Over the weekend, I went to my friend's mix-tape release party in downtown Los Angeles. Dawn Gun and I have been homegirls since 1992. Time has run its course and we have our own lives, but what remains is a shared love for our friendship regardless how much time passes in between our meetings.
I thoroughly enjoyed being in the midst of The Sistem Crew this past Sunday evening. Dawn Gun is a collaborative member in the all female emcee's group. I'm so proud of her for staying on track with her dreams of becoming an emcee.
I am ready to be part of a needed change. I realize now, that if I continue to play music with messages belittling women's worth, I'll never have the confidence to define all the woman I am. I'll also need to be a better example for my two daughters. No longer will I purchase, listen to, or promote music that doesn't positively inspire me. It makes no sense to continue doing so.
Besides, there are so many talented artists delivering positive messages through their music. I am not the only one who realizes that the negative instructions being given in some of these songs are being followed by many of our youth. We can't blame the radio stations for playing the music they play, however, we can collectively, be more aggressive with creating positive music to inundate them with.
Please read (entirely) the letter that Sinéad O'conner wrote on March 22, 2012. I thank her for her bold statements and taking time to help encourage our youth. If she can stand up against what's blatantly wrong, what's stopping the rest of us from making righteous contributions to society?
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