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Who is Jim Jones and why focusing 5 minutes of attention on why sampling him is harmful does not detract from the Black Lives Matter Movement, a thread:
Background: Jim Jones is being brought up because in the mixtape D-2 by Kpop Idol Rapper Suga (Agust D) used a sample of a JJ sermon in the beginning of the song What Do You Think
This reviewer noticed the sample upon listening to the mixtape for the first time and was understandably uncomfortable with it being used. It's not the sample that's the problem; its the man behind the sample. https://twitter.com/crybebes/status/1266541472716935169
The sample was noticed in the BTS movie that was a theater release that included a scene of Yoongi on his laptop where you can hear the sermons playing. OP of the tweet went private, but thats ok, I saved the video. The song is said to have been completed September 1, 2019.
With a little help, I was able to find the 2 sermons that are clearly heard in the intro. https://twitter.com/crybebes/status/1266600156226621441
Here are transcriptions of those full sermons if you would like to see the screenshots in full context. MP3s of the sermons are also available on the pages. https://twitter.com/crybebes/status/1266600157480734720
So. What is What Do You Think about and how does the sample fit in? Well. That's where it gets sticky. Here is an English translation of the lyrics to the song.
A few people have said its normal to sample from people that have divisive ideas to criticize them which it true. However the song being brought up is "DNA" by Kendrick Lamar for using Geraldo Rivera saying hiphop has done damage to African Americans
In 2015, Kendrick Lamar released the album To Pimp A Butterfly about the black experience in the United States. The song that Rivera slammed was "Alright" which includes these lyrics
Kendrick snapped back at Rivera in the song "DNA"
And because of this, I have to bring up other lyrics from To Pimp a Butterfly because they seem very apt to current events
The difference is that in criticizing Kendrick, Rivera was criticizing other black musicians who used their music to express discomfort and aggravation with how black people live in America. Which is how a sample should be used.
Now onto the "Jim Jones was Anti-Korean" argument. JJ had a close relationship to North Korea and idolized the regime and wanted to replicate it in Jonestown. NK noticed and was intrigued and visited multiple times https://twitter.com/crybebes/status/1266779215539703808
Here is more information about the relationship with NK. https://twitter.com/crybebes/status/1266788999252844544
He was never vocally anti Korean, but pro NK which can be construed as anti SK, which is fair. But this connection is far too weak.
How does this relate to Black Lives Matter? Glad you asked! Black people were drawn to the integrated congregation because for the first time they were able to be seen as equals. This graph shows a disproportionate number of black people in comparison to other races.
45% of the congregation was Black Women and 68% of the people in Jonestown, Guyana were Black. This graph shows the deceased members of Jonestown by race.
In 1978, Jim Jones was at the end of his rope and was paranoid an addicted to drug. A congressman from California, Leo Ryan, went to Guyana to see what was happening in Jonestown. While there, many people wanted to defect and secretly asked to be taken when Ryan left
Ryan was threatened the one day he was there and while leaving on November 18, 1978, he was shot and killed by members of the Peoples Temple. This sent Jim Jones over the edge and he called his congregation to listen to a sermon which is now titled the "Death Tape"
In the Death Tape Jim is rambling on and trying to convince the congregation to commit suicide together. A batch of flavoraide laced with cyanide was consumed by the the members with women and children going first. People are heard crying in the background of the tape.
Jones later shot himself.
If it was unintentional, it was in poor taste at the best. You can wait for an explanation, but these are the absolute facts of why people are upset. To close, here is a news story about Jonestown Survivors, the people that lived there and did not pass from the mass suicide https://twitter.com/crybebes/status/1266784625478766592
Last thing, Many victims of Jonestown were not identified and the first responders that had to go there and collect them were traumatized by the experience. Jim Jones is an evil man. I have no sympathy for anyone dragged for using his samples.
Another perspective of the views of Jim Jones in Korea
https://twitter.com/swr1232/status/1266861900240875521?s=21 https://twitter.com/swr1232/status/1266861900240875521
https://twitter.com/swr1232/status/1266861900240875521?s=21 https://twitter.com/swr1232/status/1266861900240875521
