The Twitterati/Internet/blogsphere’s been buzzing for the past few weeks over the news that Tavis Smiley’s SmileyBooks is set to publish R. Kelly’s memoirs next year. By my estimation, the reaction is on point. So much so, that I scrapped plans to blog in-depth about it because others have made my points, like:
Bol over at XXLmag.com (Piss On You: A Memoir = classic hilarity)
Danielle Belton over at The Black Snob (nice commentary on Smiley’s decision in light of his criticism of POTUS)
I used to get down on “12Play” like everyone else (mind out of the gutter, please) and played the hell out of 1995′s “R.Kelly,” but the exposure of the Pied Piper’s perverted preference for underage girls is well-documented through his marriages and relationships, the child porn trial and the thrown-out-on-a-tech Florida arrest for possession of child porn (which revealed pictures of underage girls and another video).
I remember the day I heard the verdict in Kelly’s trial. I’ve seen several surprising verdicts, but this was two steps under the Simpson trial in my book. My lawyer friends called for my reaction, and, amazingly, we all shared the sentiment that R. Kelly had not only dodged one hell of a bullet (14 times), but the jury hearing the evidence pushed him out of the way.
When I hear or see R. Kelly, I now have a Pavlovian response. I automatically change the station and simply don’t entertain his b.s., or any other artist that still sees the need to record with him – yes, I’m talking about you Keri Hilson (and you too, Raheem. “Customer” was fine without R. Kelly).
I was pretty pissed as I read through the reaction to SmileyBooks’ decision to publish Kelley’s memoirs, especially because the publisher comes from the mold of pundits and scholars who can write or talk all day about the ills of the black community and what the President (the current target) isn’t doing about it. Sure, Smiley and others have done some good things for the black community, but it shocks the system to see such a blatant example of hypocrisy. For example, it seems that it’s ok to talk in circles about the number of young black mothers and the fall of the black family, but none of these men are discussing or publishing about the abuse facing our women – you know, the ones who make up part of the black family. Those “precious” girls and women that it’s apparently ok to pee on and profit from.
I have no idea how far Kelly’s going to delve into his life and trials in his memoir. It could be one big mea culpa, which I doubt, but I simply don’t care about what he has to say. And I damn sure won’t add one more dollar to his bottom line. But as I prepared to wax about Smiley and Kelley, I had an epiphany that played itself out over Twitter.
I realized that I, too, own a publishing company. Yes, we’re new, but like Tavis, I can publish whatever the heck I want. So I am. And we’re going to publish an anthology of works canvassing the lives of black women, for release in 2011.
No, this isn’t some Kanye/50 type beef that I have with Smiley Books, but a wakeup call to me, and hopefully other women, that we need to take back our voices. This won’t be a man-bashing collection of works by bitter writers. I don’t get down like that and I’m not a love hater. Instead, I’m using my company to feature stories and provoke thought about the lives of modern black women.
Thanks to all of you that helped me work this out in my head. Details are here.
TNH
