#i’m just annoyed at all the people calling bigots rednecks on here | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

merzbow · 4 years

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putting all the disappointing but not surprising stuff here just to archive it

Roberta: And I remember one particular thing that... I've never said this in an interview before, because, you know, it could keep me from work, from getting work, for saying this. But I think now is the time to speak out against injustice. At the time we were on tour with Metallica, and James [Hetfield], Slash and Axl were talking. I remember passing them in... I don’t remember where it was, but it was some outdoor venue, and they were in an area and I had to pass them to get to my dressing room. And I heard James say about Ice T - because Ice T was supposed to join us on the tour – and he said, “I don’t wanna share my stage with a n-word.” And I was like, “What did he say?!” - you know, like, I couldn’t believe my ears. And Axl was just like, you know, “It’s my show” – I don’t remember what he said, I mean that was such a long time ago and I think my whole brain was clouded with such anger that I just kind of blacked out, you know, I just saw red.

Brando: I understand. Did he say “that...”, or did he say “a...”?

Roberta: “I’m not sharing my stage with a... n-word.”

original post with some more information from the 2020 interview with Roberta Freeman, and the short clip of the small transcript above.

How come you don't like rap, then?

"Rap is just to me very annoying. Bunk Bunk y'know like wow, f– man. It really strikes something in my head that I've just got to get away from. Just the fact that it's extra-black too – blacks, y'know, we want everything, we deserve it, give it to us, you f–ed us this and that, and that kind of shit. It's all me me me and my name in this song, y'know …?"

Ironic that, James Hetfield hates rap for the same reason many people hate Metal – because he knows f– all about it.

1992 NME interview.

Last year in Britain’s ‘New Musical Express,’ you described rap music as “extra-black” and said that it was “all me me me and my name in this song.” How about elaborating on that? They say a lot of “I’m this, I’m doin’ this, you gotta do this with me.” It’s not my cup of tea. Some of the stuff, like Body Count, our fans like it because there’s aggression there. I love that part of it. But the “Cop Killer” thing, kill whitey – I mean, what the fuck? I don’t dig it.

Some of it makes me think that they just want shock value. They want people to pay attention. It reminds me of some of the death metal, the Slayer thing with Satan and tear-your-baby-up. Like going out and shooting cops. Hopefully, no one’s going to go out and do either.

People like it, it’s fine. Whatever blows your skirt up, as my dad would say. It just don’t blow mine up.

1993 Rolling Stones interview.

"It's a joke, right?" James Hetfield is asking about Perry Farrell and Ice-T's cover of "Don't Call Me N——, Whitey" by Sly Stone. "'Cause that Perry guy is pretty open minded."

The subject came up when I asked Hetfield about a "rap" he once recorded with lyrics that you'd never accuse of being open-minded. "Rap was just starting, and I did a parody that had the N word—but you can't say n—— especially whitey." The title of the rap was simply "N——". So the lyricist, singer, and riffmeister who accounts for 60 percent of Metallica's sound is a bigot, is that it? Not exactly. After all, Lloyd Grant, Metallica's original lead guitarist before Dave Mustaine, was black.

But Hetfield is definitely, along with hunting partner Jim Martin (Faith No More), a would-be good ol' boy, a... "Go ahead and say it," he roars. "Redneck!!" With his thick build, squeezed into jeans and cowboy boots, he certaintly looks it. That his father was a Nebraska-born trucker since retired to Arkansas gives the image legitimacy—as does Hetfield's own interest in Lynyrd Skynyrd and hunting. Hetfield himself is animal-like—what you'd call a bear of a man if the blond Fu Manchu mustache didn't lend his face a leonine look.

I was warned he'd kill me if I asked him about the rap—or about the bowie knife his father passed on to him which had allegedly been used to kill a black man. He does freak when I bring up the knife ("That's not true!" he stammers unconvincingly), but otherwise he's disarmingly friendly and surprisingly open about his love of "titty bars" and the epic Jägermeister binge that almost killed him and Ulrich.

1991 Spin magazine interview.

here’s the actual video of James saying the n-slur in 1992 or so.

