Philadelphia Tribune - Index

Philadelphia Tribune - Sunday, September 07 2008 - Index

Sunday, September 7, 2008
Q&A: Young Jeezy gets political with his new CD
Mesfin Fekadu
NEW YORK — Young Jeezy may
seem like an unlikely political commentator,
given his status as a gangsta
rapper. But on his new CD, “The
Recession,” he talks about more than
just hustling, putting in his two cents
about the economy, struggling times
and Democratic presidential candidate
Barack Obama.
The platinum-selling, Atlanta-based
rapper is broadening his subject matter
as he also tries to appeal to a wider
audience. So far, it seems he’s achieving
that goal: He appeared on Usher’s
No. 1 hit, “Love in This Club,” and got
a boost when Michael Phelps gave
him props in Beijing, noting he
jammed to the Jeezy hit “Go Getta”
before bringing home a record eight
Olympic gold medals.
Sitting back while wearing an
Obama T-shirt and studded diamond
chain, the 30-year-old talked about
his third album with The Associated
Press.
AP: How was writing and recording
The Recession”?
Jeezy: I think I came up with the
ame “The Recession” like midstream
nto the album because when I looked
p at the songs I had, like “My
resident” and “Crazy World.” I was
ike, maybe I’m paying too much
ttention to what’s going on, and I
idn’t want my music to come out in
depressive (or) negative way. So I
ooked at what I had and I was like,
The rest of the songs that I am going
o do are going to be those ‘We Shall
vercome’ anthems that were always
ade, but were more street.” But now
want to make them for everybody.
ou don’t even just have to be from
he streets to know where I am comng
from. Even though that’s what the
usic is intended for, I want to put it
nto terms where everyone can get it.
AP: What’s the overall message
ou’re trying to send with the new
lbum?
Jeezy: We as people, we have to
tand. We have to get together as far
s voting, we have to get together as
ar as our communities, we have to
et together as far as our culture. We
ll know we’re in a recession, how are
e going to deal with it? We’re going to
eal with it the same way when the
ietnam War was going on: with good
Back
From Page 1D
by having some outfits of various sizes on hand
from Goodwill or the Salvation Army for those
who refuse to make the trip home. All school
administrators should be committed to teachers
dressing appropriately, as our teachers did
back in the day. This is just one of the battles
that “change agent” superintendents must take
on, for clearly it is the right thing to do.
Those of you who can go back in the day must
recall your teachers from that time. I am convinced
that any image you have of your teachers
from the ’50s and ’60s are of smartly dressed
women and men. You definitely did not observe
teachers wearing jeans or tee shirts. What you
saw were outfits that would be suitable for
church-going. No one would dare appear in a
classroom or school office in casual attire. Male
teachers wore ties; only male gym teachers did
not. Even in these cases, the gym teacher was
in neat, acceptable attire. Female teachers all
wore suits, dresses or skirts. Can you believe
that many of them came to school wearing hats
and gloves? All female teachers wore nylon
stockings; anything less was totally unacceptable.
As you know, however, back in the day,
there was pride and dignity in the teaching profession.
People went into teaching because it
was a calling; it was a passion; it was a love for
children. Today, too many people go into teaching
because there is nothing else they can do.
The end result is people who lack those old-time
values, including appropriate dress, that were
characteristic of our teachers in the past.
Can you imagine someone back in the day
complaining that a policy outlining acceptable
dress was a violation of staff members’ personal
rights?. Do you think anyone from the past
would indicate that their attire was a reflection
of their personal taste, and should not be controlled
by the school district? No, teachers knew
their clothing had to be neat, clean and presentable.
They also understood that it had to fit well.
Clothing could not be threadbare, had to be
pressed, and could not be sexually suggestive.
Everyone who worked in schools knew there
could be no jeans, collarless shirts, or sundresses.
While some teaching staff members
today will play dumb as if they have little information
regarding what is acceptable dress, they
know the difference. Back in the day, the principal
monitored how teachers dressed, and they
were supported by the district’s central administration.
If a teacher’s attire just touched on
being out of character or was perceived as being
inappropriate, forget about school personnel;
parents would let them know.
Do you find it ironic that school boards will
spend hours debating a dress policy for students
and give little or no consideration to the
attire of teachers? In some states, there is special
legislation permitting school districts to
Rapper Young Jeezy talks with MTV VJ Lyndsey Rodrigues on MTV’s “Total Request Live” show in New York on Tuesday. — AP
PHOTO/PETER KRAMER
music. We’re going to party our way
through it; we cannot sit here and cry
about it.
AP: How was it recording the single
“Put On” featuring Kanye West?
Jeezy: I had been all over the world
and I never had one song that every-
develop dress policies for students. Few boards
and virtually no state legislatures, however,
have tackled the manner in which teachers
dress. In most school districts, there is a general
statement that simply indicates teachers
should dress appropriately. There is the
absence of specific guidelines. Why? It is very
simple; there are just not enough “good guys”
who want to take on this fight. To do nothing
enables many school boards and superintendents
to survive. For too many boards and superintendents,
the status quo is good enough.
Fights with strong labor groups are fights they
would just prefer to avoid.
Clearly, no one really knows if dressing professionally
makes a person act more professional.
While there is no single reason why some
young people behave in such a disrespectful
manner in our schools today, I would suggest
there is a strong relationship between how
teachers dress and the level and degree of
respect given by the student. Back in the day,
the attire of teachers was a non-issue, for teachers
knew the importance of being solid role
models for their students. While practically all
teachers reported to school in traditional
schoolteacher dress, I think most of us today
would be content with what has been defined in
the world of work as business casual wear.
