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LUDACRIS: “THEY DON’T REALLY KNOW WHO I AM…”

Chris ZieglerMon. February 25
 

UPDATE: Is that Ludacris’ DJ Jaycee advancing the debate in the comments section?

The District’s Kevin Ferguson attended tonight’s Ludacris protest and a Q&A between Ludacris and various local media outfits. Interviews and minute-by-minute event log below:

7:18 PM
“There’s ten people walking up to the free speech area with signs. There’s nobody outside—everybody’s already been checked in so one will see them besides security guards and the Power 106 dudes. They’re hammering their signs down, and they say, ‘STOP COMMODIFICATION OF WOMEN,’ ‘HOMOPHOBIA IS A DISEASE,’ ‘562: NO HOS IN THIS AREA CODE,’ ‘WHAT DOES LUDA STAND FOR?’ and ‘GOT RESPECT?’ I don’t see anything else yet—oh, ‘TELL LUDACRIS NOT TO CRASH HERE.’ There’s not enough people to hold the signs yet. But they’re a little early—it starts at 7:30. ‘WOMEN’S BODIES ARE NOT MONEYMAKERS.’ They’re kind of tucked away in a corner where no one is gonna see them, even if there were people. ASB or the university police or whatever did a good job putting them where no one would see them. Pretty standard.”

7:35 PM
“In the Q & A room—free wifi! I asked the protesters if there was one question they wanted me to ask Ludacris and they said, ‘Why does he say “faggot”?’ They called his rhymes ‘like Dr. Seuss but about hos.’”

7:42 PM
“Someone from OC Weekly is here. They’re bringing out the opening act for Q&A: Pacific Division, three MCs with the same manager as Snoop. Boring. This room is notable. It looks like a sports conference room. Everybody is making jokes on how it looks like they’re doing a sports-draft announcement. They’re just talking up their group now. Who cares about these dudes?”

7:54 PM
“Bummer, they yelled at me for trying to take a picture of Pacific Division with my Macbook.”

7:55 PM
“Someone smells like weed in here.”

8:09 PM

8:21 PM
“OCW writer is editorial intern Patrick Chavis. That’s a job I used to have. I just talked to him. He’s cool.”

8:25 PM
“Ok, here we go. Going dark.”

8:35 PM
The District Weekly: What’s your reaction to the protesters?
Ludacris: It’s always gonna happen—you’re always going to have people doing that. At the end of the day, you know I can’t really control anything about it. But how do I feel? I feel like they judge me based off words but they don’t really know who I am or what I do for the community or things of that nature, so that’s basically what it’s all about.

8:37 PM
OC Weekly: Does hip-hop need protests like this?
Ludacris: I wouldn’t say hip-hop needs protesters, but whenever you have something that is dominant and is this influential and it’s art… sometime then you’re always gonna have that. At the end of the day, it’s freedom of speech. They can protest all they want to but I have the right to be here.

8:38 PM
Daily 49er: [Pretty much the same question I asked but hard to understand; he looked a little annoyed the third time in a row.]
Ludacris: I feel like I need to kind of desexualize the word. I say men are hos. So when people try to pinpoint a word, it’s not about that. So you know—the people protesting out there—it seems they’re scared of the truth. They don’t listen to what we’re trying to do. Hip-hop is a coded language—so it’s not for everybody to understand. All I’m doing is being honest and talking about living life. I’m not all good, I’m not all bad—I’m not nobody’s puppy!

8:40 PM
“He’s gonna star in a movie version of Max Payne with Mark Wahlberg.”

9:01 PM
“Ludacris on stage now!”

9:06 PM
“Another good sign: ‘WHY DOES UCR GET MOS DEF AND WE GET THIS?’”

9:08 PM
The District Weekly: Do you consider this protest a success?
Marina Wood: Well, it’s not over yet. When people come out, we’re gonna hand out leaflets and flyers and people will be able to see our signs again.
What do you think about Ludacris saying you’re afraid of the truth?
That sounds a little vague. Is the truth we should be violent toward women and hate gays? I’m not sure what he means.

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  • Andy
    "562 No Hos in this area code?" Jeez, if your chant isn't factually accurate, it better rhyme.

    How about: "2-4-6-8, Men should try and ovulate!"

