitter multiple times due to such requests) I think it's fair to say many have absolutely "crowned" him as a voice of the people but he's not saying that's good or even true on Mr. Morale he's just attacking the unfairness of it. "DAMN." on the other hand was meant to show Kendrick's confusion on whether he should follow his religion or use his platform to try and help the world as a figurehead of it (which the Bible actually advises against). The end result of this conflict is the fact that Kendrick is "damned if he does and damned if he doesn't" which DJ Dahi, who exec-produced the album, explained a few times. The record has NOTHING to do with him being like Jesus and he gets killed for entirely different reasons on the project P.S. 25:14 How did Kendrick "reinforce tired gender wars?" I can only think of 'We Cry Together' that addresses the gender war but it only aimed to show both sides as flawed with no real conclusion on how to fix it in my eyes

@Brooklyn94269

Жыл бұрын

But this comment won’t get too many likes, I agree with almost everything you mentioned especially the Kendrick takes. Her opinion comes off as someone who did not actually listen to the album. I have never heard misogyny or gender wars be associated with Kendrick Lamar’s musical content and it seemed grossly incorrect to label him as such

@charlestaylorco8713

Жыл бұрын

@@Brooklyn94269 I mean I agree with the original comment but that isn’t to say that Kendrick is devoid of misogynistic takes as even in Mr. Morale he discusses his own misogyny, but I do agree that’s it seems a bit unfair to lump him in with the rest of the group she talks about in this video

@Brooklyn94269

Жыл бұрын

@@charlestaylorco8713 I would still love to see examples, perhaps I missed something . I recall Kendrick discussing his sex addiction and infidelity, however , that is different from being a misogynist. Misogyny would imply that he dislikes women and I don’t recall hearing any indication of that .

@charlestaylorco8713

Жыл бұрын

@@Brooklyn94269 I’m not saying he’s a misogynist but that he’s repeated misogynistic rhetoric that many had to unlearn, most notably in his earlier work. Like his verse on Memories Back Then could definitely fall into that distasteful perception of black women (like that meme with the nerd who gets rich)

@Brooklyn94269

Жыл бұрын

@@charlestaylorco8713 considering Kendrick’s use of rhetoric (back then) is different from the listener’s experience of his music. One has to critically ask, does the rhetoric reinforce the actual content? If we are using that song for example, sure you can say he has misogynistic rhetoric (language ) in his lyrics, specifically referring to a girl as a ho. However it conflicts with what the actual verse is about , which is about a girl thinking she is too good for him or for a regular guy. That is wholly different from say Jayz , who would use misogynistic rhetoric in his delivery to reinforce misogynistic content in his verses ( see Girls , girls , girls ) . Now i agree , the use of words like ho, bitch, thot etc, are misogynistic rhetoric. However, not trying to down play it, but it is just that, rhetoric. Meaning , the use of language for effective impact on the audience - simply put , delivery. Rhetoric is empty without content behind it, and Kendrick’s content has consistently (in my opinion) not been disrespectful or shown contempt to women. Now if you want to argue that the language shouldn’t be used at all because it’s more harmful than whatever content is behind it , that’s different, although I would disagree, but to describe his music as misogynistic because he may have used words considered misogynistic rhetoric, I think that is wrong.

“He is not your savior”

* Rakim's first record came before RZA: 1st single "Eric B is President" w/ "My Melody" on B-Side in 1986. RZAs "Ooh, I Love You, Rakim" in 1989. * Nas' 1st album was Illmatic (1994) not It Was Written (1996)

Your shoulder tattoo is GORGEOUS

really great video jouelzy! i havent heard too many folks on here get into these topics, especially breaking down how influential the 5 percenters were on rap's first 20 or so years, for better or for worse. as much as i love a lot of these guys and their records, i've felt that rap needed to grow up a long time ago and stop accepting all these contradicting and shallow excuses for "deep," "conscious" music

Thank you for this video. As a follower of the real Jesus. Some of these acts these guys have been trying to get away with are just sick. Especially prosperity Gospel and the clear false messages to save themselves from their bad behaviour. And ppl are eating it up.

