Ludacris joined Al Pacino and other stars and producers of the film Scarface to celebrate its release on Blu-Ray. Held at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, Ludacris performed his hit, “Take a Look.”
Released in theaters in 1983, Scarface opened to disappointing sales at the box office, but it gained a cult following and has remained popular.
Many in the hip-hop community embraced the film’s theme of a poor immigrant who attained wealth by selling cocaine. The film’s rags-to- riches story line is its only redeeming feature. Scarface is an overblown depiction of a drug dealer who makes irrational choices, uses his own product and dies in an over-the-top shootout. Any person who follows Tony Montana’s model is doomed from the outset.
Unfortunately, many rappers glorify Tony Montana as blacks across America continue to suffer tremendously from the drug epidemic. Each day, young black males get involved with the drug trade with the hopes of rising from poverty. But most drug dealers from poor neighborhoods will never become kingpins. Few have profited mightily from the drug trade; the average drug dealer makes below minimum wage and has a higher chance of becoming a convicted felon or dying before the age of 30.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, black males make up 50 percent of all drug possession arrests. As result, thousands of young black males who could have enhanced their business skills at a college or trade school, find themselves behind bars during their prime years. And once they are released from prison, they struggle to find employment because of their felony record and lack of formal education.
The drug game has left a multitude of black people dead, incarcerated and has turned drug users into dysfunctional adults who are a drain on society.
But rappers continue to spew false drug tales while praising Tony Montana as their god. All hail to coke, dope and stupidity. –amir shaw
