These shackles be lockin’ the mental way more than the physical” Instead of conveying you holier, come help get us up to speed S***, it’s a reason it took like two hundred years for our ancestors just to get freed. Cole missed out how his chance to learn about these things because of the environment he was raised in. Cole uses this as a scapegoat and nothing more to justify his lack of awareness and reduce it to mere chance that he wasn’t in an environment that allowed him to learn about these things. All I had to do was step outside of my apartment each day and the world showed me one way or another. How about she knows a struggle because she lives it and couldn’t ignore it? Maybe she took some time to educate herself, or listen to someone else? I can’t speak for every Black person, but my “awareness” about issues of race, gender, and class certainly did not come by inheritance.
Cole tries to state that this woman has so much knowledge simply because she just so happened to grow up in a conscious environment with parents who knew the struggle and gave her an awareness. My “awareness” about issues of race, gender, and class certainly did not come by inheritance. Cole is, you might have been able to tell that my last sentence was sarcasm. Oh and by the way, if you’re as good at policing people’s tones as J. “She strike me as somebody blessed enough to grow up in conscious environment w ith parents that know ’bout the struggle for liberation and in turn they provide her with a perspective and awareness of the system and unfairness that afflicts ’em”Īh yes, the reason this woman knows so much about oppression is because she was “blessed” to grow up in a conscious environment, and not because she’s lived life as a Black woman who has her own lived experiences of oppression in the form of sexism and racism (at the very least). But reducing a Black woman’s intelligent thoughts and articulate expression to her tone is dismissive and disrespectful.
For example, I’m sure you are understanding a lot about how I feel through the tone of this post, right? So chances are, if there’s something about a Black woman’s tone that’s “bothering” you, there is MUCH more bothering her worth taking some time to understand, regardless of how she expresses the feelings that she would be well within her right to have. Indeed, tone is meant to communicate feelings. Cole’s and many other men’s problem with a Black woman’s tone isn’t that their feelings are hurt, it’s that a woman dared to be anything other than the “nice”, demure, docile woman that society continuously tells her she should be. Cole reminds us that Black women aren’t afforded that luxury. Yet men with the same “tone” would likely be praised for being outspoken, or, at the very least, they would be heard. “Tone” is often the reason Black women lose outon promotions or outright get demoted. Men with the same “tone” would likely be praised for being outspoken, or, at the very least, they would be heard.Īs a teacher, I’ve seen first hand how “tone” can land a Black girl immediately in detention and suspension. In effect, what he’s actually saying is, “It doesn’t matter how smart you are, if you don’t say it to me the “right” way, that way I want to hear it, I’m not listening.” With one line, J.Cole discredits the intelligence and qualifications of Black women to her tone. Of course, as life has taught us, we know there is also a “but” coming. Cole opens the song off by praising the intelligence of this “young lady.” (There’s talk about who this young lady might be but I’m just going to say she represents many Black women.) He notes how intelligent she is, even conceding that she is “way smarter” than him. “It’s something about the queen tone that’s botherin’ me” Here’s why “Snow on tha Bluff” is so problematic. Though the message of the entire song is problematic, I’m breaking it down by the most problematic lyrics. Cole, love his music, and saw no problem with what he said and maybe even related to his feelings a little. I’m sharing this most especially for the Black men who look up to J. Cole’s recently released song, Snow on tha Bluff, so much so that it makes sense for me to share. I don’t usually do this, though I must admit I’ve done something like this once before. J Cole’s Snow on tha Bluff just came out.