When The Rush Is Taken Away - Chris "Preach" Smith

Photo Credit: The Root


Russell Simmons is undergoing one of the worst weeks
a mogul has ever had with no clean end in sight. And 
in the process, a nagging issue within communities of
color comes to the surface once again with some dire
situations taking place.

The hip-hop and business titan has been receiving major
scrutiny since October 11th, when his RushCard prepaid
credit card service essentially shut down while in the midst
of transitioning to a new processing company. As a result,
thousands of people have been left stranded without access
to their money that they deposited. HipHopDX was first to
report the news as it broke. Since then, thanks to a flurry
of social media posts on Twitter and Facebook from both
affected RushCard users and those agitating on their behalf
to get the situation more coverage, the company is now 
forced to rectify the damage under a magnifying glass. But
the true damage may be the painting of Russell Simmons 
as a vulture preying on the underprivileged and unfortunate
members of American society due to the fiasco that has taken
place. Simmons himself has responded to some members’
pleas and ire by having them personally contact him via 
Twitter, even as he was berated online for offering “prayers”
for those affected. RushCard itself proclaimed a “fee holiday”
from the first of November until the end of the year, where
their customary fees would be abolished. But that’s of little 
comfort to those affected, many who have said that they will
no longer use the prepaid service. 

Prepaid credit cards on a whole have been on a rise since 2003.
The RushCard itself was one of the first to hit the scene. For
those who haven’t used prepaid credit cards, they essentially
work like this: you sign up for the card, without any credit
checks. You agree to pay a one-time setup fee that ranges from
$3.95 to $9.95. You’re then offered a choice between a plan
that lets you pay as you go, or an “unlimited” plan. The plan
differences are seen in terms of the monthly fee a user has
to pay (free for the former, up to $7.95 for the unlimited users),
fees for transactions(the company usually charges a dollar per
transaction) and whether you have direct deposit or not. And
that is a key point that led a lot of those who didn’t have a full
banking package, the “underbanked” and the “unbanked”, those
who don’t even have a banking account in their name. By recent
reports, that amounts up to 68 million Americans. Mostly Black
and Brown folks. For those who didn’t have the means, the card
that Simmons’ company offered was a neat alternative that
seemed trustworthy. I had one in the early years of its existence.
I soon dropped it because I had concerns after dealing with a 
RushCard customer service representative who had processed 
a transaction I made incorrectly. Also, the company at that time
had begun their aggressive campaign to get people to deposit
their entire paycheck onto the card through Western Union. 
Another thing that was troubling was that despite it being touted
as a credit card, there were many businesses like hotels that
would not accept it for payment. But through television ads and
other means, the ranks of RushCard users grew. And other companies
took notice. Now, PayPal has its own prepaid credit card. American
Express has also entered the field with their SERV card, marketed
in part with CVS Drugstores. It’s now customary to see advertisements
for prepaid credit cards in check cashing places. You can forget just
how many folks out their rely on this means of financial management.
And in the process, you can also find those willing to basically take
shots at them. How many times have you heard or seen someone
make RushCard users the butt of jokes. Or act like they wouldn’t
be caught dead knowing one? Even now, as people are suffering,
there are those who want to offer up more jokes than solutions.
Solutions are available, but not plentiful. For one, those affected
can’t sue RushCard because of a section of the terms and conditions
that they signed in getting the card that prevents such an action
either in court or by engaging in a class action lawsuit. And therein
lies another problem with prepaid credit cards: the lack of full consumer
protection as offered by the FDIC with traditional banking. Think about
it - the prepaid card industry raked in $65 billion dollars three years ago.
Included in that amount were fees for lost cards(which can cost a user
thirty dollars and up) and the various fees for transactions. 

