Who will be the Bob Dole of hip hop?
28th November 2011 · 0 Comments
By Dr. Andre M. Perry
Contributing Columnist
Details of rapper Heavy D’s death are still unknown, but the passing of the self-proclaimed “overweight lover” rang yet another siren for graying hip-hop heads to adopt healthy lifestyles and demand regular health care. In other health-related hip hop news, rapper and producer Eric Sermon tweeted that he’s recovering from a heart attack. The newest member of the overweight lover club, Rick Ross suffered two seizures last month. Rappers are sick (in a bad way). So, who will become the Bob Dole of hip-hop and battle the stigma associated with going to a physician.
Peace and love to Heavy D who reportedly lost 150 pounds before his death. Yet, how many rappers you see try to cover their obesity with swag? Oversized clothing isn’t just about style. Your once-favorite hyper-masculine, jailhouse strong, tear-a-phone-book with-his-bare-hands rapper, has more boobs than Dolly Parton. There’s not enough material to cover Black men’s unhealthful lifestyles, which includes too much saturated fats, sugar, alcohol and smoke. Aside from the “take your shirt off” rappers like L.L. Cool J, hip hop artists are in need of a trainer, an A.A. meeting and a dietician.
Black men don’t posses the lexicon for longevity. Hip-hop talks more death than a morgue. It speaks in gory details about murderers and their victims, but diabetes killed more black folk than any gangster. Pour a little out for them.
Statistics on Black men, generated by the U.S. Office of Minority Health, are staggering:
• African-American men were 1.3 times as likely to have new cases of lung and prostate cancer, compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• African-American men were 2.1 times as likely to start treatment for end-stage renal disease related to diabetes, compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• African-American men were 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• African American males had more than seven times the AIDS rate of non-Hispanic white males.
Hip hop’s body of work mirrors the Black male physique. The only thing lean about the music is its content. The music is rife with phat beats, unnecessary stress, gluttony and misogyny. All of which lead to diabetes, heart failure and H.I.V. Negative culture is literally killing us.
For instance, hip hop’s homophobic tendencies do not encourage prostrate examinations, which is the mountain that at-risk men won’t climb to get a basic physical. Many of your favorite rappers are 40-plus. Consequently, Snoop, Jay-Z, and Master P need their prostate examined. All 40-year-olds should get a physical to specifically check their vitals (blood pressure, weight) as well as conduct a blood test, heart assessment and prostate examination.
Who will model this behavior?
In 1999, former U.S. Senator Bob Dole raised more than eyebrows for becoming a Viagra spokesperson for treating his erectile dysfunction from prostate cancer treatment. He challenged the stigma of going to the doctor. Who will be the Bob Dole of hip hop?
The legendary DJ Kool Herc and other notable artists trumpeted healthcare reform during Obama’s push for the landmark legislation, but we need people who will keep it real with living and dying.
Mos Def said in the song “Fear not of Man,” “You know what’s gonna happen with hip hop? Whatever’s happening with us. If we smoked out, hip hop is gonna be smoked out. If we doin alright, hip hop is gonna be doin’ alright.”
Dr. Dre can’t be hip hop’s physician. Honor Heavy D — go visit your doctor.
This article was originally published in the November 28, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper
