Karate Chopping Lil’ Wayne
Religion & Liberty Online

Karate Chopping Lil’ Wayne

It is arguable that celebrated rapper Lil’ Wayne has completely lost his mind. In his newly released, grossly pathetic song “Karate Chop” the rapper spits in the face of the family of civil rights martyr Emmett Till by juxtaposing a reference to sexual conquest with the brutal race-driven murder of the teenager in 1955. In the song “Karate Chop (Remix),” Lil’ Wayne says that he intends to “Beat that p**sy up like Emmett Till.”

For those unfamiliar with the story, Emmett Till was murdered in Mississippi at the age of 14 for allegedly flirting with a white woman. After being kidnapped, he was beaten for several hours. His murderers then gouged out one of his eyes before shooting him and tossing into the Tallahatchie River with a 70-pound cotton gin fan tied around his neck so his body wouldn’t float up to the surface. The plan failed and his body was discovered a few days later by two boys fishing. The incident launched a national outcry for justice when the truth about Mississippi racism was put on display when Till’s mother insisted that her son have an open casket funeral.

It is difficult to make sense of what was going through the minds of all those associated with the song. And who at Epic Records thought it was a good idea to release this song? Lil’ Wayne’s music continues to hold its place as an enemy of civil society. Syracuse University professor Dr. Boyce Watkins rightly observes,

Hip-hop music is one of the most powerful and persuasive art forms in the history of the world, and it is now being used to enslave the minds of young black people so that they might become food for the prison industrial complex. Lil Wayne’s reference to Till is just the latest effort to dumb down black America and to produce messages that are nothing short of disgustingly toxic.

As an African American, L.A. Reid, chairman and CEO of Epic Records, should not only be ashamed of his organization for releasing the song but he should be prepared for significant market response. The entire song is a celebration of debauchery and immorality, and the fact that Lil’ Wayne’s music has fans at all, reveals how debase American culture is today. Moreover, given the fact that Wayne’s music is popular among teens and young adults of all races and economic classes and that Lil’ Wayne will continue fill stadiums for concerts might be a signal for my America’s new nickname is slowly becoming “Gomorrah.” As we can see the market is reflecting the moral commitments of American consumers. Lil’ Wayne’s music will only go away when American consumers refuse to support filth.

Anthony Bradley

Anthony B. Bradley, Ph.D., is distinguished research fellow at the Acton Institute and author of The Political Economy of Liberation: Thomas Sowell and James Cone on the Black Experience.