is MJ a Socially aware Black Artist or not to you?

[mistermaxxx]

i ask this because Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield amongest others are considered Socially aware Black Artists but you never hear MJ mentioned in that discussion. now "We Are the World" brought all people together but it was a Black statement with MJ and Lionel Richie writing it together and Quincy Jones Producing it. Can You Feel it, they don't care about us, Jam. He has been socially aware from a Black Perspective,but he never hardly gets acknowledged in this? care to speak on this.

[J5master]

Well i think a lot of that has to do with the media trying to say that MJ isn't proud to be black DESPITE all accounts otherwise.

But MJ definitely is as socially aware black artist...it's all in his music, like u've mentioned. It's in his humanitarian efforts. I mean it's really come out in recent years with the NAACP speech he gave (then people said he was pulling the race card).

I think also that MJ likes to take a more global approach to his humanitarian efforts. I feel he thinks that he shouldn't focus only on african american issues, which are also important but I feel he wants to reach people globally...on a non-limited scale. That's my take anyway.

[eternitys_child]

This is a tough one. I don't know if I should comment because I am not sure I understand what you mean by 'socially aware black artist'

He is socially aware

He is black

And he is an artist.

Then I would say he has been praised and recognized for his humanitarian 'socially aware' efforts.

But do you mean something else? Do you mean does he specifically relate to oppression of blacks or to black causes rather than see poor as poor and oppressed as oppressed regardless of race or nationality?

Martin Luther King was considered a black leader but most people interestingly enough do not recognize the universality of his cause. He was a humanitarian fighting for the oppressed above all else. It just happens that the poor were and are largely of color.

So where in that range are you asking if Michael has been recognized? I think that Michael was able to bridge the gap better than Martin Luther King.

Both suffered backlash. Martin Luther King from both white racists and corporations afraid of a rebelling/awakening the poor. You saw the racism first with MLK even though it was really the underlying corporate manipulation that fueled the backlash. With Michael we usually point toward the corporations (Sony, media, etc) trying to get hold of his catalogue or make money off of him. They were able to use racism to aid them (think Snedden). But the difference I think is that blacks always stood solidly behind MLK but with Michael they are confused. He left the J5 and 'crossed over' and in addition it was touted he did not want to recognize being black. He is weathly and that makes him even harder for those blacks who are struggling to relate to (even though it was MLK who was the one born upper class). It put Michael more solidly in the middle but not by any real difference between him and MLK in their philosophy.

[J5master]

He is socially aware

He is black

And he is an artist.

Not at u but the obvious comment :tongue: Good points.

[JudgingNoone]

eternitys_child is making very interesting points as usual. I don't have much to add, but I do think that the times when he tries to say something in his art about opression and expresses that he is indeed one of the opressed, people don't get it. Like TDCAU for instance. It was very obvious to me what that song was about, but most reviewers didn't seem to understand very much.

When people say that MJ doesn't recognize his race, I always think about the scene in the TDCAU prison version where he looks straight in the camera and claps his chest while singing the words "black man, black male, throw a brother in jail". I also think about the panther dance in BOW. It's not a coincidence that he metamorphosises from and into a black panther. Especially since he and his brothers used to do the black panther salute in the seventies.

[troubleman84]

Yes he is. People just hadn't been following up all these years since. But he's as socially aware as Marvin, Bob and Curtis were.

[Soso Deaf]

he's aware of what's going on in the world but as far as what's going on back home and how his people are suffering? i don't see him launching an effort on a charity single for darfur or for the ghetto or for those on hud.....

that's y they call him an artist who transcends race. while he has bridged the gap in genre and sex, the whole 'race' thing is still an issue....saying that he is above it is taking away who he is, his identity, and his purpose. the whole reason y thriller is so amazing isn't just b/c it's the best selling solo album...it's b/c it's creator was a young black man who used that album to break down colour barriers.

[blacknimproud]

Just look at my siggy. lol

[Datsymay]

he's aware of what's going on in the world but as far as what's going on back home and how his people are suffering? i don't see him launching an effort on a charity single for darfur or for the ghetto or for those on hud.....

that's y they call him an artist who transcends race. while he has bridged the gap in genre and sex, the whole 'race' thing is still an issue....saying that he is above it is taking away who he is, his identity, and his purpose. the whole reason y thriller is so amazing isn't just b/c it's the best selling solo album...it's b/c it's creator was a young black man who used that album to break down colour barriers.

