Today in Hip Hop, getting people to vote is the latest and greatest trend. It is the best Hip Hop culture has ever embarked upon. Finally the seeds planted by Public Enemy, KRS ONE, Paris, Poor Righteous Teachers and so many others are bearing fruit. We shall see how this crop tastes in November. If we fail, it might do us some good to never again talk about what Hip Hop is capable of. If we can’t get Bush out of office, we should admit that Hip Hop, IS just music. But if we are victorious. If we can prove that Hip Hop is indeed a force of social change, then all of our critics should formally apologize. For too long the Hip Hop community has only talked. Today I am proud to see us walking the walk of political and social responsibility. WE owe it to those before to follow through manifesting justice in this age. Yet still, there is much more to do. However, most of the things Hip Hop can do for American politics and society; it does not need to vote for. It is important that in our strategy we stress using just as much SINCERITY AS STYLE. May times in Hip Hop we get into things because they look good, or tough or fun. Sometimes this political and social journey for justice will not be any of those things. Matter of fact it can and will be quite ugly. This is why we need to be sincere people. The first step of follow through comes from the head and the heart. Because you do not need to vote to stop calling women b######. You do not need George Bush out of office to leave your gun at home, or throw it away all together. You do not need to vote to make sure the young people and the elders are safe at night in your ‘hood. You do not need George Bush to take the streets back from the drug dealers. But you do need personal integrity, sincerity, and realistic strategies for success at the grassroots and the national levels. No matter who is in office, WE can support local business, work closely with the religious organizations, pick up the trash off our streets and spend time teaching the kids in our community. All you need to do is pull the ballot box in your mind. Pull the ballot box in your heart, and show your sincerity is authentic. If we cannot be sincere on a personal level, we will never make moves on a local and you can forget about achieving anything on a national level. In the Hip Hop community, many people talk about Masonic conspiracies. They talk about Skull and Bones and Area 51. They talk about alien abductions and ulterior motives for the Mars space program. That’s all well and good if you have time and energy to buy in on that stuff. I for one do not have that time or energy. Also, most people in the community can not grasp such concepts. I feel more than anything they distract people from authentically maturing politically and socially. That’s not the talk we need. Plainly said, we don’t need to get George Bush out because he is white, or republican, in bed with oil tycoons, supposed mason or skull and bones member etc. George Bush needs to be removed simply because he stole the last election from the people. He has taken our economy into the trash and has single handedly taken our country into a war we did not ask for and a land grab we will not gain a thing from. He is the wrong man for the job- period. He is also a thief of the people and a liar. That is sufficient to get the people to demand he leave office. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Louis Farrakhan, Assata Shakur and Angel Davis are admired for their sincerity just as much as they are revered for their effective strategies. Now, I’m not asking to you be them. But you don’t have to be them to act right at the club. You don’t have to be Gandhi to want peace among the folks where you live. But no change will happen with out sincerity. So please, vote. Tell your friends to register and when the day comes in November, lets do all we can to make sure we get Bush out of office. Do anything you can to support Hip Hop’s political strides at the grassroots and the national level. But most importantly, as you take that journey, do your best to make sure you stay diligent and sincere as you walk. Adisa Banjoko is host of the Political Hip Hop show “One Mic”. You can tune in online at www.iciclenetworks.com.

In the wake of the firestorm regarding Janet Jackson and her breast taking exploits at the Super Bowl halftime show, many issues have surfaced regarding decency, entertainment, and due to the participation of Justin Timberlake, and his subsequent level of character assassination, the dreaded R word…Race. Since the acquittal of OJ Simpson, a couple years ago, there seems to have been a heightening of awareness regarding the issue of race, especially when it comes to high profile individuals. We’ve seen a barrage of media coverage demolishing what little privacy entertainers have, resulting in a series of events, each one upping the ante, each subject more surprising with each turn. Kobe Bryant, a rapist? Rush Limbaugh, a drug user? R.Kelly, a child molester? Phil Specter, a murderer? One day you’re making millions joking in front of the cameras, the next you’re fighting for your life and livelihood with 12 jurors, 1 judge, and half a chance…unless you have Robert Shapiro and Johnny Cochran. Ask Jason Williams. While we hunger for more, and lives vicariously through our heroes’ successes and abandon them in their failures, is our own idol worship fueling the rush for the newest edition of American Flameout? Does this media coverage differ across racial boundaries? Many of these cases have been at least sufficiently outlandish enough to set race aside. Stories of “Jesus Juice” and “Elephant Man Bones” and “Pet Monkeys” and a litany of veiled children, flaming hair, and plastic surgeries would be enough to damn anyone of any race to public ridicule, no matter the color. Or would it? Let’s revisit O.J. for a minute. Media coverage was so lighthearted due to a general assumption that Simpson would be found guilty. Jokes abounded on the late night talk shows. Everything was funny…until the verdict. It was the verdict that made White America feel like Black America during the first Rodney King Verdict. Since O.J., two other high profile actors were also involved in incidents concerning the deaths of their wives. Both Robert Blake and William Shatner lost their wives under fairly dubious circumstances. Neither was put under such intense scrutiny as Simpson, and Shatner was never charged with anything, despite the fact that he had filed for divorce a month before the incident, argued with his wife vehemently the night before, and called 911 before he attempted to get her out of the pool. Did race play a factor in the differences in coverage? The Blake trial is mired in obscurity, almost as an aside to the entertainment events of the day.  Blake isn’t exactly an A-list star, so maybe it wouldn’t make much news. It’s not a sexy enough story. The situation last week concerning American “decency” versus Janet Jackson is another story. Justin Timberlake is an A-lister, yet he was allowed to distance himself from the event quite easily. None of the comments, some of them quite hurtful, used to describe the event were ever lofted towards Mr. Timberlake. He was never even considered for banning from the Grammies, although he was the “doer of the action.” Before the gravity of the situation became evident, Justin was quoted as saying “we like to give you folks something to talk about. As things worsened, and the backlash got stronger, Janet was left holding the bag. Left to make grainy hostage tapes. Left to bear the brunt of public condemnation. It was as if she let the dog out all by herself. Now there are congressional hearings, and public indecency outcries. Would Madonna be subjected to the same treatment? If Usher were to rip off Madonna’s bra, would he be allowed to escape the situation unscathed, under the rather laughable excuse that he didn’t know the costume would “malfunction?” There seems to be an inequality and a different standard for minorities in entertainment.   Some of the adjectives used to describe both Janet and her more famous brother Michael have been really personal and hateful and sharp considering the media is supposed to be objective. Maybe it’s a family thing. Tito, get me a tissue. Was the Janet really so indecent? Sure you had to explain the incident to your kids, but did you also explain the many Viagra commercials? Did you explain the commercials proponing sexual dysfunction, and hair growth, equating hair with vitality and virility? Have you explained to your son the message that if he loses his hair, women won’t like him and he’ll be rendered impotent? I don’t think a breast, albeit a nicely pierced one, would be more difficult to explain than “Mommy what’s Viagra?” (or “Daddy, why is Madonna kissing Britney?”) Over the last year we’ve seen events like PepsiCo’s embrace of the dysfunctional Osbournes whose patriarch is a known for biting the heads off small animals, while simultaneously distancing itself from innocuous, yet sex crazed Ludacris. We must ask ourselves, when are these incidents going to stop being coincidences and actually start being addressed? Race will continue to be a prevalent issue as we forge ahead into the 21st century. More powerful than terrorism, more powerful than drugs, able to leap small progress in a single bound. The February issue of The Source featured an old recording of top selling rapper Eminem making disturbing comments about Black women. More disturbing was the relative lack of coverage of the event. Can America’s race problem be combated by ignoring it? We as a nation of Hip-Hoppers have a unique opportunity. We are a powerful movement. One that is immune to religious beliefs, racial separation, nationalistic histories, and physical separation. We can move on from the mistakes of our fathers. We have common loves through the music and the lifestyle that our parents could never have. It has fallen to us, the children of the turntable and the shelltoe to take the bull by the horns. Are we going to continue to allow the media to control how we see and deal with each other? Or will we empower ourselves through independent thought, cooperation, […]