At the heart of all this, is the fact that a great deal of us have taken
to these means because the current financial structure hasn’t made
itself accessible to our needs. There’s a deep-seated mistrust of banks
overall, and the Wall Street bailout hasn’t helped ease public concerns.
When you have banks that demand you must put in a certain amount
monthly to even have a checking account, when you have banks that
are willing to gouge out fees from the pockets of customers for any 
and all matters, the people don’t have many other options available
to them. Even Black-owned banks are fighting an uphill battle to serve
their own as they’re going out of business due to lack of funding they’ve
always received. Even credit unions have their issues, mainly with one needing
to be a resident of a particular region or employed in certain companies
to even use them. Take into account those who’ve just made their way
here from other countries as well and what they have to consider. The
public embarassment that Uncle Rush is now dealing with is a problem
for him and RushCard, yes. But it may not have been one that he, the
company and those customers could’ve avoided. The hope with all of
this is that each of the affected customers get their money back two
times over. The hope is that RushCard not only fixes the issue that 
plagued their transition but actually lowers fees and makes themselves
accountable under federal consumer protection guidelines. And the
prevailing hope is that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will
be able to fully enact their own measures recently proposed before
Congress that will prevent such a heinous situation from taking place
again. We’ve seen just how tragic it can be when the rush is taken out
of your normal life due to a situation like this, especially in our own
communities of color.  

On Misguided Memes - Chris "Preach" Smith

To my self-ordained, social media miltant “woke” folks that
end up making themselves look like unabashed dunces on
newsfeeds, timelines and comment sections everywhere…
I’d like to take some time to talk with you about the havoc
you’re causing among folks out here. Yes, you. Take the
looks of shock and indignation off your faces for a minute
or so, and please heed what I’m saying. We all know at least
one person out there who will, without fail, subscribe to
something so outlandish when it comes to people of color
to the point that when their false belief gets dismantled, they
will now double down and call YOU asleep. And these same 
people will have folks screenshot their responses and laugh
at them on AND offline. All behind the premise of “stay woke”.
Usually this will happen when someone reposts a meme or
an article that has been thoroughly discounted, like the
infamous Facebook hoax that claims users will be paying $5.99
just to use the social media platform. Without fail, the hoax
goes viral and leaves some groaning loudly as they see others
post the same hoax on their page. But there’s a dangerous
element to this even if you’re laughing at your homeboy who
posts these things.

Why would I say it’s dangerous? Because few things hurt more 
than misinformation passed off as truth because someone’s good
at Photoshop. Some folks in the community have to look at these
misleading themes and articles the same way one would view a 
few kernels of corn that haven’t been digested in a pile of feces.
Just because you can spot one fact or truth you can easily recognize
or is accepted as truth doesn’t make everything else the truth. 
There’s a three-point plan you have to develop in order to deal 
with these things. First, if a story seems too absurd at the headline,
don’t trust it. The second point is, if the headline and story possess
a bit of truth but there’s something still nagging at you that leads
you to believe it is false, look at the sources quoted. Check out the
validity of these sources. Check out how trusted the site is for news
through sites like Snopes.com. Some websites are purposely created
just to mess with people in order to get traffic and thus, more web
generated profits. And lastly, think critically with regards to the first
two points. These things are key because anyone can be duped. I
know I have been at times. 

The sad part about it is, we are in an age where there’s a multitude
of ways to get accurate information and facts to back up certain
points in research. But we are also in a digital age that’s been 
spurred on by instant gratification. People don’t want to wait, for 
any reason. Add to that the systemic attempts at the obliteration
of true history from the books themselves(i.e. claiming slaves forcibly
brought to the Americas and sold were “workers” in McGraw-Hill
textbooks seen in Texas this past week) and you understand why
some of these folks who spread false information willingly are a 
menace. I had to wince earlier last week when I saw a meme that
was circulated claming that the Timberland company logo was 
inspired by slaves being hung from a tree. The absolute horrific
tragedy of injustice and slavery doesn’t need historical fiction like
that because the reality was far, far worse and we’re just now in a
place where we can really surmise what that was. And that kind 
of dangerous creation also can be found in memes denigrating Black
women as materialistic whores and sluts because they won’t submit
to a Black man in a lockstep fashion. Or memes that will claim that 
a TV show is destroying the Black community when we all know 
damn well the fingers behind said destruction are more focused on
gerrymandering districts and denying loans than a television series.
Also, Photoshop can be harmful in distorting people’s perception
with pictures. The only thing that I want to close this article with
is, think. Think. Think. And remember that if you’re going to go 
around believing that you’re trying to help folks online that you know
or may not know, make sure you back yourself up with REAL facts
that you can verify and cite.

