Busta Rhymes
How a hardcore rapper kept it real through tears.
By Tracie Reddick
Big Boys do cry.
Busta Rhymes proved this point during the recent BET Awards.
What was supposed to be a 120-second speech turned into a 15-minute, famous clarion call for rappers to lower their fists and raise their online standards.
Before any of that happened, Busta, aka, Trevor Smith, Jr., stood at the podium, gathering his thoughs for several seconds.
Then the self-proclaimed black cave man stated: I feel like I want to cry.
He let his tears flow — then quickly wiped his eyes, demonstrating a duality that causes men of color to grapple with their soul desires and societal dictates spurred by black male masculinity and Latin machismo beliefs.
During hip hop’s 50-year history, many rappers presented an exagerrated sense of sexist, power and domineering control that reduced women to bitches and ho’s and left female’s simply concluding: niggah’s ain’t shit.
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All because big boys don’t cry, right?
In black and brown communities, we perpetuate a myth that results in emotional men being called a sissy, punk, faggot — all the derogatory terms used to declare them as weak.
So they suck it up, thus fueling stereotypes that turn into fatal statics relating to rising rates or suicide, incarcation and homicides.
Cuz remember, big boys don’t cry, right?
Wrong! Releasing emotions can prevent folks who are close to the edge from losing their heads when their minds are playing tricks on them.
Forget the mantra: What goes on in this house, stays in this house.
Let your tears flow, talk about your troubles to a trusted friend or with a therapist. If you don’t, family secrets become public knowledge once you lose sight of youself.
Kanye is a prime example of a dude who needs a shoulder to cry on.
That being said, I just wanted to send a hip hop hooray to the Jamaican rapper for busting a tear.
Black and brown boys need to see the vulnerable side of minority men so they don’t have to act like uncaring robots but actual loving human beings.
Busta’s message of hugs as opposed to hitting and using harmful words is definitely what’s needed to restore unity in our communities.
I know it’s a little late, but I just wanted to say bless you, brother.
