Wise Intelligent's message may be in reference to this information:
Rap Music Conspiracy:
After more than 20 years, I've finally decided to tell the world what I witnessed in 1991, which I believe was one of the biggest turning point in popular music, and ultimately American society.
I
have struggled for a long time weighing the pros and cons of making
this story public as I was reluctant to implicate the individuals who
were present that day. So I've simply decided to leave out names and all
the details that may risk my personal well being and that of those who
were, like me, dragged into something they weren't ready for.
Between
the late 80s and early 90's, I was what you may call a "decision
maker" with one of the more established company in the music industry. I
came from Europe in the early 80's and quickly established myself in
the business.
The industry was different back
then. Since technology and media weren't accessible to people like they
are today, the industry had more control over the public and had the
means to influence them anyway it wanted. This may explain why, in early
1991, I was invited to attend a closed door meeting with a small group
of music business insiders to discuss rap music's new direction. Little
did I know that we would be asked to participate in one of the most
unethical and destructive business practice I've ever seen.
The
meeting was held at a private residence on the outskirts of Los
Angeles. I remember about 25 to 30 people being there, most of them
familiar faces. Speaking to those I knew, we joked about the theme of
the meeting as many of us did not care for rap music and failed to see
the purpose of being invited to a private gathering to discuss its
future.
Among the attendees was a small group
of unfamiliar faces who stayed to themselves and made no attempt to
socialize beyond their circle. Based on their behavior and formal
appearances, they didn't seem to be in our industry.
Our
casual chatter was interrupted when we were asked to sign a
confidentiality agreement preventing us from publicly discussing the
information presented during the meeting. Needless to say, this
intrigued and in some cases disturbed many of us.
The
agreement was only a page long but very clear on the matter and
consequences which stated that violating the terms would result in job
termination. We asked several people what this meeting was about and the
reason for such secrecy but couldn't find anyone who had answers for
us. A few people refused to sign and walked out. No one stopped them. I
was tempted to follow but curiosity got the best of me. A man who was
part of the "unfamiliar" group collected the agreements from us.
Quickly
after the meeting began, one of my industry colleagues (who shall
remain nameless like everyone else) thanked us for attending. He then
gave the floor to a man who only introduced himself by first name and
gave no further details about his personal background. I think he was
the owner of the residence but it was never confirmed.
He
briefly praised all of us for the success we had achieved in our
industry and congratulated us for being selected as part of this small
group of "decision makers". At this point I begin to feel slightly
uncomfortable at the strangeness of this gathering.
The
subject quickly changed as the speaker went on to tell us that the
respective companies we represented had invested in a very profitable
industry which could become even more rewarding with our active
involvement. He explained that the companies we work for had invested
millions into the building of privately owned prisons and that our positions of influence in the music industry would actually impact the profitability of these investments.
I
remember many of us in the group immediately looking at each other in
confusion. At the time, I didn't know what a private prison was but I
wasn't the only one. Sure enough, someone asked what these prisons were
and what any of this had to do with us. We were told that these prisons
were built by privately owned companies who received funding from the government based on the number of inmates. The more inmates, the more money the government would pay these prisons.
It
was also made clear to us that since these prisons are privately owned,
as they become publicly traded, we'd be able to buy shares. Most of us
were taken back by this. Again, a couple of people asked what this had
to do with us. At this point, my industry colleague who had first opened
the meeting took the floor again and answered our questions.
He
told us that since our employers had become silent investors in this
prison business, it was now in their interest to make sure that these
prisons remained filled. Our job would be to help make this happen by marketing music which promotes criminal behavior, rap being the music of choice.
He
assured us that this would be a great situation for us because rap
music was becoming an increasingly profitable market for our companies,
and as employee, we'd also be able to buy personal stocks in these
prisons.
Immediately, silence came over the room. You could
have heard a pin drop. I remember looking around to make sure I wasn't
dreaming and saw half of the people with dropped jaws. My daze was
interrupted when someone shouted, "Is this a f****** joke?" At this point things became chaotic.
Two
of the men who were part of the "unfamiliar" group grabbed the man who
shouted out and attempted to remove him from the house. A few of us,
myself included, tried to intervene. One of them pulled out a gun and we
all backed off. They separated us from the crowd and all four of us
were escorted outside.