When Black Entertainers Use "Black-on-Black Crime" - Chris "Preach" Smith

Photo Credit: Power953

Recently, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman
took time out during a media day to address the impact
of the Black Lives Matter movement. But his comments
soon took a turn towards decrying the violence within the
Black community - speaking on “Black on Black crime”
without fully using the term. He spoke from an intensely
personal place in describing how one of his close friends
was murdered in his Los Angeles neighborhood and spoke
of the two who did it. A day or so after, the D.C. rapper
Wale made a statement online wondering about why there
wasn’t more of an outcry among crime within the community.
Both of their statements reflect a conversation that has
been ongoing in the community for quite some time. And
both are, in truth, incorrect in both their placement of this
issue as a counter to successful Black activist protests being
sustained and that there isn’t any attention paid to the
violence within the Black community. And that is something
that has to be said.

The “Black-on-Black crime” trope has been trotted out as
a weapon more frequently over the past few years by a legion
of right-wing white conservatives, Republicans and some
Libertarians. There’s also a slew of Black and Latino right-wingers
who will tout that trope as a knee-jerk reaction, and have
done so more openly during the current presidency of Barack
Obama. I use the word “weapon” because that’s precisely
what it is. It is used to derail and belittle on various levels
in a psychological manner. And those who use it, whether
passively or aggressively, know its weight. That said, these 
two instances of entertainers speaking on this topic has gotten
them a lot of pushback from many on social media. For Richard
Sherman, it has made him the ironic recipient of support from
the white right-wingers. The same ones that literally and
figuratively called him a “thug” for being aggressively confident
and displaying braggadocio during his team’s Super Bowl run
two years ago in place of “uppity darkie” or whatever slur they
wanted to confer on him. It’s also sparked a dialogue between
Sherman and his former teammate, Michael Bennett who took
him to task for his comments. As for Wale, he hasn’t made any
follow-up comments yet. But it is surprising for someone who
at times has shown a more mature sense of understanding
of issues to make comments like that. And some will point to
the fact that in some degree, his rapping and albums lend to the
climate of misogyny and objectification that plagues rap on a
whole these days. But what isn’t spoken of with regards to these
two figures in entertainment is just how prevalent this thinking
is in our community. Remember Peggy Hubbard, the grandmother
who spoke in an expletive-filled rant about Black Lives Matter
and why we don’t do more in our community to stop the violence?
She was touted as an instant hero on Fox News. But we all know
a Peggy Hubbard. Remember Martin Baker, the St.Louis area
Black politician who stood with supporters of the Ferguson Police
Department who launched a thousand memes thanks to his
country-club pose? We all know someone like that. We in the
community have relatives who drop these statements every so
often, almost like parrots. But what doesn’t get brought up in the
wake of these comments are questions. Questions like, “so what
have YOU done?” Questions like, “have you been to this civic 
meeting, seen this group raising funds, etc…” The usage of the
“Black-on-Black crime” trope insults those people who have been
in the community for years - decades even - trying to help lessen
the ills that plague the community. It shouldn’t be a statement.
We tend to do that to ourselves far too often, especially if we feel
that no one agrees with our position. I once wrote about a pastor
in Harlem and the Bronx that literally monitors social media of
teens involved in gangs. He does so to essentially prevent beefs
that could lead to shootings. He does so with little to no fanfare
and financial backing. Another instance involves a group of Black
women on Chicago’s troubled South Side who have taken it upon
themselves to patrol the community. And many more. But they
are fighting a hard battle, when you consider the systemic issues
of budget cuts to vital programs and companies cutting jobs to
gain more relief and profits. Those using the trope to suggest
that Black people and Brown people don’t care about what goes
on in their communities don’t really care about Black and Brown
people. It comforts them to use that stereotype to mask their own
prejudice and elitism. As for those of us who use it, one has to note
their position and their intent. It’s usually those who are well off
and FEEL that they’re at a distance to throw stones in frustration
more than pitching in to build however they can. Which is why
they are met with derision. 

