Trap God featuring Lil Mikee – “Dumpin Back”

I’m interested in hearing comments about this music video shot in Duluth. Do you think it portrays our city fairly? Does it make you want to visit Duluth? What do you think?

30 Comments

Paul Lundgren

about 10 years ago

The objective of a music video is not to portray a city fairly or make people want to visit it. The job of a music video is to entertain and/or sell music.

If not for the text of this post, I wouldn't have even noticed this was shot in Duluth. I had to watch it twice before I noticed the quick scene with three Duluth Police cars in the background to be convinced it was indeed shot in Duluth.

Like many music videos, this one oozes alcohol, money, drugs and guns. It's not clear to me what the message might be or what "dumpin back" even means, so to me it comes off as a lot of meaningless posing.

It is easy to understand how the waving of a gun in the video will upset people. That's not part of Duluth culture as most people know it, and it's certainly not something most people want to tolerate. But this is a music video that isn't trying to wrap itself in Duluth, so I think it should be taken on face value as a piece of art -- even if it fails to achieve much in terms of perceived quality.

Herzog

about 10 years ago

Maybe Dump in Back is what they're doing because they haven't spent any of that money on indoor plumbing. Or hoes either, as this appears to be yet another hoe-free event, a rather common occurrence here and elsewhere.  Maybe hoes don't want anything to do with Duluth after pimps made it clear there be no "facilities."

HateCats

about 10 years ago

Dumpin back, means to return fire in a gun fight.

CLeTa

about 10 years ago

I appreciate the effort of capturing a more diverse music culture in Duluth. Sadly, DPD watched and enjoyed this video too. At least one of the music video gun slangers were on some type of probation and not supposed to have firearms. #hardtobeagangster #yougotcaught

the218boss

about 10 years ago

This video isn't an advertisement for Duluth. Was it produced by Visit Duluth? No. Was it endorsed by the city? No. Was the purpose to portray our city? No.  Your questions are completely irrelevant to this video. It's kids doing what's fun to them.

BadCat!

about 10 years ago

Sorry, I can't help but interpret this post as anything other than cultural elitism.

You say you're wondering about the video and how others will perceive it. However (in my opinion), you may as well be saying "Someone in my city made a music video. They look different than me. They have different music tastes than me. They have different values than me. I find this alarming, and would like validation under the guise of it as a threat to Duluth tourism."

Now, if this were posted on VisitDuluth.com, then yea, it's totally legit to ask about the appropriateness of sharing it in that context and how non-Duluthian's may perceive it. However, this is someone's personal music video they posted on YouTube. Duluth isn't in the title, or the lyrics. It doesn't tell that it filmed in Duluth or mention Duluth in the lyrics. You would only know it was related to Duluth if you know the film location, or happened to recognize the area behind Fourth Street apartments and various other Central Hillside locations.

I'm sure if we delved in the depths of the web, we could find many worse representations of Duluth. I'm sure there are tons of local racists, sexists, homophobes, and just general assholes posting media online. Fuck, I was in a movie called "Duluth is Horrible"! You could accuse me of participating in the downfall of Duluth tourism!

And though you may froth when I end with this, but consider that Lil Mikee has every right to produce and share his art - the same as Low, Trampled by Turtles, Cheng-Khee Chee, Maria Bamford, Louis Jenkins and more creative Duluthians.

Art is in the eye of the beholder, and many people in Duluth have different eyes than yours...

the218boss

about 10 years ago

Well said BadCat!

Jake

about 10 years ago

Is Alan Sparhawk a part of this "Low Filmz" company?

forrestdweller

about 10 years ago

Paul said it best here.

bratwurst

about 10 years ago

If there is no shot of the bridge, this video is not Duluth. It's all we got.

dephanitly

about 10 years ago

"Do you think it portrays our city fairly? Does it make you want to visit Duluth? What do you think?"

How do you take one small video of a bunch of kids and ask these questions that apply to the entirety of the city?

Chris

about 10 years ago

This video was making the rounds on Facebook last week. The overall theme being that these kids, to the horror of alums, went to Denfeld. It didn't take long before the whole thing degenerated into a slightly racist free-for-all. For the most part I think the "concerned citizen" types are getting a little too bent about a bunch of kids playing rap star/gangster.

Dorkus

about 10 years ago

I do have to say that I am happy to see them keeping their finger off the trigger (for the most part), even though the gun was probably empty. 

Safety first!

That said, in regards to the rounds it made on Facebook, I think a lot of people's concern is how the video is glorifying gun violence, alcohol, drugs and the accumulation of ill-gotten wealth. The fact that it is shot in Duluth just causes it to hit home more than something by a national recording artist. 

There are certainly those who have racial motivations driving their ire toward this video. But regardless of whether or not some people are upset because of their own racist predispositions, the fact remains that this type of video is an example of the kind of influences we want our young adults to avoid. 

The issue is cultural, not racial. There are plenty of white, Asian and Hispanic people who try to look and act in this manner. They find this type of behavior and lifestyle appealing, and we really should be working toward guiding these people toward something more productive.  

Bomani Armah said it best, read a book (audio NSFW): 



There are people who can be exposed to this type of influence, and not be affected by it. Hell, I listened to a lot of gangster rap when I was a kid and I turned out nothing like Snoop Dogg and Easy E. But some people are easily influenced, and if they see nothing but videos glorifying what we see in this video we have to expect some of them to take it seriously. 

When something is as pervasive as the behavior portrayed in this type of video, people have a right to be a little concerned. Maybe some of that concern is veiled racism, but that does not invalidate the legitimate concern that many people would have.

I hope this post does not cause the discussion to spiral out of control.