The following was written by Cedric Hollywood, program and music director of Miami’s WEDR’s 99 Jamz. In a news article on AllHipHop.com (https://staging.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=2848), Luther "Luke" Campbell asserted that the local radio infrastructure in Miami, Florida no longer supported the local Hip-Hop scene. He singled out the only two commercial Hip-Hop stations in the city, 99 Jamz and 103.5 The Beat. Hollywood has been a staple in the radio community for years and did not agree with Campbell’s views of the local radio industry. The following was written by Hollywood for AllHipHop.com. The meeting [between local Miami artists, DJ’s and the commercial stations) was called by The Underground Pipeline (a coalition of independent local record promoters & producers). They invited radio. We [99 Jamz] showed up in force. Clear Channel’s 103.5 The Beat didn’t show. Luke was invited as the guest speaker. All of his speech was based on the fact that we are not playing his recently released songs! They are not up to his usual standards. I have not even heard one club play them either. Even he doesn’t get a free pass. We’ve played over 100 local songs in the past few years. It is impossible to play every local song. We are directly responsible for the Iconz, and just recently Jackie-0 & Pit Bull getting signed. [What] everybody there seemed to want to know is what to do after they record a song. The crime is – why hadn’t Luke already told them. On the DJ’s we hire, no commercial station in America has all local DJ’s. Our company [Cox] approves all DJ’s hired. They wanted proven ratings winners to fight the new station [103.5]. We do have local jocks on the air. Luke has a personal agenda is upset because we won’t rehire him as a DJ! [Luke had The Uncle Luke Show]. The more discussion about this, the more the truth comes out. Jerry Rushin, DJ Khalid and myself were personally attacked in the meeting and Jerry Rushin started Luke! Financed his first project and now he [Luke] lives in a house on a golf course! Jerry still can’t believe it! He has never called or spoken to Jerry or me about any lack of local airplay. What he did do is run to "The Beat" thinking they were gonna play his music and give him a radio show. They did not play his music or give him a radio show. They played him! Got him to big them up in the Miami Herald and not only are they not playing Luke, they aren’t playing any new local songs! Let’s let the real truth come out! Luke needs to stop using The Underground Pipeline for his personal agenda. They are too important for that and we plan to work with them with no problems. Only God knows when we’ll work with Luke again. The man is bitter. All he has to do is make a hit!

Credible: 1. Capable of being believed; plausible. 2. Worthy of confidence; reliable. Credibility: 1. The quality, capability, or power to elicit belief: 2. A capacity for belief. 3. The quality of being believable or trustworthy 1. When will the two words above have a legitimate place in Hip-Hop journalism nowadays? 2. When will the Hip-Hop audience have a chance to use those words when describing the words they read in a magazine,paper or website? 3. Has our disdain to distort the truth in what ‘we’ report cloud ‘our’ judgment in stating ‘facts’ in this culture? 4. Have we become so cynical in ‘our’ reporting that we are willing to jeopardize what it is we want the general public to believe? 5. Have we placed our personal ‘beefs’ in the forefront instead of journalistic integrity? 6. Would this ‘brand’ of journalism be allowed in the more ‘popular’ genres of other music? 7. Are ‘we’ willing to allow this type of ‘reporting’ to overtake what is really ‘destroying’ our ‘community’? 8. Will we ever take to task what ‘we’ as a community should be tackling within ourselves? 9. When will ‘we’ take responsibility for what ‘we’ have created? 10. Why does it take someone outside ‘our’ race degrading ‘our’ women to take notice for something ‘we’ are doing on a daily basis? 11. When will ‘we’ teach and guide the younger generation towards the path to make this world an enjoyable place? 12. When will ‘we’ realize what is entertainment and what is sheer stupidity? 13. How can we be taken seriously when we can’t see the seriousness in what we put out for all to see? 14. When will ‘we’ realize when we are being played? 15. Why is it that ‘we’ have to have ‘others’ save ‘us’ from ’ourselves’? 16. When are ‘you’ gonna accept responsibility for ‘your’ actions? 17. Does everything ‘we’ place out there have to always look and sound so grim? 18. Can’t ‘we’ also show that ‘we’ can also be productive and care for one another? 19. Are ‘we’ gonna always believe everything that is said and written by people who want ‘us’ to believe it’s that way because they ‘say’ so? 20. What are ‘you’ gonna do to help preserve what ‘we’ created? 21. Can’t we all just get along?

As a white guy working in the field of Hip-Hop music “journalism” I could tell you all kinds of stories involving what could be perceived as a general attitude of suspicion towards someone of a Caucasian background trying to break into a field that is dominated primarily by African Americans. But, in the end, who really wants to hear a white guy whining about how “unfair” life is? Culturally and historically speaking, this attitude is ridiculous. Of course, we all know there is a lot of b####### baggage that goes along with this culture; all sorts of elitism and exclusivity that most people who aren’t on the inside would never even begin to believe. There is a lot of hater-ism that goes from the lowliest unpaid intern right up to the most powerful CEO’s and permeates through almost every aspect of this thing that we do. My own, personal opinion is that most of it is created, fueled and perpetuated by and through the so-called media. Take journalists, for example who are pretty much the lowest form of sycophantic plankton that feed and grow fat off the unfortunate underbelly of our culture. If there is controversy to be had, believe me, some frustrated failure of a musician will inevitably be the first to dredge it up and publicize it any way they can under the guise of “journalism” just to make some noise. It is a phenomenon that is definitely not limited to Hip-Hop, or pop culture, but rather is present in every aspect of our modern day, spin-doctored, sound-byte, short attention span mentality. Controversy sells. You can ask Em, Bezino, R. Kelly, Bill Clinton etc.…anybody who’s ever lived a public life has, at some point, had their battles with negative press. But here in the world of Hip-Hop these negative witch-hunts are commonplace and often met with eager, salivating excitement by the consumers. So those in charge of keeping the b####### machine running at full, optimal speed (i.e. the magazines, websites, journalists, critics, publicity agents, managers, label owners) just keep cranking out the controversy. Why? Because it sells. It’s that simple, and this is no great revelation. Take, for example, Mr. Paine’s recent “editorial” concerning an interview with Defari that had appeared at a respected Hip-Hop website. During this interview, Defari is quoted as saying: “…Yeah because I’m out here trying to get shows and a lot of these dudes are taking my money you understand? It’s like a lot of these cats are taking my money. The Ugly Ducklings, Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, and all this s### that I ain’t even heard of. I guess it’s a lot of these young kids that always be on the computer that are into these MC’s and these groups that kinda represent and look like them. When I hear these n##### music I be like “damn that’s horrible man.” This s### is straight garbage…” From this excerpt of a long and pretty in-depth interview, Mr. Paine took this one quote and seemed to inject his own agenda. I am not sure if Mr. Paine has a problem with his reading comprehension skills, but he, in effect, went on to call out Defari (in a public forum, mind you) on some racial ish that just was not present in his (Defari’s) original statement. This is where I have a problem with Paine’s decision to write an entire editorial based on this one quote. While I completely respect Paine’s right to have this opinion and to voice it however he sees fit, I must question his journalistic integrity when he decided to write his response. I question it for several reasons. First and foremost, Mr. Paine states that he already has a previously established journalistic relationship with Defari. He says that he has interviewed him before. So then why is there no evidence in his editorial of having asked Defari himself to clarify his statements? Why is there no quote from the artist? I would find it hard to believe that someone of Defari’s stature would be difficult to get ahold of for interviewing purposes. In his editorial, Mr. Paine states: “…Defari’s attacks on the white role in Hip-Hop are both astonishing and hurtful to this writer. As a white man, Defari basically says, that my existence is good enough to buy his records but not share his stage…” Now, I ask you, do you see the words “white” or “Caucasian” anywhere in Defari’s original statement? Because I sure don’t. What I read was an artist expressing his distaste for a certain type of Hip-Hop that is gaining a small bit of popularity, in an underground sense. He calls artists like Ugly Duckling, Atmosphere and Aesop “garbage.” Nowhere during the interview did I read Defari quoted as saying that white people are good enough to buy his records but not good enough to share his stage. He may be implying that particular artists (specifically the ones he mentioned by name) are not good enough to share his stage, but he clearly states that it is because their music is garbage, not because they are white. What I took from Defari’s quote is that he is losing potential sales and publicity to what he feels are inferior artists. You can call his opinion “bitter” and you can accuse him of hating on these artists, but I hardly think that race has anything to do with it. Does anyone really, seriously think that Defari cares about what color the people who buy his records are? Not if they are paying cash, he don’t. Besides the very glaring (and journalistically irresponsible and dangerous) error of taking one quote out of context and exploiting it for personal gain (i.e. just to have something to write about) there is the tremendous stupidity of just plain not getting what the man was saying. Defari said “…I guess it’s a lot of these young kids that always be on the computer that are into these MC’s and these groups that kinda […]