In a society where we are growing far too comfortable with
extreme positions that aren’t nuanced and polarizing, we are
airing this conversation to the public at a risk. But there is a 
benefit that outweighs that risk. And that benefit is more of a 
uniform clarity. I’ve had discussions with older folks as well as
those in my own age bracket and younger and I see a growing
understanding of the weaponized usage of “Black-on-Black crime”.
I see more looking past it and beginning to assess what the issues
are on a whole. Wale and Richard Sherman aren’t the only notable
Black celebrities who think like this, without question. But they
and others who may say similar comments serve a purpose - they
show the dangers of letting misinformation and ego influence
their position of safety. One can speak to the ills without siding
with the greater oppression at hand. Especially those in a better
position of influence. Hopefully Wale and Sherman realize the
error of their ways, along with others still clining to this hurtful
trope. 

The Dunce Who Rules The GOP Confederacy - Chris "Preach" Smith

Photo Credit: DailyKos

As I sat down to revise this article this morning, the nation
and the onlookers in the rest of the world had another brash
and disturbing incident created by the boisterous billionaire
and current Republican Party presidential campaign frontrunner
Donald Trump to chew on. Trump was holding court at a press
event set up in Dubuque, Iowa. Noted journalist and Univision
anchor Jorge Ramos began to attempt to ask Trump a question
about undocumented emigrants as another reporter was asking a
question. Trump snarled at him, “Sit down, you weren’t called.
Go back to Univision.” The magnate then added more hostile
words, and had Ramos removed from the room. The reporter
was let back in towards the end of the press conference and 
had the chance to ask two questions. Yet the media at large,
and some people are essentially using the point that Ramos
spoke out of turn as justification for Trump’s classless statements.
And there is further proof that a cross-section of the American
public is more than comfortable with the toupeed dunce that
lords over this confederacy of GOP presidential nominees. That
fact should scare you.

I know that the temptation is easy to dismiss Donald Trump as
a buffoon, someone who is a distraction more than a viable
political delegate. But to do so is not only foolish, but highly
dangerous. Why? Because Trump operates on the idea that he
is a “rebel”, an outsider who disrupts authority in order to bring
things back to order. An order that is highly xenophobic and 
sexist as much as it is nostalgic. Think about the phrase “Go 
Back To Univision.” Substitute “Mexico” or “Africa” for the last
word in that statement and you get an idea of what Trump is
all about. He constantly refers to “the Blacks”. He’s made it a
point to go after the fastest growing ethnic demographic in the
U.S., which is the Latino population. And his vile verbal harassment
of Fox News’ Megan Kelly makes the twisted trifecta complete.
Donald Trump is determined to what Mitt Romney wasn’t. See,
Romney was polished, effete to a degree. He was what the rich
establishment wanted you to have as POTUS, never mind the
fact that he was intensely disliked within his own party. Trump
comes off like Rodney Dangerfield’s character in “Caddyshack”
who finally has enough scratch to get into the country club and
offends the other members with his presence - but not enough
for them to outright oppose and disown his tactics. In that respect
he evokes the silent code language of the boardrooms and the
drawing rooms of elitist, white and male American society. Look at his
jumbled and jingoistic statements on immigration, and see how
many of the other 16 candidates have fallen in line to sound
almost like him. Even the candidates of color like Dr. Ben Carson
(who by this point is just there to get the Alan Keyes “Good Job
Good Effort Colored Candidate Award” & call it a day) and Louisiana
governor Bobby Jindal are making heinous remarks about those
who migrate to the U.S., with Jindal being highly fascist.

