The 'Yeah... but' -ing continues

Last Friday, I made the decision to listen to the Rickey Smiley morning show. Mainly, I did this because the other local radio stations that play pop/MJ-friendly format, opted to dedicate one hour to his music, which in my opinion, was all kinds of wrong; Rickey, on the other hand, played music dedicated to MJ. I got past the fact that Rickey talks into the songs way too much; I got over the fact that his fellow on-air colleagues were not well-versed in MJ's music, despite pretending to be. I even listened to it yesterday because I figured that they would discuss the MJ tributes at the BET Awards. But today, Smiley went off the rails for me. Smiley was pi$$ing and moaning about the fact that Jay-Z possibly prevented Chris Brown from participating in the tribute, citing that Brown would 'put it down'. And my answer to that? Yeah... so?!

Rickey Smiley and other so-called Chris Brown supporters need to get something straight. The BET Awards tributes were about paying tribute to Michael Jackson, not repositioning certain artists' comebacks or entertain pedestrian fans. Usher and Justin Timberlake's names were thrown around too, but mercifully, neither of them showed up either. Michael Jackson enjoyed 30 years of a career free of scandal and arrests; Chris Brown couldn't last two. Michael Jackson's relationships with women were reticent, yet respectful; Usher couldn't stop himself from profiting from his infidelities. Michael Jackson, despite having provocation, did not throw his family under the bus for professional gain; Justin Timberlake did this to Michael's beloved sister, Janet, just to keep the McDonald's paper coming in. These people can ape Michael's singing and dancing style, but much like the participants of Sunday's ceremony, they fall short. And frankly, I am sick to death of some people getting more credit than they really deserves.

Which brings me to Joe Jackson. His appearance at the BET Awards was a power play, plain and simple. He wasn't there to be the eyes and ears for his son; he was there to make a statement and a self-serving one at that. While Brown, Usher, and Timberlake would've been a trifeca of egocentricity, Joe Jackson was the granddaddy of self-interest, with Al Sharpton riding shotgun. And personally, I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the family were unaware of Joe Jackson's presence. There was something about Janet's appearance there that seemed hasty, as if she, specifically, had to be there in order to counteract the damage that Joe could've possibly done. And for the record, Joe Jackson, only idiots who thought that Ike Turner made an excellent Svengali would come to your record label. Anyone with a cursory knowledge of the music industry and the Jackson family knows that Michael and Janet soared after cutting you out of important career decisions.

Rickey Smiley does what most high-powered, male Black entertainers do - ask for leeway for those they can relate to (read: other Black men). And frankly, the guilt trip that Smiley tried to interject in his argument for Chris Brown, was likely like much of the good cop schpeel that Katherine Jackson laid on Michael. It is high time that high-powered members of the Black entertainment community demand that people follow their instincts. Chris Brown fcuked up HUGE; there are consequences. If Chris Brown is sad, good! If Chris Brown is sadder about this than, say, beating the hell out of Rihanna, that's bad. And the jack@$$es that are championing him without recognizing that Brown has to reevaluate his priorities are laying the groundwork for more fcukups and even more excuses.

Smiley, Brown, Usher, Timberlake, Joe Jackson... man the fcuk up!!!

Tuck yourselves in bed with this, fcukers!!!




And BTW, fcukers... Missy Elliott idolized Jackson too. Her music and videos reek of his influence, along with her consistent demonstration of musical excellence. Why aren't anyone popping off at the mouth about her absence, because she could've turned it out too. And not in the glossy Beyonce/Ciara way, either!