women choose swankstas & judge swag

8/2/2019 Women Choose Swankstas & Judge Swag

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Women Choose Swankstas & Judge Swag:

HipHop Traditions of Dignity & ManhoodBy Mosheh Adamu aka BFAP thaAnthropologist

HipHop culture is deep; so deep that what appears to be negative behaviors are actuallypositive ones that have lost their true meaning and value over time. Recently, I was able to

checkout this 2008 flick, Kings of the Evenings. A beautiful movie, a period piece set

during the Great Depression that has a well composed storyline of culture, romance andstruggle. The plot centers on the African and African American traditions of the Swanksta

orSwenkas Tradition.

So Lets Break it Down, So it will forever be Broke

Today when we hear or see people who consider themselves as a Swanksta or those who

possess Swag we instantly envision the negativity that these characters bring to the table.

If we dig deeper into the history and culture, we will find out that these kats have beenaround longer than the last few years.

The first time I heard the term, swank or

swanky, I was like what is that? What does that

mean? As I thought about it more, these terms areverbs and adjectives for the noun, Swankster

(English) Swanksta (Rap). Note, that the -sta

sound, replaces -ster. This is not a dereliction oreven slang, rather it is a legitimate part of speech

derived from the Niger-Congo linguistic system

which was the native tongues of the Africans sweptup in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and broughtto America as captives.

In South Africa it is Swenkas, pronounced (Swain- KAas). Furthermore, Swanksta isclosely related to Gangsta and Wanksta all definitions of various African men who

display a certain type of charisma and character. Then there is also Swagga, Swag that

follows this language pattern.

Swanksta/ Swenkas - African man who transforms a world that strives to take away his

dignity and self-respect, by showcasing the best he has and who he is by the clothes he

wears. He will present himself, as well polished, debonair, and handsome and a gentlemanin fine suits. He insures that he can stand on his on two feet, but with the help of good

women in his life. He works hard to acquire wealth in life. These are some of the best

Rappers and Smooth Talkers with Good Game and well-respected individuals in thecommunity.
http://www.kingsoftheevening.com/http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/depression.htmhttp://kissmyblackads.blogspot.com/2009/12/zulu-swenkas-swankers.htmlhttp://kissmyblackads.blogspot.com/2009/12/zulu-swenkas-swankers.htmlhttp://www.kingsoftheevening.com/http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/depression.htmhttp://kissmyblackads.blogspot.com/2009/12/zulu-swenkas-swankers.html


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Gangsta- A man who assumes a position of violence

and misogyny as a way to gain street credibility in aneffort to be accepted and respected by others. He will

present himself as gritty, hardcore with some slight

koolness. He does not strive to be a gentleman, rathermisogynistic and dominating. He insures that can stand

on his own two, but does not view women as

helpmates. He works hard to acquire riches in life.They are good Rappers too, but dont talk smoothly and

may have a Good Game and respected the most by

other men who share the same ideas.

Wanksta- A man who is defined by others as posers; frauds who really dont have a pot to

piss in, or a window to throw it out of. They will present themselves as a Swanksta or a

Gangsta, but has never really acquired anything for him self. He is the least respected of the

three, because he perportraits the fraud. They may have a good Rap, talk smooth, but haveno Game and is ultimately not respected by anyone in the community.

The Tradition

As the film Kings of the Evening so elegantly displays, the tradition of the MensFashion Show, is a display of confidence, dignity and self-respect as the most prized

possessions of a man. Their fine clothes and accessories along with how they present

themselves are represented as their Swagga or Swag. Now the kicker to all of this is

the fact, that the women are the ultimate judges and choose to stand next to the King.The optimal word here is Choose. Whereas, the Gangsta emulates negative aspects of

misogyny (hatred for women) and violence against women learned from some European

manhood traditions and choose women; the Swanksta emulates the best in Africanmanhood, knowing and overstanding that women truly mold men out of boys and requires

the utmost respect. At the beginning of the evening (opposed to the end of the day), all of

these men desire to be adorned by women, but it is the methodology and approach to lifethat makes this happen.