At this point it’s confusing as to who calls the shots of who’s who and what’s what in this hip hop game. I’ve seen scavengers pillage, hustle and rape this thing like nothing wrong. Those that have the attitude of making a killing instead of making a living at this should get the tag of ‘poachers’. Scavengers digging their claws in the game with little or no replenishment to the well. The SOURCE is anti-EMINEM thus 50 CENT. Ok. But for some of the wrong damn reasons. While in SYDNEY we all rode out to the 50 Cent/OBIE TRICE concert in the new Olympic ARENA, the same one VINCE CARTER rolled his nuts across FREDRIC WEIS face while dunking OVER him, yeah same place. Filled to the rafters were 20,000 Australians, mainly youth who were following every stitch of corporate game hip hop. This in certain ways is an advancement for the rap game because here was a current rap star at the peak of his frenzy not being lazy in the states and taking his thing abroad. Fearless I’d say. The EMINEM camp gets props for seeking out of the box, it’s something that I’ve been waiting for cats to do since we did it unconditionally in the 80s. Backstage before the show we met with OBIE TRICE who really seemed appreciative yet in awe of it all so soon, and 50 who as I’ve said is a really brilliant, well mannered thought out cat. We shook hands, talked, took the customary pictures etc and I told him that I would like to see him do his thing for a very long time, none of this short term thinking. I don’t know if it penetrated the swirl but I feel it did. This brings me to what I didn’t like. The show had mad energy, 50 has a great stage presence and timing, as well as the standard/best biggest production stage set going around. It was that the theme of gunshots were played upon, even that was what it was but the street chants of ‘Getting N##### Got’ were a bit much especially when there were 20,000 screaming white kids yelling it. Beyond 50 Cent the business of Black Death has found a cinematic theme thru hip hop. This was a different generation of hip hop white-kid who although being told by a blackface to ‘smoke a n#####’ were integrating a familiar theme of black death inside their minds and souls while their bodies rode the rhythms of super amped arena-beats. As I looked stories and tiers full of kids knowing that this was IOWA, TEXAS, and JERSEY as well as 12,000 miles away, I couldn’t help to think about how some of these kids would think 15 years later, when some of them will be administrators, CEOs, law enforcers and possible politicians. Would this be another flying teenage fancy? If so then how good is that really for the music and culture itself? Then again 14 years prior another generation of white-kid amongst others found what society felt was highly offensive, to be quite essential to the cultural makeup of that same person. To this day people in their 30s come up to PE and KRS ONE and say thank you. We are also 15 years post NWA, which spun off DR DRE, which hatched SNOOP DOGG, thus launched DEATH ROW, which propelled and killed TUPAC, which legitimized EMINEM and led to 50. There’s a lot of blood on that money either way you count it. But besides that what disease/virus has permeated the rap stream? Is there the possibility that this self hate can reignite young white kids into thinking of black life as disrespectfully as their predecessors 100 years ago? Could this be some twice reversed psychology by the puppet masters of social order, to have corporations using the sake of making money as a front to have black faces steer black youth into accepting inferiority while ushering in the aura of white supremacy all over again? Not trying to get deeper than analysis but it’s as alarming if these questions zoom above and past the head of headz, some who have open mindedly accepted ‘dumbassification.’ Thus peep it when the society gets numb to it all and doesn’t recognize the powers that be have sold and reduced the masses into them a####, then it’s time to question what’s being drank from the jug. The business as usual by any means necessary will lead black folk back into slavery first. This system of haves over have nots will try to caste-system lead have nots into first mental, soul and eventually willing physical slavery this ten year period, but the fear is black folks will follow the face of our packaged, marketed, pimped and endorsed by Amerikkka culture down the drain of a new intangible holocaust with tangible one sided worldwide results. The advantage of all of this for culture bandits is that these answers and theories will be dismissed as crazy and too heavy to believe much less comprehend. Still I looked at 20,000 white kids unafraid to say ‘n#####’ because a blackface was giving it the go-ahead. Eventually a blackface won’t be necessary. Fifteen years from now a monster returns to a past with a blackface signature. The un-elevation of a so-called inner nation is creating twisted effect. The scale of anything goes, rivals alongside the thought that you can do almost anything to black folks past, present, future, women, children and community. And thus we must know from the bowels of amerikkkan capitalism where black physical & mental slavery was a driving engine, a Negro is formed and created to be a figure in it all. In blackface. Make the symbols seemingly rich to silence their forwardness and allow the stupid paid to be the loudest while remaining stupid in order to show everybody how much they are paid. Make those in the middle seemingly content to grapple slip, slide and climb to the […]

"I’m out here trying to get shows and a lot of these dudes are taking my money you understand? It’s like a lot of these cats are taking my money. The Ugly Ducklings, Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, and all this s### that I ain’t even heard of. I guess it’s a lot of these young kids that always be on the computer that are into these MC’s and these groups that kinda represent and look like them. When I hear these n##### music I be like ‘damn that’s horrible man.’ This s### is straight garbage," – Defari, Interview with ThaFormula.com. Let me begin by stating that Defari is one of my favorite blossoming artists. I’ve purchased his independent albums, his twelve-inch singles, and even sport merchandise that supports his art. Last year, Defari and I even conducted an introspective interview together that covered topics few journalists care about, and dealt with issues privy to those who listen to the man’s words. How can it be then, that Defari’s words on another website: ThaFormula.com,  don’t return that appreciation? Defari’s attacks on the white role in Hip-Hop are both astonishing and hurtful to this writer. As a white man, Defari basically says, that my existence is good enough to buy his records but not share his stage. That catch-twenty-two not only caused me to write this, but also generates some thoughtful conversation. Defari’s diatribe mentioned three Hip-Hop acts: Ugly Duckling, Aesop Rock, and Atmosphere. All three of those artists are also making music that I support with my dollars. All three artists, like Defari, operate from an independent platform, and make very authentic Hip-Hop, as does the critic himself. Slug, another journalistic acquaintance, has been making public records for over a decade, around Defari’s level of seniority. The same is close for Ugly Duckling, another group I’ve interviewed, and Aesop Rock. These artists, with Defari, are in the same boat, so to speak. In Defari’s argument, he has accused these acts of taking his money. I do believe that ALL Hip-Hop artists are, in a sense, taking each other’s money. If I’m deciding between two records, one artist gets my money, the other doesn’t. That’s life, and motivation to make such a f###### good record that we, the audience, can’t resist buying it. So to accuse three specific groups, doesn’t make sense – especially when Ugly Duckling, a Long Beach trio, has in a since, "come up" in the same territory as Defari Herut. Coming up in Los Angeles, or any city, is the very essence of competition. Next point: I think all three of these white acts pay homage to original Hip-Hop. The proof is in the pudding. Aesop Rock did work with a legend of the unsigned scene, Percee P. Ugly Duckling recently worked with veteran MC, Grand Puba. Atmosphere, who are decision makers on their Rhymesayers label, are putting out a M.F. DOOM LP this year by the KMD front-man. This isn’t Anticon: a group that seems to never expand into any Hip-Hop artistry besides their own. These are artists that are clearly in love with classic Hip-Hop, and pay their respects often, with return artist support from high on the totem pole. After all Defari, to be bluntly honest: had it not been for King Tee and E-Swift’s endorsement on your work, I may’ve never discovered you. You also accuse the "Internet." Oddly, the interview was for a website. Also interesting: from your Billy The Kid LP to most recently, Odds and Evens album, aren’t available in many stores. You, yourself are an "Internet" friendly artist. But granted, I don’t "look" like you. That’s pretty ignorant and simple thinking for a man with a diploma from Columbia University. Come to think of it….most of the Defari fans I know don’t look like you. You want me to return your product? Our money is all the same color, right? Should I stick to "Rock"? That is an archaeic system of reasoning you have. From the deepest depths of my soul, I do try to empathize. It frustrates me that Aesop and Atmosphere are the first Hip-Hop acts in a while to meet MTV2’s standards of excellence. But truly, what can we expect a white corporation of Viacom to do to sell records to a majority white audience? That’s not our problem, or the artists’ fault.  But their music is far from "garbage." These artists are making the charts, and not exploiting Hip-Hop in any way that my critical eye can decipher. After all, you were on Tommy Boy, a label twenty years rooted in supplying great artists. These cats are independent, as you are now. Is it not a level playing field? Why not accuse Eminem? Then again, you do work in the same circles though. Still, if the artists you mentioned are making such out-there, "garbage", how can a track like "Stan" be any different? But if we doubt the 45 King’s production, we’re really s####### on Hip-Hop. If we accuse the fans of these artists, let’s expand our finger pointing. Have you been to a Del the Funkee Homosapien show or seen his demographic? That’s a white show in many places. In the Public Enemy House of Blues DVD, you’ll see a majority of white faces for a historically pro-black group, performing in the racially charged setting of Los Angeles. Chuck D, a personal hero, doesn’t "look like me." But he too, is involved in the Internet, let’s disregard him. I think you’re missing the big picture here Defari. As Pizzo, a Las Vegas Hip-Hop store owner that slangs your vinyl by way of the Internet made reference to, some of your producers are white. Evidence is the best example. The Dilated Peoples have a strong white following. What makes them any different from Atmosphere? Because they recorded in D&D? Because they’re from LA? There is no great difference. In our interview you mentioned three white producers: Evidence, Joey Chavez, and The Alchemist. These cats are dope whether […]

