Let me start by bringing you up to speed on a recent
situation.
While driving the other day I heard the Ed Lover Show team
discussing Classic Hip Hop Christmas Songs. I heard them deem Run DMC, Kurtis
Blow, TLC (up for debate) as well as DMX’s latest effort as hip-hop Christmas
classics.
I did not hear them mention others because I moved on with
my day before the segment ended. Later in the day I thought about the
conversation again and sent a tweet tagging the show and Monie Love saying, “so
disappointed that no one mentioned 95 south (which was a mistake, it was the 69
Boys) and OutKast as #ClassicHipHopChristmasSongs especially for the south.
#dobetter (You are welcome to see the tweets on my twitter feed @MsJurena).
Long story short Monie Love and I had a short exchange on
twitter about it later that evening before I called it a night. I woke up the
next morning to find that I had been blocked. Then while driving the next
morning, I hear that Monie Love had a problem on twitter. She and Ed Lover then
proceeded to have a short discussion about my tweet, call me out and tell me to
watch my mouth. It was then brought to my attention that more tweets had been
sent to me accusing me of a couple things after I was blocked. When I got to
review those tweets Monie Love basically spoke of, not knowing anything of
those songs, so do she couldn’t do better. She proceeded to tell me how she
wouldn’t front for me or anyone else about knowing them. She said she wouldn’t accept
my “do better” because it was rude, impolite and uncalled for. She then went
into how I must have “brought out the concept for coming at people any old
kinda way on social media” and said I felt like I knew her to tell her to do
any “damn” thing. NOPE & Peace and bye!”
Here is my response to all of that...
I never said or asked her to front, my words weren’t harsh,
and my tone wasn’t rude, but I see they were received them that way. The bottom
line is we are here as grown women because of a “problem on twitter” over Christmas
songs. I heard the explanation for why they weren’t included so ok, even though
I feel like the criteria was bogus, but that’s another discussion. I don’t have
a problem with Monie Love or the songs named but yeah, I did feel some kinda
way when it seemed that an ongoing problem in hip hop was coming to light again,
discounting contributions made outside of the mecca. Think about it like this,
how would you feel if it seemed someone came into your backyard and failed to,
at least mention relevant contribution based on questionable criteria or
limited knowledge? Ignorance is not an excuse. You are held to a higher
standard in hip hop because you are Monie Love and Ed Lover. So yeah, it
remains a #dobetter now because she allowed a “problem” on the internet to bother
her.
Maybe I could have worded my tweet better, but I didn’t. Did
I disrespect her? No, she got emotional. I stand by what I said and in turn ask
that the next time she and Ed Lover are discussing something like this that they
stop to think or have someone on staff to research if there are other songs
that can be included. Stop to think about your listeners in all markets who
maybe offended because of your perception. Atlanta is your largest market, four
of the seven are in the south and to a lot of people those songs are classics. Instead of perceiving things as an attack and
going Love and Hip Hop style on social media, let’ have a healthy conversation
and turn situations like this into teachable moments where the culture is
celebrated. I will not “watch my mouth” as Ed Lover suggested because just like
you, I am hip hop too. I credit you both with contributing to that. There are a
lot of perceptions that need to be discussed or clarified and honestly at our
age in hip hop, that’s what we should be discussing, not screaming (or typing
in all caps) and blocking people on social media. So yeah it’s still a #dobetter.
@MsJurena