Point Blank
By Elizabeth Haggarty
Sitting on the soft, grey, carpeted floor, my Marantz deck laid out near my feet, I worry that the plumes of marijuana smoke emanating from Imperial and Trouble on the sofas on either side of me might interfere with the photos. Behind me I can hear the bling of the Nintendo game on the large TV screen. Infront of me two members of Point Blank still hold on to their controls not yet willing to give into the idea that I had blocked the screen entirely – the game is over and the interview about to begin.
Point BlankPoint Blank is a rap group from Regent Park. Whether they still live in Regent Park is up for debate, although the group is adamant they have not left Canada’s “original hood,” the countries first housing development. They have agreed to meet me because today is a major day in the publicity tour for their upcoming CD, with an MTV appearance booked for later on.
But, I am here to meet Point Blank because the groups members have also started their own You Tube based TV station – Point Blank TV, a site that features their music videos and TV appearances. The video from their latest single ‘Born and raised in the Ghetto’ has received 180 000 hits, overtaking the views of other local youth based TV projects considerably. And while local youth media groups like Focus Media produce You Tube films that look at the positives of Regent Park, youth empowerment and community involvement; Point Blank focus on what they say is the reality of Regent Park today:
“The negative image sells" Says Tyrone at Focus Media. "When Point Blank started getting more popular the youth started adapting to the hip hop culture, the negative side of it anyway and you can see all of the kids talk like them and act like them..."
Point Blank insist they are merely telling the story of where they are from, and in doing so showing youth from the area that they can be successful, no matter their background.
“We’re doing something positive. Making music, running our record label and that is a positive thing coming from Regent Park, trying to better ourselves and create opportunities for the youth coming up,” says RPD. “We’re making it so that everyone from Regent Park can be proud of where they are from. Helping people build their self-confidence. Coming from where you come from you can make it, you can be a success.”
As another joint is passed from one sofa to another and Jackal starts coughing loudly in the background RPD continues.
“People in our community have always looked up to us. The kids love us and adults respect us” “We support programs like the JOY program and PAGE, and after-school program we created to stop kids hanging out on the street corner and doing drugs. ”
It would be to write a story condemning Point Blank, sucking on joints as they deliver a message against drug use. But, Point Blank are adamant that they are merely singing about their experiences in Regent Park, an area that no one will deny involves drugs and violence, this is not an image they are buying into, they say, but the truth of living on a housing estate.
Hypocrisy is easy to find. But, Point Blank's justifications for their music seem to be spurred by expectation from the outside that they should be helping their community.
When you grow up in a middle class neighbourhood how much pressure is put on you to help your community and not just be successful yourself? Do we hold people from poorer communities to a different standard, waiting for them to give back and erase the bad of where they are from?
Point Blank are not saving their neighbourood or attempting to change it, but why am I expecting them to?
Point Blank insist they are merely telling the story of where they are from, and in doing so showing youth from the area that they can be successful, no matter their background.
“We’re doing something positive. Making music, running our record label and that is a positive thing coming from Regent Park, trying to better ourselves and create opportunities for the youth coming up,” says RPD. “We’re making it so that everyone from Regent Park can be proud of where they are from. Helping people build their self-confidence. Coming from where you come from you can make it, you can be a success.”
As another joint is passed from one sofa to another and Jackal starts coughing loudly in the background RPD continues.
“People in our community have always looked up to us. The kids love us and adults respect us” “We support programs like the JOY program and PAGE, and after-school program we created to stop kids hanging out on the street corner and doing drugs. ”
It would be to write a story condemning Point Blank, sucking on joints as they deliver a message against drug use. But, Point Blank are adamant that they are merely singing about their experiences in Regent Park, an area that no one will deny involves drugs and violence, this is not an image they are buying into, they say, but the truth of living on a housing estate.
Hypocrisy is easy to find. But, Point Blank's justifications for their music seem to be spurred by expectation from the outside that they should be helping their community.
When you grow up in a middle class neighbourhood how much pressure is put on you to help your community and not just be successful yourself? Do we hold people from poorer communities to a different standard, waiting for them to give back and erase the bad of where they are from?
Point Blank are not saving their neighbourood or attempting to change it, but why am I expecting them to?
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