The origins of the pimp

James Bowery:

Mind control of young females is all important in the GOD “game”. So why don’t we see more white pimps?

Ever watch ”American Pimp”?

An anonymous comment posted a few years ago at Sailer's offers a similar example of nerd negrophilia: Watch "American Pimp," it will give clues into why only the charismatic African personality has the force to keep prostitutes [. . .] in line.

Watching the documentary cited by Bowery and the anonymous HBD nerd, I was not impressed. The reality is being a pimp requires little more than sociopathy, forswearance of dignity, and knowledge of a simple formula. Furthermore, comments like these betray an incredible lack of historical perspective. Hint: "pimp" is not a Swahili word.

American Pimp features a comical negro folk history of pimping (the Hughes brothers' historical research having consisted of interviewing pimps and screening 1970s blaxploitation flicks). Conflicting versions told by various black pimps:

• pimping originated in post-slavery days when the "share crop master" was having his way with the black woman and some sly black man told her "you don't got to let that go on without getting paid"
  
• when the slaves were set free, they had no skills or money, so the black husband would tell his wife to go by the old master's house and "before you leave ask him to give you something"
  
• "them brothers used to be riding in town with them really nice carriages" and "dress in those nice outfits" because they were employed as coachmen for whites (explaining how tasteful and stylish dress came to be associated with pimps)
  

Reality: the formula on which the black street pimp relies originated in Europe, and was on full display in immigrant slums in major American cities by the turn of the 20th century. Like so much of black culture, street pimping is merely an anachronistic recrudescence of a strain of lower-class white culture. One finds recognizably modern pimps (ruffiani) at least as far back as 15th-century Italy. There may even be parallels in antiquity; in Greek plays: "While most old men dress in a plain, traditional style, the foreign pimp dresses in a flamboyant, decadent outfit."

Abraham Flexner. Prostitution in Europe (1914):

The prostitute is everywhere attended by a complementary phenomenon — the pimp, who lives upon her earnings, in return for which she is as a rule treated with brutality.57 The police estimate that something like 50% to go% of the prostitutes of the large European cities support men in this fashion — not only the street-walkers and scattered prostitutes, but, not infrequently, bordell inmates, as well.58 The tie is easy to describe, difficult to understand. No practical advantage accrues to the woman, for in Europe the pimp affords her absolutely no protection against the police; indeed, the reverse is apt to be the case, for the police, tolerant of an inoffensive prostitute though they be, are unrelenting in their hostility to the pimp whom they rightly regard as a criminal, either actual or in the making. The woman may be compromised by the association; she certainly can not be protected. One is thrown back for an adequate explanation on the fundamental fact of sex relation. The woman has no attachment whatsoever with her stream of casual customers; but the pimp belongs to her. A vestige of affection, a sense of property lies at the bottom of the connection; her blunted sense does not revolt from the price she pays for it.

Commercialized Prostitution in New York City (1917):

(3) The Pimp

The pimp or cadet as he is commonly called, has not yet developed into a professional procurer or keeper of a house of prostitution. While all procurers and owners of houses are in reality pimps, the converse is not always true: all pimps are not procurers, though they may hope to be some day.

The pimp enters the business when he either ruins a young girl for his future profit or becomes the lover and protector of a prostitute already in the business. As the future pimp grows up in a crowded neighborhood, he becomes a member of a gang and, as such, is admired by some reckless girl in the vicinity. Proud of her acquaintance with him, she shares the spoils resulting from his petty thieving and other escapades. Very early in their career the two begin to have immoral relations, not only with each other, but with different boys and girls of their own kind. They have never had moral standards in any proper sense of the term. The large majority of boys who become pimps and seducers of girls and the large majority of girls who become prostitutes were at the start not immoral, but unmoral. Later the boy drifts to the pool parlor or gambling room for his recreation and companionship, the girl to public dance halls and similar places of amusement. Many of these girls are already clandestine prostitutes, secretly carrying on the business of prostitution while at the same time engaged in some legitimate employment " just to keep up a respectable appearance." Under the pimp's influence and suggestion the girl finally " breaks " away from her secret immoral life and becomes a "regular." The pimp shows her the way, provides places for her to solicit or " hustle " on the street or in the vice resort. He attends to the business arrangements, even to the collection of her money, though when she is " well broke," he allows her to collect her own money and g1ve it to him. Some pimps beat their women, on the principle that that is the only way to make them fear and love them. This may seem a paradox; but it is indeed true that many prostitutes do not believe their lovers care for them unless they " beat them up " occasionally.

