... the other Black experience
As you may know, Lauryn Hill was charged with tax evasion and could even face prison time. The artist released a statement explaining that she didn't pay taxes in order to remain free from "a media protected military industrial complex". She tackles many topics (see full statement below), let us know what you guys think.
Lauryn Hill's statement:
“For the past several years, I have remained what others would consider underground. I did this in order to build a community of people, like-minded in their desire for freedom and the right to pursue their goals and lives without being manipulated and controlled by a media protected military industrial complex with a completely different agenda. Having put the lives and needs of other people before my own for multiple years, and having made hundreds of millions of dollars for certain institutions, under complex and sometimes severe circumstances, I began to require growth and more equitable treatment, but was met with resistance. I entered into my craft full of optimism (which I still possess), but immediately saw the suppressive force with which the system attempts to maintain it’s control over a given paradigm. I’ve seen people promote addiction, use sabotage, black listing, media bullying and any other coercion technique they could, to prevent artists from knowing their true value, or exercising their full power. These devices of control, no matter how well intentioned (or not), can have a devastating outcome on the lives of people, especially creative types who must grow and exist within a certain environment and according to a certain pace, in order to live and create optimally.
I kept my life relatively simple, even after huge successes, but it became increasingly obvious that certain indulgences and privileges were expected to come at the expense of my free soul, free mind, and therefore my health and integrity. So I left a more mainstream and public life, in order to wean both myself, and my family, away from a lifestyle that required distortion and compromise as a means for maintaining it. During this critical healing time, there were very few people accessible to me who had not already been seduced or affected by this machine, and therefore who could be trusted to not try and influence or coerce me back into a dynamic of compromise. Individual growth was expected to take place unnaturally, or stagnated outright, subject to marketing and politics. Addressing critical issues like pop culture cannibalism or its manipulation of the young at the expense of everything, was frowned upon and discouraged by limiting funding, or denying it outright. When one has a prolific creative output like I did/do, and is then forced to stop, the effects can be dangerous both emotionally and psychologically, both for the artist and those in need of that resource. It was critically important that I find a suitable pathway within which to exist, without being distorted or economically strong-armed.
During this period of crisis, much was said about me, both slanted and inaccurate, by those who had become dependent on my creative force, yet unwilling to fully acknowledge the importance of my contribution, nor compensate me equitably for it. This was done in an effort to smear my public image, in order to directly affect my ability to earn independently of this system. It took a long time to locate and nurture a community of people strong enough to resist the incredibly unhealthy tide, and more importantly see through it. If I had not been able to make contact with, and establish this community, my life, safety and freedom, would have been directly affected as well as the lives, safety and freedom of my family. Failure to create a non toxic, non exploitative environment was not an option.
As my potential to work, and therefore earn freely, was being threatened, I did whatever needed to be done in order to insulate my family from the climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism and ageism that I was surrounded by. This was absolutely critical while trying to find and establish a new and very necessary community of healthy people, and also heal and detoxify myself and my family while raising my young children.
There were no exotic trips, no fleet of cars, just an all out war for safety, integrity, wholeness and health, without mistreatment denial, and/or exploitation. In order to liberate myself from those who found it ok to oppose my wholeness, free speech and integral growth by inflicting different forms of punitive action against it, I used my resources to sustain our safety and survival until I was able to restore my ability to earn outside of it!
When artists experience danger and crisis under the effects of this kind of insidious manipulation, everyone easily accepts that there was something either dysfunctional or defective with the artist, rather than look at, and fully examine, the system and its means and policies of exploiting/’doing business’. Not only is this unrealistic, it is very dark in its motivation, conveniently targeting the object of their hero worship by removing any evidence that they ‘needed’ or celebrated this very same resource just years, months or moments before. Since those who believe they need a hero/celebrity outnumber the actual heroes/celebrities, people feel safe and comfortably justified in numbers, committing egregious crimes in the name of the greater social ego. Ironically diminishing their own true hero-celebrity nature in the process.
It was this schism and the hypocrisy, violence and social cannibalism it enabled, that I wanted and needed to be freed from, not from art or music, but the suppression/repression and reduction of that art and music to a bottom line alone, without regard for anything else. Over-commercialization and its resulting restrictions and limitations can be very damaging and distorting to the inherent nature of the individual. I Love making art, I Love making music, these are as natural and necessary for me almost as breathing or talking. To be denied the right to pursue it according to my ability, as well as be properly acknowledged and compensated for it, in an attempt to control, is manipulation directed at my most basic rights! These forms of expression, along with others, effectively comprise my free speech! Defending, preserving, and protecting these rights are critically important, especially in a paradigm where veiled racism, sexism, ageism, nepotism, and deliberate economic control are still blatant realities!!!
Learning from the past, insulating friends and family from the influence of external manipulation and corruption, is far more important to me than being misunderstood for a season! I did not deliberately abandon my fans, nor did I deliberately abandon any responsibilities, but I did however put my safety, health and freedom and the freedom, safety and health of my family first over all other material concerns! I also embraced my right to resist a system intentionally opposing my right to whole and integral survival.
