5.1.19 The power of an Apology

The power of an Apology

Written by Jamar Thrasher

When Damon Dash issued a public apology to the people he had long been feuding with, I knew hip-hop was going through a change. Dash, who has charged that these individuals in the hip-hop industry, particularly Lyor Cohen, was a “culture vulture,” had a change of heart and issued an apology. Similarly, Meek Mill and Funkmaster Flex both issued apologies to Drake. Casanova issued an apology to Tekashi. It seems now that apologizing in hip-hop is a new fad, but I hope it is here to stay.

Apologizing is beneficial to both the individual receiving the apology and the individual giving the apology. According to an article in Psychology Today, (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200207/the-power-apology), apologizing helps creates empathy and allows individuals not to be stuck in the past or view each other as a personal threat. In hip-hop, these threats have been magnified and have unfortunately turned fatally violent.

I wish in my heart, that Tupac and Biggie could have apologized to each other. I would have loved to have Tupac’s take on President Barack Obama and how, despite his lyrics on “Changes,” America was ready for a black president. I would have loved to have another Biggie song. Maybe an apologize would have prevented the tragic deaths of these two remarkable rappers.

Personally, when I have apologized, I felt a weight lifted from me. I was not attached to conflict anymore. I felt as though I reflected on my actions and had given the choice to the other person on whether they can accept it or not. I have any apologized when I was not wrong. When I started to take classes at Global Wellness, a holistic, spiritual, and mental health well-being center located in Pittsburgh, one of the first meetings centered on forgiveness. I was tasked with an apology and forgiveness lesson, where I had to make a list of things that I wanted to apologize to myself about.

Dash and others have taken the big step to reflect and look inward and realize that resolving conflicts helps them grow.

I personally think that if more rappers and individuals in the hip-hop industry apologize to each other, the world would be better off. If more individuals continued to make it cool to overcome conflicts and bridge collaboration it will transcend down to their fans and help make society a better place. Again, as with anything, we must think of ourselves.

Think about it: Who do you need to say sorry to?

Jamar Thrasher is a Levels Ready Entertainment Contributor. Thrasher can be contacted at jamarthrasher@gmail.com

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