But what’s all the more alarming is the fact that Donald Trump’s
deplorable behvaior has attracted the open and unabashed 
support of white supremacists, most notably ex-Ku Klux Klan
Grand Wizard and failed political player(for those who recall his
1990 campaign to be governor of Louisiana)David Duke. Duke’s
support came in a recent interview, even as he concdeded that
Trump wouldn’t necessarily do what he says. Its the fact that
he’s SAYING it. A known and avowed racist lending you support
would be an instant death knell to any political candidate. But 
Trump. He’s essentially using it to his advantage. Look at the 
turnout in Mobile, Alabama. He’s deliberately going after the 
“Christian brotherhood” of the South and Midwest, that part of
the Republican base that has risen up like gnarled cancerous
polyps. The same base that Sarah Palin, another backer, seized
upon with John McCain in tow, back in 2008 when Barack Obama
became President. Trump is more than willing to use the vile 
and veiled racial code language to get what he wants - “Make 
America Great Again” is a prime example. It’s language he’s used
in the past - for example, when the Foxwoods casino opened in
Connecticut, Trump called the Mashantucket nation “Michael 
Jordan Indians.” This was later cited in an interview on CBS’
“60 Minutes” which Trump brushed aside when questioned on
it. For those that think this won’t lead to anything, look at the
incident in Boston of the two white men who beat up a Latino
man who was homeless. Why? Because they felt Trump was 
right. Never mind the fact that the two brothers were found to
be on public assistance and squatting, 2 things Trump has also
sounded off against. These men are representative of the potential
danger that Trump and those who aid him are stirring up. 

The Donald is not here to be President. He’s here as a visible
reminder of how the political system - and our own core as the
American people - have been extremely broken for some time.
If he doesn’t win, so what? He’s extended his brand for years
to come. He’s hustled the American public and media once 
again, much like he did when he had his own reality show. Or
when his casinos and hotels were once the jewel of the Atlantic
City boardwalk. Trump knows when to cash out, and the time
will soon come when he’s forced to. But it doesn’t discount how
ugly of a game he’s playing. And what his outlandish behavior
obscures from the other appalling GOP candidates - and the
attitudes of those who support them. In that sense, the house
always wins when the gullible put their bets in. 

Requiem For The Rap Champion, Sean Price - Chris "Preach" Smith

Photo Credit: ThisIs50.com

My right hook’ll give you a large dent
on the side of your face for fucking with Clark Kent
- Sean Price & Random Axe - “The Karate Kid”

For a great deal of hip-hop fans across the globe, the
news of Sean Price’s sudden passing yesterday morning
hit them in the face like a Snapple bottle. For me, I found
out from one of my boys from back in the day sharing the
news on Facebook just as I got a text from someone who
knew Sean P’s peoples - and as I sent out a tweet calling
BS on Drake being “the hardest in the game” in a chat
related to a popular weekend news program. For the rest
of the day, I sat back and thought about the life of Sean
Price and how his mere presence was the stuff of legend.
I don’t say that lightly. Because when you sit down and
take it apart, we lost one of the greatest MC’s to do it. And
the sad part is, there are those who are coming to that 
realization now as he’s passed on as opposed to riding for
him when he was alive. 

I still remember the first time I ever heard Sean P spit on
that summer ‘hood anthem, “Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka” as
Ruck, one half of the duo Heltah Skeltah with Rock. The
album itself came out during my freshman year in college,
and was a continuation of the Duck Down dynasty that
had a firm grip on the rap game for over a decade. I still
remember hanging with DJ Stress in the dorms while he
spun the entire Nocturnal album on his turntables after
class ended for the day. Ruck stood out because of the
ferocity of his bars, and the feeling that if it had to go there,
he wouldn’t mind smacking the life out of you after the
cipher. “Sean Price” was both the prologue to the deeper
part of his solo career and a further examination of how 
serious his bars were. But you never lost sight of the fact
that Sean P would bring it to your neck if needed. He was
never far from the streets or the people of Brownsville. A
member of the notorious Decepticons crew turned MC. As
soon as he stepped onto the scene anywhere, you knew
what time it was. I still recall being at a show at Betsy Head
Park years ago, a Duck Down affair that would be the origin
of their annual concert event for the people. Sean P was off
stage, cup in hand, talking trash with folks. One of the blue
jacketed NYPD community officers was trying to get folks to
move along. He decided to grip Sean P on the arm to nudge
him to get on the stage. P whirled around and glared at him.
I swear on a stack of King James Bibles, the officer blanched
and wet himself slightly. Sean just smirked and went off to
perform. It was not only a ‘hood heroic moment but another
anecdote of how larger than life the man was. 

