Lil Wayne is not so little anymore. According to TMZ, the 30-year-old adult was hospitalized from binge drinking on “sizzurp” (cough syrup with Codeine). After numerous seizures and having his stomach pumped, the rap star caused a media frenzy from rumors of his near death status.
Why is Lil Wayne receiving so much attention? Better yet…should Lil Wayne have such an outpouring of support? Or should this rap icon be used as an example of what not to do for confused Black youth around the country?
Just a few weeks ago, some in the Black community were upset over Wayne’s lyrics to a song that disrespected the life of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Chicago boy who was brutally murdered in Mississippi back in 1955. According to historians, Emmett Till’s death, coupled with pictures of his open casket, was the spark that ignited the Civil Rights Movement.
How low can you go to dehumanize a historical icon?
Perhaps the best critique of Lil Wayne came from Watoto from the Nile, a girl group from Baltimore. In 2011, the trio released a song entitled Letter to Lil Wayne, which challenged the rap star’s derogatory lyrics about women.
Should we be concerned over the life of someone whose harmful lyrics have corrupted the impressionable minds of black youth in elementary and middle school? Or, should we question the following…
- The music industry that includes, but is not limited to, shady record executives and managers who encourage negative imagery and lyrics.
- Grown family members who idly watch and accept Wayne’s extreme and self-destructive behavior.
- Black Americans who prop up individuals such as Lil Wayne who have contributed to the overall demise of the community.
The Twitter and social media airwaves were blowing up over the recent news of Lil Wayne’s critical condition status. So here’s the question…What side of the fence are you on? Are you praying for an enemy of black youth to survive and continue this behavior? Or are you praying for Lil Wayne to survive, change his ways and fight back against music that is leading youth down a path of destruction?