The psychology of the relation of prostitute to pimp is a complicated one, difficult for the normal individual to understand. In the cases above alluded to, boy and girl have been comrades, the boy lording it over the girl until she submits to being his property. But there are prostitutes, apparently quite able to stand alone, who deliberately select a pimp; if they cease to be satisfied with him, he is discharged and a successor taken. Why should a prostitute of either kind desire a pimp ? There are many reasons: the pimp is her business agent in dealing with owners, hotel keepers, etc.; he is her " go-between," if she gets into " trouble " with the law; her companion, for she is lonely after the night's business; but — most important of all — her lover — one person who seems to care for her as a human being, whether he does or not, and for whom she does herself really care. A spark of affection lives at the heart of this ghastly relation.

In her relation to the pimp, as well as to the house madame, the prostitute is not infrequently to all intents and purposes a white slave. For the pimp, like the madame, subjects her in many cases completely to his will and command. This does not mean that the girl is necessarily imprisoned behind locked doors and barred windows. But restraint may be thoroughly effective, even though not actually or mainly physical. Uneducated, with little or no comprehension of her legal rights or of the powers which could be invoked to aid her, often an immigrant or at least a stranger, she is soon cowed by the brute to whom she has mistakenly attached herself. Should she make an effort to break away, she is pursued and hemmed in by the concerted efforts of her cadet and his associates. As a rule, however, pimps are skilful enough to play for and to obtain the sentimental loyalty of their women; so that the prostitute herself becomes the greatest obstacle to her own freedom and rehabilitation.

The Social Evil in Chicago: a study of existing conditions with recommendations by the Vice Commission of Chicago, a municipal body appointed by the mayor and the City Council of the city of Chicago, and submitted as its report to the mayor and City Council of Chicago (1912):

The "Cadet."1 The word "cadet" is generally used in place of the uglier title "pimp." He, with the pander or procurer, is the lowest speciman of humanity, and whenever apprehended should be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. The report of The Committee of Fifteen (New York City) issued in 1902, thus describes this type: "The 'cadet' is a young man, averaging from eighteen to twenty-five years of age, who, after having served a short apprenticeship as a 'lighthouse' secures a staff of girls and lives upon their earnings. He dresses better than the ordinary neighborhood boy, wears an abundance of cheap jewelry, and has usually cultivated a limited amount of gentlemanly demeanor. His occupation is professional seduction."

Reasons street pimps in the US are black today:
(1) To start, for the same reasons criminals in general are disproportionately black.
(2) White neighborhoods don't tolerate street prostitution.
(3) Whites and off-whites involved in prostitution tend to operate on a larger scale.

In American cities almost all street pimps are black; white pimps operate less visibly because they run prostitution houses and massage parlors. [. . .]

Contrary to the stereotype, not all street pimps drive Lincolns or Cadillacs. Those luxuries come only to the few who work their way up, building their stables and moving into larger rackets. Most street pimps are decked out in fake fur with an old Ford around the corner. They are not a pretty lot. Their flash is only an exterior apperarance.

[Kathleen Barry. Female sexual slavery.]

It's not a matter of natural charisma. "Sir Captain" from American Pimp: "When I was in school [. . .] I ain't never have no girlfriend. Girls didn't like me. I ain't never hold a girl's hand take her to a movie." According to another interviewee, "the only way to learn to be a mack is to talk to older, wiser macks".

Whether black or white, whether operating on the street, from a house, or in higher levels of organized gangss, all pimps have a clear rundown on the pimping rules. They see themselves as players running a game. Iceberg Slim, a notorious pimp in his day, now retired from the life, called this knowledge "whorology." It is learned on the streets and in the prisons.

[Kathleen Barry. Female sexual slavery.]

Iceberg Slim: "I shuddered when I thought, what if I hadn't kept my ears flapping back there in the joint? I would be a boot black or porter for the rest of my life in the high walled white world." References to mid-20th century white pimps from Pimp: The Story of My Life

Fast, I got to find out the secrets of pimping. I don't want to be a half-ass giglolo lover like the white pimps. [p. 104]

I'll stay in the pimp role, but I'll sweeten it with a little high-class bullshit. Maybe I'll rap some of that gigolo garbage I overheard the white pimps in the joint rapping. [p. 180]

There are thousands of Niggers in this country who think they're pimps. The pussy-weak white pimps ain't worth mentioning. Don't none of them pimp by the book. They ain't even heard about it. If they was black, they'd starve stiff. [p. 194]

So here we have Iceberg Slim, role model to generations of later black pimps and gangsta rappers, disparaging white pimps for relying on personal charm rather than pimping according to a rote formula (which unbeknownst to him, was also perfected by whites long before he was born).