Goldlink Crew is the Anthem to Black Manhood & Success

By:  Asher Primus

This year’s summer jams were not energetic and I was not feeling DJ Khaled, Rihanna or Justin Bieber.  My father feels the same way, but he hates most of today’s black artists.  At times he would ask why I do not have the radio on.  He knows why, but I say nothing or I blame the weak speakers.  At best, if I or he happens to tune into a hip-hop station, he would cut off the radio in 20 seconds.  He has a low tolerance for mumbled lyrics, sexual innuendoes or advocating violence.

When I am alone in my car, I listen to the very station my father does not like.  Unlike my father, I have to stay hip on hot songs, so I won’t look silly in the club.

What my father does not understand about rappers is that they are not the bad guys the older generation makes them out to be.  I learned this after the debut of Goldlink Crew on the Houston radio.  The smooth lyrics and beat had me going, it is very relaxing for long drives.

Goldlink Crew is the pipedream of the fantasy black boys’ homecoming (back to the hood).  What I respect about this rapper is that he pays homage to Ray J and the influence of R&B.  The greatest misconception about my generation is that we are ungrateful and spoiled.  Despite the flashiness and our pride, we understand that not everyone can make it with us.  Some of our friends die and our parents may have failed us, but we always come back and never forget where we came from.

Even for me, as much as I hated Augusta, Georgia, it was a journey and no one can tell me that I never struggled a day in my life.  Being a blerd does not exclude me from knowing how hunger and abandonment can feel.  I know it how it feels to see nothing in the refrigerator and not having the luxuries to party like the white kids in the suburbs.

Crew also brings to light the struggles of finding real friends.  Starting from the pre-success era, black boys are faced with the doubters.  They did not have faith in our craft and thought we were wasting our time.  As for me, the doubters came from former friends, family members and even myself.  I was constantly reminded in grade school that I was too weak, timid, wack and soft-spoken to survive in the real world.  Every mistake made led to a lecture on how I failed life.

Yet, what haunts us the most during this time is the rejection.  Black men want that ride-or-die woman who will fuck with us regardless of the situation.  What our generation of women forget is that success starts with an idea and it works its way up to something tangible.  Money is not going to flow in the bank account unexpectedly.  It could take years, decades or even a lifetime before our career and destiny are under our control.  Black men do not appreciate women coming out of nowhere once we make a name for ourselves.  I can see why black men do not like gold-diggers, these women only see the resources and not our personality.

Unlike what feminists believe, black men do not have male privilege.  We enter a world that hates us from the start and are predestined to fail based on a percentage on how young we will die.  Even after the success, we are not used to the feeling of being patriarchal.  Sometimes we wish we could pull women who can carry their own weight and financially support us.

For the longest, the black man was a statusless individual and some of us have beat the odds to prove our wealth, but inside it feels empty.  Everyone wants money around our presence:

• Momma needs a new house, she wants to live by the Johnsons
• 2nd cousin needs money for bail and a lawyer
• Homegirl needs money for her kids’ clothes
• Grandma needs help around the house
• Our brothers want us to start a business scheme

When comes to us having money at our disposable, it becomes more of a hassle.  I can understand why some rich people live a sheltered life.  Despite the annoyingness of our family and friends, the greatest offense and slap to our face is when the woman next door or from school finally notices us.  It was not long ago that she forgot your name and number.  We can easily recall the many times women went ghost.  They were not our true fans or followers like how white boys follow indie bands until they go mainstream.  On one hand we could say she is here now and it does not matter, this is what I worked for; but remaining alone and cursing our success creates inner conflicts on the meaning of true love.  For black men who follow patriarchy, we should be happy with the results because if she was with a broke dude, we would be mad and wonder why she could not find a good black man.  At this point the MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way) almost makes sense as men argue that being successful for the approval of women is toxic.  I can partial agree, but this is the pecking order of how men are ranked in this world.  If you do not want to be productive because you are afraid of money, then you lose.  I am not going to be party-pooper, I am going to bask in the fun and control my life.