"Racism is a cancer that America does not want to cure." -- Willie D
Willie D is a passionate man. About everything. About politeness as a social construct. About girls with little to no hair. About countries in South America. All of it. Any of it. Everything.
But perhaps especially about race and racism.
Earlier this week, he released "Hoodiez," a song/video that served half as new music, half as a civil-rights petition. It has officially been run through the blogosphere, landing everywhere, from nationally validated sites like Nah Right to regionally appreciated MP3 stalwarts like Tha Fixx, operating as the catalyst for 1,000 different conversation streams between them all.
According to Willie, he has since been inundated with interview requests. We stood in line to ask him a few questions. He offered more than an ample share of time and insight. Working backwards through the conversation, some highlights:
Rocks Off: The last guy in the video, D-Boi, who is that? His name doesn't ring out yet.
Willie D: That's my artist. He's from Huntsville.
RO: Huntsville, Alabama, or Huntsville, Texas?
WD: We don't respect Alabama. We're Texas boys. [laughs]. If we say "Huntsville," that means Huntsville, Texas. If we mean to say Huntsville, Alabama, then we say Huntsville, Alabama.
RO: This is the first new music for you and Scarface since, what, like six or seven years, right?
WD: Yeah. This was the first thing we've done since 2005.
RO: Can we take this as an implication that a Geto Boys reunion, or even a two-thirds Geto Boys reunion is imminent?
WD: This was just me asking him to be a part of a song. I called him up and asked him to be involved, he said cool.
Then came this question: This is going to be extra-cliched, but it seems like it needs to be asked: Why did you feel like "Hoodiez" needed to be made?
From there, intellectual and unencumbered force of nature Willie D is, he blasted off into a very considered, very honest dissertation on race relations on the tributaries that vibrate in its wake. A few quotes:
Honestly, at first, I wasn't even considering a song. I was at this thing they were having at Emancipation Park looking out into the crowd and I saw these kids' faces and I just... I saw kids my son's age or my daughter's age. I saw my sister's kids and my neighbor's kids and I was like, 'Why? Why do they have to be subjected to this shit? Why? Because somebody doesn't like the way they look?They should be at home doing homework or playing or thinking about when the next Playstation is coming out.' It was like they were looking at me saying, 'What are you going to do make sure this doesn't happen to me? I'm just a kid. Are y'all going to save us?' I couldn't take it. I was in a daze. After I felt that, Isiah [Carey from Fox 26 News] put the microphone in my face and I went off.
Everyone watched the video. I heard a lot about it. After that, I just wanted to be a part of the reaction.