Sister Souljah Gives Voice to Black Anger
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âWe are at war,â New York rapper Sister Souljah said harshly during an interview on the eve of the release Tuesday of her debut album on Epic Records. âI am a soldier in this war.â
Other female rappers, notably MC Lyte and Queen Latifah, have addressed issues of black pride and unity, but in a positive, harmonious manner. So it will be a shock for many rap fans to hear the strident, militant views of Sister Souljah (pronounced soul-juh).
An uncompromising black nationalist who sometimes even makes Ice Cube seem soft (he makes a guest appearance on the album, incidentally), she said that she is talking about a black-white race war in America.
âDespite what weâve been lulled into believing, it is a race war--donât kid yourself,â continued Sister Souljah, who has been described as a raptivist--a rapper and activist.
During the interview this week in a West Hollywood hotel room, the pudgy, baby-faced Sister Souljah--whoâs twentysomething--didnât kid about much of anything. An articulate and impassioned speaker, sheâs like a young Malcolm X, thoroughly committed to getting her message of black unity across to her people.
âThatâs the most important thing in my life . Thatâs what Iâm here for--what I live for,â she insisted.
She effectively conveys her message on the album, â360 Degrees of Power,â a stark, disturbing primer on black power. She uses crude street language and scathing humor to convey her controversial ideas--such as the argument that God is black and that white feminist leaders are devious lesbians whose goals include separating black men and women.
But itâs the anti-white part of her message thatâs bound to get the most attention. â360 Degrees of Powerâ seems certain to be attacked as hate-mongering and racist--if it sells enough to attract attention at all.
Sister Souljah--who was in Los Angeles to participate in a panel discussion sponsored by UCLAâs African Student Union at 2 p.m. today at the universityâs Sunset Canyon Recreation Center--maintains that she couldnât care less about criticism of her message. She is just hoping that it sells a lot because that will mean someone is listening.
âCall it prejudice, I donât care,â Sister Souljah said of her attack on whites. âWhen I see whites, I see people who for generations were oppressing my people. Knowing their history, how can I feel favorable toward any whites?â
Given all the marketing ploys in the music business, many observers may wonder whether the views expressed in the album are merely designed to draw attention to herself--a marketing strategy.
But Sister Souljah--a term that she says means soldier or fighter--has a long history of activism in the New York area. Born Lisa Williamson, she was raised by her divorced mother in New York and New Jersey on welfare, living in public housing. âIâve been a dedicated activist as far back as I can remember,â she offered.
Her mother, she said, stressed the value of education, prompting her to attend Rutgers University, where she is within a few units of obtaining a degree. Despite the demands of her rap career, sheâs still active on the college lecture circuit and in community organizing.
In recent years, she has coordinated youth conferences, founded two youth organizations and promoted a series of hip-hop concerts at New Yorkâs Apollo Theatre to finance a summer camp for homeless kids.
She got started in rap a couple of years ago when she met some of the members of Public Enemy and actually joined the group briefly before starting a solo career.
âI donât care about the money,â Sister Souljah concluded. âI donât care about fame, or reaching the pop mainstream or getting on this radio station or that radio station. Iâm not looking to be a star. Iâm getting a message across. . . . If it (doesnât work out in rap), Iâll try something else.â
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