Since we’re dead smack in the middle of the Oscars controversy that has taken on a life of it’s own and rightfully so, we want to  share this much needed discussion that singer/actor, Tyrese Gibson, is sparking in his new video message. He’s taking shots at entertainers, as well as today’s extremely unjust entertainment system- from radio stations, to awards shows, to the movie industry. Read some of what Tyrese said below.  [SCROLL TO BOTTOM OF PAGE TO WATCH HIS FULL VIDEO]

Tyrese on his frustration with entertainers/athletes with influence chosing NOT to speak up about the racial inequalities in entertainment/sports:

“Singers, actors, rappers, athletes, directors, producers: Get off your hands! ‘Cause right now a lot of people are false prophets. You got all these followers, reach…30, 40, 50, 75 million followers on your Twitter, your Instagram, your Facebook, and you are not using your God-given stage of influence to impact and change anybody’s life. All you’re doing is you’re being another narcissistic bastard that’s pitching and selling people on what movie, album, project and team you getting traded to and all this.

Y’all see this ratchet sh*t going on and you won’t even speak on it. There’s something called racism that’s showing up in many forms- people are out here working their as$es off tirelessly…and they’re purposely and maliciously being left out.

On Black singers being shut out of the mainstream music industry, while White soul singers are placed on pedestals by the powers in the music industry:

“There’s a such thing as being an African American singer who happens to sing R&B soul music and mainstream radio stations are purposely deciding not to support the music, even though it’s number 1 forever on the R&B charts. And if Sam Smith, Justin Timberlake, or Robin Thicke were to sing R&B soul, it’s not only being played on urban stations, but it’s being played on pop and mainstream stations.”

“There’s a song called “Hello,” which happens to be one of the biggest songs in the world. It is now top 5 on the Urban Adult Contemporary Billboard charts. She is not Black and she is from Europe…the song is amazing…which means that Adele has an opportunity to sell records to all of these urban listeners that otherwise would have never heard her song.

So I feel like if your song is great or amazing- it doesn’t matter if you’re Black or White…I’m not putting on no tight as$ jeans and coloring my hair turquoise to make you think that I’m ready to cross over and be pop. I’m already pop! I’m more popular than most of the White artists on your d*mn station. You can’t have over 6 billion in the box office and say that I’m a Black man that’s only supported by Black people.”

“I don’t have a racist bone in my body, but the days of just sitting on your hands and watching all of this blatant racism that’s popping up in many forms…and not say anything about it…it will never change.

At the end of the day, if you’re doing the work, it doesn’t matter what your race, your nationality, your tax bracket is, or your sexual preference. If you’re doing the work and you’re putting out the best music, the best movies, and TV shows, you deserve an opportunity to have your work be recognized and you should deserve an Oscar, a Grammy, American Music Awards…you deserve for all the radio stations to play your music.”

“I’m not doing a house and techno version of “Shame” just for you to play it. I’m not doing it! My song has been number 1 for thirteen weeks and it’s still not being played at any mainstream station and that’s not fair.”

We give Tyrese MAJOR props for speaking out. He’s borrowing from the Old School mentality of the civil rights leaders who used their platforms to voice frustrations about the intentional inequalities within the American system and to also stand up for what they felt in their hearts were the right things to do. Tyrese is using his platform to disrupt the current level of complacency that exists among many of his fellow colleagues. So in the words of an Old School Spike Lee joint, it’s about time for those entertainers with influence and power to WAAAAKE UUUUUP!!!!
WATCH TYRESE”S FULL MESSAGE BELOW:

Tyrese sends an important message to all black entertainersTyrese speaks on the lack of responsibility among black entertainers and breaks down the blatant bias in the media. Do you agree with what he’s saying?

Posted by Good Black Men on Monday, January 25, 2016

 

And because we really dig that Tyrese is one of the few R&B artists who’s keeping REAL soul music alive, let’s vibe to his latest hit, “Shame”…