Are you well-protected?
So the other day I was reading an article at Clutch Magazine online by a woman, maybe she’s an entertainment reporter, I don’t know. She went to a hip hop event, tweeted something not-so-nice about a rapper, who then menaced her in a seemingly life-threatening way. She was apparently afraid, outraged and indignant that, yet again, women “can’t get no respect” in hip hop circles. I felt bad for her. And that’s all I have to say about that.
Which brings me to the very important topic of soul-protection. What armor do you have around your soul to keep you peaceful and safe from all the crazies and craziness out there?
I used to listen to hip hop back in the nineties when it was decent. I also used to listen to NWA, Ice-T, Too Short and some other rappers who had some of the vilest lyrics that I’ll thank God that I’ve forgotten. I ask myself now, why and how did I listen to that garbage? It was so disgusting! So demeaning! So demoralizing! Back then though, I didn’t think of it that way. I loved the beats and some of the rhymes were clever. As I told my mother back then, the words have no effect on me. None at all. See, Mom? I’m in school. I’m working. I’m not shooting up anybody or taking drugs!
Looking back now. I take it back, Mom. Those words DID have an effect on me. Back then I thought it was okay to be a “ride or die chick” so I put up with a lot of cheating and nonsense from old boyfriends. Back then I thought I had to be “true to the game” so I was pretty prejudiced toward rich, white people. Back then I thought that I “deserved respect” and that I couldn’t just let some other girl “mess with my man” without going upside her head. That almost got me put in jail. I could go on and on. I was a nice girl, raised in a strict, Christian household but when I listened to hip hop I was an “around the way” girl who all the (loser) guys driving around polluting the neighborhood with their loud music would “holler at.” Good times.
Kids today will say the same thing. They’re just in it for the beats. They just want to party. But look at them! Look at us! It’s getting rarer and rarer to find young people who can form healthy, loving relationships. Everyone’s “out to get mine”. The guys are trying to “get rich or die tryin’” and a lot of them are already dead. If we women are highly functional, we’re usually highly independent and careerist (to put it nicely) and some of us will “cut a bitch” (literally or figuratively) for any silly reason — clothes, job, man. Where is all this coming from? It’s not the beats. The beats are just the sugar coating the poison. Those vile lyrics we think we’re just dancing to? They’re inside of us, they’ve penetrated deep into our souls. They’ve killed our ability to love and be loved. They’ve turned us into scared, egotistical, angry, rampaging, wanton and prideful children. Yeah, I know. You’re different. You’re nice. You have a good job and you went to school and you’re in a solid relationship. Give yourself a few years, my friend, and then you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Please. Stop listening to that garbage. Especially if you call yourself a Christian. Ever heard of LeCrae, Tedashii, Trip Lee? There are options! The more of this negative stuff you listen to, the more it’s going to penetrate your soul. And whether you want to or not, you’ll start living it.
“But the fruit of the sprit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Gal. 5:24