    Life is so much easier as a guy...
  • Lady Madonna
    The reason the sign said "no hoes in this area code" is because Luda has a song that says "I got hoes in different area codes". We were protesting his use of the word "hoes" instead pf women and also letting him know that our area code, (562) ARE NOT his "hoes".
  • Andy
    Yes, I know 'bout the lyrics, but thanks for the explanation, Giggles.

    The reason I said “Giggles” is because The Simpson's have a scene where the boss says “Hey, Giggles, back that gorgeous butt in here”. They are making fun of use of the word “Giggles” instead of a respectful term and also letting you know that they are making fun of traditional sexually offensive behavior.

    See? Some of us don't actually absorb everything we hear into literal behavior.
  • Lady Madonna
    The idea isn't necessarily turning violent lyrics into violence. Sometimes one decides however, not to support it by participating/recreating it, even when done ironically.

    "Faggot", "hoe", and "whore", all words used by Ludacris, are not just words, they are tactics of keeping entire groups of people down, making them dismissable and easier to hurt, physically and otherwise. Another word he uses, "pimp", may be used today in different ways then its literal meaning, but it carries the violence and misogyny regardless. We must remember, pimps are rapists. They are batterers. Exploiters of women. Let us not participate in his uneducated, hateful speech, especially that in which he speaks about hitting women with cars, and putting them "six feet deep." We once dismissed racial slurs, "kike", "wetback", "chink", as just words. But we know that those words were intended to hurt us, not just in personal, "you hurt my feelings" kind of ways, but in huger oppressive and hateful ways.
  • Andy
    Look, I agree that being us straight, white males have it pretty easy this country, and you certainly should be vocal about things that are intolerant, but it's coming from a dude named "Ludacris' and you're probably not the target audience. Yes, they are ugly terms, but these are lyrics, not political platforms. I'm smart enough to understand the difference (and please don't tell me it's about impressionable youth).

    So, definitely, keep speaking out, but I really object to your patronizing tone that tells me what to "participate in". I sure don't want a world with nothng but Kenny G songs and Disney films.
  • JTMAG1
    Thank you for proving Mr. Bridges's point. You sling insults at him, like uneducated, because he is a hip-artist, so automatically he can't be intelligent. If you took two seconds to learn about the person you were protesting against, you would know that he is a graduate of Georgia State University. You'd also see that he's done more philanthropic work than each of you protestors put together.

    There are definitly artists who say things in their music that I disagree with, and you know what I do to them? I don't listen to their music... I definitlyl don't go out to give them more free publicity.

    Furthermore, just to be clear. Andy is right. There are hoes in the 562 area code, tons of them.
  • Stargate Lover!
    JTMAG1! OMG! From the Stargate Archives? (http://www.sg1archive.com/forums/index.php?show...)

    I did a little 2 second research on you and found out you live on the internet. Most guys who live on the internet love hoes. They sometimes really depend on their services. And this is something that is illegal (except in those shady areas of Nevada, which I'm sure you know all about since you know all about the whereabouts of the 562 ones). I'm glad you care about philanthropic work because yours amounts to posting opinions about the zune. Really? Zune? ( http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/hack-support/1... ). You gotta be pretty helpless to own a zune. Zunes can't even touch the ipod.

    But please don't prove your own point by replying to me because I just want a little cheap free publicity on this website at your expense.

    Furthermore, just to be clear. Posting comments that attacks protesters online is the online equivalent to a counter-protest.
  • Lady Madonna
    Really original Andy and JTMAG. Criticism of activism. I'm not sure if you men realize how change happens, but it starts with mobilizing, something that is easy to criticize but hard to do. And what, if anything, do you stand for? Maybe if Luda was talking about hitting straight white men with cars you would be more outraged.
  • anon
    Impressionable youth? I observed the cutest 4yo girl dancing and singing the words to that Soulah Boy song "superman that ho."

    "Hip-hop is a coded language—so it’s not for everybody to understand. All I’m doing is being honest and talking about living life." Please tell me where to find the secret hip-hop decoder ring so that I can understand the real meaning of the lyrics.
  • Andy
    Lets see....checking to see where I criticized activism..hmmm, nope don't see it. But I am challenging your premise on telling me what I should/should not listen to.

