Okay, I told you about the R. Kelly national anthem, but today I read an article about it on espn.com and just had to share it. This is what I would have wrote about it...if I was actually black instead of just thinking I am. I normally hate the fuck out of Scoop Jackson, but this article is GREAT. Enjoy:
By Scoop Jackson
Only in America …
When Michael Buffer said his name before the fight, the room I was in grew quiet. Then it immediately got loud. Most times national anthems don't generate this type of reaction -- the fights or sporting events that follow them do. But in the words of the lil' great Huey Freeman: "Never underestimate how much n----s love R. Kelly."
R. Kelly certainly caused some controversy with his national anthem performance.
Then the beat came in. Then the the panic set in. Then the camera panned out. Then … the phones started ringing.
OK, so my man Kells took the opportunity before the second act of Hopkins/Taylor, the second-biggest fight of the year, to Marvin Gaye the national anthem.
Give it some flavor, show it some love. Cool.
Wrong.
When the cameras showed that he was not in the ring alone -- when it showed that he had "steppers" (classically trained urban dancers) in the ring with him, "steppin'" in the name of patriotism with all the finesse of Herb Kent at the 50 Yard Line steppin' lounge -- it was enough to make Jeff Kent turn black.
Or John Chaney turn white.
But that wasn't it. The Pied Piper didn't stop there.
As he JB Monorailed himself through the lyrics, he then paused. Rode the break in the track, and sang out to the stunned folks in the crowd: "Put your hands together …"
OK, this negro has turned the anthem into a concert.
So when Robert Kelly took it upon himself to, as Stu would say, "straight freak" the national anthem, did he do the same thing? Did he simply keep it true to his people, or did he go overboard? Did he bastardize it, or beautify it?
The phones started ringing again!
When it was all over, a sea of boos could be heard following him out of the ring.
In my basement -- silence, once again. Then … daps, pounds, hugs and screams. Freedom.
Phones finally stopped ringing, because calls finally got answered.
Can you believe it? R. Kelly just stepped-out the anthem! He turned the banner into a steppin' cut! He took it to the hood! He brought it back to Chi-town! Unbelievable! That was incredible! America don't know nothin' 'bout that! Bet it's going to be on the radio tomorrow. Turn the radio on now, I bet they already playing it! Dude's a genius. I gotta call you back, my other phone is ringing.
All of this was being said simultaneously, all at the same time, but not just in my basement. In other black basements, living rooms, clubs, holes in walls, sports bars … anywhere in America where we could get PPV.
In a word: unreal.
But at the same time, to ourselves and to each other, every one of us who experienced R.'s Boondocks moment could all only say one thing, because really there was only one thing to say. As it was so eloquently stated on "Tom Joyner's Morning Show" on Monday: "R. Kelly has finally lost his mind."
Or did he do nothin' wrong?
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