When it comes to freestyle, reading the room is an essential practice. It’s a form of situational awareness that greatly affects maneuverability as an emcee and as a man. As I enter certain establishments and situations, I instinctively analyze the environment because this will determine the actions that follow.
For example, when at a restaurant, will I be more comfortable being stared at inside while I wait for my food or will I be better off just waiting outside? Can I touch the miscellaneous items left around for customer engagement or should I stand there anxious and inactive just so they won’t think I’ll steal? When waiting in line and an older white woman cuts in front of me should I say something? Will the combination of my irritation and vernacular come off as ghetto? Will I be another example of why they don’t like people like me? Do I just let it slide? Even though people like me have been letting it slide for centuries? Which version of me am I allowed to be at this moment? The version with a bachelor’s degree that speaks to White people like I grew up in THEIR neighborhood? Or the version that doesn’t mention a degree because it shouldn’t matter if I have one for you to treat me with respect? When we protest and see an excessive use of force by those sworn to protect and serve, can I help de-escalate the situation? Will I be handcuffed and paraded down the street or will I never see my son again? The answers elude me.
Life is indeed a freestyle, but who says that freestyling is easy? Freedom is a luxury that everyone isn’t allotted. Every moment is layered with decisions. What kind of decisions do we need to make to really be free?
[Photo by Talen de St. Croix on Unsplash, thank you!]
Thank you for your “reading” of this aspect of freestyle, The Last Maven, and for explaining how contextual awareness is—often unfortunately—so necessary in the wider world.
Your post makes me remember a story told by a storyteller friend, Kevin Brooks (1958–2014), one he called “Running.” It was a story that began with his mother telling him (a Black man) that, however much he loved running, he shouldn’t go for a run downtown.
Some of us can keep going along without “reading the room” very much. Given my race, I am among these people in the US, even when I move in multicultural and multiracial spaces. Even when I stick out—I certainly don’t think my race is invisible!—my skin is unlikely to be seen as a threat.
I don’t yet know how to make myself more aware of my everyday contexts. But learning about the many negative situations in which this skill applies helps me begin understanding how the adaptability of freestyling can be applied not only when the constraint that the freestyler faces is rhythm, but also when it is racism. I’m now wondering about how the freestyle mode can not just help people navigate a racist world, but also actively combat racism and disadvantage…
Thank you for your response and understanding, Doc Mofo. Contextual awareness is extremely important, especially during these turbulent times.
Your friend’s story is all too familiar, unfortunately. Though I’ve never received specific instructions from my mother about where to run, I surely have made those decisions on my own. I refuse to run anywhere alone that does not have a trail or track designated for that purpose. As a Black man, the idea of running down the street doesn’t necessarily sound safe for me. I remember reading The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B DuBois and learning about the idea of Double Consciousness, the duality of being Black and American and having to look at yourself through numerous lenses at all times; it’s a hassle.
The essence of freestyle is in its adaptability and in using existing the information around us mentally or physically. As long as we continue to adapt and grow, we will definitely improve.