Student thinks the ‘Beef’ has gone bad

As quoted by many ignorant people who are itching to destroy other members of the entertainment industry, “you can take the man out of the ghetto but you can’t take the ghetto out of the man.”

BET, a television channel created to uplift blacks, has a new show titled, “Beef: The Series.”

The half-hour show promised its audience that it will dig up the biggest beefs in the entertainment industry and on the streets that look directly at the source of the conflict.

With some highlights including Kobe vs. Shaq, LL Cool J vs. Jamie Foxx, and Prince vs. Warner Brothers Records, Beef is just another way for young black men to make a fool out of themselves.

It probably could be understandable if the problems between the two individuals were minute and could be looked at as stupid. But these aren’t petty duels.

These are duels that include tremendous violence and dangerous words spewed out that go far beyond the common schoolhouse “yo momma” jokes.

I think the show, as well as the people involved in the conflicts, are ludicrous.

Someone please help me understand this. What is all the beef about?Imagine this situation.

You are born in poverty. While growing up, you have seen most of your friends either murdered or incarcerated.

There are days that you sit around wondering about your future and how you can escape becoming just another black face in the neighborhood.

Suddenly, your talent enables you to get a record deal, go pro or become a professional power-player in the business world. Almost instantaneously, you have become a multi-millionaire in just a few years.

You now have a family and millions upon millions of fans, both young and old.

But another person in your professional realm decides to start dissing you because he feels you aren’t staying true to the game.

What would you do in that situation?

Well, if you were anything like me, you would ignore the comments and keep living the lavish life of a superstar. Sadly though, this isn’t the case for most of today’s hip hop artists, professional athletes and businessmen.It is time for rappers to wake up and realize they are acting very childish.

Just look at two prime examples: Tupac and Biggie. They are dead. No longer breathing, and all because of foolishness.

It’s already sad enough we have lost many of our black men to the jail system and death, but it’s even sadder to know people that receive the opportunity of a lifetime are just throwing it away all because of beef.

Deidre Mathis is a junior broadcast journalism student from Jacksonville. She can be reached deidre_mathis@yahoo.com.