After years of being a fan and over a decade of being in the industry, I’ve finally figured it out. There are only a few things to do to gain the status of “FAMOUS RAPPER” and they’ll work at any level, be it local or across the globe. 1)Be generic. Have a look that anyone can have. You’ve seen it already. Big hats, icey white t-shirts etc. 2)Be really general but sound specific when you write your raps. Make it sound like you’re dissing someone that everybody knows but don’t actually say their name. It drives people crazy. Which brings me to the next tip… 3)Always have yourself near danger or in a conflict. Nobody wants to listen to some rapper rap about rap stuff. And tons of people want to go to a show where the show might not happen because the rapper you were or weren’t rapping about shows up to fight. 4)Guns. This one is tricky. Any idiot can have a gun, but it takes a “FAMOUS RAPPER” to have a gun concealed in a place where it can be found by the police. 5)This is for those of you who are real serious about being a “FAMOUS RAPPER”. You might feel it’s a little extreme at first ,but let it marinate for a minute. GET SHOT….. The trick here is, you have to get shot more times than the most “FAMOUS RAPPER” has been shot. The slug count is a little high right now so you might want to try and take the shots in places where you’ll still be able to walk onto a stage. Now, I know a lot of you are thinking…”this is wrong.” Is it? Most people would like to believe that talent sells records…NO. Talent gets 6 years olds on Showtime at the Apollo. Big dumb clones who fight and shoot each other and need mediators to settle what can be settled with wit and tact sells records.

Well, as some of us expected, Saddam Hussein has been caught. After months of searching and billions of our dollars being spent, Bush finally caught the man who tried to kill his daddy. I am telling hip-hop plain and simple: Don’t let them hustle us. If you watch television close enough and not from an entertainment point of view, you can see what Mr. Bush is doing. Mr. Bush’s regime is a corrupt one, labeled a fine example of cash and carry government. So what he caught Saddam? Now what? Try him as a war criminal, put him to death. So what? Is that going to bring back the almost 500 soldiers who died? Will it allow Vice-President Cheney to continue to stuff his pockets to the tune of $67 million dollars? Halliburton, the company Cheney was the CEO of and supposedly severed his ties with, has the most lucrative contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Don’t let them believe that we are not sophisticated. Bush and Cheney are hustling us. Its happened since they stole the election in Jeb Bush’s state of Florida. Bush’s brother’s state? Come on it’s not obvious? What about 9-11? How much did Bush know? Who cares? If we have a president that makes us ask the question, he shouldn’t be president! Enron? Revolved around the oil. The biggest bankruptcy in corporate U.S. history, thousands of people lose their lifetime savings, the company greased the palms of almost every politician in Washington, including Bush. The company hails from the same state Bush governed (Texas) and then goes belly up, effecting our entire economy. And they still haven’t brought any charges against the CEO, and Bush confidant, Kenneth Lay. Don’t fall for it, we are being hustled. There’s the sticky issue of Bush’s agency leaking the name of a covert CIA operative. Isn’t he accountable for anything? Again, if we have these questions about the man who’s face represents us all over the world, he’s not the right leader for anyone. How about Bush’s tax breaks that line the pockets of people who are already wealthy, yet millions of American’s are overcharged by greedy hospitals and can’t afford health insurance? How about Margie Schoedinger, who accused Bush of rape? She just recently "killed herself." I don’t know if her allegations were true, but are these the allegations you want floating around your president? What happened to the weapons of mass destruction? Or the proof of who pulled off 9-11? We honor Condoleeza Rice because she’s probably the most powerful African-American woman. She’s a classically trained pianist, she’s brilliant. But she’s not one of us. Don’t forget…Ms. Rice served on the board of Chevron, a company that was created by John Rockefeller’s Standard Oil trust. She even reportedly has an oil tanker named after her. Don’t forget that Bush senior was the head of the CIA. Read about the October Surprise. Don’t forget that while he was vice-prez with Reagan, the CIA reportedly introduced crack cocaine to African-American communities. And then they declared a "war" on drugs. Is the war really on drugs? Sure there are going to be people that will scoff at this idea. I’m not going to go into detail on that, do the research yourself, come to your own conclusions, whatever that is. But learn something. What about the Anthrax scare? Isn’t anyone going to get arrested? Did we forget that already? What happened to the domestic terrorist that perpetrated these acts? The timing is too perfect: elections are coming up, too many scandals, too many dead soldiers. The timing is conveniently good for Bush and everyone will forget about all the crap he’s been engaged in. Hip-Hop lovers have been saying for a long time that Bush’s coming into office was an ominous sign of the times. And then they throw us Saddam, so that we forget and unite around a common theme. Read Daniel Yergin’s history of the oil game, "The Prize" and you start to realize just what game these oil men are playing. For my hip-hop conspiracy kooks out there, this one isn’t a conspiracy book, but hey, maybe you kooks are on the right track. It’s includes the story of your favorites: The Rockefellers, The Rothschilds, The Nobles, The Mellons, etc. They’ve been hustling us for a long time. I know the world isn’t perfect and neither are our "leaders." I am not anti-government. And believe me I support the troops. A friend of mine I grew up with, Omar, is in Saddam’s hometown of Tikrit. I know the benefits of the society I live in. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a right to voice our opinion’s on matters, even if we have opposing views. I’m not saying go vote democratic, republican or anything. I am saying believe nothing, question everything and do something. Communicate with each other. They sure are. They don’t seem to care that Bush may have been arrested in 1972 on cocaine charges, only to have them expunged from his record, but they sure are interested in your finances. Bush just signed a bill that allows the FBI to check out all kinds of financial records, without court approval. Put down the violent video games for a minute. Turn off the violent music for a minute, stay away from the violent movies for awhile. That’s where "they" want you. Confused. Make it a point to learn something new everyday. If you walk in your house and all of your furniture is gone, just because you don’t have the names of the thieves that robbed you, doesn’t mean you haven’t been robbed. You may not have the details on Bush and Cheney’s doings, but look around. You don’t need the details. People…we don’t have to settle for what the Bush regime is doing. We have to figure out how to change some of these things. A little sleep, a little slumber, the folding of your hands to rest…so shall your poverty come upon you […]