I conveyed all of this when questioned as to why I did not file taxes during this time period. Obviously, the danger I faced was not accepted as reasonable grounds for deferring my tax payments, as authorities, who despite being told all of this, still chose to pursue action against me, as opposed to finding an alternative solution.
My intention has always been to get this situation rectified. When I was working consistently without being affected by the interferences mentioned above, I filed and paid my taxes. This only stopped when it was necessary to withdraw from society, in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of myself and my family.
As this, and other areas of issue are resolved and set straight, I am able to get back to doing what I should be doing, the way it should be done. This is part of that process. To those supporters who were told that I abandoned them, that is untrue. I abandoned greed, corruption, and compromise, never you, and never the artistic gifts and abilities that sustained me.”
Comment
Comment by Trysta_Ismene on June 15, 2012 at 4:26pm Everything is utimately a choice? That's some straight-up BS. You don't think our environment, privilege and class level have any affect on our choices? You think we're all equal and free to make the same choices? That's cute."
My point is that, where you were born and to whom aside, from then on we are all faced with choices that lead us down a certain path. You can go left when you go out the door in the morning or you can go right. You might be influenced as to which way you take by how far you'll be from your car with either option but you still have a choice. You can seek out enlightenment and be receptive to the myriad possibilities that exist, or not. All I was saying. Everything is a choice. Even people born in certain circumstances still have choices, some of which may get them further from where they began or allow them to stay where they are or set them up for decline. All choices. But again, I don't want to get off the topic of this post. I like the discourse, Marienabend, but if you keep responding to me here I can't help but to reply. If you want to reply to this let's continue elsewhere.
Comment by Layonne Holmes on June 15, 2012 at 1:55pm Love Lauryn but I agree, you can't check out of the parts of being an American that you don't like, her fight has to be handled differently. Ask Wesley, he fought too and went right on to jail....
Comment by marienabend on June 15, 2012 at 2:27am Also, she's being charged for 2005-2007, in 2008 she started paying her taxes, so that doesn't really work for all these "she's taking a powerful stand and bringing down the government and taxes are illegal" statements.
The fact is, she messed up for two years, made it right, and is now backpedaling to make up for those two years. Do I want her to go to jail? No, but I do want her to pay her fair share because the IRS has deemed her excuses invalid.
Comment by marienabend on June 15, 2012 at 1:02am Also know that we're talking about an income of 1.8 million over two years. I'm sure girl was struggling real hard.
Comment by marienabend on June 15, 2012 at 12:59am Well Dave Chappelle isn't being charged by the IRS, so he managed to go underground and still pay his taxes.
Yes, the industry is hard for musicians, but that's still not a reason to stop paying your taxes. Lots of things are hard for people and most things are harder than dealing with the music industry. Also, paying your taxes has nothing to do with the music industry. It is not as though some secret music insider would go "My goodness, Lauryn Hill paid her taxes, she still exists! Find her!"
Her reasons for going underground are BS, her reasons for not paying taxes are BS. Do you guys really think she is the only person in America who has a problem with the tax system? No. If she doesn't want to pay taxes she has to be ready to go to jail for that. If she truly believes in her convictions, she should be ready to go to jail instead of writing a letter full of weak excuses. I hate paying taxes, but I'm not willing to go to jail over this. Clearly Lauryn isn't either so I really don't think this comes from this grand place of change you guys seem to think it does. Ms. Hill's actions didn't change the system in any way, so how can you call this a brave action? She's still going to face whatever consequence they throw at her and I guarantee you she will be paying the taxes anyways.
Also note how in the letter she says the IRS should have found another way, which shows that she doesn't disapprove of paying the taxes, she just doesn't want to go to jail. She doesn't say taxes are unfair and harm her as an artist. Her issue is with the music industry and the military industrial complex. This letter says nothing about the unfairness or illegality of taxes. I mean it's actually ridiculous, she goes on and on about how the system that manipulates and abuses artists, but that system has NOTHING to do with taxes or the government. The music industry is a private business, not paying her taxes did nothing to them. Oppose the military industrial complex? Yeah, so do most of us, but your taxes also fund programs that help to counter the military industrial complex and so many of the issues she raises in her statement. She took money away from programs that help the lower-class and minorities. She acted in self-interest, not in some grand statement for all of us being manipulated by the tax system.
Everything is utimately a choice? That's some straight-up BS. You don't think our environment, privilege and class level have any affect on our choices? You think we're all equal and free to make the same choices? That's cute.
Comment by California King on June 14, 2012 at 9:07pm It's sounds like Lauryn was being put through the same wringer that Dave Chappelle was so outspoken about during his "breakdown". Mainstream success and everything that goes with it is a bit too much for conscious people to go through and it can make sane folks act crazy sometimes. Before you judge,start to do a little research about this phenomena of stars being stalked and mind controlled, but be prepared to spend the next 6 months reading!
