Ice T vs. Soulja Boy – We ALL need to show a little more respect!

First let me deal with Sandra’s ‘customer service’ issue: If you look on the internet, you will find plenty of articles that have declared the end of customer service – and not only from your BK/McDonald’s/Footlocker/Target/Wal-Mart/Home Depot-type employees, but even your big company employees (AOL, Time Warner, Sprint, Best Buy). Big profits and competing in a global economy have replaced giving great customer service. Here are what I think the 2 WORST things companies have done as far as customer service.

1) create a voice-recognition menu – I speak clear English and yet my voice options are never heard or misunderstood. I WANT TO SPEAK TO A REAL PERSON!!

2) change customer service operators to overseas employees. Have you ever been on the phone with a customer service person and all they do is repeat back what you say to them? There is a difference between speaking English and UNDERSTANDING English. I hate when I’m trying to explain a special issue I’m having and while the person knows the words that I am saying, they don’t UNDERSTAND my situation or reasoning.

People are up in arms about China, India and Brazil showing tremendous growth in their economies – why? They’re doing it the same way the US did – using SLAVE LABOR.

In the end, I can only give my 2 cents: I shop in the “white” areas – the “white” McDonald’s shake/ice cream machine is always working; in the hood – it’s always “broke.” The “white” Wal-Mart has a variety of products, in the “hood” Wal-Mart – the response I always get is “WE AIN’T GOT THAT.” I live in NY – if I need money from the teller, I go in the city (Manhattan). If I wait and go in the ‘hood over the weekend, 3 of the 4 teller machines in the branch are out of order or out of money (is that because a large percentages of businesses in the ‘hood only accept cash?).

And now, I’ve been waiting to throw in my 2 cents about this whole Ice-T/Soulja Boy thing.

First, I am 37 years old and I “grew up” in and WITH rap/hip-hop. I listened to Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Kurtis Blow, Whodini, Run-DMC, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, UTFO, Roxanne Shante, Kool Moe Dee, Boogie Down Productions, Slick Rick, Special Ed, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Leaders of the New School, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Black Moon, Brand Nubian, Common (Sense), Queen Latifah, Monie Love, Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim, LL Cool J, Heavy D, Gang Starr, EPMD, Mobb Deep, N.W.A, 2 Pac, Digital Underground, Craig Mack, Biggie, The Fugees, Dr. Dre, Snoop (Doggy) Dogg, Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Ja Rule, DMX, Goodie Mob, Outkast, YoungBloodz,The Roots, Geto Boys, Redman, Keith Murray, the LOX, Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, all the way through Master P/No Limit, Nelly/St. Lunatics, Eve, Ruff Ryders, Ludacris, Eminem, Field Mob, 50 Cent/G-Unit, Cam’Ron/Dipset, T.I., Jeezy and a lot of stuff in between. Good music is good music. And whatever you want to listen to, you should be able to listen to.

Here is what I want to know – was there some HUGE beef when Biz Markie put out “Pickin’ Boogers?” A damn CLASSIC hip-hop track – but it was about nonsense (and I LOVE it)! Did people go crazy and diss Shock G when Digital Underground put out “The Humpty Dance?” (And yes, I was doing the Humpty-Hump).

I may not listen to all of Soulja Boy’s music, but I get it – and the steel drums thing was kinda cool. People get so mad about a dance, and they forget that some of the most CLASSIC hip-hop videos had HOT dancing in them that you were in your living room trying to copy. Think about Big Daddy Kane’s “Ain’t No Half-Steppin'”, Special Ed’s “I Got it Made” or Rob Base & DJ-EZ Rock’s “It Takes Two.” YouTube the videos if you need to. A lot of songs were about having a good time – and that’s cool with me. You may not like Soulja Boy, but you gotta respect his hustle.

But see – this is what I’m talking about – who is it exactly that decided Hip Hop is in a state of emergency? Did anyone older than us declare hip hop dead when N.W.A. put out their first record (which at the time, was damn near revolutionary)? Did people diss Biz Markie when he came out singing on a track (Just a Friend)? Did anyone declare hip hop dead when Das Efx came out with the “diggity diggity” rap style? Hell, even Jay-Z rapped that way in the beginning….Did anyone declare hip hop dead when Diddy came out with the shiny suits using late 70’s & early 80’s R&B as the background for some of his hottest songs & remixes?

It is true, there are people who get into hip hop for the money…but “some” people who have become professional athletes, actors, lawyers, doctors, stock brokers & engineers also did it for the money, so you are definitely going to encounter that.