EMERGENCE

Excerpt:

What’s strange about MTV’s decision to pull the video after initially giving it the greenlight is the forum for which it was intended. “Ropes” was slated to run on mtvU, MTV’s channel geared specifically for college/university audiences. The channel’s website description even boasts that it features “College Music, Activism, Shows and Activities on Campus.” While that strand of words is mostly benign SEO terminolgy, one stands out: Activism. If MTV believes activism is indeed part of mtvU’s mission as a channel, and isn’t just using the word as a marketing ploy to enlist the ‘politically minded’ Che Guevera t-shirt set, “Ropes” should technically be a perfect fit. The type of backpacker, posi hip-hop that Invincible creates has long been known for its roots in activism (see: ATCQ, De La Soul, Blackstar, etc.). But instead of talking about a generic ‘revolution’ in her lyrics, or some other vague topic, Invincible decided to tackle a controversial topic: suicide among teens and young adults, with a specific focus on those in the hip-hop scene who are struggling with mental health issues.

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