With Michael Jackson’s arrest and indictment on charges of child molestation, the American public is now being subjected to the latest scandal involving celebrities and sex. The various media outlets have yet another opportunity to indulge in their customary feeding frenzy, to compete for the latest rumor, innuendo and salacious detail. We are guaranteed the debasing spectacle of months of press and television coverage of the Jackson case, during which media pundits and talking heads will pontificate, gloat or smirk, depending on his or her particular “angle,” without offering a single serious insight. The media functions in this unhappy episode along a number of lines: to divert public attention from genuinely pressing issues, particularly the ongoing violence and death in Iraq, to pollute and deaden public consciousness by every possible means, and to pursue anything that might “get the blood flowing” in the hope of gaining circulation, building up advertising, etc. No facts in the case have yet been presented and Michael Jackson is entitled to the presumption of innocence. His accuser is reportedly a 12- or 13-year-old cancer survivor (the singer hosts events for seriously ill children at his ranch) who was a guest at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch north of Santa Barbara, California. The singer’s defenders allege that the boy’s mother has launched the legal action to extort a big financial settlement from Jackson. On November 25, Jackson’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, angrily told the media, “If anybody doesn’t think, based upon what’s happened so far, that the true motivation of these charges and these allegations is anything but money and the seeking of money, then they’re living in their own Neverland.” Reports have appeared in the press suggesting that the boy’s mother has a history of making abuse allegations. An audiotape has also emerged, made by the woman and her son last February, in which they praise Jackson and reject the notion that any inappropriate behavior has occurred. On the tape the woman apparently states that God had blessed her family by bringing Jackson into their lives and calls him a “father figure” to her son. A signed affidavit along the same lines reportedly also exists. An attorney for the father has disputed the accusations against Jackson. The campaign by Santa Barbara authorities against Jackson has reactionary political and social overtones. County district attorney Tom Sneddon is a conservative Republican with an ax to grind. In 1993 he was hoping to prosecute Jackson on similar charges when the singer settled out of court with a family that had launched a civil suit. The singer later retaliated by writing and recording a thinly-disguised attack on Sneddon. The district attorney could barely conceal his glee during last Wednesday’s press conference at which he announced the charges. Santa Barbara officials had already indicated their approach by the heavy-handed intrusion of 70 personnel from the county sheriff’s department into Jackson’s ranch. In an interview with ABC News, Jermaine Jackson, one of Michael’s older brothers, condemned Sneddon’s “personal vendetta.” He added, “They’re a bunch of racist rednecks out there who don’t care about people.” Earlier, in a telephone conversation with a CNN newswoman, Jermaine Jackson called the case “a modern-day lynching.” The entire Jackson family, including his father, about whom Michael has had harsh things to say in the past, has come to the singer’s defense. Sneddon no doubt sees himself as a crusader in a cultural and moral war. There is a social layer in this country that presumes the very worst about Jackson, is bitter that he escaped prosecution a decade ago and would like to see him crucified. A great deal of pent-up rage and frustration, encouraged by right-wing forces, is being directed his way. Although the targets have very little in common and the charges are quite different, there is a hint of the Oscar Wilde scapegoating of 1895 in the current affair. That Jackson is a damaged, perhaps seriously disturbed individual seems beyond dispute. Whether he is guilty of the crimes with which he is charged is another matter. Whatever the facts of the case, one is tempted to say that if law enforcement officials and the media did not have Jackson to place on trial, they would have had to invent him. Eccentricity in behavior, particularly sexual behavior, is viewed by a considerable portion of the US legal-police establishment as near-proof of criminal behavior. Even if Jackson were proven guilty of such crimes as to justify his being separated from the community, a humane society would view him with sadness and even sympathy, rather than scorn and hatred. What are other people to make of Michael Jackson when he obviously has so little idea of who he is himself? His life story is the stuff of folklore. Born in Gary, Indiana—a working-class suburb of Chicago—in 1958, the son of a crane operator in a steel mill, Jackson, one of nine children, began his professional career at the age of five as the lead singer of the Jackson 5. The group was signed by Motown Records in 1968, leading to a string of hits. As a solo act from the late 1970s, Jackson was for nearly a decade the leading figure in international popular music. His second album with producer Quincy Jones, “Thriller,” released in 1982, was an astounding success, producing seven hit singles and selling more than 50 million copies worldwide. In 1984 Jackson won a record-breaking eight Grammy awards. Jackson has spoken openly about his personal difficulties. He asserts, and this is confirmed by his brothers, that his father was demanding and controlling, and that he was regularly beaten. Joseph Jackson, his son claims, would tease and ridicule him. “I don’t know if I was his golden child or whatever, but he was very strict, very hard, very stern. Just a look would scare you. … [T]here’s been times when he’d come to see me, I’d get sick, I’d start to regurgitate,” he told Oprah Winfrey in 1993. Jackson gave the impression in that interview that for […]

Ayana Soyini, a music promoter (www.goldeneyes.com), was served with a lawsuit for posting an MP3 of a new Jay-Z song apparently given to her by Universal (rumor? fact?) to promote to her constituency… Def Jam then sued; her website was shut down… Chuck D wrote a response which she posted to her website… slightly inflammatory… Peace Ayana, Chuck D. from the mountains of Brazil where real black folk answer the greed of the rich haves. Really they (Lyor, Russell) need to get a life.. and see the big picture and think outside the box they are in. So these cats get the say so on what is and what is not promotion? Do we wait for the big white man to finally say its legit and cool, just as they finally accepted mixtapes…which to me are no different? Again when these companies went digital some knew exactly what they were dealing with in order to triple charge the consumer. With digital comes liquid risk, and these Gestapo tactics are stupid as immediately files are in Singapore, New Zealand, China, Budapest and East St. Louis. What the f*ck is one American company gonna do here when increasingly American opinion is becoming a smaller part of the world? Earlier this year there was a television commercial with a backing of what was obviously an older Isley Brothers song. I fiended to find this song, and it happened to be ‘I Turned You On’ which I bought in the stores in both catalog and the "Live at Yankee Stadium albums. I’ve played it 1000 times. So much for people saying downloading hurts, which proves that people will continue to support and buy was great, not just barely adequate. Def Jam built its company on sampling and the swap meet trade to get people alerted on rap music, all so Russell and Lyor could sell it to Universal for $160 million They press up 5000-10,000 pieces of vinyl on most rap artists, shipping them to DJs in hopes that they would play it over some radio….how prehistoric and $$$ wasting is this? Video clips cost $300,000-600,000 average, with no residual benefit other than promotional, plus the fact that 85% of outtake footage is a waste, never used again and no one seems to know where they are ultimately stored. A Jay-Z promo record is not as accessible in places like where I’m at now, Rio DE Janeiro Brazil. The web promotes that beyond a shipment. Some white business cat(s) now navigates how word moves in the streets? Well maybe the streets were his in the first place, eh? I was told by these same Universal legal cats, I wouldn’t see royalties ever..after 10 million records..because of legalities. Well aint this a……"Cool" I said and began to tear the whole **** down. They know my name and I know theirs and the truth is they don’t give a damn about any of this…it’s a control issue of the format. Universal bought MCA which bought Chess (pioneering label that recorded such greats as Bo Diddley, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Etta James, etc.) amongst many other companies….how many Blues/Soul cats see Universal checks? They shouldn’t even dare go after you…as you’ve been trying to help in a progressive forward manner..only simple minds stay stuck in old rules that no longer apply. So it’s war with me. I deal with 50 countries…and connected into peeps like the World Zulu Nation. Universal’s Slave pimp Doug Morris sicced LL and Lyor on me in DC last month. Here’s what I had to say about that: A Family Letter to Lyor and LL: The p2p File Sharing Senate Hearings in Washington DC September 30th 2003 Well I don’t really know what good to say. I think Doug Morris has pimped your brains out or something. The R.I.A.A looked and called Morris who probably rang your bell thus you and LL proceeded to do a tap dance in front of the US Senate with your strings in his back, Doug Morris’ strings in yours and the R.I.A.A in his. Thinking that it would neutralize the grassroots effort of all this. I didn’t get into this digital whirl for fanfare …you know me. I never sucked no ass to get to a place…it’s about the art, integrity and commitment as well into the connection to the world, because I refuse to be submissive to the corporate dominance and collusion of the Radio networks, TV outlets and film, record and media companies that now feel they own and dictate the culture. This collusion has stifled the growth of grassroots businesses who can’t afford to build themselves without some drug dealer backing. Seriously you guys have separated yourselves into the same aristocracy we rebelled against in the first place. Being that I spend half my time outside Amerikkka and you have such international ties abroad, we should know that stuffing your pockets and altering a domestic law in the U.S. has little bearing on world thought, even in music. The masses of the people are important and somehow using mass media to control their thoughts is becoming a more expensive task with dwindling result. The public opinion swayed by propaganda, marketing, and promotion will not make the masses sorry for perceived millionaires. It’s arrogance.. typical Amerikkkan arrogance that increasingly is becoming a symbol of world angst and anti-opinion. The haves over the have-nots ..although it may not be true, it seems that you’re responsible for keeping the artists of your company dumb or seemingly dumb to reach the dumbed down masses to buy dumbed down product. At the end of the day the black artists remain childlike under your wings with no world opinion whatsoever, pending the existence on "Soundscam" and units sold while people still look to White icons like Bono, Paul McCartney, Madonna and even "Governator" for the statements on where we really stand. It’s hypocritical for LL to say what’s stolen from him when 75% of his and most of […]

