Years after my brother and grandma first insisted I get my hair cut, I now wear my hair freely - but it took years to get to that point. Because society continues to insist on associating long hair with femininity, this leads to a crude calculation: the longer the hair, the less acceptably Black the man. As a Black man, you are to be physically adroit, rugged, tall, thuggish, and stoic anything outside these strict parameters makes you less Black. As a part of this culture, Black men are typically categorized as hyper-masculine and overly aggressive, with media depictions focusing on athleticism, criminality, and little else. But White Supremacist culture also plays a significant role, with the White majority dictating what is and is not appropriate for Blacks to do, say, and wear. Part of this messaging is rooted in rigid, and damaging, assumptions surrounding gender in general. ‘You’re a boy, Jeremy, boys ain’t never had long hair.’ Click To Tweet “You’re a boy, Jeremy, boys ain’t never had long hair.”įor years, this was the common refrain from my family and from society: Boys - Black boys especially - aren’t supposed to have long hair, because long hair is for girls. “You ain’t supposed to have long hair,” she coolly replied. “But I want long hair,” I said to her, unable to clear the tears from my eyes or the crack in my voice. “You just let it grow and do nothin’ with it. “Because you don’t take care of your hair,” my grandmother interjected, fully aware of her condescending tone. “Why do I always have to get my hair cut?” I asked my brother. I plopped onto the chair and peered through salty rivulets of tears as black sheep wool fell from my head. Crying profusely, I sauntered to the bathroom, staggering, reluctant to get my hair cut. “Hey, P, it’s time to cut them naps,” my brother yelled from the bathroom. The clippers jolted to life, buzzing like a swarm of bees, waiting to shred through my short afro. "-" denotes a recording that did not chart.The author with his current long hair Embracing the hair I always wanted took confronting society’s rigid expectations for Black men. (featuring Jazze Pha and Brooke Valentine) Singles List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name Williamson has also contributed both his music and performed voice work of the character Dupree in the video game 187 Ride or Die. He is the brother of rapper Hot Dollar, and both rappers are part of the Dolla Figga hip-hop collective. and even pays homage to Biggie on his "Real Niggaz Say Real Shit" mixtape, on the track "Letter to B.I.G." Williamson also bears a resemblance to Biggie. He has been both criticized and praised for having a similar voice and delivery to The Notorious B.I.G. Featured artists on the Mixtape included Hot Dollar, T-Pain, and Akon. It is notable for Williamson's change in rapping style, a change he acknowledges on several tracks. His latest mixtape, "The Black Tapes" was released in 2009. Williamson released a track titled "400 Shotz, the Funeral" taking aim at The Game, Jermaine Dupri and Daz Dillinger. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he came to fame after releasing his debut album Guerilla City (2004), which featured the singles "Compton" featuring Beenie Man and "You're The One" featuring Mario Winans. Charles Williamson (born 1977), better known by his stage name Guerilla Black, is an American rapper from Compton, California.
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