Why I did not Advocate #JusticeforRocky.
By: Rafeeat Bishi
High-profile Rapper A$AP Rocky found himself in a bad position after being arrested for an altercation while in Sweden. Video footage shows the rapper attacking people who he claimed to have following him for four blocks. It has been argued that it was a form of self-defense.As a result of the altercation, "Rocky" was arrested and jailed on charges of assault and battery and is set to appear in a Swedish court.
Typically, news spread quickly of this through social media. Many regarded him with martyrdom and compared him to Nelson Mandela (despite his living conditions being above average), suggesting that his arrest was one of the worst things to happen in society. People went as far as to create petitions advocating his release. Here's the nature of a few tweets:
- Nick Budsworth (@WilliamGluckman) Tweeted:
- "Boycotting everything from Sweden until they free ASAP Rocky."
- Power 105.1 (@Power1051) Tweeted:
- If you haven't already, sign the petition to free ASAP Rocky from the inhumane jail conditions in Sweden."
- Hollywood (@Therealboss31) Tweeted:
- "Free my bro ASAP Rocky over there in Sweden lockdown"
"Sweden has let our African-American community down".
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| A standard cell from The Swedish Prison and Probation Office |
“They’re not forcing me to do
s--t. I’m just gonna stay black and die. Why, because I’m black? So every time something happens because I’m black I gotta stand up? What the f--k am I, Al Sharpton now? I’m A$AP Rocky. I did not sign up to be no political activist...I don’t wanna talk about no f–king Ferguson and shit because I don’t live over there! I live in f--king Soho and Beverly Hills. I can’t relate...I’m not doing anything outside of that. That’s my life.”
(Ironically, A$AP Rocky's mother called on the help of Reverend Al Sharpton in Rocky's case).
The rapper has since tweeted that the quote was taken out of context and while he is upset with injustice, he is not a political activist.
Incidents like these beg the question as to whether or not we should hold people accountable over old statements. But what's made clear by his comments is that Rocky's proximity to whiteness and money made him think he is immune to the struggles facing "common Black folk" in America. While his incident may not have been one of police brutality, it can be inferred that he would not hesitate to apply his claims to similar situations. And for that reason, I looked at his predicament with a different view.
To turn your back on the community that brought you success and then expect for them to be the first ones to help is very upsetting.
Now. Am I saying A$AP Rocky deserved to be jailed? I don't know. I was not present at the situation and cannot determine clearly the details of the incident from one video. I also don't know A$AP Rocky personally or whether or not his views have changed. What I do know is what he said, and as a result, I would not stand up in fervid support of him.
In the words of Huey Freeman from "The Boondocks": "Every famous n--gga that gets arrested is not Nelson Mandela!"
This is really interesting because, although I have heard news of ASAP Rocky being arrested, I never really thought of it this way. I think you made some really valid points. When I saw so many tweets demanding that he be freed, I was surprised because I've never seen anything like that happen before. I agree when you say that comparing him to Nelson Mandela is odd. ASAP Rocky said himself that he does not want to be labeled as a political activist so why compared someone with those beliefs to Nelson Mandela? Weird.
ReplyDeleteI love this. I love that you're pointing out how ASAP Rocky turned his back on the very community that he expects to support him now. I also despite that "Not my problem" mindset, and it is especially disappointing since, as a black man with influence over the public, it IS his problem. It's extremely important for everyone, whether they share the same race or not, to stand up for injustices committed against minorities, especially black Americans. It may not be directly affecting a lot of us, but it's our problem and it'll continue to be our problem until we stand for once and do something about it.
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