It happened so suddenly. I got a call about 2pm from AllHipHop’s Jigsaw who obtained tickets to the highly publicized Jay-Z concert at Madison Square Garden. Even though it was a weekday, it was a no-brainer. Jay-Z’s first concert to begin his trek into retirement was definitely gonna be a good look this Tuesday night. Jig and AHH’s Raze, already in NY, were going to meet me there. As I stepped on the New Jersey transit train, I noticed something that was unusual to me. I had been on this train, at the same time, many times before. It seems Jigga Man’s influence has boosted ticket sales for the train to 34th street. Everyone on the car I was in was heading to the concert. When I arrived, the scene was unbelievable. Women were dressed in their finest as if Jay himself would catch a glimpse. Fellas rocked their dopest throwbacks, furs, coats, expensive jeans and crispy white sneakers. We entered the lobby at Madison Square Garden to an overwhelming crowd of people waiting in eager anticipation. The pack soon divided into legitimate ticket holders trying to enter and desperate fans scheming to create a way into the arena. The ticket-less fans kept trying to bumrush the doors until we were all met by New York’s finest and the National Guard. The whole spot was shut down and everyone was forced out of the lobby to re-enter the venue. We all grew angrier when Hova’s most famous joints seeped through the walls and into our ears. Finally after a 45-minute wait, we entered the performance area. (Some of those people were later arrested and Jay’s number was “retired” in the Garden.) I sprinted through the hallways like OJ in the airport looking for my seating section. I walked in to see Jay and his Roc La Familia on stage doing some of their most famous crew classics. The show then yielded to a Philly thing as Free and Beans performed “Roc the Mic” and Freeway , Jay, and Beans spit “What We Do.” Pictures of Phillytown and Iverson flashed on the monitors above the stage. I felt like I missed most of the show until Jigga said, “ We only a quarter of the way done….they gonna have to get the cops to get me outta here.” He spun right into Memphis Bleek’s#### “ Is That Your Chick” and a slimmed down sexy Missy Elliot came out, getting folks hype with her chorus to the song. Twista wrapped up the set with a mind-boggling verse that only an ear trained in hip-hop could understand. Hov showed love to his loyalists by pointing them out specifically by the clothes they were wearing. He even humorously commented on one outfit saying “ I see you in the turquoise, but I don’t know if I would have worn that sh*t.” Then Jay said, “You ready B?” The stage curtain lifted to a 7-piece band (The Roots’ Questlove & Illadephonic) with Beyonce and five dancers in sleek, shiny, short black skirts. The pair blazed “Crazy in love” and Beyonce went on to enthrall the crowd by performing “Baby Boy” and “Summer time.” Ghostface Killah shocked all of Madison Square when he appeared in a long, terrycloth robe with ‘Theodore’ in sequins written on the back and performed the once-thought bootlegged rap version of the song. Jay returned on some grown man stuff. He glided in a snazzy black business suit and a white derby hat. I’m thinking, “This is why Jigga has the U.S. open.” Eventually, he tossed the derby in the crowd and minutes later a fight ensued. He then appealed to his “fans from day one” performing hits from Reasonable Doubt. I just knew he was gonna cut “Ain’t No N####” when Foxy’s part came up, but sho’ nuff she came out hype like a kid off punishment to do her verse. They shared a brief hug and Fox commented that she loved Jay. Um-Hmmmmmm! Jigga then performed ‘Cant Knock The Hustle’ with Mary J draped in a mink shawl and a low fitting Gucci hat. Mary assisted Jay on ‘Song Cry’ and Jay added a verse that solidified his position with Beyonce saying, “ I know the difference between a b*tch and a B ni**a.” As if we didn’t already know, Hov! Mary J proclaimed Jigga to be the greatest rapper of all time and, the way the show was going, I was becoming a believer. Mary blessed the audience with a short set of her own. Jay returned with Pharell of the Neptunes to execute their most famous duets even though the sound went out on them. Didn’t matter to the crowd. They were singing with just the monitors as Hov barked at the soundman to get the sound back on. The Illadefonics band put the petal to the metal on ‘Give It To Me’ as the audience recited the lyrics word for word. When the sound abruptly burst back, it added incentive for the masses to turn the level of intensity up a notch. I thought the show was winding down as Jay fired up the Kanye West-produced “Encore.” The crowd lived out the theme of the song to life chanting, “HOVA HOVA HOVA,” as Jay again exited the stage. They chanted Hova for about 5 minutes and then the noise ceased. Jay came on the mic and threatened to end the show if the noise didn’t step up. The fans immediately responded as a voice from the back belted out “Welcome to the best of both worlds.” Could it be? I thought Jay had cut him off after all the allegations. Damn, the stage lights blared in the back like an old Puff and Mase Video and Jay and R-Kelly walked out in all white velour sweats and snorkel jackets. They got it crunk doing songs to an album once considered a flop! (Gangsta!) The arena exploded. Girl went nuts screaming, “I don’t care, R! I love you!” […]