Sean P, visually, was a terror. The kind of dude that on first
glance could make folks shiver. As years went on, he bulked
up, lost the locks and grew a beard that could be rivaled only
later by James Harden of the Houston Rockets. And the heft
to his lyricism went along with it. As rap on the commercial
level became more and more diluted with Southern trap rhythms,
strip club R&B falsettoes and sprinkled with bling, Sean Price
unabashedly remained that dude on the block who could stick
you without a problem on or off the mic. “Don’t Say Shit To
Ruck” remains one of my all time favorite Sean P tracks and
he kept building on the viciousness of it. Sean Price was going
to give you BARS UPON BARS. There’s so many of his tracks
that are quotables in themselves. Think about it - a majority
of his tracks are under 4 minutes. And on the first listen you’d
miss gems like these that begin “STFU 2” off of Mic Tyson:

I don’t know today’s math, don’t keep track of time
universal beat down, beat down your universe
Sean P, AKA You The Worst
the best rapper, the worst rapper
the sket clapper, the purse snatcher
the neck snapper, the Earth slapper
this your man Sean
the opposite of a fucking Duran Duran song 

Bars like that solidified Sean Price as someone many rappers
didn’t want to mess with at their own peril. That battle with
Joe Budden is still fresh on people’s minds eleven years after
the fact. When Sean started dropping adlibs proclaming himself
as Kimbo Price, Mic Tyson, Donkey Sean Jr….no one was gonna
say a damn thing otherwise. Who would be foolish enough to
do that? Not when you’re dealing with someone who can and
could back these lines up:

N***a, I hate you, break you, Ivan Drago
I’m rushing to put pellets in your pecan pronto

Photo Credit: 4umf.com

But within the rugged rhymesayer, was also a really good 
dude. I remember missing out on a concert a while back 
that I was invited to featuring Sean P and other members
of the Duck Down camp. The admission price had a twist -
if you brought an item for Sean’s soon to be born daughter,
you got in for free. Sean Price’s gentle side was greatly 
magnified whenever you saw him with his daughter. Even 
when he was being interviewed at home once, he stopped
and made sure to interact with his daughter. That was one
of many genteel aspects of the man. As tough as he could
be, I’ve known many who always had a good word for how
Sean P would stop and say hello to folks from the neighborhood.
How humble and respectful he was with folks. How he showed
love to many rappers and producers. And we can’t forget the
other side of Sean Price’s charisma - the comedy. I’ve been
to a show of his where he was comically singing Lou Rawls in
the midst of a set. The fact that he freestyled a track in Spanglish
and it wound up being a beloved mixtape offering, “Sabado 
Gigante.” The video he did for “BBQ Sauce” with Pharoahe 
Monch. His appearance on the reality show “Pawn Stars” and
of course, the video where he was literally about to go toe-to-toe
with Hurricane Sandy rocking swim goggles. It all made him 
that beloved figure who railed against the fakes in hip-hop.


It saddens me to write this. Partly because some of the outpouring
should’ve come as to how great he is while he was still here to
bask in it as he should have. Mainly because to a degree, Sean 
Price is a John Henry figure in hip-hop when you get right down
to it. The folklore tale that lives in the Black community speaks
of John Henry as a hardened but proud man who was a “steel-
driver” - a man who drove a steel drill into rock with a hammer
to make way for explosives to blow holes into the rock to create
tunnels for railroad engines. John Henry, as the tale goes, dies
after winning a race against a steam-powered hammer. To me,
in some way, Sean Price’s transition is like that. Here’s an MC
who was spitting pure fire for over 20 years. Yet as time went
on and rap became more commercial and in some ways lost its
essence, Sean P kept on spitting. He refused to change who he
was or how he rhymed. In the process, he built a body of work
that will remain unchallenged and undeniably solid. And passing
on his sleep means the man gave it all that he had to the end.
What more could you ask of anyone who loved to rap as he did?
I spent most of yesterday going through his entire discography from
the Heltah Skeltah days onward. I thought about what he gave to the
culture, how many people his music spoke to. How many that
would shrug at the news and still be caught up in the antics of
contemporary rappers who don’t say very much and aren’t about
as much. Yesterday, a rap champion took his leave. The rap world
shouldn’t ever forget how Sean Price fought hard with his lyrics on
the mic. And how much better we were for it.