Isn’t It Time For Black America To Put Vlad Out To Pasture?
Along with other folks of his ilk?
Culture vultures are the worst kind of people.
And if you are African-American, you’ve got cause to be suspicious of culture vultures, not least because of their highly meretricious effects on the health and wellbeing of the community.
Now let’s be clear: this phenomenon has been around for the longest time, as aficionados of Black music and culture can attest.
They shamelessly and remorselessly stole from Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Big Mama Thornton, Lewis Latimer and countless other Black geniuses, without accountability and it is precisely why that extraordinary line from Chuck D in fight the power, resonates with millions of Black folks till this very day.
And it was inevitable that Hip hop would create a whole new generation of culture vultures, given its originality, creativity, energy and ingenuity.
Given the degree of openness which Black culture has always had, it was only natural that outsiders would want a piece of the action and we have had several examples through the ages.
Beastie Boys never pretended to be hard core rappers and their vibe was goofy and they had their loyal audience.