Wowwwww! 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾 This was so good and well researched. I def needed to hear this about 1 or 2 of my faves 👀 🥴

Jouelzy this is my favorite video by you and I love alot of your content. Well done👏🏽💯❤️

Loved this analysis! You ate this Jouelzy! And read them real bad 😂

15:58 Everytime I finally delete that sound bite out of my memory, someone brings it back up 😔

Fun fact. Kanye has been running around with Joel Osteen. There’s videos of it.

I was searching around for an intelligent and provacative something and wow I found it with you! As a Canadian white feminist revolutionary, I am so thrilled to have found a source of African American Feminism talking in depth about aspects of patriarchal white supremacist capitalism that I know nothing about! I know about rap of course and the propesnsity for the emasculated and disempowered black man in America (the most capitalist nation) to go ga-ga for the riches, but the Christ take is fascinating and also the subtelties of all of your commentary on the African American male misogyny (and thanks for the comment about misogyny toxifying or entrapping cis-men) Thanks so much Jouelzy! I'm an instant fan :)

Cannot get this video outta my head. So well done! Had to come back and comment.

I'm shocked you never mentioned Tupac

I love the shoulder tattoo. You look great and the content is very on point

I grew up with hip hop and the older I get the harder it is to enjoy it because I am knowledgeable about the problematic messaging in hip-hop. Even now! Most of the hip-hop music I consume is by black women, but even that is laced with capitalism and internalized misogyny.

deep respect for the amount of research and attention to detail that went into this analysis

Love the hair!

making a video about male rappers and their ties to capitalism but making sure you get that ad out the way first is crazy. for black men to see any representation of themself in the media as the true messiahs they (we) really are, is progression. your whole channel is dedicated to discussing divides within the black community but you seem to be pushing the division yourself.

@nikiiim223

Жыл бұрын

But like as a messiah, who did y’all save?? Who did y’all die for??? Messiah would never go around with diamonds and flaunting wealth because he is a loving and selfless person. How is it progress to be put on a pedestal that y’all don’t belong on. How is it progress to have multiple children with multiple women and never taking care of the children. How is it progress to not accept any critical because you think that you’re the saviour. And again WHO DID YOU SAVE WHO DID YOU REDEEM AND WHO DID YOU DIE FOR

@dondonna555

Жыл бұрын

@@nikiiim223 could the same response be warranted against women who address themselves as queen but don’t exhibit any queen like behavior? we as black people are Gods, Goddesses, Kings and Queens. whether the behavior at the time is exhibiting this behavior doesn’t take away the title or the fact that we as individuals know who we are. additionally none of these men have left earth yet either, meaning they still have plenty of time to change their ways. adding on to another point a lot of the men mentioned in the video have very big fan bases who im sure would argue that the art these men have put out could’ve potentially “saved” them at some point.

@dondonna555

Жыл бұрын

@@nikiiim223 additionally none of the men mentioned in this video are men who are known to have multitudes of woman or don’t take care of their children. it seems you’re attempting to put all black men into a stereotypical category which is very anti black. who are you to determine they don’t deserve the pedestals they are put on? WHO HAVE YOU SAVED. WHO HAVE YOU DIED FOR. WHO HAVE YOU REDEEMED. they die for themselves & they families anytime they are in the public as they are not only black but black men WITH MONEY who’s lives are picked apart as well as the art they put out by people like the beautiful woman in the video, as well as people like you. people like you are also the reason the messiah was killed, as no one believed he was the messiah. they save those who feel touched by their art, so there’s your savior point right there. and as for redemption, which is subjective, so i’d say any of these men who have blessed a woman off the pole, gotten they homeboy the OUT THE STREETS, or have blessed the hoods they’ve come from is redemption. anything else or you ready to spew back your anti black rhetoric to try and prove how these black men aren’t credible enough to the messiah or were you referring to all black folk? i’d love to know.