The true spirit of Hip Hop blessed the borough of Manhattan Sunday night as S.O.B.’s and AllHipHop launched its new “Plain Rap” concert series with HEAT, playing host to one of the best hip hop shows in recent memory—and possibly one of the illest end-of-night cyphers of all time. Billed as a “Temple of Hip Hop” showcase with KRS-ONE and The Jungle Brothers, the event soon turned into a who’s who of Hip Hop as legendary MCs from every era—Busy Bee, Melle Mel, Fat Joe, Lord Finesse, Jeru tha Damaja, Kool Keith and more—all came out to celebrate the historic 30th Anniversary of the Almighty Zulu Nation, Afrika Bambataa’s founding hip hop brotherhood. Zuluuuuu! Don’t stop! As a true hip hop fanatic, in all honesty, I would have been hype just to witness this show but—give thanks—I also had the opportunity to set things off DJing before and between acts all night long. As a DJ, I was hype to set the mood and take the crowd back in time, drop some Tribe, Black Moon, Pete Rock & CL, G Rap… But as a fan… As a fan, I was just hype to be able to witness the whole thing, start to finish, from on the side of the stage. Ya feel me?! In light of my inside view of the proceedings, Allhiphop.com has asked me to recount a little bit of what I saw that night… so hold tight, cuz it was one hell of a show. Plus, in true DJ fashion, I gotta flip it a little to make it interesting, and provide a soundtrack—a little play by play to help set the scene. Anyway… “make way, cuz here I come…” Ludacris, “Southern Fried Intro.” From the start of the night, there was a wild buzz in the air. Rumors were circulating at the door that Foxy Brown, Bell Biv Devoe and Queen Latifah might be blessing the spot and SOB’s Director of Urban Booking, Erica Elliott, “warned” me that a couple other DJs might want to rock, namely Tony Touch and Afrika Bambataa. Sound check ran late but the crowd came early, so before long the buzz of excitement was as audible as the music itself and you could feel the anticipation growing in the room. Jeru tha Damaja slid in the door early and quickly took a spot by the front of the stage—even the lyrical monster behind his own library of classic cutz didn’t want to miss a second of this. Black Moon, “Who Got the Props” As the beat bounces, the room fills to capacity, and the energy starts to build. I’m dropping the set my man Q-Unique (of Arsonists / Rock Steady Crew fame) affectionately calls “J.Period’s Favorite Records”—that is, every classic record from 88 to 93 til Infinity—(Holla, Q!). The crowd is riding with me, shouting out lyrics, and screaming at the top of their lungs when I get on the mic: “Are y’all ready to see KRS and the Jungle Brothers?!” It’s definitely about to go down. Suddenly I turn around and the Propmaster himself, Kool DJ Red Alert is standing behind me with a crate of records. “You mind if I get on?” he says. “I brought some records.” The fan in me is dumbstruck. The DJ responds: “Yeah, no doubt! Do your thing.” Nice’n’Smooth “Let’s Take it Back to the Old School…” Red Alert straight rips it. 25 years in the game and still doin his thing! And if that ain’t enough, Busy Bee (of Wild Style fame) busts on stage and starts vibing with the crowd, call and response style. Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush joins in and before long, they’ve got the whole place screamin “Ho!” and rockin the spot like it was 86! Twenty minutes and about 40 breakbeats later, Red hands it back to me and I pump “La Di Da Di” thru the speakers to keep the vibe goin. The crowd screams every word so loud that when I drop out the music, you can hardly hear the difference. It’s definitely about to get ugly up in here… and everyone feels it. Eric B. & Rakim – “Don’t Sweat the Technique” With a giant banner onstage that reads: “The Hip Hop Declaration of Peace,” the true spirit of the culture is in the air like Natural Mystic. But it’s only when the Message himself, Grandmaster Melle Mel, takes the stage that I realize that this is some real history goin down. I have an ill flashback to being 7 years old, reciting every lyric to “Beat Street,” and look up to see Melle Mel asking me my name. “Yo give it up for J.Period, y’all!!” He screams into the mic, “He doin his thing tonight!” Kaboom. Soul Sonic Force – “Planet Rock” Here I gotta flip the script for a second… cuz I didn’t play this record. Yes, that’s right. It’s the 30th Anniversary of the Zulu Nation so believe it: the original Soul Sonic Force takes the stage and performs “Planet Rock” LIVE. Anyone who doesn’t understand the significance of this needs to throw out your Fabolous records right now and enroll in a hip hop history class. For real!! The illest thing is, the show hasn’t even started yet. Cuz just when I think I have seen it all, the lights drop, and The Jungle Brothers finally take the stage, givin pounds as they pass, proceeding to rip thru all the classics from “Straight Out the Jungle.” Fiyah! Paying homage to KRS before he takes the stage, the JB’s flip “Jimmy” as Red Alert himself gets on stage to adlib Propmaster style, and the crowd gets open once again. It’s at a fever pitch and the headliner hasn’t even hit the stage yet. Mad energy! I’ve transformed back to fan mode, snapping my neck along with the crowd, trading looks with Red Alert, Mike G, and waving my arm to punctuate the beat. Melle Mel mouths the words when the JB’s […]

Be it voluntary or by force, each day brings more and more talk of some of our favorite (and not so favorite) rappers retiring. Lately, there’s been talk of Jay-Z, DMX, Nas, Andre 3000 and JaRule all retiring. What was once and sometimes still is a ploy to elicit interest in an upcoming project, the retirement announcement seems to be popping up with more frequency and fervor. So what’s happening?!? Whether you’re glad to see them go or not, what does this say to Hip-Hop fans in general? Are the artists truly falling out of love with the art form, or have they been burnt out by some of the self imposed, sometimes self destructive rules of excess found in many music genres, but celebrated and rigorously enforced in Hip-Hop? Has the endless smoking, drinking, casual sex, arrests and beefs taken its’ toll? Can it be some of them know that over time, they can not carry the image of the straight off the corner, straight out of jail gangsta that has shootouts on the weekends in between orgies and studio sessions, all while in a constant daze of the best liquor and marijuana the planet has to offer. That image would be hard to convince the public of, by a 45 year old man…it’s almost unbelievable now. Worse yet, has it been a get rich scheme all along? You know get a high paying job, work hard for a few years, then retire. Whatever the case, these guys are retiring in their early thirties. Can we only expect a few albums, maybe a decade or less, from the artists that we’ve come to know and enjoy? It just seems premature, for them as artists, and us as lovers of the art. Can you imagine if Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield retired at thirty? We would’ve never heard What’s Going On or Superfly. What about Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder or B.B. King and Miles Davis? Or what about our D.C. homeboy, the late, great Duke Ellington? He is one of the best musicians and composers this country has ever produced, and he kept jammin’ into his seventies. If he had retired in his thirties, there may be no Hip-Hop, as we know it. For we all know that Jazz birthed BeBop, which was the precursor to Hip-Hop. Artists, be they painters, writers, musicians, etc…simply capture commonly shared thoughts and feelings and express them in their respective art forms. They come to greatness based on how well or uniquely they are able to express those thoughts and feelings. These earlier artists truly loved the process and it showed in their music. They captured the sentiments and feelings of the times and packaged them into something beautiful and digestible for each individual to consume and cherish. They grew with their generation and kept them entertained every step of the way. “The Duke” was available for our grandparents’ generation, while the likes of Aretha and Smokey continue to do it for our parents. The question remains, who will carry the torch of introspection, inspiration, and entertainment for our cherished art form, throughout our lifespan? And as hard as you may try, though you may love the rhythm and the melody, it is hard to digest the subject matter of someone say twenty years your junior. Which leaves me, and the rest of us Hip-Hoppers in a bit of a quandary. Though we all grew up on the smooth singing sensations our parents introduced us to, Hip-Hop is our cherished art form, our baby, something we birthed and nurtured. We watched it crawl, then take its’ first steps, and now that it’s off and running, will it simply runaway, totally abandoning us? I love singing and always will, but I also love the rapped form of storytelling as well. So I ask myself, when I am 40 or older, who from among my peers, will I be able to count on to speak to me in the familiar voice I grew up with? I shutter to think of the possibilities. Again. What’s happening? It appears that some rappers seem ashamed of performing at an older age. Why would they be ashamed to do something in their thirties and forties, that they so loved doing in their teens and twenties? Is it the same as people who in their young adult life may have reveled in the debauchery of promiscuity, petty crime, and experimenting with crime or drugs, but as they get older know that it’s unbecoming of a full grown adult? In other words, are they admitting their guilt in some of the negativity that is being sent out in their messages? Or do they simply fear getting rusty in the public eye? Those artists showing no signs of fear would include LL Cool J, 35, who is preparing his eleventh album after nearly twenty years in the business. He shows no sign of falling off, and judging by his record sales, his fans seem to still appreciate his presence. Chuck D., 43, of the legendary group, Public Enemy, released an album a couple years ago, which showed him still at the top of his game. KRS-One, 42, arguably one of the best MC’s ever (today’s hottest rapper, 50 Cent agrees) is still capable of battling and defeating some of today’s hottest MC’s. Another legendary group, A Tribe Called Quest, all in their early thirties, are preparing a reunion album, and their fans seem to be eagerly awaiting its’ delivery. For those in the know, all of the previously mentioned artists don’t have an overly violent, misogynistic, or limiting style, therefore they are able to comfortably grow with the times and express themselves. Not to give homeboy a bad rap, but can you imagine 50 Cent at 40 years old rapping about who he just shot or plans to shoot. It just wouldn’t be consumable. So to all the up and coming rappers, don’t paint yourself into a corner with limiting subject matter […]

