Ok, I’m going to make a lot of people mad with this one, but I have to say it. I have to say it on here because I can’t say it at home or I will either be hungry, have a pile of dirty clothes or be practicing a lot of self-love, but I still must say it.
Ok, here it is: MICHAEL JACKSON IS A DEAD MUSICIAN!!!!
Alright, so maybe that doesn’t sound like too much of a revelation, but the fact remains that that’s what he is now. A dead guy who made music. Great music. I mean really great music. And as a performer, he is unmatched. As an entertainer the man is unquestionably the greatest to have ever done it. But people, that is where it stops.
While I am grateful and admire his charity work, this does not place him in the greatest humanitarian class. The same rule applies to philanthropist as it does to rappers, IT AIN’T TRICKIN’ IF YOU GOT IT. Of course he gave millions to charities, he made hundreds of millions (I believe he grossed $1 billion). Its no different that Bill Gates foundation which has donated more than $30 billion. That is what rich people do. When they have built the biggest house they could build, and bought all the things they wanted to buy, and gave all the gifts to their friends and family that they wanted, they give their money away. But make no mistake, the man was not a revolutionary. In fact, NO MUSICIAN IS A REVOLUTIONARY. I’m not saying musicians don’t care. I’m just saying musicians ARE NOT the catalyst for change. “Where Are the World” hasn’t changed shit. “Heal the World” hasn’t stopped shit. For all the revolutionary music that he’s made, NOTHING HAS HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THAT MUSIC.
There is a difference between revolutionaries and philanthropistS. Both are important. But revolutionaries are there on the front lines. They’re the ones risking jail time. They’re the ones putting their lives on the line for the causes they believe in. They’re the ones that go to government officials and challenge them. They’re the ones that spend the most amount of time with the people truly affected by the causes their fighting for. Philanthropist fund the research and fund the overhead. Thank you, it is appreciated. But who do you cheer for at a game, the players or the owners? The ones taking the bumps and bruises or the ones who fund it?
I’m not saying Michael didn’t care. But have you ever seen him talk about mentoring or issues in the hood? Ever seen him in the heart of the ghetto trying to change things? No. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t care because he’s given hundreds of thousands to Big Brothers, Community Youth Sports (LA), and the United Negro College Fund. But did he ever go to Capitol Hill to try to push some legislation through that would actually help people? Did he ever spend days and nights in bad, dilapitated areas trying to figure out ways to help people? The price of Neverland Ranch could’ve rebuilt thousands of families’ lives in New Orleans.
Folks, no disrespect. I’m not saying he wasn’t an entertainment “Icon”. But for change to come, it requires action. It requires being there personally. It requires risks. It requires more than just a song about it.
ONE
Cashmere the PRO aka RJ
Ok, here it is: MICHAEL JACKSON IS A DEAD MUSICIAN!!!!
Alright, so maybe that doesn’t sound like too much of a revelation, but the fact remains that that’s what he is now. A dead guy who made music. Great music. I mean really great music. And as a performer, he is unmatched. As an entertainer the man is unquestionably the greatest to have ever done it. But people, that is where it stops.
While I am grateful and admire his charity work, this does not place him in the greatest humanitarian class. The same rule applies to philanthropist as it does to rappers, IT AIN’T TRICKIN’ IF YOU GOT IT. Of course he gave millions to charities, he made hundreds of millions (I believe he grossed $1 billion). Its no different that Bill Gates foundation which has donated more than $30 billion. That is what rich people do. When they have built the biggest house they could build, and bought all the things they wanted to buy, and gave all the gifts to their friends and family that they wanted, they give their money away. But make no mistake, the man was not a revolutionary. In fact, NO MUSICIAN IS A REVOLUTIONARY. I’m not saying musicians don’t care. I’m just saying musicians ARE NOT the catalyst for change. “Where Are the World” hasn’t changed shit. “Heal the World” hasn’t stopped shit. For all the revolutionary music that he’s made, NOTHING HAS HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THAT MUSIC.
There is a difference between revolutionaries and philanthropistS. Both are important. But revolutionaries are there on the front lines. They’re the ones risking jail time. They’re the ones putting their lives on the line for the causes they believe in. They’re the ones that go to government officials and challenge them. They’re the ones that spend the most amount of time with the people truly affected by the causes their fighting for. Philanthropist fund the research and fund the overhead. Thank you, it is appreciated. But who do you cheer for at a game, the players or the owners? The ones taking the bumps and bruises or the ones who fund it?
I’m not saying Michael didn’t care. But have you ever seen him talk about mentoring or issues in the hood? Ever seen him in the heart of the ghetto trying to change things? No. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t care because he’s given hundreds of thousands to Big Brothers, Community Youth Sports (LA), and the United Negro College Fund. But did he ever go to Capitol Hill to try to push some legislation through that would actually help people? Did he ever spend days and nights in bad, dilapitated areas trying to figure out ways to help people? The price of Neverland Ranch could’ve rebuilt thousands of families’ lives in New Orleans.
Folks, no disrespect. I’m not saying he wasn’t an entertainment “Icon”. But for change to come, it requires action. It requires being there personally. It requires risks. It requires more than just a song about it.
ONE
Cashmere the PRO aka RJ
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