F*ck hashtags and retweets, n*gga
No truer words spoken can sum up the recent events surrounding racial profiling at Barney's New York, and Jay Z's corporate partnership with the luxury retailer. Unfortunately for him, we live in a world that is largely influenced by the twitterverse, especially Black Twitter. Mr. Carter isn't exactly a social (media) animal, but during the summer Hov gave hope to millions when he not only came on Twitter to promote his upcoming MCHG album, but also to answer questions. That pretty much opened Pandora's Box. From there on, there was an expectation from your fans and your community that you were all in. Not to mention, you and your wife's appearance at a Trayvon Martin rally, was a signal that you were invested in social justice.
I am not suggesting that this is not the case. However, please recognize that one tweet within 48 hours of the debacle would have carried so much weight; something along the lines of "This is unacceptable. I'm on it." This would have been enough to quell the hysteria (momentarily) and also given him and his team time to investigate. Gone are the days where people are waiting on an official press release. That's the equivalent of watching your parents make nice with the schoolyard bully. And like it or not, you are in a patriarchal position round these streets. Did the Drake and J. Cole fiasco teach you nothing? You've got to be ENGAGED. In this sound-bite, hashtag, retweet society, THESE are the #newrules.
