Crack Rock or Jump Shot

"Either you slinging crack rock or got a wicked jump shot"  -Biggie Smalls

“America sits back and watches us destroy ourselves

We don't need a draft to go to war, we deploy ourselves

We employ ourselves to a street sign,

Believing that it will hold us down when we die”

-          JayBigPoetry

 “I used to watch Disney Channel not because I used to like the shows, but because I looked at certain shows like Zach and Cody wishing I could have a life like that, but I knew that was impossible for a nigga like me.”

-          MC Triple D

“Either you slinging crack rock, or got a wicked jump shot.”

-          Biggie Smalls

                      In Biggie Smalls’ record Things Have Changed he rhymed the line, “either you slinging crack rock, or got a wicked jump shot” in reference to young black men, and their usual dealings in urban communities. Two options? Is that it? Preconceived hopelessness instilled in black boys. I’m as huge of a Biggie Smalls fan as they come, and I know that his lyrics went way beyond some words over a tight beat. See, “Either you slinging crack rock, or got a wicked jump shot” stands as a metaphor for something far larger. It’s religion for some, it’s a belief that some hold closer to their hearts, and souls than a Catholic, or a Baptist does to theirs. Live by the 3, die by the 3, a common sports reference, I’m sure derived from the old street reference, you live by the gun, you die by the gun. But this belief lets some black boys down, it lets their families down, in death, or disappointment, or jail time, or lack of a plan b, or lack of education. in more ways than one. Even the black boy that is blessed with the God given ability to play a sport, what happens if he doesn’t make it, if his jump shot isn’t wicked enough? It’s back to the block, I know current drug dealers who were once sold a hoop dream. Like Mid City AB rapped about on his project Letter to NewOrleans, ball players are fed through the system, and given a pass, then when they don’t make it to their respective leagues, without a hint of education, what’s next for them? We must erase the notion that our success is limited. BIG recorded Things Have Changed in 1993, and that mentality is still being instilled in young black men today in 2014. Can we change the mental?

My Pops had us rocking the minivan look for a lot of years. Mad vacations in those vans though. Disney World, Universal Studios, tours of Civil Rights monuments, different countries. It took me some years to realize that I was being raised differently from black boys my age. Dad why do I know words that they don’t? Why am I hearing them discuss things that I have no clue about, that they saw, or experienced at 2 AM, when I’ve been sleep since 9 PM? Before understanding, my natural reaction to certain people’s lives was judgment, and confusion, and curiosity. “How come you don’t have this?” and “How come you don’t talk like this, or talk about that?” “Why doesn’t your parent work?” I remember at a younger age wondering why certain kids didn’t have a man, and a woman in the house. (I WAS GREEN). I’m adopted. That was abrupt right? Exactly how I felt, I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was cool though, I just learned a lot about how other black boys grew up. One important thing that I learned is that people’s desires, and ambitions, are developed from a young age. Young boy in the hood doesn’t see any of his elders pushing beamers because they’re a doctor. He sees the OGs pushing beamers from moving ‘Caine though.

 He understands that contrast at an early age. Or he might know a cousin that went off to one of those big colleges because he was a beast on the basketball court, and we know how appealing sports are to young black boys in the hood, those guys are Gods to them. A guy from the hood that makes it to play college ball could have more of an impact than a drug dealer with a milli because everyone in your family is going to want you to aspire to be like the college ball player, because he’s doing it the legal way. Either route is dangerous to promote our young black boys to strive for though. It’s troubling to do an educational forum for young black boys in urban communities like my friends and I did some months back, and when asked what each individual wanted to be when they grew up, every single one responded “in the NBA”, or “in the NFL”. And because I’ve been on both sides of those forums, and I know what goes on in the head of a young black teenage boy, and I lived the life of the (raised by both parents, went on vacation black boy) and hung out with, and observed, and mimicked, the thoughts, and patterns of the black boys on the other side,  I know that what they were thinking was, “in the NBA, or in the NFL, but shit if neither of those works, my cousin has the hookup on some packs, so I’ll just do that.” That’s brutally honest. I saw weed at school at such a young age that at that particular time I didn’t even know what it was. But my parents, and my upbringing wasn’t built off the “crack rock or jump shot” mentality, it was based off after school programs, and clubs, and summer reading in which I hated, but benefited from, so I can’t judge, I can only come up with solutions that help.