@nikiiim223

Жыл бұрын

@@dondonna555 a king and queen cannot be compared to God. As a black woman, I will never compare myself to God because I’m not perfect and I’m not omniscient. Black men are not perfect or omniscient, saving your homeboy from the streets doesn’t make you a God, it might make you a good person tho. Also statistically black men don’t take care of their kids, not really a stereotype, my dad belongs in that category. Black men are not saviours or God because God is all loving, all knowing and does more than save their homeboy off the streets. I understand that black men have many limitations compared to white men but saying that you’re a God will not suddenly give you more opportunities. Money might give you opportunities, but these black men are capitalists, you don’t seem to understand what capitalism is and neither do these black men, even with all their money

@dondonna555

Жыл бұрын

@@nikiiim223 i have a good understanding of what capitalism is thank you very much. black people are the reason this country even exists and operates the way it does, this country was built on our backs. capitalism started with people using our bodies for labor so why is it that when we as black people have the ability to access large amounts of wealth we are scruntinzed for it? more black people need to attempt to benefit from capitalism if we want to start gaining more financial freedom. crab in the bucket mentality. i’m sorry you didn’t grow up in the house with your father but i did so mine doesn’t fit in this statistic that only bases the non existent of black fathers being in the home simply because they are black fathers and not because of systemic racism, generational trauma, prejudice and unhealed trauma within themselves. im sorry you don’t think of yourself as what you are which is Goddess but is is the truth. i’m sorry you don’t believe all black people are Gods but it’s the truth and i’m sorry to hear that you are one of those. you have an amazing day Goddess.

Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to hear where the beginnings of the percenters came from? Too long. It’s become so engrained in the culture that most people will hear a reference in lyrics and think the rapper is talkinh about the Judeo-Christian God but they’re not. I thank you for the brief history, analysis and sharing your thoughts.

I will say at the beginning- if the imagery is meant to make the performer mimic Jesus, then it isn't "Judeo"-christian. Jesus is not a figure in Judaism. I agree that the crossover between xtianity and Islam here is relevant tho. Honestly that phrase came out of the early 2000s islamophobia, bc people wanted to present a sort of image of this xtian Jewish alliance against Islam (useful for things like the colonization of palenstine and being able to say you're "not white supremacist you have Jewish friends" while bombing islamic countries). Realistically though there is very little crossover between Xtian and Jewish culture or shared history- in part bc as Xtianity grew it made antisemetic efforts to distance itself from Judaism. I cannot actually think of a time when Judeo-christian was used that made any sense. People use it for anti abortion rallies, however the rabbinic law on abortion says life begins at first breath (so Ben Shapiro and his ilk are outliers), people use it to talk about winter holidays but obvs Jewish people don't celebrate xmas and hannukah is not that important culturally (it has become the most marketed to holiday in response to xmas but tbh everyone says like Yom Kippur and Rosh Hoshannah are way more important). I have even seen people say "Judeo-christian concepts like hell and sin" which... Is interesting as Judaism has no concept of hell, a largely very different concept of "afterlife" overall and a drastically different concept of sin (which is not based in the idea that something has stained you or needs to be forgiven- forgiveness itself is a largely different discussion in Judaism- but instead on personal accountability). Its not a huge deal overall, but I think its important to remember what these little phrases we pick up in life and use actually come from and what they really mean. Judeo-christian was a way for white supremacists to not appear antisemetic (which was something that mattered in more mainstream channels back then ha) while completely assimilating and ignoring all actual Jews involved in that discussion, for the express purposes of othering Muslims, who often have more in common with christians anyway (like, having Jesus be an important figure for one thing).

This is a very interesting piece. Lots to think about. Thank you!

This was an interesting look into this perspective. Being a part of the Era in the eighties where the Nation of Gods and Earths were being taken more seriously on a public and popularised scale as opposed to now, I will say this. To my knowledge, Asiatic derives from Africa and Asia as one whole nation at one time, before Europe's involvement in attempts to segregate the two nations (as well as continents and borders developing). There were actual black people in places such as India and China, who were eventually looked at as lesser than when both nations had more European based leaders. There were more, but a few of the earliest emcees which were associated with the Nation of Gods and Earths were Lakim Shabazz, Big Daddy Kane and King Sun. Later on, Brand Nubian, Rakim and Poor Righteous Teachers became well known in the circles. Many of the Semites (North Africans and North Asians, excluding Europeans) merged together. I cannot say the Asiatic connection is based on an obsession with Japan, although indeed, Hip Hop has developed an obsession with Japanese culture, just as the youth in Japan obtained an obsession with Hip hop culture. Secondly, if you are aware of martial arts films, particularly from filmmakers such as the Shaw Brothers, there may be a deeper comprehension of the connection between Hip hop and Japan/China. There is a deeper meaning as to why black people are obsessed with wealth too. That is based on the lack of wealth for generations, and now seeing it, there is a desire to promote it. There will forever be a connection to how Jesus/God is viewed within the black community because it is engraved within us generationally. Black people (especially yonnger people in the U.S.) are recently becoming open to discovering other beliefs and lifestyles, such as atheism and other carribean beliefs, such as Santeria and Vodun. Hotepian culture began forming shape in music in the mid nineties, with the Neo soul movement, which has been around, just not popularised.