The tax system is straight up illegal in the country and needs to be dealt with by the people with the quickness. I question the agenda of anyone who supports the banking system of governments of this world as they are obviously misguided or in cahoots. In the words of Henry Ford:
Comment by Trysta_Ismene on June 14, 2012 at 1:58pm Marienabend - All things are choices. Everything is ultimately a choice. I'm not saying you shouldn't go to school, but tons of people have been influential and successful without college degrees (some even without high school diplomas). So the choice to go to school in order to exercise the networking options and have access to instruction by professors can be valuable, I agree. But it is still a choice. We can choose to continue to participate within the bounds of the system, or find the gumption and wherewithal to do something else. It is possible, and it's been done. Obviously, I'm still choosing to do the former (albeit on a minimal scale), but I recognize it for what it is, and realize that I've made the choice to do so.
As far as her creating a label, the purpose of a formal record label is to produce music for distribution to the masses (i.e. marketing). She can do that if she wants to without a "label".
I'd be happy to continue this discussion via private message etc., so we don't clog the forum with our back and forth : )
Comment by marienabend on June 14, 2012 at 1:39pm It's not a choice. I have no choice but to use FAFSA, so I can go to college to educate myself and change things. Lauryn Hill and her children apparently have the privilege (and wealth) to work around that system (although I'm sure they still took advantage of other government properties while they were "underground"). If I could stop paying taxes, I would, because who wants to pay taxes? A million people could come up with a million different reasons why they don't want to pay their taxes.
In her statement she talks about loving making and performing music. I don't think she has any problem being associated with the music industry if she means that. But, if the industry she worked in before is a danger to her, she certainly had the wealth and ability to create her own label. You can't call this a strong, just political stand when it came out of cowardice.
Comment by Trysta_Ismene on June 14, 2012 at 1:31pm I understand what you're saying Marienabend, but the point is that the issues underlying paying taxes at all stems from a disapproval of the workings of the system. It is always fear of some kind that keeps people from opposing the things that they don't believe in. We don't know what kinds of attacks and what kinds of danger she was referring to. All we know is what she says. You hit the nail on the head by saying that "since I depend on government programs, I don't have the luxury to stop." Nothing wrong with that choice, but it is what keeps many of us bound to the strictures of the system, some more than others. I admit that it is rather difficult to not participate at all.
The sickness care industry which constantly misinforms, misdiagnoses and pumps out pharms to folks (often indiscriminately) for nil is not necessarily something to be gung-ho about supporting, in my humble opinion. But I have a particularly off center take on all of that...
I don't know enough about the sequence of events to say when she did what in relation to being audited, but I would think that the going underground came first simply as a decision to be out of it all, and then as repercussion of totally dropping out she was sought out for the tax thing.
She made multiple allusions to politicized wrongs in her music prior to dropping out, I'm pretty sure. I don't think they would have to be specific so much as long as they encompassed a point and outlined certain things.
I think maybe she didn't want to consider starting her own label simply because she would still be linked to the industry (namely by way of participating in a capitalistic capacity - which I think is ultimately her point), but that's only my speculation.
Comment by marienabend on June 14, 2012 at 2:41am "Her celebrity-dom doesn't give her any more privilege than any one else." YES, IT DOES. she can afford to not her pay taxes for years and when she gets caught she thinks she can cry "The music industry attacked me, I was in danger! People are greedy and corrupt!" to get out of it. Also, I'm sorry, but I think that's just incredibly offensive to people who face legitimate danger in this country. There were 4 drive-by shootings in my brother's neighborhood last week, I work with people who can't even provide food for their kids, but the music industry telling Lauryn Hill what to do is "danger"? Pleaseeeeeee. My grandma has been fighting cancer, everyday her life is in danger and she still pays her taxes.
Try to stop paying your taxes, see if you can get away with it like Lauryn did. The fact that she even thought her statement was a good enough reason to not pay taxes shows how her point of view is stilted by her privilege. I don't want to support the military industrial complex, I don't want to pay taxes, but since I depend on government programs, I don't have the luxury to stop. If I stopped paying taxes, I'd be found out the next time I filed my FAFSA.
Her decision to not pay taxes takes money away from tax funded programs, which includes healthcare services. When you pay taxes, about 36% goes to defense and the military (also, military families, just so ya know), but the other 64%? That's not the military industrial complex. Her private stance isn't visible enough when she clearly kept the whole not paying taxes thing a secret until the IRS came knocking at her door.
If she's taking a stand, where was this stand in her music? Where were these ideals before she got found out? Why did she go underground instead of speaking out? If she had done those things and screamed from the rooftop each year about the unjustness of taxes, she'd have my support. I love her music, I'm a huge fan, but that doesn't mean I need to buy this BS.
Also, does Lauryn Hill not realize that an alternative to going underground would've been starting her own label? Lots of artists who have the same complaints as her (and who still pay taxes) do this. She doesn't need to put herself in the system which she says is dangerous for her. She can still create art and music outside of the mainstream music industry, so no, her rights are not being taken away from her.
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