    And where do you get off saying that us "men" don't understand that mobilizing is part of activism. I guess I should just stick to football, porn, and beer. Is this what "women's studies" is about? Making absurd generalizations about men? I guess my penis prevents me from empathizing with women's victimization. Growing up with a single working Mom has told me more about that than you'll ever learn in a semester of essays.

    And, yes, kids hear things they shouldn't, but the question is what would you do if it was your kid?
  • erin
    for those who are anti-protestor (at least in this instance)
    Why are you so invested in attacking the individual character of those who protested? It was a peaceful demonstration that was intended to provoke thought amongst those who were attending. Obviously there are many people who brushed the protesters off, but there were also many people who were curious to see what the various messages were on the signs. no harm, no foul.
  • erin m
    research* has found that sexualized imagery of women in popular culture, specifically gangster rap lyrics, DOES have an effect on attitudes about the adversarial character of sexual relationships and on students willingness to accept interpersonal violence and to believe myths about rape. many of these studies were done on college campuses- the location of the ludacris concert.

    secondly, to acknowledge that the lyrics are wrong but not "political" is absurd. it is these very same lyrics and pop culture propaganda that lay the foundation for the misogynistic, homophobic, racist, sexist, etc tendencies that are commonly reflected in both behavior and moral sentiment in contemporary society.

    although i did not attend i fully support the intentions and protests in full.

    *Kalof, Linda. 1999. "the Effects of Gender and Music Video Imagery on Sexual Attitudes". Journal of Social Psychology 139 (June): 378-385.
  • Andy
    You're not fully quoting your research, as stated in the very same article, these attitudes were NOT changed long-term, nor did they form the basis for any fundamental belief transitions.

    As long as you don't advocate censoring or banning any form of expression, I've got no problem with your protest. But don't tell me I'm not 'enlightened' if I want to see Ludacris or watch an adult video.

    *Linda Kalof, "The Effects of Gender and Music Video Imagery on Sexual Attitudes," J. Social Psych. 378 (1999)
  • JTMAG1
    I didn't say anything negative about activism, I just pointed out how someone who was against insulting women supported their argument by insulting the other individual, when in fact the insult had no base at all, because Ludacris is in fact educated.

    The fact that I am an educated male in 562 does not mean that there are no stupid males in 562. That's the point in Andy's post that I was alluding to. It seems though, that some may be too sensitive for the facts of life, or those types of jokes..

    All artists have the freedom of speech, No one is going to take that away any time soon. I simply said, if you don't like his lyrics don't listen. No one is forcing you to.

    It's not ok for Ludacris to rap about negative things that go on in our society, but look at the 5 movies up for best picture... Juno, Atonement, Michael Clayton, There Will Be Blood, and No Country for Old Men.

    Oh, and Amy W. won a GRAMMY for a song that said, "I won't go to rehab" when she was abusing substances left and right. Why is that ok?

    Erin, I apologize if it appeared that I was attacking any of the protestors. I just meant to disagree with the person that called Chris Bridges Un-educated, I thought it was a childish way for them to try and make their point.
  • JTMAG1
    Oh, and I forgot to thank Stargate lover for calling my girl a hoe because he/she didn't get the joke. That was special, considering the context of this discussion.
  • Chris Ziegler
  • Ryan
    It did smell like weed in there, didn't it? I was the Union Weekly guy and yes, that is the men's basketball locker room - hence the appearance.