“It wasn’t just irate husbands and boyfriends that James was falling foul of. Alcohol brought out the dark, mouthy Mr Hyde to his more usual monosyllabic Dr Jekyll. On a flying visit to London that summer, he had revealed to Kerrang! designer Krusher Joule just how black his drinking could make him: ...” “Later, after the pub closed, we were walking back to my flat across this park and James started going on about “people coming to our country and taking our jobs.”

above excerpt from the Enter Night: Metallica, the Biography, by Mick Wall. provided by @jaymzhetfield (thank you!)

although metallica changed it to “killer kid” in the studio recording of their killing time cover, james would sing the original lyrics “like a n—— kid” (which are the original racist lyrics sweet savage wrote) in late 90s live performances of killing time. he does so here, in 1998 (time stamps: 1:58 and 2:54).

and i’m sure you’ve all seen it before since it’s always included in those “funny metallica compilation” videos that are popular, you know, the racist “you don’t know kung-fu” “joke” james made while putting on a shitty “asian” accent and doing racist “squinty” eyes gestures in like 2003/2004. white metallica stans quote it all the time as if it’s not 1) lame 2) racist. it’s not funny. no one is laughing.

#put the quotes in text so this is more accessible.#i update this post whenever new information comes up. like i said. this is for archival purposes.#thank you roberta for speaking out about this.#james #james hetfield #metallica #racism #antiblackness

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lionheartwithnoking · 7 years

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(in response to y'all post) As someone who comes from a semi-southern area, I understand not wanting to be associated with the south. There's just a lot more outwardly redneck, racist, homophobes. People drive around on big trucks with Confederate flags and have no problem calling things "gay" or using the term "f**" "r****d" or "n****" It's a really negative stereotype but also it gets proven right still.

I get it, I really do. There isn’t any place in the south where you will be not looked at weird or questioned if you’re holding hands with the same sex.. Y’all is used by everyone here though, it isn’t specific to any type of oppression (for real though correct me if I’m wrong because I want to be educated), so I find it disheartening that someone correlates y’all to some horrible person with horrible beliefs and mentalities.. It sucks ‘cuz, like, the person (who posted) is using it as a gender-neutral term, but doesn’t want people to get the wrong idea about them because of how they talk? Because talking in a certain way gives off a certain vibe?? Using a certain vocabulary automatically makes you fit into this little bubble??? (Agh, I know I need to slow my roll here.) (But I get mad about this stuff because I have been told something about using “y’all” in a different situation.) It’s ironic, is all.

To be honest though, I forget that the east coast is half “south”. I guess I’m more west central?? Texas?? Houston-San Antonio/Austin area? These places are super democrat.

(Also, more people who are “less educated” use that term. At least in my experience as a “less educated” poc female surrounded by rich white people at my univeristy. It is never used in professional areas(some exceptions).)

Bold area from earlier: Yeah so when I was at debate nationals in Chicago, some assholes from fucking New York City started making fun of my baby first year for having a weird vocabulary, which wasn’t weird for me because she spoke exactly like me. Same school, same background, poor and shit, poc females. They asked her if she was gonna’ talk like that in our Public Forum debate, ‘cuz if she was, then it was going to be an easy win since she sounded so uneducated. The only word she was using was fucking “y’all” my dude. I’m not kidding. I was president at the time. Surprisingly, I almost got into multiple fights because of the bigotry I ran into every time I went to a competition that year. I found out that I shouldn’t talk the way I did, the way I do, when around people who have a higher advantage than me. So like, I can’t say y’all if I want to sound educated and I can’t say y’all if I don’t want to sound like some bigoted asshat. It’s annoying ‘cuz I’d have to speak “properly”. Sure, I can easily just adjust, but no fuck that because it makes sense to use y’all.

When I say “y’all”, the only thing I want people to notice is that I say “Y’all”. That yeah, I’m from the south, but that don’t mean that I’m an asshat though, do it? Like dang bro. I can’t even speak anymore lest someone get defensve about me bein’ from the south or some shit.

(Side note: Texas is a problem, like our legislation is so rigged lol so even though there is a purple-y trend going on in popularity votes we only ever see the red. Gerrymandering is all over us, look at the districts for congress omg it looks like a kid drew the border).

Also I love you I am not upset or anything lol I just like discourse and want to see what people think and thank you for talking to me!

I do agree with you, btw. Lots of people don’t want to be associated with the South. I just think I should show people that there are people here that are not meanies and are fighting that stereotype everyday.

More acknowledgement, more help.

#I hope I didn't come off as a rude ass #I'm sorry!!#I'm just a salty Texan #Ignore me #I love that you responded to me #I super duper appreciate it #ahh #I feel...#I feel like I was yelling at you #I swear it's how I talk #to people #all the time #I'm an asshole #kms #Ima leave now

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