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I am happy to see rap/hip-hop has not just survived, but prospered.
It's not too long ago that some music moguls and big names in the industry predicted that rap was nothing but a phase. They said rap, a genre created by African-Americans, would die by the end of last century. Yet it is still going strong and has been incorporated in songs domestically and internationally,
With that said, there is this group I have been following on You Tube, for the past month or so, who have adopted rap as their way of expressing some serious matters. Sometimes, they take a high-spirited note about it, much like this song I'm about to share. Other times, they take a more somber approach. However, they do it in a way that others outside the culture can relate.
Take this music video by Swet Shop Boys, where at the end of it, they honor Qandeel Baloch. If you do not know who Ms. Baloch was, she was a Pakistani woman who was very active in women's rights and a You Tube sensation, as well as an inspiration to many people. She was killed by her own brother's hands while she slept. The story is that he felt it was his duty to kill her, in order to maintain their family's honor.
I'm not going to put my two-cents on anything cultural, here. I have come to understand that every culture has a reason for doing things. Whether you like it or not, you have to accept that certain practices are part of the culture. Every culture (and I do mean EVERY CULTURE) has some practices that other people in other places won't like. I myself come from a culture with certain practices that are frowned upon by other countries (including the U.S). Many of these practices, I don't exercise, mind you. Nonetheless, I do honor the fact that it comes with being born into that sect of people.
With that said, I cannot, on an emotional level, imagine being the man or woman, who others see as a blemish on my family's honor. Then to have my own flesh and blood decide to end my life, because she/he has no faith that my existence can ever bring honor to the family which I am born into....that in itself would give me reason to end my own life. I would not need help from my sibling or relatives. So, for me, this topic is a tough pill to swallow. Nonetheless, we all know the culture we live in and most of us are taught the risks that come with deviating from those practices at a very young age. So all I can say to anyone in such a cultural predicament is to do right on to oneself, do right on to one's family and do right on to one's people. It's a mantra I follow, and I believe when you feel that you are truly, truly honoring these three things, no matter whether you get push back, the heaven's will always find a way to tell your story. Eventually, it will fall on someone else's ears. That is how people change the world after all.
So please enjoy the music video to "Aaja" by the Swet Shop Boys featuring Ali Sethi, in memory of Ms. Qandeel Baloch. Until next time....
Swet Shop Boys - Aaja ft. Ali Sethi (Official Music Video)
I'm not going to put my two-cents on anything cultural, here. I have come to understand that every culture has a reason for doing things. Whether you like it or not, you have to accept that certain practices are part of the culture. Every culture (and I do mean EVERY CULTURE) has some practices that other people in other places won't like. I myself come from a culture with certain practices that are frowned upon by other countries (including the U.S). Many of these practices, I don't exercise, mind you. Nonetheless, I do honor the fact that it comes with being born into that sect of people.
With that said, I cannot, on an emotional level, imagine being the man or woman, who others see as a blemish on my family's honor. Then to have my own flesh and blood decide to end my life, because she/he has no faith that my existence can ever bring honor to the family which I am born into....that in itself would give me reason to end my own life. I would not need help from my sibling or relatives. So, for me, this topic is a tough pill to swallow. Nonetheless, we all know the culture we live in and most of us are taught the risks that come with deviating from those practices at a very young age. So all I can say to anyone in such a cultural predicament is to do right on to oneself, do right on to one's family and do right on to one's people. It's a mantra I follow, and I believe when you feel that you are truly, truly honoring these three things, no matter whether you get push back, the heaven's will always find a way to tell your story. Eventually, it will fall on someone else's ears. That is how people change the world after all.
So please enjoy the music video to "Aaja" by the Swet Shop Boys featuring Ali Sethi, in memory of Ms. Qandeel Baloch. Until next time....
Swet Shop Boys - Aaja ft. Ali Sethi (Official Music Video)
Special thanks to SwetShopBoysVEVO for sharing this song. Please like it on its official You Tube page and leave a comment here on The Modern Youth. Let me know what you think of the music video and let me know whether you agree/disagree with my reasoning. You never know. I may stand to gain from your viewpoint.
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