A Black Man's Struggle in a White Society

“Soulja 4 Life" is a song by James Tapp Jr., as known as Soulja Slim. This song took place in New Orleans Louisiana in the late 1990s. Soulja 4 life is a song that talks about how it is hard for one black man to live in a white world. Even though the black man might sell drugs, the white society try to make it hard for black men to be successful in life, because white policemen will pull a black man over if they see he is riding in something nice and white men do not want to see a successful black man making it in life. The racial conflict in the song “Soulja 4 Life” is that it is hard for black African American males to be successful in New Orleans because the white society was making it hard for them to be successful in the 1900s. Soulja Slim was one of the black men living in New Orleans in the late 1990s. He was a successful black man living in a white man’s society. In the song Soulja 4 Life, Soulja Slim says, “You can call me racist, black man in this white world” (Tapp line 9). People think Soulja Slim was racist for saying that but in reality in the late 1990s New Orleans was a hard place to live in for a black man who is trying to make it in life. It was hard for Soulja Slim and other black men to succeed in New Orleans by making money the right way, not by selling drugs, robbing people, and other bad ways of getting money. White men did not want to see a successful black man making it in life during the late 1990s. In the 1990s the white society had the most power in New Orleans. The reason why they had power was, because they were over everything. For example, most to all of the law enforcers in New Orleans were white. The white society had all the high paying jobs in New Orleans or their own businesses. They wanted to stay the dominant race so they made it hard for other races to be successful. The things they were doing so the black males would not be successful are not giving them jobs in their businesses. Also the white society would also try to put black males in jail so they would have a bad record on their profile according the song. By putting a bad record on their profile, it will be hard for the black males to get a job when they tried. That is why the white society was the dominant society in the 1900s (Tapp 14-16). The chorus of the song Soulja 4 life, it says, “It's hard to maintain this soulja life mentality. If it be a tragedy, them white folks come & hassle me Gon' slam me down & wrestle me, just to put on handcuffs. Then charge me with resistance when they told me throw my hands up” (Tapp line 1-4). Soulja Slim mean that white policemen had the power to do anything they want and they would not be wrong. White policemen were stereotyping wealthy black men in New Orleans, because they were thinking the wealthy black men would be selling drugs. When they stopped the Soulja Slim or other black men to see if they had drugs; if the policemen see they did not have any drugs, they would find a way to charge Soulja Slim with something like resistance or put drugs on him. Other people who stereotyped successful black men were white judges, because when the white policemen wrote the charge of the black man, the judge would think the black men were also selling drugs or making money illegally. The white society tried to make it hard for black men to be successful in life. In the song “Soulja 4 life” it says, “Mouth full of golds and my neck & wrist froze. They label me a drug lord supplying' the 3rd Ward. When I only put some Ghetto D wit Master P & my tank dawg. Money in the bank dawg, them haters don' like that” (Tapp 3-5). Just because the white society sees a black man with nice things like a car and jewelry they think that they are selling drugs. They also hated when a black man have money in the bank. The people who work at the bank see a black person with a lot of money in the bank and will investigate that black person to see if he got that money illegally. Soulja Slim explains how it is hard for him as a black man to live in a white society. It is not a good thing to stereotype a person because of their ethnic group. The song “Soulja 4 Life” says, “Black man kill a black man, it's cool they loving that. Black man kill a white man and then sentencing' him to death. White man kill a black man then scream about self-defense. Break it down to manslaughter with all of the evidence” (Tapp 20-24). In line 20 means that the white society loves when black men killing their own race or ethnic group. But the white society will also stereotype black men, because when a black man kill a white man, the people of the court house will sentence him to death or life in prison (Tapp 21). Another way they will stereotype a black man is if a white man kill a black man. People will think the white man will kill him because of self-defense and the white man would not be charged with anything if he did kill him (Tapp 23- 24). While they think black people are known for commented crimes, black men are being stereotype by white people in the 1990s (Tapp 20-24). Since the1990s, the city of New Orleans has changed. It is not hard for a black man to be successful in New Orleans. The reason why it not hard for a black man to be successful, because they have job opportunity programs set up in New Orleans to get jobs. Another reason why it not hard for black men to be successful in New Orleans, because the law force is now a mix race, it is just a one dominant group anymore. Now people would not be charge with something they did because of being racial. Black males are starting to become leaders in jobs and businesses. The city of New Orleans is not just a white society anymore. More of black men are going to school and earning money the right way. That is why New Orleans has changed since the 1990s, and it is not hard for a black male to be successful in life living in New Orleans. Soulja Slim and other black men who are successful are like role models for young black kids and teens that are living in bad neighborhoods. When black kids and teenagers look at them and see them succeeding, the kids and teenagers will think they can make it in life even though they are living in a negative environment. In a black society, it can take only one person to change many black children’s lives. Soulja Slim and other successful black men could start selling drugs and doing other illegal things, but they wanted to accomplish something in life so it can be easy for them to live in the future. Even though they did the right things in life, the white people still make it hard for them to live easy. That is why Soulja Slim and other black men that are successful are like role models for young black kids and teens that are living in bad neighborhoods.