Where We Went Wrong

In rappin with a young white kat the other day; he

was going on and on about Lil Wayne and how

great a rapper he is. I tried to tell the young kat, thatLil Wayne is only talking loud but aint saying

nothing but Money, Hoes and Bitches. He

responded with yes, Cuz that is what life is allabout. Now this may sound contradictory in some

sense, but his statement that is shared with so many

other men, does hold some water for a pot with a

hole in the bottom of it. From the Eurocentric
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perspective, this makes perfect sense and it aint nothing wrong with that, because that

works for that culture in some respects. From an HipHop-centered perspective this is out of

line with the culture.

For heterosexual men, the goal is always to be in good favor of women, regardless of the

approach. For some men the quest for money and riches gets the women they desire. Themessage gets lost in the love for material items and the objectification of women. They

dont see what the Swanksta/Swenkas see, which is dignity and respect are the tools that

really make the quest for women successful. What gets lost in translation from onegeneration to the next, is the meaning of manhood in HipHop. It is not essentially one of

misogynistic, chauvinistic and violent behaviors, but rather a tradition of pride and honor

for the women that have enhanced their lives.

Many HipHop men, buy into concept of The Battle of the Sexes, thinking that once they

are inside a woman, they are going to beat it up and whip it into shape. The truth is, it

is a battle that men can never win, because we are invaders going into a territory in

which we are totally surrounded. Now if we seek to overstand The Balance of the Sexes,we will go in, with the intention of harmony and peace.

Getting Back on Track

Ideas of responsibility, self-respect, dignity and accountability must be restored in thecommunity to foster better relations between women and men. Men should at all times hold

one another accountable for right and wrong thoughts and actions. No one is untouchable

and beside themselves so much, that their actions cannot be called in to question. Case and

point; the nine year girlWatoto from the Nile, called out rapper lil Wayne in an open letterthat was eventually turned into a YouTube viral video. Watoto calls out the rapper for the

way he refers to women, saying,

My daddy says that Im a queen,

but you be calling women other things.

I hear youve got a little girl.Dont you think the same of her?

She even speaks on his glamorization of drug use,

And people say Say No To Drugs,

but tell me who should I trust? You or them?

Are you promoting something?Its time our people stop the fronting.

Check out the Video Here.

Although, lil Wayne was the target, the message is for all Gangstas and Wankstas to

stand up and represent more than Money, Hoes and Bitches. Time will only tell, if this

young girls plea will be heard and taken heed to.
http://www.blackeconomicdevelopment.com/watoto-from-the-nile-letter-to-lil-wayne-official-music-video/http://www.blackeconomicdevelopment.com/watoto-from-the-nile-letter-to-lil-wayne-official-music-video/http://www.blackeconomicdevelopment.com/watoto-from-the-nile-letter-to-lil-wayne-official-music-video/http://iseeitall.com/2011/03/03/10-yr-old-girl-letter-to-lil-wayne-real-hiphop/http://www.blackeconomicdevelopment.com/watoto-from-the-nile-letter-to-lil-wayne-official-music-video/http://iseeitall.com/2011/03/03/10-yr-old-girl-letter-to-lil-wayne-real-hiphop/


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A woman can build a man up or break a man down. Women have built nations and

destroyed them too. The key to this all is that the real power is in the P, the vagina, thepussy for those that speak that way. I dont

know about you, but the last time I checked, I

wasnt missing a rib, but I do have a bellybutton. Meaning I came from a woman.

Biologically on the DNA chromosomal level,

men are XY and women YY; men have bothchromosomes of a male and female. Our

balance and successes solely depends on our

understanding of what women give to us.

Women choose the men, they want in their

lives as lovers, soulmates, friends and role

models. Sometimes, women see more in the

men, than men see in themselves; and will tryand help build men to live to their full

potential. I just recently saw a flyer thatstated, Swag does not equal Class.

It is the women that are the contest judges and once men overstand this, they can becomethe Swanksta or the King of the Evening, truly possessing Swag.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_sex-determination_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_sex-determination_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_sex-determination_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_sex-determination_system

women choose swankstas & judge swag

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