So, how bad is the problem? Some say there
is an epidemic of poor dress in most school districts.
It should be understood that no district
has adopted a dress code without protest. In
many cases unions file grievances when dress
policies are introduced. I must admit I have
great difficulty understanding how anyone can
protest a drive to make employees more professional.
Imagine teachers who can send young
people home for poor dress but do not set an
example themselves by dressing professionally.
I believe it should be as it was in the past; students
and the community should see our teachers
as professionals, not as pals. I believe that if
teachers come to school sloppy, this sends a
message that teaching and learning are not
important.
Some of you may recall this old saying I
have paraphrased: “The only thing that will
enable bad to triumph is for ‘good guys’ to do
nothing.” Well, this applies to what is going
on in our schools in relationship to how our
teachers dress. Besides administrators and
parents monitoring how teachers dress,
teachers themselves must police their profession.
They must keep that teacher in the
room next door in line. It must start, however,
with someone at some point requiring that
teachers return to those standards of dress
that my teachers embraced; the way teachers
dressed when I was a little kid at Martha
Washington elementary school, right here in
Philadelphia, back in the day.
Alonzo Kittrels can be reached at or The
Philadelphia Tribune, Back In The Day, 520
S. 16th St., Philadelphia PA 19146.
body was into. ... I put on for Atlanta.
I don’t care what nobody says — if
you’re in Atlanta for more than two
days, you’re going to see me, in the
streets, the clubs, the mall. So I felt
like I put on for my city but everywhere
I went, everybody else felt like
Dear Gwendolyn:
I am a single mother of three
children. However, they are all
grown up. Now I am taking
care of my sister’s kids, a girl
12 and a boy 15. They are
both doing good in school. The
15-year-old just came to me
last year. He was in a foster
home and the judge awarded
custody to me. The judge felt it
best for the children to be
together. I have had the 12year-old
since she was eight
months.
This is the problem: Their
mother is on drugs and claiming
I took her kids. She hates
me some kind of bad. I don’t
care what my sister thinks, I
am doing this for the kids.
They are safe and in a good
home. I would never let anything
happen to them. My
friends and other relatives
think I shouldn’t have them.
No one else wanted to keep
that. I reached out to Kanye because
my element of it was so street (that) I
wanted to see how he felt and what he
felt “putting on” was. And he went in
a totally different direction; he felt like
“putting on” was putting on his
homies and putting on other people in
them. What I would like to ask
you is: Do you think I am
doing the right thing?
Everyone is mad with me and
I don’t know why.
Elizabeth
Dear Elizabeth:
I know why. Keeping children
and people of limited
physical or mental disabilities
is big business. It pays a lot of
house mortgages and buys a
lot of cars. However, unlike
yourself, many of these caregivers
mistreat, misuse and
abuse. They do it only for the
money.
Elizabeth, continue to pro-
Page 3-D
the game. And it just made sense. And
when I perform that song now I feel
good about it. And it was a song that
I wanted to go with and put it out. I’ve
been state to state on promo tour and
every show has been sold out, and
when that song comes on it’s like the
roof is gone.
AP: With rappers getting a lot of
negative attention, do you think their
endorsements of Barack Obama could
hurt his chance of becoming president?
Jeezy: As any smart individual,
he has to separate himself because
we do live a different type of life. I
don’t think it hurts, I think it shows
the excitement and the urgency.
Everyone’s feeling it; I think everyone’s
excited for that change. And I
think we’re realizing our voices are
more than just music, we’re trendsetters.
If we say something and
everyone sides with it, that’s what
goes.
AP: How’d it feel when Michael
Phelps said he listened to your music
before swim races at the Beijing
Olympics?
Jeezy: They going, “Wow. Why
would he listen to him to be motivated?”
Because, it’s real music, and it’s
real people and it’s real life. And we’re
not trying to sugarcoat it. So, we’re
just saying what we feel, and it’s coming
out as motivational music. ... To
get that from my music ... man ... I’m
speechless bro.
AP: Do you think that will help you
sell more records?
Jeezy: I can’t say it will translate
into sales, but at the same time, for
him to even make that gesture at a
time like this, it gives me a good feeling
about going into my album
(release) date, and just knowing that
people I wouldn’t expect to listen to
my music take the time to hear where
I am coming from.
AP: So I hear you’re registering to
vote.
Jeezy: I’m excited; I feel like I’m
going to sign for a new car and I don’t
need a co-signer this time. I’m going
to do it myself. So I’m definitely going
to try to encourage a lot of people from
my city to actually come with me. ...
Your one vote could have made that
change; that one vote could be that
vote. It could be my vote, you never
know. — (AP)
Ignore critics; two children need you
vide the love and attention
you are giving to the children.
But let me tell you
this: All children do not grow
up and appreciate the struggles
someone had to make.
In old age, instead of being
loved and cherished, many
old women become pushed
aside and forgotten by the
children who consumed
their younger years.
Therefore, it is most important
that while you are giving,
giving, giving, do not
forget to give some happiness
to yourself. — (NNPA)
Write to Gwendolyn Baines
at P. O. Box 10066, Raleigh,
N.C. 27605-0066 (to receive
a reply, send a selfaddressed
stamped envelope)
or e-mail her at: gwenbaines@hotmail.com
and
visit her Web site at:
www.gwenbaines.com.