Your post os a contradiction. Cause if you say that he used hisw album to breakdown barrieirs, then how can you say he is not aware of black issues. The 2 don't go together.
From my point of view, the Jackson five were a social awareness group for black people. They were the black icon and the black dream. The coin ' young, gifted and black were made for them. Black people all over the world were proud of them and wanted to be like them When they wore the afro, that initself was a political statement. it was a statememt of defiance and dearing. They had the stuff and they were good and they made us proud to be black.
The Jacksons of themselves were not a political group, they were just out there to do the music, but it was a time of revolution all round. Young whites were fighting to be heard and young blacks were fighting to be seen. It was that movement that pushed the jacksons forwards as the black icon. They represented the young and disenfranchised, and they gave black kids hope.
So yes, I woukld say that MJ and the Jacksons were very much aware of their politivcal reference. I feel that many blacks have been disappointed in MJ because they feel that he has left the cause of not kept faith with them. That is not the truth, Times have changed, and MJ changed with the tuimes, but he more than many have felt the pangs of racism. He is just not going to let it stop him from doing what he wants to do.

[raingirl]

This is a tough one. I don't know if I should comment because I am not sure I understand what you mean by 'socially aware black artist'

He is socially aware

He is black

And he is an artist.

Michael is not openly a political artist and IMO he shouldn't be. He does write songs that describe the problems that we have in this world. Those issues are often global. And I think that the way he speaks about those important issues he can get a much wider audience. Not just focusing on the issues in USA.
Songs like TDCAU and Can you feel it and Black or white deal with issues that happen all over the world.
He is very much socially aware.

[KOPV]

Yes he is VERY aware, but he tries not to give RACE anymore attention that it gives.. There is too much labeling "Black" "White" He believes it should not matter, so why feed into it..

With Sony demonstrations he brought race up because that was the issue.. He would talk about it when it is about an ISSUE about race. But other than that NO!! He does not want to feed into the sepperation.

In some songs he brings race up, and it is all in cause of racial issues..Black or White' speaks for itself, but even in 'Man In The Mirror' with some performances he sing. "White man gotta make a change, the white man gotta make a change."

Not saying singing about something makes you aware.. But speeches he's given, the knowledge that he obtaines BEING black, and reading as much as he does.. At one point he said that he reads a book a day.. (probably when he does not have music to work on) But non the less, he's very knowledgable.

[Datsymay]

Yes he is VERY aware, but he tries not to give RACE anymore attention that it gives.. There is too much labeling "Black" "White" He believes it should not matter, so why feed into it..

With Sony demonstrations he brought race up because that was the issue.. He would talk about it when it is about an ISSUE about race. But other than that NO!! He does not want to feed into the sepperation.

In some songs he brings race up, and it is all in cause of racial issues..Black or White' speaks for itself, but even in 'Man In The Mirror' with some performances he sing. "White man gotta make a change, the white man gotta make a change."

Not saying singing about something makes you aware.. But speeches he's given, the knowledge that he obtaines BEING black, and reading as much as he does.. At one point he said that he reads a book a day.. (probably when he does not have music to work on) But non the less, he's very knowledgable.

Yes, I agree with you, and MJ is a global phenomenon, why should he limit himself to a group of people just because he happens to be a member of that group, it's like saying that a family member shouldn't care about anyone who isn't a member of the family.

[sugababe]

The fact that MJ has made charity singles for different causes tells you that he is socially aware. Now, if you're talking about black issues in the US, I'm certain he's aware of issues here too. Think about "Beat It" and other songs he's written. He was even going to do a charity single for Katrina (whose victims were mostly black)--not exactly sure what happened to that, but he knows what's going on in the world.

I also agree with the poster above. While some entertainers market to a select group of folks--Mike is marketing to folks on different planets, lol. Mike is probably more aware of what's going on socially than most folks, as he's an avid reader.

Not only is Mike socially aware, but he's doing something about. I believe I saw a picture of him in a Toyota Cirrus(sp). Think "Earth Song."

[troubleman84]

he's aware of what's going on in the world but as far as what's going on back home and how his people are suffering? i don't see him launching an effort on a charity single for darfur or for the ghetto or for those on hud.....

that's y they call him an artist who transcends race. while he has bridged the gap in genre and sex, the whole 'race' thing is still an issue....saying that he is above it is taking away who he is, his identity, and his purpose. the whole reason y thriller is so amazing isn't just b/c it's the best selling solo album...it's b/c it's creator was a young black man who used that album to break down colour barriers.

I feel Michael is a complex dude but yeah I agree with your point as well. I don't like to be biased about it so I think he's aware but I also think he thinks of himself as transcending race to become what he's become.

[Rasta Pasta]

Well i think a lot of that has to do with the media trying to say that MJ isn't proud to be black DESPITE all accounts otherwise.

But MJ definitely is as socially aware black artist...it's all in his music, like u've mentioned. It's in his humanitarian efforts. I mean it's really come out in recent years with the NAACP speech he gave (then people said he was pulling the race card).

I think also that MJ likes to take a more global approach to his humanitarian efforts. I feel he thinks that he shouldn't focus only on african american issues, which are also important but I feel he wants to reach people globally...on a non-limited scale. That's my take anyway.

I co-sign.. !!!