How dababy blew up originally in the underground, was him wearing a diaper as he ran around at a musical festival and his original rap name was Baby Jesus.

I also feel like this connects to the larger Black male messiah complex in Black politics and cultural life, period. The way we lionize individual Black male leaders who were assassinated and the way that public intellectuals, pastors, activists and hip hop artists reference these slain leaders and try to step into and perform that mode of leader and savior that isn’t really accessible to Black women. So not coincidentally when Black womens leadership becomes more visible in politics and activism we see individual male rappers coming out under the mantle of “leader” to support the far right. All this shit is connected! I feel like this could be a series about how this messianism plays out in different ways. Check out Erica Edwards Charisma the Fictions of Black Leadership if you haven’t already.

Ya looking good Sorry, I'm a man who loves women, so, its the first thing I notice, and wanted to give props As far as the subject, I grew up with the Gods, and back then people took it VERY seriously. If you didn't know your lesson for the day, it could be a serious problem. Some still do. I like how you broke down the "Asiatic Black Man" cause I've yet to hear its origin without the myths Just a correction. Rakim came BEFORE Wu-tang, and was the first to push the "Gods". Also, Krs-One was NOT down with it behind the scenes, and Flash & the furious five never talked about it. Anyone Before Rakim wasn't talking about being a God, at least not to the point we knew they were down with the teachings The reason why a lot left the nation is cause a lot of the Gods were doing foul things like criminal activity, and people started seeing the Gods as almost gangsters. Then when the mid 90's came, everyone got locked up, or left the drug game, then went into music. This is why after 1997, and biggie/tupac died, the shift went into making BIG money, and partying, the gangster 90's , and the conscious rappers, looked corny cause they were scammers or not really about getting money just being tough. Nas, and Jay-Z, were the first to do this mafioso type thing BUT I remember when Nas got big, and people started hating on him. His car got shot up. That's the reason for "Hate me now" That mafioso wave has been going on to this day. It's time for something different!

@MissAlmostFine

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for adding some more context!!! My mom and aunt was adjacent to the Five Percenters in my early childhood (they were even given names diff from their birth ones that ppl still use sometimes). I've never really asked her experiences regarding this and I think I will.

@RealDealy

Жыл бұрын

@empty shogun nah, “ready to die” was when Big was grimy Listen to songs like “Gimme the loot” or “Another Struggle” let’s you know he was far from mafioso

I feel like the point of Kendrick's last album was to say he was not the savior he and many once felt he was and was giving up that role

wait are these perma locs? They look so glorious! I would say keep it but i also understand always wanting a new style. It looks wonderful tho.

Jouelzy came for their edges! Love this segment so much! 😂. Also, the hair, the skin, the tatts...looking gorgeous Jouelzy! 🌻

Just a few corrections. The group, The Furious Five, was founded in 1978. One of the members, Rahiem, was a 5%er. Rakim and Big Daddy Kane predate the Wu Tang Clan by 5 years. NaS' debut album was Illmatic. It was Written was NaS' 2nd album.

just have to say i LOVEE the videos your been posting. so happy your back on youtube and i’ll cherish however long this will last lol❤️

Oooooh I can’t wait to share this with my favorite hoteps 😅

Your hair is gorgeous Jouelz

85% less? DAAAAAMN. How can you help but laugh??????

As soon as my kids sleep... I will be enjoying this vid💓