Any more “equity” and we can all shelter in place
Your tax dollars at work
Leave it to the Emerald City to form a task force on “Equity in Music and Entertainment.” Its civil rights mission? To save a form of music known as hip hop, of which gangsta rap is a constituent.
Formed a year ago, this special interest group now coughs up a 34-page report that — once again — curses Racism Most Foul. Racism is “the Number One barrier to maintain diverse entertainment catering to patrons of color.”
Remember when task forces were formed to address impending crises, like famine or pandemic disease? This task force recommends 32 action items to redress this newly discovered injustice. (SNARK ALERT!) Moses only had 10.
The task force recommends hiring a full-time, $60,000-a-year bureaucrat to promote hip hop music which, the WI State Journal noted, “has been largely absent in the city since incidents of violence.” (The task force report here.)
The record shows venue after venue dropping hip hop after experiencing violence, including shootings. Those include:
The Klinic, Adair’s Lounge, King Club, Seven, Mass Appeal, Kimia Lounge, The Underground, Club Hilltopp, Que Sera, Stillwaters, and Club Majestic.
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- Announcing no more hip hop in January 2013, the owner of The Frequency announced: “My landlord, the city, and my neighborhood association have made it very clear that this cannot happen again. I will not take another chance and put my employees and patrons in danger.”
- In February 2009 the Brink Lounge stopped hosting hip-hop shows following a Valentine’s Day party that ended in a fight.
- During a December 2011 Christmas Eve hip-hop party at the Majestic Theatre at least two people drew guns.
- Then in January 2012 High Noon Saloon suspended hip-hop bookings when a gun was discharged in the venue’s bathroom during a hip-hop dance party.
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Blame the police
Once again, Madison police are targeted. For some reason, Police “should reduce police presence in communities of color.” That is Recommendation #23. Just keep away from those “communities.” Just getting started, the task force recommends cops be sent to re-education camp for training in “cultural competency.” The Klan-riding police will have company. The news media, city public relations staff, bartenders, bouncers, food servers would be subjected to “anti-bias training.”
Festival organizers are put on notice. If Polka Fest gets city money, be certain to “ensure that artists of color and specifically Hip-Hop artists, are incorporated into their programming.” And free transportation to hip hop venues. Valet parking was not mentioned, far as we can determine.
Hip hop coming soon to a neighborhood near you
The full-time city hip-hop coordinator is just a start.
- Within two years, the City should hire a consultant to develop a plan to build music infrastructure to support independent artists.
- And in a few more years, locate hip hop venues on the far east and west sides — places like Westgate Mall on Whitney Way.
- Not only that, subsidize hip hop with city tax dollars!
Within one year, the City should consider providing grants or sliding-scale fees for arts events that require permits. Bringing a community together around music should be achievable for all citizens at all income levels.
Please, Alder Skidmore, ask for a roll call when the Common Council votes to accept Agenda Item #95 Tuesday night. (12-04-18). This travesty was sponsored by Mayor Soglin and Alders Michael Verveer, Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, Marsha A. Rummel.
Conservatives already know the answer but, please, our liberal-progressive-socialist acquaintances: do you really believe this is the proper role of government?
If I had a hammered dulcimer
As for the violence, sociology majors at UW-Madison say that the shootings at live hip hop events are no different than those at a performance of Lou and Peter Berryman.
Tell that to club owners paying liability insurance premiums and facing the city alcohol license renewals.
Wikipedia tracks a growing list (now up to 38) of murdered hip hop artists, including Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. Almost all were “shot and killed” but someone named “Bugz” was “shot and run over.”
Blaska’s Bottom Line: We could find no parallel list of murdered folk singers.
Related: “UW Madison professor on misogyny in hip hop.”
31 responses to “Only in Madison WI: ‘Equity’ for hip hop music”
Too bad Dave Wiganowski isnt around to speak about the reality of hip-hop. He sold gallons of Hennesy to the drugs and thugs crowd at $8.00 a drink. That is, until the police calls and gunshots darn near put him out of business. Another good one gone too early.
[…] with everything in Madison these days, the task force fingered Racism as “the Number One barrier to maintain diverse entertainment catering to patrons of […]