Joined: 07 Feb 2007 {Posts: 1829 } Location: Lookin DC Metro, Feelin Geneva
Posted: Sat 06 Dec 2008 18:53 Post subject: Busta Rhymes
For those that don't know, Busta's family is Caribbean in origin, but he grew up in NYC...
Arabs (some Arabs) are calling it racist.
You can read the lyrics:
Quote:
Ron Brownz
Yes!!..im way back in the most amazing way
Well lemme introduce you to the new talk
Lets get straight to it..cmon
LaLaLa HaleHeloHaLow
HelaBalaHeHeleBalo
We gettin Arab Money
We gettin Arab Money
HaLaShegeHaLitlFaLa
MiliAlaySheNitiMala
We gettin Arab Money
We gettin Arab Money
Now there aint no way that you could kill the beats dead
Middle East women and Middle East bread
I got Oil Well money in the desert playin Golf
Dont ??? with a Louis Scarf
Chest cold d iamonds make a --- wanna cough
In Dubai 20 million on a few lofts
I stay up in da club ------
The way i make the people wanna sing the hook in Arabic
LaLaLa HaleHeloHaLow
HelaBalaHeHeleBalo
We gettin Arab Money
We gettin Arab Money
HaLaShegeHaLitlFaLa
MiliAlaySheNitiMala
We gettin Arab Money
We gettin Arab Money
Seven Star Hotels, Maybach, Movies
Sick big --- knock -- cameltoe --
Women walkin around while security on camelback
Club on fire now -- dunno how to act
Sittin in casino's while im gamblin with Arafat
Money so long watch me purchase pieces of the Almanac
Ya already know i got the streets bust
While i make ya bow down makes salaat like a muslim
LaLaLa HaleHeloHaLow
HelaBalaHeHeleBalo
We gettin Arab Money
We gettin Arab Money
HaLaShegeHaLitlFaLa
MiliAlaySheNitiMala
We gettin Arab Money
We gettin Arab Money
Heyyy!!
See now i take trips to Baghdad ---
Use a stack of chips to count Arab money now
I dont need to get fresh im bout to grow a beard dude
So much cake even the money look wierd too
Dont mess the bread and the broad im tryna eat like
Prince alwaleed bin talal alsaud respect the value of ma work
In Maui, Malaysia,
Iran and IraQ, Saudi Arabia!
LaLaLa HaleHeloHaLow
HelaBalaHeHeleBalo
We gettin Arab Money
We gettin Arab Money
HaLaShegeHaLitlFaLa
MiliAlaySheNitiMala
We gettin Arab Money
We gettin Arab Money
Here is the smell test for me, most of the time....anyway, it depends on historical realities...but if an Arab made a song called "Black Money" and he showed black women all over pimped out Cadillacs with "platinum grills" in their mouth...and how he gets all the black women and they provide his security, blah blah. Black folks would scream bloody freaking murder if that aired on MTV, BET, VH1, etc.
Busta has said he meant no offense, and he likely did not. I understand exactly what he is saying...it is an extension of his "I lived in the ghetto and now I'm rich and life is great". He is simply saying that no one has as much money as Middle East Oil Sheiks and "he has that much money"...
However he said "Arab Money" not "Saud Family" money.
The later might have been fine, as it is like saying Bill Gates' or Warren Buffet's money...
Busta messed up by naming an entire ethnic group have suggestive videos with Arab women.
I can't believe someone didn't tell him to stay away from this song altogether...let alone not to make a video.
Posted: Sat 06 Dec 2008 19:04 Post subject: Re: Busta Rhymes
Dragon Horse wrote:
Busta has said he meant no offense, and he likely did not.
MaryLee's brother's wife is Japanese. Their daughter (graduated from U of Miami last year) looks partly east Asian, with epicanthic eyelid folds. Many years ago, when she was in elementary school, a school custodian would tease her whenever he saw her. He would pull his eyes into slants with his fingers, follow her around, and repeat, "ching-ching, ching-ching." She often came home in tears. When her father (my brother-in-law) complained to the principal, he was told that the (Black) custodian meant no offense, and that African Americans were incapable of racism since they lacked power. Eventually, her parents put her in a private school.
Joined: 07 Feb 2007 {Posts: 1829 } Location: Lookin DC Metro, Feelin Geneva
Posted: Sat 06 Dec 2008 20:51 Post subject: Re: Busta Rhymes
fwsweet wrote:
Dragon Horse wrote:
Busta has said he meant no offense, and he likely did not.
MaryLee's brother's wife is Japanese. Their daughter (graduated from U of Miami last year) looks partly east Asian, with epicanthic eyelid folds. Many years ago, when she was in elementary school, a school custodian would tease her whenever he saw her. He would pull his eyes into slants with his fingers, follow her around, and repeat, "ching-ching, ching-ching." She often came home in tears. When her father (my brother-in-law) complained to the principal, he was told that the (Black) custodian meant no offense, and that African Americans were incapable of racism since they lacked power. Eventually, her parents put her in a private school.
