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Even on community boards in web sites featuring black rock musicians (afropunk.com, okayplayer.com, blackrock.vze.com, and blackrockrebelradio.com), opinions were split. Black women rockers tend to champion Pinkett Smith's band ("I heard her perform at Ozzfest today and she kicks ass. . . Go-o-o-o-o-o, Jada! I even bought her CD! I am supporting that sista"), while males were by and large disaffected.
One post on afropunk.com summed matters up this way: "I wanna support our people too. But where do you draw the line? I wanna support black actors but I'm not watching every damn show on UPN. I think we can support black rock without being fans of every single black rocker. Because seriously, why put mediocrity on a pedestal? There are so other many great black rockers out there."
Am I Hard Enough?
Having gone on the Wicked Wisdom website and checked out mp3 samples posted on its music page, it's clear to me that the quartet is no threat to bands on the level of Trail of Dead, the Misfits, Slipknot, Chiamaira or countless other so-called hardcore or metal standard-bearers. But considering the literally thousands of bands claiming that throne, all of whom boast varying degrees of the elusive "hardness" quality -- many more so than Wicked Wisdom, many less -- the question is: What the hell is the big deal?
As one blogger pointed out, Ozzfest has featured tamer bands on its bill in past years. For that matter, one of this year's big main-stage acts, Velvet Revolver -- Slash and Scott Weiland's amalgam of Stone Temple Pilots and Guns 'N Roses -- doesn't exactly invoke the fear of Satan in anyone.
"The question I have," said journalist and musician Greg Tate, co-founder of the Black Rock Coalition, "is why is the onus always on black rockers to get white folks to change their minds? We always have to come eight times harder with ours than they do, 'cause we'll catch hell just for showing up."
Former BRC president Toles sees Wicked Wisdom's celebrity status as the main issue. "If it wasn't Jada Pinkett Smith and all the baggage that comes with that, I don't think anyone would care, at least not to the level of psychosis that's manifested here," said Toles.
"Sure, race and gender color the situation, but it's not the sum-total," he added. "If she were some other, less-famous black woman leading the band, the dialogue would be completely different, if it were to happen at all. But Jada's a lightning rod. Black rock in white America is not for the faint of heart."
Darrell M. McNeill is a freelance journalist who has written for the Village Voice, Vibe, Spin and other publications. He also produces the radio shows Creative Unity Collective, on New York's WBAI, and Radio BRC, at Soul-Patrol.net. Full disclosure obliges us to point out that McNeill also is director of operations for the New York-based Black Rock Coalition.
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