Danny

about 10 years ago

With a slight edit I've solved this problem of division:

BadCat!

about 10 years ago

So if something may cause a child to be influenced in a negative way, we should hide it from their view? This makes me want to read Dungeons and Dragons books while listening to AC/DC backward.

BadCat!

about 10 years ago

Also, Danny - brillant!

Dorkus

about 10 years ago

Hidden? Yes, to a point.

That is why we have ESRB ratings, to attempt to hide these things from those who may be too young and impressionable for such content.

But I am more for pointing them in the right direction, ensuring they have a good grasp of which way is a good direction and letting them branch out on their own.

TheKujawa

about 10 years ago

As a comedian, I feel Louie Anderson represents Duluth humor poorly.

TheKujawa

about 10 years ago

Maybe it represents a part of Duluth that we don't want to see. Maybe there are people in Duluth who view violence on a regular basis. It might be possible that there is poverty and anger among young people in our city. Maybe there are members of our city who feel alienated. Maybe they feel marginalized by other citizens who view them as bottom feeders. Maybe this thread is what their art is about.

schmood1971

about 10 years ago

After watching the video I thought "Dumpin' Back" was slangsta for "Perpetuating Stereotypes." Thanks for clearing that up HateCats.

Also, well done Danny.

Herzog

about 10 years ago

Schmood, I think as one who probably speaks from the heart of white cracker guilt, you're over-thinking this. 
 
Kujowa, I cried when I read what you wrote. No wait, that was for the kids being raped and tortured in the middle east today because Isis feels alienated, and I don't understand their head-on-a-pole art... 

This song though, however misinterpreted by a bunch of overly white bloggers, had they listened to it, is actually about 'where the party at,' and 'dumpin' back.' That surely is no reason to cry, save that there are no hoes at the party. But how sometimes, there are too many men there instead, and we need to do something about it called, 'dumpin' back.'

BadCat!

about 10 years ago

Herzog, thanks again for bringing your wonderful "insight" to this conversation. How could we possibly discuss the full ramifications of a rap video without discussing child rape.

WTF?!

HateCats

about 10 years ago

Open your eyes BadCat! It has always been about child rape and Louie Anderson.  That has been the root issue this whole time.  They are both bad for Duluth.

BadCat!

about 10 years ago

I can't tell if PDD just picked up a second troll, or if HateCats is just a sock puppet on Herzog's hand.

Ramos

about 10 years ago

I think all the gangsters pooled their allowances and came up with, like, $280 to lovingly display for the camera.

TheKujawa

about 10 years ago

Spell my name right, Herzog. I mean it. Don't ever do that again, you sack of garbage. Your gravatar makes you look fat. Do you want to fight? I will meet you outside the West Duluth Dairy Queen unless you are chicken.

Paul Lundgren

about 10 years ago

The Duluth News Tribune has reported that Stephon Hall, a.k.a. "Trap God," was jailed Aug. 20 on a probation violation, and later sentenced to 30 days in jail. 

Hall was serving five years of probation for a 2013 felony robbery at the Lemon Tree in Cloquet. In that instance, Hall and four others were arrested after threatening the use of force against an employee while robbing the liquor store of $40. Hall had subsequently been cited for other misdemeanor crimes around Duluth, including marijuana possession, fighting and disorderly conduct.
Duluth News Tribune: Rapper from video set in Central Hillside in jail

Herzog

about 9 years ago

Coming up on the one year anniversary of Lil Trap god,  the author of this comment wishes to say he does not condone any sort of violence or act of hate or stupidity based on  race or discrimination of any kind of malice including toward old people, weird people, new or blue people.  He believes in near absolute tolerance where dipshittery isn't concerned. Many of his comments while sarcastic, were meant to incite thought, action, and devil's advocacy.  
 
He is generally not pleased with the slow progress toward race relations this country is making but also doesn't really credit gangster hip hop with making things better toward those ends. He is somewhat pleased with his black president, his captain (especially when juxtaposed with the previous) on a number of issues but also with helping Americans to be more aware of those, but feels that hip hop is merely one form of musical outlet among many, one whose word-smithing techniques while clever, often fall short of the mark musically or creatively. That and it sounds cool mostly to young men and women,  but as an art form, has generally been spinning its wheels for oh say the last 20 years while still realizing there's probably some decent shit he hasn't heard.

But the long, barbarous, and sordid chapters of this county's history whose spilt blood will not be washed from our shores for many years, the solutions to her problems will not be easy, and the scars will continue for many years so people, come together.  Music, art, and appreciation for the planet are paths toward these ends. The author of this post lends the young men in this video all his hopes and ambitions for their future believing that at least for some of them, it is bright, but will be less so if cops are gunning for them all the time because of their blackness, so he's glad people have been protesting these injustices but feels their cause will become weakened by violence perpetuating an endless cycle. 

Only when people dig deep and do the work, and not only preach but practice acceptance will things change.  Fear of difference is instinctual, everyone is afraid of someone who is not like them, those are the real hurdles we face, accepting that we are all racist at our core because we are all afraid of difference. Only by embracing our fears and facing them will we learn to overcome the past.

As for the Kujawa, the author does not wish to fight him at this time, and apologizes for the misspelling of his beautiful Japanese sounding name.  He also says he  enjoys your insights into local lore and customs while recommending that you not smoke, drink less and remember to do yoga, that and climbing five duluth hills a day definitely keeps the doctor away!
  
Thank you and have a nice summer.

Joel

about 9 years ago

Dontcha just love it when Herzog refers to himself in the third person? This author thinks not!

Herzog

about 9 years ago

Joel, Herzog's patience for your grumpy ol' lady shtick is wearing thin.  As his attorney I am authorized to speak for him while he is away hunting big cats in Africa.  If you have a problem with his comments,  or me representing him, then simply abstain!

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