I think this black custodian was just ignorant and cruel, if he knew this little girl was crying everyday due to him. From what you wrong I'm not sure if he did or if she cried later on, that changes things a bit. One is just ignorant the other is malicious.
I doubt he hated Asians. I doubt he thinks her eyes are inferior to his eyes. Maybe, but doubtful. This is similar to kids in your class making fun of you for being to pale (you did tell that story right?) Is that PR racism? Now an adult man doing this to a child is pretty bad, and I think he should have been disciplined seriously or fired.
By this sites definition this is racism.
If you define racism as:
Quote:
Racism, by its simplest definition, is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. People with racist beliefs might hate certain groups of people according to their racial groups. In the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits, or get preferential treatment.
This site defines racism as:
Quote:
Belief in someone’s inferiority, or mistreatment, based upon ancestry but independent of appearance or wealth.
I don't believe blacks are incapable of racism if you think this is what I met. Some blacks do, but I'm not one of them.
The blacks that do usually say it is because blacks lack the power to effect someone's life. This is false. In some majority black cities there have been law suits by Hispanics against black city officials for discrimination in hiring. I know for a fact this goes on in DC, in favor of blacks.
That being said, on average, short of physical violence blacks as a group have little power over the average white person but to hurt their feelings. Blacks can't start a Holocaust or create, enforce, get away with Sundown counties, etc. This power dynamic is why whites can go to a Cris Rock concert and listen to him tell jokes about how stupid white people are and laugh. In no nation that I"m aware of, would a minority group find a member of the majority telling jokes about them funny...for obvious reasons.
I don't think Busta Rhymes hates Arabs at all, listening to the lyrics of the song it is more a thing of envy. He did not speak about their mistreatment in the song or inferiority. In fact he was saying he wanted to be wealthy like upper class Arab royalty in the Middle East.
In my life I have learned to distinguish between racism due to ignorance and racism due to hatred. They are not similar.
In Japan and China I faced ignorance, from time to time, not daily. Many of the examples I could give fit the level of racism or might even be quite similar to the story you told of the janitor. Most of these people didn't know what they were doing was offensive or had some stereotype they have heard or saw. If you get to know them they are usually nice and their attitude changes. There are counties in America I am scared to walk in at night alone but I was never scared to walk anywhere in Japan alone.
Hatred on the other hand is difficult to change, very difficult. Hateful people can generally not be reasoned with and it is not as simple as talking to them, there attitudes are irrational and emotionally driven.
Busta, I don't believe is anti-Arab at all. Can what he said in his song be seen as racist? He said nothing negative about Arabs.
Like I said he should have qualified the song to "Al Saud Money" that would not have been offensive. His issue is stereotyping all Arabs as super rich jet setters and saying "I get Arab women" is likely offensive to many Arabs, and showing them in subjective ways, drinking alcohol is offensive to many of them...but if that is "racist" than many white male directors, movie producers are racist in their movies about blacks.
Busta's song was like saying "I want money like white people" so I can live like "Donald trump and Paris Hilton".
Uhm...I don't think most people would find that racist but some whites will remind him most whites are not rich.
It is well known (and my father has seen this) that more than a few wealthy Arabs in Kuwait and Saudi live very similar to that video...usually not in their HOME COUNTRIES. They go to Bahrain, Lebanon, and the Emirates...
When I heard that song three thoughts immediately came to my head
1. A bunch of fake-me-out Arabic using a vocoder and then "We gettin AYE-rab money?" Did anyone actually listen to the words before approving this for production?
Posted: Thu 11 Dec 2008 13:29 Post subject: Re: Busta Rhymes
fwsweet wrote:
Dragon Horse wrote:
Busta has said he meant no offense, and he likely did not.
MaryLee's brother's wife is Japanese. Their daughter (graduated from U of Miami last year) looks partly east Asian, with epicanthic eyelid folds. Many years ago, when she was in elementary school, a school custodian would tease her whenever he saw her. He would pull his eyes into slants with his fingers, follow her around, and repeat, "ching-ching, ching-ching." She often came home in tears. When her father (my brother-in-law) complained to the principal, he was told that the (Black) custodian meant no offense, and that African Americans were incapable of racism since they lacked power. Eventually, her parents put her in a private school.
What Frank Sweet is getting at here is that identical behavior is viewed and judged differently when committed by different people. Even when identical sentiments motivate the behavior.
Although I agree the janitor was ignorant and probably not motivated by racial animus, a white janitor doing the same thing for the same reasons would not be judged similarly.
'
FAQ
Search
Register
Log in
