I am productively struggling with your piece so I'm gonna just throw out some random thoughts:

I feel the urge to be contrarian and talk about shows like "Black-ish" and "Lovecraft Country," shows that engage in a middle-class and historical, fantastical aspect of Black life. But that does nothing for the argument your are making, which is concern of leitmotif of drug dealing that a generation of Black men profess to and how it is dominating portrayals of Black personhood.

I think about what you said about the habit of MCs who profess to their drug dealing before they got into their music. I think this was the ongoing theme from many MCs who emerged in the 90s, as the crack age was the social context they evolved in. The money they made from the Game allowed for studio time, production equipment, and a budget for sampling.

I come from a family of addicts, so talking about drugs comes up frequently when I write. But I don't do it from the dealer perspective, but from that of a survivor. I am not Bubbles. But I am his sister who watched loved ones spiral into addiction. Some survived. Some drowned.

I think my biggest concern is seeing who profits from the stories of drug dealing. If Black creators are writing Black shows and are profiting from it, then I am OK with it because I can see my past and pain on screen. If it is going into white hands, not so much.