Bomani “D’Mite” Armah Presents “Read A Book” - Satire or Racist?

I just recently saw this video on BET Animation and 106 and Park - at first I thought Lil’ John had a new album coming out! Dang, did you see Terrance’s face after the video was over? “Read A Book,” by BOMANI ARMAH, left me a bit confused and irate. Hmm, is this like satire or is he mocking how African-Americans “act”? I mean come on, “wear deodorant, nigga”? I’m having mixed emotions about this thing because I don’t know whether to be disturbed that most of the children in this video are black or to be excited because this is sort of a wake up call in it’s own way - check the video out for yourself! Do you think it’s racist?

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IM 1ST FIRST
i like the point that the guy is trying to get across but i think his approach was a little stereotypical… even though thats how all the African American rappers look to other cultures .. so in a way he was just mirroring back to the black community … lets be real people im black and ttend a 96.5 % black school in ATLANTA thats just how a large majority of black men and women look today!!!!!!!

SORRY BUT ITS THE DAMN TRUTH AND A SHAME

@ first i was shocked when i saw this…but then it is a wake up call…a shocking wake up call, b/c its the truth…it’s sad when pple feel disturbed looking @ an image of oneself…i’m black…&& i go 2 a majority white private school n TN(im 16)…i get stereotyped all the time…sometimes teachers didnt think i would do the work when i would…kids trying to impress me by rapping n my face…or using slang in my face…&& i thought about it one day…is this how people actually see us as a race…&& i guess its true…i dnt think its racist, i think its harsh realization…

Hmm, neiceyb, I agree! I went through the same thing, I went to school around a white Jewish area, it was terrible. Just picture rich white Jewish kids in G-Unit tolmbout “nigga this, that” and trying to act black. I remember one time I went to Abercrombie & Fitch with a friend and the white guy who worked there was all up in my face, “Yo, yo what up dog? How can I help you..” I walked out… shit. For the most part, I think this would be considered as satire rather racism.

lol Mike I would’ve went…um…yeah.

i think that this is true IN SOME CASES but they could’ve put it in a different message. that’s just disturbing. I can’t say that it’s not true because it is the whole “RAISE YO KIDS” is one of the ones that pop out to me. for real this was on BET?

Yeah Samantha, It just premiered on BET again a few moments ago… lol

i think the song isnt racist but the video is. i dont know about ameriaca but in england black people want to read books about other black people and written by black people and you dont get alot of those in england or if you do you have to buy it and then there expensive

THAT SHIT AIN’T RACIST! THATS THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW NIGGAS ACT AND THATS A GOOD VIDEO!

lol mike…jewish kids in G-unit? lol. but when they showed it on 106& Park…Terrance && Rocsi’s faces were priceless…they looked disturbed. but i saw another one of these cartoons on BET…i think it was called “Bid’em In.” i only saw part of it though. About a slave master selling a young black girl…

I really don’t know.

I think we should take a look at it from the artists eyes. I think he’s expressing anger and fustration with the shortcomings of the black community. Years, decades, and centuries of crying out for an African-American reformation of character has brought about only a small result. So he was probably thinking: Hey, I’m going to project MY message of reform in a way that they will all see and react to. If it’s videos with booty shaking they want, it’s videos with booty shaking they get…with a message. LoL It’s just a theory. I’m an African American young lady, and with some of the things I’ve seen, I feel like doing the same thing.

Oh and he’s trying to tell the black community GET RICH…THE RIGHT WAY! “Buy some land, buy some land, fuqq spinnin’ rims”. Real estate is one of the greatest sources of wealth today. Invest in some Trump status wealth instead of a car at risk of economic degredation. Plus without education…you might be renting out land to a mean landlord instead of becoming the landlord. Ergo r-e-a-d a b-o-O-K! D’Mite just might be trying to help us out. A theory *shrugs*

P.S-I LOVE THIS SITE

coming from a black person, i don’t think the message is racist except that it’s harsh. however i do agree with ‘HotCandi’ on the England issue as i also live in England - we’re not SO into poping the booty and the rest of what the video is showing…but just like in every other society, there is a MINORITY of black people that don’t look after themselves very well and that really piss’ me off when they can get care products from the shops that’ll cost less than their average fast food meal per day. it’s just too hard to accept but it is the truth!!!

wear deodarant? i think this got to the point where he tryna fight ignorance wit ignorance and its not really gonna work… I mean iz this this dude serious? Read a MothaF*ckin book nigga? I’m jus sayin set the example and lil john iz not really doin that.. that’z just my opinion!

i remember seeing this some weeks ago b4 it was on 106 & park…it just came on…i was a little taken bakc b/c nobody knows who “Dmite” is! I dont think its offensive, just a story that needs to be told. And this doesnt disturb me the least compared to the day i saw that video neiceyb was talking about “Bid Em In” (animated as well)…i cant watch that video, its so painful. I understand they are conveying a message but its hard to look at a video where african-americans have muzzles on their face and are being sold by strength…i remember doing a project on slavery and it shocks me to see that same picture i saw on the internet (picture of tha girl with tha muzzle)in the video. and i kno its history but that video i just cant bear…go watch it if you havent but i saw it once and thats it for me…

and that has to be an old episode b/c this video premiered weeks ago…yesterday they had an old episode too…it said “previously recorded” and “coffee shop” had “just entered” the countdown…and we all kno “coffee shop” been on that countdown…they played tha same vid for 10 and 8 i think…i dont know wats goin on with BET!

I know I’m late on this post (the joys of a computer blowing up on you). When I saw this, I thought it was funny at first, then all these emotions came. I was mad that BET would show something like this. I understand that you are trying to get your point across, but like this? The main reasons kids these days (I should say my generation) are not picking up a book, is because BET is givng out “stunt 101″ lessons all damn day. I understand the look on Terrance face, I was shocked too! I understand that they were trying to give us black folks a wake up call, but like this. We got to do better!!

I’m suprised that the 106&Park audience was more offended by this video than B.E.T’s actual programmin’…. This video isn’t racist…. It’s a wake up call for African Americans…. I’ve heard the song on Hot Ghetto Mess’s website long before I seen the video…. and what’s sad is that B.E.T think that airing this video will make them look like saviors by alertin’ black america when that whole network does everything but uplift black people… it’s too much coonage goin’ on at B.E.T… matter fact dude should added the line STOP WATCHIN’ B.E.T!!!!….and for them to have the nerve to even have a show tellin’ black people that they need to do better…. without lookin’ at that hot ghetto mess the channel is itself….. The song is tellin’ the truth….and the truth is ugly…. POINT BLANK…

The only reason people would get offended is because they are receiving a smack in the face. As African Americans, we are constantly being watched and prejudged. What is so sad about the whole matter is that we are giving people a reason to judge us. We need a wake up call and we need it where it hurts the most. Noone likes discipline because it doesn’t feel good. However, in the long run, it makes you a better person.

I think the video is neither too satirical or racist; rather, it’s addressing the crowd of which the rap culture revolves around. Using a medium which they listen to in order to get the message across. And that message is to simply read a m’fkin book. And perhaps improve yourself.

I really think this is karma for “us” putting out Party Like a Rock Star. I mean, that is one stereotypical song and I’m surprised there was no backlash. Marilyn Manson does not need a tan, Rock Stars do *not* say “cowabunga” (that’s skaters), none of them shop boys have probably ever seen a guitar in person….*AND* they can’t rap for shit. To top it off, it wasn’t even put out by he steretypical rock-type (white dudes).

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