Summer is almost here and so is festival season in Milwaukee. Headline acts for the mother of all the festivals, Summerfest, include a mix of musical genres.
Ampitheater headliners:June 28: Steely Dan
June 29: Def Leppard, Foreigner and Styx
June 30: The Fray
July 2: Roger Waters
July 3: John Mayer
July 4: Tool
July 5: Bon Jovi
July 8: Toby Keith
There's something for everyone, including those who like their music to glorify and romanticize drugs, violence, and misogyny.
From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
An urban music package featuring Ludacris with Chris Brown, Ciara and T-Pain will headline the Marcus Amphitheater at Summerfest on July 1.
Tickets are $45, $40 and $35, excluding service charges; there also will be limited free lawn seating the day of the show.
...A protégé of producer and rapper Timbaland, Ludacris cracked the top 5 on the album charts with his major-label debut, "Back For the First Time," in 2000. He has also been successful as a film actor, appearing in "Crash" and "Hustle & Flow."
Even as the chaos in the city claims more victims, I suspect some leaders in Milwaukee's African-American community will praise Summerfest for bringing Ludacris to the Ampitheater on July 1.
I know columnist Eugene Kane complained about the lack of rap at Summerfest, insinuating that the festival was racist.
Personally, I don't know how you can look at what Ludacris does and not call it racially offensive.
Nonetheless, Ludacris gets a pass. The justification is what he does is art. He expresses a picture of real life. He gives the experience of some African-Americans a voice.
I think that's ridiculous.
Is Ludacris really the sort of performer that Summerfest should be welcoming?
Back in fall of 2006, Ludacris hosted Saturday Night Live.
One of the skits was "The Bitchslap Method." It was a fake infomercial about how to save your marriage using Dr. Bitchslap's techniques. Ludacris (Dr. Bitchslap) demonstrates his method on mannequins, hitting them as he says things like, "Who’s yo daddy, bitch?" and "You ain’t walkin’ out on me bitch!"
Needless to say, it was extremely degrading.
Read the transcript of the skit.
This was on NBC, the same network that canned Don "nappy headed hos" Imus.
Then, there's Al Gore. His upcoming Live Earth concert will include Ludacris. It's ironic that wife Tipper led the charge against the vulgarity and misogyny in music, demanding warning labels on CDs to help parents shield their kids from inappropriate material.
Al doesn't seem to mind that Ludacris' lyrics are peppered with profanity and racist language.
Most likely, Summerfest has no second thoughts about booking Ludacris.
If SNL and Gore can tap his talents, why not Summerfest?
What's funny is that the libs are always looking for root causes when it comes to social ills like violence, yet they are willing to completely overlook the impact of music on young minds.
Free speech is a cherished right of Americans; but exercising a right doesn't eliminate the need to be responsible.
You reap what you sow.
Monday saw SEVEN shootings and two homicides in Milwaukee.
Does Milwaukee really need to showcase Ludacris?
Will Mayor Tom Barrett give him the key to the city?
4 comments:
what about America's wrongs and neglect to those of the lower class and minorities (especially blacks). Maybe Ludacris should not be booked, but instead politicians should appear and discuss what can be done besides policing impoversihed areas. While alot of what is said in the lyrics is bad, these rappers are often street reporters, reporting problems that America tries to sweep under the rug.
Furthermore, if people are so concerned about rap music, which I highly doubt, but if they are, then why don't they start with corporate America. they are the ones funding this music. the irony is that no political white person had a problem or at least spoke out against with 3 6 mafia winning a grammy for "it's hard out here for a pimp", but when the pressure is put on them to critically look at the problems b/t America and blacks, blacks are blammed for their situation(hence rap music).
resoloving the problem among black America hardly lies in rap music, but with America's attitude towards blacks which has taken on different racist identities every since slavery. tom barrett and whoever the hell else can call on a need for a building of communities, but the truth is that politicians have to acknowledge their flaws and negligence, and genuinely attempt to help black and poor America. policing rap music and blacks is simply not enough.
I'm all for holding Universal Music Group, Sony, and the other giants accountable for their product.
It should be noted that although rappers may act as street reporters, they also are street recruiters.
That's the problem. They help to perpetuate the dysfunction that they report on.
What's needed is personal responsibility, not cries of victimhood to excuse bad, and in some cases, criminal behavior.
Let's face it...Milwaukee is one of the most violent cities in the U.S. and to bring Ludacris here is like throwing fuel on the fire! I dont think it's a Ludacris problem-I think it is the enourmous amount of thugs in this city that should not be given any reason to come out and ruin a wonderful place such as Summerfest-dont give me that crap about "Freedom" The Milwaukee thugs who kill children do not deserve freedom!
Thankfully, Sunday night at Summerfest didn't become a repeat of Juneteenth Day.
Was that due to the increased police presence?
Who knows?
I'm glad that the Ludacris crowd behaved. It was a gamble, but it worked out.
UNRELATED to Summerfest, it's worth noting that there were three murders and five shootings in Milwaukee over the weekend.
The Thug Culture continues to thrive.
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