Over the weekend I spent some quality time with my 5-year-old daughter, which basically means I watched a lot of Disney movies. As I sat there thinking about how crappy some of them are, I wondered if Walt Disney would take the time to try to slander my name if I voiced my opinion.

Me: Pocahontas sucked.
Walt Disney: B*tch, that’s why you can’t keep a man.

Yeah, doesn’t sound too realistic. And yet, last week when I commented on a post and said some rappers sucked, I was attacked by the artist and called a hater. *sigh*

Let me break a few things down for you guys. Voicing a negative opinion about something does not make you a hater. If I was truly hating on said post, I could have just deleted it from the site all together. That’s hate. All I did was say I didn’t like it. Nobody gets mad at the folks who say they do like something, so why is it that folks who don’t like something get bad-mouthed and labeled haters?

Well, if you’ve been paying attention to the buzz around Black Portland, you may know why. A well-known comedian in the Black community decided to stir up some fuss and create a few top 10 lists ranging from Top 10 Barbers to Top 10 Rappers. And let me tell you, the tears of rappers left off that list could fill the Grand Canyon.

It really makes no sense either. I mean, any list of best rappers AND best barbers in Portland that do not include Luck One are already invalid. So why get so mad that you didn’t make it? Why call the creator of said list a hater? Why scream and holler for attention you obviously don’t deserve in the first place? A better title for the list would have been Top 10 of My Circle of Friends Who Rap. Basically, the same group of friends from middle and high school were just giving each other props. No harm really.

Even still, it got everyone talking about haters. Which highlights this new era in rap music where, as WOHM’s newest contributor Andre Jemison said, “rappers want participation trophies because their mothers told them they were special…#NoDisrespect.” And I do get it. Rap is art and art is an extension of oneself, so any negative comment about one’s music can be seen as a mark against them as a person. However, if you can’t handle the criticism, perhaps you should keep your art to yourself.Screenshot_2013-11-26-11-49-47

If I got mad every time someone said something negative about my writing, I’d be pissed all the time. Instead I take the criticism and turn it into a compliment.

Them: Your writing sucks.
Me: Well, thanks for reading it.

Even when I was attacked on the post for voicing my opinion on the music, I didn’t fuss much about it. I was just glad the whack track brought us page views. As you can imagine, coming from a guy who’s been in Busted more times than he’s been on music blogs, the post was shared dozens of times and each share brought us more viewers. Thanks dude.

All of this was to say, you rappers need to learn how to roll with the punches. When you personally attack someone who doesn’t like your music, it shows how small you think anyway. I can’t imagine successful rappers throwing fits every time someone “hates on” their music. Even Kanye West, the king of tantrums, isn’t on blog sites replying to negative comments about his music. Take some advice, step your game up and get thicker skin because this here game isn’t made for the weak.

Or you can just keep showing how whack you really are by listening only to the positive remarks made by your homeboys who just want to be on your good side in case you get on. Note: You never will.