My industry colleague
who had opened the meeting earlier hurried out to meet us and reminded
us that we had signed agreement and would suffer the consequences of
speaking about this publicly or even with those who attended the
meeting. I asked him why he was involved with something this corrupt and
he replied that it was bigger than the music business and nothing we'd want to challenge without risking consequences.
We all protested and as he walked back into the house I remember word for word the last thing he said, "It's out of my hands now. Remember you signed an agreement." He then closed the door behind him. The men rushed us to our cars and actually watched until we drove off.
A
million things were going through my mind as I drove away and I
eventually decided to pull over and park on a side street in order to
collect my thoughts. I replayed everything in my mind repeatedly and it
all seemed very surreal to me.
I was angry with
myself for not having taken a more active role in questioning what had
been presented to us. I'd like to believe the shock of it all is what
suspended my better nature. After what seemed like an eternity, I was
able to calm myself enough to make it home. I didn't talk or call anyone
that night.
The next day back at the office, I was visibly
out of it but blamed it on being under the weather. No one else in my
department had been invited to the meeting and I felt a sense of guilt
for not being able to share what I had witnessed. I thought about
contacting the three others who wear kicked out of the house but I
didn't remember their names and thought that tracking them down would
probably bring unwanted attention.
I considered
speaking out publicly at the risk of losing my job but I realized I'd
probably be jeopardizing more than my job and I wasn't willing to risk
anything happening to my family. I thought about those men with guns and
wondered who they were.
I had been told that this was bigger than the music business
and all I could do was let my imagination run free. There were no
answers and no one to talk to. I tried to do a little bit of research on
private prisons but didn't uncover anything about the music business'
involvement. However, the information I did find confirmed how dangerous
this prison business really was.
Days turned
into weeks and weeks into months. Eventually, it was as if the meeting
had never taken place. It all seemed surreal. I became more reclusive
and stopped going to any industry events unless professionally obligated
to do so. On two occasions, I found myself attending the same function
as my former colleague. Both times, our eyes met but nothing more was
exchanged.
As the months passed, rap music had definitely changed direction.
I was never a fan of it but even I could tell the difference. Rap acts
that talked about politics or harmless fun were quickly fading away as
gangster rap started dominating the airwaves.
Only
a few months had passed since the meeting but I suspect that the ideas
presented that day had been successfully implemented. It was as if the order has been given to all major label executives.
The music was climbing the charts and most companies were more than
happy to capitalize on it. Each one was churning out their very own
gangster rap acts on an assembly line.
Everyone bought into it, consumers included. Violence and drug use became a central theme in most rap music.
I spoke to a few of my peers in the industry to get their opinions on
the new trend but was told repeatedly that it was all about supply and
demand. Sadly many of them even expressed that the music reinforced
their prejudice of minorities.
I officially quit
the music business in 1993, but my heart had already left months
before. I broke ties with the majority of my peers and removed myself
from this thing I had once loved. I took some time off, returned to
Europe for a few years, settled out of state, and lived a "quiet" life
away from the world of entertainment.
As the
years passed, I managed to keep my secret, fearful of sharing it with
the wrong person but also a little ashamed of not having had the balls
to blow the whistle. But as rap got worse, my guilt grew. Fortunately,
in the late 90's, having the internet as a resource which wasn't at my
disposal in the early days made it easier for me to investigate what is
now labeled the prison industrial complex.
Now that I have a
greater understanding of how private prisons operate, things make much
more sense than they ever have. I see how the criminalization of rap music
played a big part in promoting racial stereotypes and misguided so many
impressionable young minds into adopting these glorified criminal
behaviors which often lead to incarceration.
Twenty
years of guilt is a heavy load to carry but the least I can do now is
to share my story, hoping that fans of rap music realize how they've
been used for the past two decades. Although I plan on remaining
anonymous for obvious reasons, my goal now is to get this information
out to as many people as possible.
Please help
me spread the word. Hopefully, others who attended the meeting back in
1991 will be inspired by this and tell their own stories. Most
importantly, if only one life has been touched by my story, I pray it
makes the weight of my guilt a little more tolerable.
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