What if book drives were combined with hip hop, and it was cool to read? What if black professionals who were genuinely interested in mentoring kids, started programs in urban communities to show them a face they can trust, and look up to? I spoke with a young man at the last forum we did, and he told me that his mom just doesn’t understand him. That made so much sense to me. His mom doesn’t know the struggle of going to school without the new Jordan’s, or having a cell phone in today's society. (Not that those things are necessarily important) But not being important, doesn't stop him from going out and getting it on his own. By any means necessary. So before we can take a step in a positive direction, we must remove that back against the wall mentality from them. By any means necessary, has to turn into by any read necessary. 

If you’re reading this, I want to know some ideas you have for my team and I to impact our communities. We’re already working on a Non-Profit Organization, PELF Inc., which is geared towards educating youth on their options in life, art, history, culture, diversity, and their environment, through reading, open dialogue forums, philanthropy, hands on activity, documentaries, and self-expression. If you have any questions, or ideas for the team at PELF Inc. please forward them to shaqcosse@gmail.com. We’ll be setting up our very first book drive on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, in early 2015, looking to collect books for young students in Paradis, Louisiana, and on the East Bank of Plaquemines Parish, two areas plagued with low reading levels, low standardized test scores, and a shared need for an educational makeover.

We’re here to eliminate the “crack rock or jump shot” stigma. We’re here to inspire doctors, and lawyers, and executives, we’re here to turn our young people, into tomorrow’s leaders. What’s the good of having a wicked jump shot, if your mind is faulty? Educate and Create.

I asked a few of my peers a series of questions relative to Crack Rock or Jump Shot, and the individuals that mentality impacts:

1. Rapper/College Student Gussie was asked a question about the motives of pursuing his craft. 

TheRadioShaq: As a rapper, did you always feel like you were doing it for the love of the artistry. or did you feel like it was one of the only ways out for young black men at the time?

Gussie: Some people feel like rap, sports, or hustlin' is the only ticket out. But I never wanted to box myself in, and believe that. I rap because I love music, and if one day it makes me rich, so be it, but rap didn't get me out the hood, school did. 

2. Young lady Kiara was asked a question on her perception of young black men. 

TheRadioShaq: Based on your experiences with young black men our age, what's your overall perception of them? 

Kiara: Overall my perception of them is good, They're able to adapt, and succeed. I'm seeing more black men become great fathers at young ages, getting jobs to provide for their families, not just to keep up with child support. More and more young black men are getting educated, or getting career jobs. They're evolving. I saw many of them got out and voted this year, for educated reasons. Young black men are preceded to be clueless, stupid, irresponsible, gangsters, or nothing. That's just a stereotype, in actually they're strong, protective, creative, and dedicated. I have a very positive perception of young black men my age. 

3. Fellow UL Ragin Cajun, and ESPN Sports Intern Norman 

TheRadioShaq: As a young black man who's acheived some success in his degree field at a predominately white insitution, do you ever feel like you're seperated from the pact in terms of young black men our age? Like a human nature feeling of being better than the standard? 

Norman: I always feel seperated, 80% of every award show, conference, and even at my job. I am the only black male in the room. So as I look around at the males my age, it seems as though they are okay with just settling. Just doing enough to get by. It seems like nobody wants to become the standard anymore, they want to be apart of the standard. So when I am around other males of my age, I do feel better than some. 

Blurred Lines.

God Bless, TheRadioShaq