33. Boogie - “Nigga Needs”

Boogie is yet another artist keeping the original spirit of Hip-Hop alive and well. He’s a street philosopher like his Gangster Rap forefathers, meaning he truly  lives the life he represents and speaks of, and yet he also carries an insight and intelligence that the dominant culture has tried so desperately to deny him through the enforcement of the aforementioned lifestyle. He’s overcome the veil of oppression to see beyond its lies and propaganda, but it’s not enough, because he can still feels its very real and tangible effects.

It’s this sensation that makes the accompanying video for this track so powerful. The imagery is the perfect commentary on modern America, because it shows the reality of young black men – so often aptly described through Hip-Hop, as a sort of fetish of the white dominant culture. We all know how White culture loves to appropriate Black culture, especially when it comes to art. However, Boogies takes it a step further, as if to say that White culture (liberals included) only cares about and appreciates Black culture when it depicts some sort of profound struggle or pain. It’s as if White culture lives vicariously through the suffering of Blacks, or on the other hand, simply reduces it to an intellectual exercise and would rather speak about the abstract meaning behind a piece depicting reality than actually address reality and be an ally in effecting change.

Boogie is therefore faced with a dilemma born of his insight. Does he speak the truth about is life and assume his role as yet another prop of White culture (much like I am even doing right now), or does he refuse to become a prop and in doing so become yet another statistic? It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t sort of situation. That’s what oppression does. It ensures winners and losers, and only lets losers become winners if they play by the rules of the winners and their success somehow benefits those already in power.