So What Exactly Is Game, By The Way?
Gangsta rap’s ultimate witchery is not its ability to spin the viewpoint of the hood lumpenproletariat into commercial gold, but rather, its furtive contribution to the decay of urban dating and marriage. If you don’t believe that this subgenre of hip-hop is a major playa in making marriage impractical for African Americans, The Relationship Shaman says, think again.
We may think we know the effects of Gangsta rap music in our daily lives, but its socio-economic influence stretch far beyond what we surmise from its baselines and lyrics. This is due in part to the dark charm of those who waged war to coalesce with its expansion. The consequences are unacceptable. What these culprits inadvertently set in motion in their quest to become godlike has negatively altered the dynamic of urban dating and marriage for the foreseeable future.
Let me start at the beginning when black gangsters first began emerging from the slums of America. By all accounts it was John “Mushmouth” Johnson who in 1890 became the first high profile African American Gangster when he established an illegal gambling house on Chicago’s south side. But by the 1920’s, Bolito (the numbers Game), prostitution, drugs and robbery were all forms of black organized crime in cities such as Harlem. In the 1950’s my father, Jim “Stack of Dollars” Williams, ran an illegal gambling house off Hough Ave in Cleveland, Ohio for several years until the cops raided his operation.
My point is this: black gangsters have been quietly doing their thing for nearly a century before the lifestyle became glamorized through Gangsta rap. But what made these original black Gangsters stand out was not a music genre dedicated to their exploits, but rather, the simplicity of what they saw. They knew what men were weak to, what women were willing to do and they had the intelligence, work ethic and balls to make that dynamic play out in the streets to their advantage. And it is these same principles that prevented them from applying their hustle to their relationships outside the Game.
And for black men who were not built to be gangsters, but who still craved respect and financial stability, several factors made them choose dominion through marriage instead. Most notable were the proletariat jobs that were available during the time periods discussed. When they were abundant they paid relatively well, did not require an extensive education and satisfied a preference that many black men still have with working outdoors or with their hands. Black churches were another powerful institution where black men could acquire status and respect based on their insight into scripture (and even an income if they could deliver a power sermon on Sundays). But the main reason was because the black Gangster lifestyle was not broadcast. But that would soon change.
Enter the Game…
By the early 1980’s, the Industrial era and the simple, prosperous labor it generated for black baby boomers gave way to a computer and software based workplace. Suddenly, the pathway laid out for black generation X to enter into the middle class required time, education and finance. For many black men the newfangled job markets, or, perhaps more to the point, the process required to obtain these jobs, were unappealing. And when the jobs became unappealing, marital commitment quickly followed. This resulted in a surplus of unemployed black men with no means to support a family, and unmarried black women who still had no reason not to trust black men.
Shortly thereafter, Gangsta rap had established its viewpoint as the official doctrine of the streets, replacing the black church as the most revered institution of divine thought among black males. Its fist order of business was declaring idolatry to be a prerequisite for acquiring respect. Once its lavish video sermons disseminated that view to the masses of urban America, black males, in particular, became desperate to find ways to gain godlike status through material wealth that most of them could not afford. Some of those who lacked the patience to be educated and employed continued the tradition of referring to the raw commodities of the streets—drugs and sex—to acquire that end. Others, however, got even more creative.
Soon, even relationships became institutions of opportunity where sex and lies were wiled to capture the hearts and then the commodities of those who remained weak to such concepts as love and trust. Acquiring material items at the expense of an unsuspecting love interest quickly evolved into a dark, prosperous Game that defined those who played.
As this new breed of hood lumpenproletariat enjoyed godlike status for free, in their wake lay the shattered hearts, dreams, credit scores and bank accounts of those who unwittingly funded them. A type of post-traumatic stress disorder began affecting those—primarily black women—who were psychologically taxed the most by these relationship scams. As the word spread of child support dept and multiple children out of wedlock taking civilians out the Game prematurely, the war became realized and was dealt with internally, within the Game itself.
Mistrust quickly became a foundational component of the urban, social dynamic. Brothas refused to commit, primarily to protect finances, while sistas erected walls, primarily to protect emotions. Surviving this Game also necessitated replacing much of the blue-collar moral philosophy that had held black families and communities together for decades with a more antisocial type of personality. This, along with a litany of other hood beliefs and customs quickly meshed together to form the basic blueprint for how the Game was to be successfully played.
It is because of these defensive mores that were incorporated into the Game to survive Gangster rap’s golden age (more so than any other factor) that marriage has now become an impractical conclusion to urban dating. For an increasing number of African Americans, living together with separate bank accounts is the biggest leap of faith that the Game will allow. The Gangsta rap establishment is so revered for their intoxicating dark wisdom that to fault them for what it has helped to destroy would seem like blasphemy to those who remain under its spell. But the Gods have certainly proven one thing to be true: the microphone is mightier than the sword.
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Is this what blacks have to go through to date each other? sad 🙁
No broke brothas wanted
Makes sense
You just tryin 2 make the game feel guilty. Ain’t gonna happen.
You got that right! I’m not about to let any of these broke ass females mess up my credit!