The letter that I sent to xxl magazine re: Bol’s Derrion Albert post. I recommend you voice your opinion as well to xxl at harris-pub.com.
Hello,
I am a longtime reader of XXL Magazine and the XXL website. While I routinely pleased with the hip, sometimes humorous way that the magazine engages hip hop culture and serves as kingmakers for new artists and trends I can’t help but be disappointed by an article published on the blog that I found to be in poor taste. “Bol” Crawford has a history of making incendiary comments in general, typically I take his rants against African Americans, drug addicts and homosexuals as satire (regardless of his intent) and nervously chuckle along. That said his recent article: Untimely, unsolicited advice for Derrion Albert was classless, ignorant and hurtful, making light of the death of a student on Chicago’s south side. I’m a bit unclear on the role that XXL hopes to play in the African American community as a whole but feel that giving a person a forum to make tasteless comments like
“Not to sit here and Tuesday afternoon quarterback, as if it could save Derrion Albert, but if I would have been in that same situation, I would have turned around and booked it in the opposite direction. I don’t even like being around people when they’re not wielding 2×4s. Fuck that shit!”
are not helpful to a very tragic situation. A boy was killed trying to protect a friend. He was one of over 60 Chicago Public School Students killed in the last 2 years. Of over 300 young people killed in Chicago these past 2 years. Of thousands killed nationwide this year and last. There is an epidemic in our community of young black men being killed and I would’ve hoped that an organization that benefits so heavily from black culture would be appalled by one of it’s writers snickering about the mass murder of black people. In watching the responses to the murder the word “animal” has been brought up more than once to describe the assailants and blacks in general. It’s hard to defend our culture against that sentiment when magazines pay writers to behave like hyenas and jackasses. It may not be the job of XXL to solve the problems of the black community I would hope that they would be more interested in finding solutions than poking fun. I’m not writing to ask that Crawford be fired or reprimanded (though I wouldn’t mind either of those things, and a public apology). I’m writing to ask that XXL and it’s blog more responsibly edit it’s material so that drivel like this doesn’t pollute the internet and cast a negative light on black culture.
^dude, that was the homey?
^^^
Ya while we were kids lived 6 houses down from me, knew his family and everything. A year older than me, once his moms died shit changed.
His family moved to a new house, we still went to the same school, he was even in my World Issues class.
I can honestly say he’s a nice guy family real cool…., but whatever he and the rest of his “crew” get they deserve it if not more.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
in two or three limos
me and my nigga timbo
with bitches that suck nut and spit it out the window
September 30th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
The letter that I sent to xxl magazine re: Bol’s Derrion Albert post. I recommend you voice your opinion as well to xxl at harris-pub.com.
Hello,
I am a longtime reader of XXL Magazine and the XXL website. While I routinely pleased with the hip, sometimes humorous way that the magazine engages hip hop culture and serves as kingmakers for new artists and trends I can’t help but be disappointed by an article published on the blog that I found to be in poor taste. “Bol” Crawford has a history of making incendiary comments in general, typically I take his rants against African Americans, drug addicts and homosexuals as satire (regardless of his intent) and nervously chuckle along. That said his recent article: Untimely, unsolicited advice for Derrion Albert was classless, ignorant and hurtful, making light of the death of a student on Chicago’s south side. I’m a bit unclear on the role that XXL hopes to play in the African American community as a whole but feel that giving a person a forum to make tasteless comments like
“Not to sit here and Tuesday afternoon quarterback, as if it could save Derrion Albert, but if I would have been in that same situation, I would have turned around and booked it in the opposite direction. I don’t even like being around people when they’re not wielding 2×4s. Fuck that shit!”
are not helpful to a very tragic situation. A boy was killed trying to protect a friend. He was one of over 60 Chicago Public School Students killed in the last 2 years. Of over 300 young people killed in Chicago these past 2 years. Of thousands killed nationwide this year and last. There is an epidemic in our community of young black men being killed and I would’ve hoped that an organization that benefits so heavily from black culture would be appalled by one of it’s writers snickering about the mass murder of black people. In watching the responses to the murder the word “animal” has been brought up more than once to describe the assailants and blacks in general. It’s hard to defend our culture against that sentiment when magazines pay writers to behave like hyenas and jackasses. It may not be the job of XXL to solve the problems of the black community I would hope that they would be more interested in finding solutions than poking fun. I’m not writing to ask that Crawford be fired or reprimanded (though I wouldn’t mind either of those things, and a public apology). I’m writing to ask that XXL and it’s blog more responsibly edit it’s material so that drivel like this doesn’t pollute the internet and cast a negative light on black culture.
H
September 30th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
“KiD CuDi Talks to The Associated Press About “Day-N-Nite” & Kanye”
There should be an AYO somewhere in there
September 30th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
cOLD Says:
September 30th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Troyvul
^dude, that was the homey?
^^^
Ya while we were kids lived 6 houses down from me, knew his family and everything. A year older than me, once his moms died shit changed.
His family moved to a new house, we still went to the same school, he was even in my World Issues class.
I can honestly say he’s a nice guy family real cool…., but whatever he and the rest of his “crew” get they deserve it if not more.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
GATTT!
September 30th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
shit like this used to be reserved for the lite section.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
just got back.. what did i mis?
September 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
I can honestly say he’s a nice guy family real cool…., but whatever he and the rest of his “crew” get they deserve it if not more.
^ dig that.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
*yawning*
September 30th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
« Video: Lil Cease Interview w/ Sway
^^^^^^^^^^
SNITCH!
go run on a rat wheel fag!!
September 30th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
“If rappers 30+ would actually teach and guide the younger ones instead of calling them wack and shit we wouldn’t have this problem….”
when you was younger (..or if you are younger) did you want to listen to someone 30+ about music?
September 30th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
- keka – Says:
September 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
just got back.. what did i mis?
^ question, if something can be retrieved can it really be missed ?
hmmm.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
my mother fuckin brain is IBM compatible
September 30th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
BabyDoll Says:
September 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
*yawning*
^ sup BD, bored ?
September 30th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
# BabyDoll Says:
September 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
*yawning*
^*checks out the furnishings back there*
September 30th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
^*checks out the furnishings back there*
^ roffle.
tonsils check.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
@cOLD
tru.
September 30th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
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September 30th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
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