Matthews Phosa is Bob Johnson-ing us... Pimp Pimp Hoe-ray!!

I’m not a straight out feminist. I use all sorts of words pretty freely. Sometimes, I call women chicks, or bitches, or tricks. In the nicest way possible (it’s possible. Or is it?). I can’t be fully blamed for the language is use- I’m a product of my environment: MEDIA AND SOCIETY (both of which apparently inform one another).

For years, the US corporate world has been in the firing line for using hip hop to make money- from paying artists big money to endorse their products, to putting their money behind the most mediocre and self-destructive ideas and artists, and to some extent, fuelling misogynist lyrics in songs because “it aint gonna sell if it aint about bitches, hoes, pimpin, cash, money, cars and moving weight”. In a nutshell, corporate America has been in shit for PIMPING the culture of hip hop- effectively pimping BLACK PEOPLE. Surprise surprise.

Matthews Phosa- former Premier of Mpumalanga, South Africa turned business man strikes a deal with Nelly’s Pimp Juice brand. He’s got the distributing rights for the drink in South Africa. Before I go any further- a bit of Phosa’s history: Before he became Dr. Matthews Phosa, he was just Matthews Phosa- an ANC stalwart; leader of the youth movement and poet. So anyway, the ANC stalwart and former youth leader goes out and signs a distributing deal with Nelly’s Pimp Juice brand. Nelly thinks himself a pimp. ‘Member the Tipdrill video? Let me refresh your memory.




Anyway, so this guy Matthews Phosa then makes a deal with Umsobombvu Youth Fund (UYF) and they’re giving money and opportunities to the youth, whom they are calling PIMPS. Yes. Pimps. Phosa and the UYF say it means “positive intellectually motivated person”. Really? Ok, scuse my really bad education- I thought a pimp is someone who uses womens’ pussies to make money. Sorry, did I offend YOU? Damn, I thought I live in Africa. Oh sorry, South Africa is but a cheap duplication of American culture. I don’t know if you would find influential members of other African societies and their government-sponsored youth agencies calling young people pimps, and feeding them such poison. I have nothing against pop culture, which they say is reflective of the society from whence it comes. What I do have a problem with are those that are in power using it for their own good while destroying young people en route to making their bag of riches. Don't get me wrong- I want a piece of the pie too, but I cannot let my aims mess with a young and impressionable African child. I don’t want my niece thinking that a boy is only good enough for her if he’s reached “pimp” status (whatever that may be), and I certainly don’t want to see my younger boy cousins and brothers growing up thinking that they’re real cool men if they reach “pimp” status. This partnership is wrong to the core, and I’d like to thank Mr. Phosa and Umsobomvu Youth Fund for putting a product like this on the market, and I’d especially like to give them props (when you do something cool, young people commend you by giving you “props”. I guess you would know that, since you also knew that the word “pimp” is cool because it actually means “positive intellectually motivated person”) for taking one more step in turning young peoples’ brains into a mass of bubble gum.

Now, chew it and spit it out.

AFTER THOUGHT:

When bob johnson started BET a lot of people were happy, thinking that his channel would properly represent so much of what's been misrepresented by the white owners of the entertainment industry machine. Years down the line, the channel has been accused of being everything black/hip hop culture is NOT. Over the last few years, incidents have occured with BET refusing to play "intelligent" or "underground" hip hop

BONUS LINKS: Who is BOB JOHNSON?

HOUSE NIGGER?

BET SAYS LITTLE BROTHER IS "TOO INTELLIGENT" FOR THE MARKET- 2005

DE LA SOUL AND THE BEATNUTS REJECTED FROM BET PLAYLIST- 2004

VIDEO OF THE DAY: LITTLE BROTHER FT JOE SCUDDA- LOVIN' IT
FROM "THE MINSTREL SHOW" ALBUM.