At 17 Keef represents the poor black male from a single parent household, with an absent father figure, motivated by avariciousness. Too many people look at those like Chief Keef and as ignorant coons with no sense of direction or morals, but if you pay attention in his interviews in particular you can grasp the self criticism that he has for himself, especially. In a radio inter view Keef stated, “I will have this, I will have that, I’m going to get a car, take care of my mother, and I’m going to be rich before you. My sister is 13 and she thought she was going to be rich before me by becoming a lawyer before I was rapper. I got a job rapping because after my daughter came I knew I had to make something happen.” That’s not a lack of morality, that’s understanding, understanding of what popular society thinks. They are motivated not by money, or helping others obtain it, but they find motivation in what money can buy. Another quote from this same radio interview is, “They thought I was going to be bad forever and be a screw up.” That quote right there isn’t of a man that’s mentally retarded like a lot of people would like to believe. That quote is of self criticism, and self reflection. This “coon rapper” doesn’t want to be someone that most fear, he doesn’t want to grow up in poverty, and doesn’t want to be an absent father, he wants more.
Just like you, just like me, and like the millions of Chief Keef’s in America they don’t want anything else, but to just have a seat at the table where American Pie is served. He may not have chose the conventional path that many African American leaders (I use that word loosely) would suggest, but he did what he sought out to do which was to provide for his family and prove to everyone that he wouldn’t fail. Contrary to what many may believe damn near all poor don’t want to be stuck in the position that they are in, most want adequate income, and majority don’t go around shooting or robbing people just for fun and to see their faces on the 10 o’clock news.
When your father is gone and you have to take on that masculine role of the man of the household you have two options; you have to make something happen (like how I quoted Keef earlier) or you can sit back. The average income of black America per person is roughly $25,567. When “momma need that bill money & your sister need some milk,” what do you do. Listen to his content and interviews and you’ll understand he knows he needs money. His music and his demeanor (he does have a mild form of autism) may come off as ignorant and ill-mannered, but you can find a message in the glass bottle. We focus too many times on the exceptions and using them as scapegoats to ignore the problems with a lot of our community. Cases like Keef are what Sociologist study, and why criminology is a science. When you live in poverty and you don’t have access to adequate education and income crime will sore. These are studied and published scientific facts.
Too many of us (blacks in general, not all) get those degrees and forget about the rest. It's nothing wrong with getting an education and climbing up the fiscal ladder with hopes of becoming apart of the bourgeois, but you also have the opportunity to uplift millions of those who will never obtain one, or never become a Cornel West because the person needed to recognize their potential forgot about them. It's your choice though. It's promising that Chief Keef has a chance to make it out since he was on a path to become David Barksdale, maybe now he can become Jay-Z. It's not likely, but it's possible. Before you pass judgement on the guy on the corner sagging his pants and dealing narcotics don't ridicule him for it, but ask why is he doing it. Don't speak ill of him, show him a better way. Would you rather have Chief Keef stealing money from you, or Keith Cozart being a business partner helping you build money?
No matter what most will say Chief Keef has done what he set out to do and what many poor men strive for. That is to take care of himself, his mother, his kids and to show doubters that I don't have to be a screw up and I can grow up and discover the life of Finally Rich!
