‘State of the Culture’ is the show you turn on to hear unfiltered, unapologetic, gritty opinions in regards to topics within hip hop culture — whether you agree with what’s being said or not. Joe Budden, Remy Ma, Jinx, and Scottie Beam aren’t here to hold your hand in their debates and sugarcoat their words. They’re here to say what everyone else is afraid of saying, and do so with no hesitation. From talking about music, politics, sports and everything in between; the hosts are always with the shits. Welcome to ‘State of the Culture.’

Another week, another batch of fuck shit. “State of The Culture” is moving full steam ahead this week, and there’s no shortage of controversy to dissect. The HBO documentary “Finding Neverland” drew ire when it first premiered at Sundance. However, watching it has brought about a shift of emotions regarding the troubled pop star now that our SOTC panel has watched it. Will Smith’s acting chops have never been called into question, but that doesn’t mean he’s above consideration for the role as Richard Williams. Finally, it seems we’re getting closer to impeaching “The Donald,” but does it really matter at this point? All this and more in the recap below. But first, let’s talk about Joe’s thug tears from last week, shall we?

‘State of the Culture’ | “The State of Black Injustices” (Full Episode)

1. The SOTC squad doesn’t know how to feel about Joe’s tears from last week.

You might remember that Joe got a little misty-eyed last week as SOTC discussed the shady streaming deal De La Soul is fighting with their label Tommy Boy Records. Remy Ma considers herself a good shoulder to lean on in most cases, but admits the crying threw her for a loop. “Seriously, now that it’s over…I was really pissed,” she says. “I do not like that. Do not cry to me. I don’t know what to say,” she said. Thankfully, he found some compassion in Scottie Beam.

2. Scottie Beam drops knowledge on how Flint’s water crisis is just a small line item in a much bigger agenda.

Jaden Smith made an incredible feat towards ending the water crisis in Flint, Michigan by partnering with a local church to deploy a four-partner filtration system called The Water Box. At this point, it’s obvious that the government is dragging its feet to resolve the contamination of Flint’s water system. But, according to Scottie, the “why” should be obvious. “Lead poisoning is just another way that this country would like to eradicate Black people,” she explains, while pointing out the socio-economic link to these cases popping up in urban areas.

3. The Barbie reign is still strong.

No, we don’t mean Nicki Minaj. We’re talking about the legendary toy company that just made dolls in honor of powerhouse tennis star Naomi Osaka, actress Yara Shahidi, and Ghanian-British model Adwoa Aboah. Joe Budden, like many, questions whether or not Barbie still has the influence as it once did. Though there’s an endless variety of toys on the market vying for our kids’ attention, Barbie is timeless. Just like a baseball card, the right one could change your life.

4. Jinx doesn’t think impeaching Donald Trump is a worthwhile effort at this point.

While the Robert Mueller investigation takes down Trump’s cronies one by one, newly elected Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib promised to go against her party leaders and introduce a plan to launch impeachment proceedings against the prez. In Jinx’s opinion, this is a waste of time. “I actually don’t want him to get impeached,” Jinx says. “We’re almost at the finish line here. I think the Democrats are better off focused on finding a couple of candidates we believe in.” Also, we’re better off with the devil we know. If Trump gets booted from office, Mike Pence takes his place. Do we really want to open up that can of worms? Still, round of applause to Tlaib for shaking things up!

5. The Stephon Clark verdict casts a grim light on overturning police brutality.

Another day, another dirtbag cop getting away with shooting unarmed black kids. Last week, it was announced that officers Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet will not be charged with the shooting death of Stephon Clark, who they shot over 20 times in his own backyard. The repeated instances of police brutality that go unpunished is enough to make folks feel hopeless. But, we must keep signing the petitions to show strength in numbers. To sign the petition to indict the officers, visit act.colorofchange.org.

6. The SOTC panel is divided on Will Smith’s casting as Richard Williams.

Historically, actors cast in biopics don’t always look exactly like the figure they’re portraying. Remy thinks if you’re a good enough actor, it really shouldn’t matter. But, in the case of Will Smith, it isn’t so cut and dry. The Men In Black actor was recently cast to play Serena and Venus Williams’ father, Richard Williams, who is dark skinned. While Scottie, Joe and Jinx don’t necessarily think Smith’s complexion automatically makes him unfit for the role, complexion is naturally central to the story. “Complexion, I believe, would be a huge part of [Serena’s] story,” Joe contends. “Serena, Venus and the dad…In this particular instance, they probably should have done a little more research.”

7. The “Finding Neverland” documentary presents some hard to ignore revelations.

Jinx minces no words regarding his thoughts on the “Finding Neverland” documentary. “I got to the end of it and was like, ‘Yo, Mike fucked them kids.’” He also believes that Michael Jackson and R. Kelly’s documentaries, and the repercussions of them, are incomparable mainly because Jackson is deceased and R. Kelly (and his alleged criminal activity) are alive and well. Jinx brings up the brilliant point that enablers are also to blame for allowing the abuse to go unreported. Remy explains why that is, saying, “The problem is this idolization in our society. Not just celebrities but [anyone with power.] We really gotta be careful.”

8. Fly Havana sues Fat Joe and French Montana for allegedly copying the “All The Way Up” hook, and to no surprise, Remy Ma calls BS on it.

The hotter a single you have, the more likely someone will pop up out of the woodwork claiming you stole it. Remy Ma knows firsthand because she says it’s happened to her before. “When ‘Lean Back’ came out,” she recalls, “some guy came out of nowhere saying, ‘This is my song! I made a song just like this!’ and I’m like, ‘How? We’ve never heard of you.’” And before you go poking around trying to see what Fly Havana’s connection to Terror Squad is, don’t waste your time. Remy says she don’t know him… and neither do you.

9. Scottie thinks it’s time to stop giving Candace Owen any shine, and she makes a convincing case.

Republican troll Candace Owens recently gave Roseanne Barr a platform to spew hatred towards Kamala Harris and #MeToo founder Tarana Burke. Now, I know you’d probably think Scottie went TF off about this, but she determined it wasn’t worth our time. “She’s a product of what self-hate is. I see it a lot when it comes to black women and men. To even compare #MeToo to civil rights makes no sense.” Jinx thinks Owens and Barr are in a “dumpster fire” category, where they’ll do or say anything for press. “I really hope no proper news outlets are letting this function,” he says. “I took a shit this morning. Who cares? This is in the background.”

Watch “State of the Culture” on TV on Tuesday nights at 10:00pm ET/7:00pm PT and on digital on Mondays at 5:00pm ET/2:00pm PT! Check out where you can watch the REVOLT TV channel here.

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