    Ladies and gents, please don't listen to his music if you don't like it. Besides, there are plenty of other artists out there more deserving of your ridicule. He's creative, clever and immensely talented. Let him do his thing.
  • adriana
    I thought it was hilarious that only about 10 people showed up to the protest, the media makes it into this big deal when it really wasn't. I am happy they got their chance to do their thing, however I think Ludacris is amazing and so did all the other people who waited in the rain to see him. Such an amazing concert!
  • i'd just like to say that i personally questioned the protesters on why they even bothered protesting. Ludacris isn't homophobic by any means, the one "homophobic" word that they over emphasized on their signs in a song ("Move") that was recorded 7 years ago wasn't even uttered by him and i stressed that but they weren't trying to listen to me at first. it wasn't until i mentioned that i was Ludacris' DJ that they paid any attention to me so i asked them what rap music did they listen to and support. at first they started bombarding me with names of unsigned or local groups that i'd never heard of so then i specifically said "mainstream rap artists". two of the protesters (1 male, 1 female) mentioned Snoop Dogg, which struck me as very odd, considering all of his recent arrests for drug and weapons possession, his being totally banned from entering 2 countries, and not 1, but 2 hardcore porno flicks that bear his name. that's what prompted me to play Snoop's "Ain't No Fun" record before Luda's set began. no need to mention the content of the song but it arguably goes down in history as probably THE MOST disrespectful hiphop song towards women ever recorded but the irony of it all is whenever it comes on, women sing along to every lyric like it's their favorite record in the world, as evidenced by the crowd reaction when i played it. now contrast that to Ludacris, who's never been in any trouble with the law period. yeah "Area Codes'' may be pushing it a little but it doesn't come close to the content in Snoop's record so when i saw the signs that said Ludacris' lyrics promote "murder and sexual terror" (i kid you not, i took pictures of every sign) it slightly angered me but i was humorous about it. his song "Pimpin' All Over The World" although sorta eye-catching of a title, doesn't even make one reference to pimping but it seems like people don't take the time to actually LISTEN to anything before attacking it because of the title. there was another sign that said "women's bodies are not money makers". now what popular party-oriented songs in history HAVEN'T referenced a woman's body at some point? what do we all look at when watching women dance at clubs? what do women look at when watching men dance at clubs? regular clubs, strip clubs etc? THEIR BODIES!!! c'mon now, you protesters need to get a grip but then again, judging from the signs displayed i'm guessing that maybe none of you have ever been to a party before. it's just entertainment. just look at the GOVERNOR of your own state. how many people did Arnold kill in his movies which aren't real? if you can give him a pass, then surely Ludacris deserves one as well...
  • Smiling Protester
    I didn't vote for Arnold.
  • Peter Dobbs
    Wow did i miss the Anti-Ludacris Feminist Wet T-Shirt Contest?
  • Observer
    So "Move" was made 7 years ago? Funny I looked back at what Ludacris made 7 years ago and the closest I found was "Move BITCH" Where can I listen to "Move"?

    Also if this "Move" song wasn't him singing the offensive lines...does that mean he didn't make money off of that song? Or those lines? I don't how you can divide the money like that but if you know how Jaycee I'd love to learn.

    A lot of people in your audience were 11 when "Move" came out and when "Move Bitch" came out. But it didn't seem like a whole lot of other people came out because you didn't SELL OUT. Or even come close. Maybe the people who really love Hip-Hop and Rap found some other parties on a Saturday night. Sorry Atlanta Boys: California Knows How To Party.
  • okay okay "observer", i only posted "Move" because i was trying to keep it clean but since u wanna be snarky let's get it crackin'. 3 people rapped on that song, 3 different publishing entities involved so yeah Luda got paid off of it and so did Mystikal and I-20. learn the business before trying to come at me sideways and as far as the venue not selling out, who really gives a flying fuck? we still got paid in FULL before setting 1 foot in the building and we've played in Cali numerous times to sold out venues so what point are you really attempting to prove other than you're a clueless dumbass?
  • Kevin Ferguson
    this is for the record to anybody reading that indymedia article lady madonna wrote, i need to correct a few things.

    first, the title: ludacris wasn't forced to answer questions. three papers asked him politely and professionally, and he responded in the exact same way. he could have declined to speak about the protest just as easily.

    second: by the time they got there, nearly everyone had gone inside. this isn't mentioned anywhere in the indymedia article. as far as i know nobody was convinced not to attend.

    third: the sales statistics cited are dubious and dated. it says there were 1500 presale tickets sold, but that number is two weeks old (that comes directly from asi). second, while the pyramid can seat up to 5000 (not 4500), i don't think they had 4500 tickets for sale. not all seats in the house were able to look at the stage.
  • The Commish
    I want Jaycee to be my best friend. And I'm a woman. And I don't particularly listen to Luda's music. I'm just a person who thinks all art is open to interpretation. To take lyrics as literal is always dangerous. Once upon a time, "Rape Me" by Nirvana was seen as a song that promoted rape. Now, I think people realize what it really is about. I wonder, would these people have picketed Kurt Cobain?
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