‘Muhbabay Lookin Out For Slim With A Home Tighten Up’ - 8/15/12 (Taken with Cinemagram)
‘Muhbabay Lookin Out For Slim With A Home Tighten Up’ - 8/15/12 (Taken with Cinemagram)
‘Muhbabay Lookin Out For Slim With A Home Tighten Up’ - 8/15/12 (Taken with Cinemagram)
#Identity #RustyWrites
Imma try to keep this short, but it’s a subject that I could talk about all day because I’ve dealt with it my entire life.
I don’t know how to “act Black”. I guess I missed the memo. I know who I am and where I came from and #maby that’s why I don’t bother explaining some stuff to some people. I’m secure AF with who I am, as a human-being, Blackman, and artist.
I’ve heard that I sound like a white boy when I talk; I can accept that. I’ve heard that I listen to white boy music; that, I can accept also. I may even have some white boy mannerisms. Cool. I’ve heard these things from black AND white folks.
Those statements let me know how narrow the mind of the speaker is, regardless of their color.
I live in Indianapolis. I’ve seen the country, mainly through my work as a musician. (Never been overseas tho) I’ve heard the same dumb statements and same dumb questions in every part of the country in regards to my race and what people expect or assume.
“Is one of your parents white? You’re really light-skinned.”
“You don’t sound like a black dude. Are you mixed?”
“What ARE you?”
…shit. I’ve heard that my whole life, which is why I have varied responses to these types of questions. It all depends on my mood and how you approach me, but any variation of that question is usually a strike against you.
I have to have juuuuust had my coffee and gotten the perrrrrrfect blend of cream and sugar in it to answer any of these questions with anything other than this look…
-________-
I’m Black. Regardless of what you think you hear when you talk to me or how much darker someone’s ultraviolet tan makes them than me, I’m Black.
In reality, I always thought that was obvious, regardless of what rock band I am talking about or however much I may sound like a “white boy” when talking about it. I always assumed I just sounded ‘Midwestern’ or some shit.
I have dreadlocks down to the middle of my damb back (I thought that would stop some questions, but it just led a a whole host more of them shits). I got the biggest paaaaaankest lips in the WORLD, my people. My nose is not a button nose. While I may be a bit on the faaaair side, you could even say “super beige”, I would think that people have seen enough Black folks in all shades to make these questions obsolete anyway.
*sigh*
I ain’t no square peg. I ain’t no weirdo. I’m just Russ, man. I’m a light skinned Black dude that hosts a rock n roll show on TV. I also work on an R&B station in a few different capacities and make hip-hop music. I went to public school in Indianapolis. I grew up in a cool neighborhood with kids of all sorts of ethnic backgrounds.
I guess I was raised with a great foundation of who I am and a great sense of appreciation for the world….
…except for the dummies. Let a beige mufugga live, man.
*bangs head to Soundgarden’s ‘Slaves And Bulldozers’, thinks about mixing it with some gangsta shit*