The Fifth Circuit, one of the most conservative federal courts, has the largest percentage of minorities of any federal circuit court in the country and has issued many extreme anti-civil rights rulings. The Fifth Circuit needs a judge who will have a moderating influence on the court and who will support vigorous enforcement of civil rights laws. Given Charles Pickering’s record of hostility to important civil rights issues, Pickering should be disqualified from elevation to any federal court of appeal. Pickering has shown remarkable sympathy for cross-burners. When presiding over a 1994 trial involving a cross burning in the yard of an interracial family, Judge Pickering aggressively promoted his views to prosecutors that the sentence for the one defendant who was convicted at trial was too severe, even though the law mandated it. In the end, he persuaded prosecutors to drop the charge that would have required the long sentence. Pickering has supported measures that have helped perpetuate voting discrimination against African-Americans. As a state senator in the 1970s, Pickering twice voted for a reapportionment plan that would increase the number of senators per district while diluting the voting strength of African Americans and other racial minorities. In 1993, Judge Pickering published an opinion questioning the "one-person-one vote" doctrine as "obtrusive." As a district court judge, Pickering has often made extraneous statements showing his disdain for plaintiffs in race discrimination suits. In cases such as Seeley v. City of Hattiesburg, and Johnson v. South Mississippi Home Health, Judge Pickering used identical language in both opinions, describing them as having "all the hallmarks of a case that is filed simply because an adverse employment decision was made in regard to a protected minority." Pickering has a history of anti-miscegenation positions. While in law school, Pickering supported the imposition of stronger criminal penalties for violating a ban on interracial marriage. In a three-page article for the University of Mississippi Law Review, he urged the legislature to pass a stronger law against the practice. Take Action Today – Tell Your Senators to Vote NO on Charles Pickering!

Hollywood has become the main objective of the American desire. It contains all of the ingredients necessary for a storybook lifestyle: money, fame, power, and the like. But, most recipes are never perfect. A pinch of this or a touch of that is usually the key to win over a hungry crowd. That extra ingredient, unfortunately, comes in the form of sex, drugs, alcohol, and parties. Anything done in moderation can be usually be counteracted by a healthy dose of consciousness. With each passing year, Hip-Hop is seemingly losing that grip on consciousness, and no one seems to notice the change that may be pertinent for our survival. Is the Hollywood imagination partly or wholly to blame for Hip-Hop’s lack of socialism? If you look past the fact that artists are starring in their own sitcoms, making cameo appearances and being the marquee act on the big screen, you can still smell the rich stench of Hollywood in the air. The Hip-Hop culture has infiltrated all of the major award shows, and Hollywood’s own can be seen mingling with top-notch Hip-Hop moguls. Hollywood is a direct representation of the escape from the average and normalcy that everyday living provides. Signing a “lucrative” contract with Hip-Hop’s most elite labels has come to signify the same thing. Let us briefly outline what it means for a struggling actor to finally make it to the theatres. It symbolizes a change in the status quo. When an actor is rewarded with an Academy award for his or her dedication to perfecting their craft, they are usually swarmed with offers of big money for future roles. They are allowed access to a world that never existed in their eyes before. The slow lane they once traveled in has turned into the Indianapolis 500. Jewelry designers allow them to flaunt their latest creations. Clothing designers flock to them to showcase the latest fashions they have to offer. Hairdressers allow thousands upon thousands of dollars to be thrown away to captivate the waiting audience. Limousines wait on them hand and foot, personal assistants sweat to make their lives as carefree as possible, and…well, you get the idea. What does it mean for an impoverished rapper to make it to radio stations worldwide? At the beginning stages of Hip-Hop, there was no such thing as “exposure.” Only true fans of the culture knew what was going on at that time. Fast forward from then to 2003. Hip-Hop has been elevated to the highest of highs. The same set of circumstances can be found when the struggling artist finally strikes gold, but there are some differences involved. The issue of street credibility instantly takes center stage. Fear of leaving the environment you once called “home” in pursuit of a dream also comes into question. Other than those sorts of differences, it all remains the same. We are in the “botox era” of Hip-Hop. More and more artists can be seen sporting mink coats, driving the fanciest of cars, dining at the most exclusive restaurants, and purchasing homes that would make Robin Leach proud. They are even purchasing companies and becoming viable businessmen in the entertainment industry. What has Hollywood done to contribute to the sudden influx of Hip-Hop artist wanting to live “the life?” There are many answers, yet some of them are not clear enough to be exposed. What is clear is when Hip-Hop became recognized as a conglomerate and not a voice is when the trouble began. Gone are the days that messages helped empower youth. The few artists that have maintained a sense of dignity and self-truth are seldom noticed, if ever. The worldly treasures that maintain the sanity of Hollywood actors have trickled on the necks and fingers of Hip-Hop artists. More than ever, Hip-Hop has received more radio and airplay through commercials and advertisements. Record labels got wind of the fact that they can market MCs better than TV can market the next $200 million blockbuster. It has gotten to the point where rap artists are even becoming romantically involved with Hollywood hotshots (Q-Tip and Nicole Kidman’s supposed relationship is the latest testament to this). In Hip-Hop’s humble beginnings, who would have thought all of this would be possible? Big recording budgets, arenas being overrun with thousands of adoring fans, jewelry that costs more than some houses, and wardrobes that resemble that of kings and queens. Lately, actors have cited the fact that Hip-Hop has taken away from their own luster, taking major roles from those who “deserve it.” Hip-Hop has become Hollywood’s twin, yet they are more like 5th or 6th cousins. The change that Hip-Hop has endured is irreversible, and the effects will be infinite. We may be right in the assumption that Hip-Hop is no longer Hip-Hop. “Holly-Hop” would be a more fitting description. Send us your feedback at editorial@allhiphop.com.

Dear Andre 3000, I always had a feeling that this day would come. I saw it coming ever since you and Big Boi dropped the ATLiens album. At The Source Awards back in 1995 when you told the unruly New York crowd “I’m tired of closed minded people”. When you had on the military jacket and a turban. I knew that the path that Outkast was blazing would one day be difficult to continue in the same capacity. Dre, I’ve become more and more disappointed but somewhat understanding of the recent quotes I’ve read regarding your disenchantment with hip hop. Of course, only you can decide what’s best for you and your career and I respect that. But there’s something that you have to understand, you’re not the only one that’s mad at hip-hop right now. There are fans all over the world that miss the passion and fun that once came with hip-hop. As a fan of Outkast, I’ve purchased every Outkast album and even the “Player’s Ball” single when it first came out. Outkast made me want to come to Atlanta to go to college. Simply stated Dre…HIP HOP NEEDS YOU! We need albums like Aquemini and Stankonia. I was at the Stankonia concert when it came to the Atlanta Fox Theatre and I was amazed at the mixture of fans Outkast has. I’m not just talking about white kids at a black concert. I mean there were older white men and women, thugs, fine girls, afro-centric types, rock dudes, white-collar dudes, etc. ALL AT AN OUTKAST SHOW… I don’t now if you’re serious about not touring to support the new Outkast album but that s### floored me. Out of all the hip-hop acts that I’ve seen perform, Outkast has one of the best live performances, period. Do you know that people lose there minds when you throw on the old Atlanta Braves Jacket and jeans and tear into songs from “Southernplayalistic…”? Remember how ya’ll rock it at the Fox Theatre when you guys were on the Lauren Hill Tour? Dawg, you have to know what Outkast means to hip-hop? I think it was XXL magazine that pose the question on whether Outkast was the greatest group of all time. I think you’re right up there with Run-DMC and EPMD. If you wanna pursue acting, go ahead and act my n####. If you want to play guitar, play it. Whatever you want to do, do it my n####, your fans understand. But don’t take the Player and the Poet away from us. We look forward to seeing what new sound and songs you’ll come up with. Every time ya’ll drop a new CD there’s nervous confidence that you’ll pull it off again. We can’t wait to see what your next outfit will look like (By the way the new look is hot). We can’t wait to hear what new nickname Big Boi will call himself. The world is still saying “So Fresh and So Clean Clean” because of you guys. Dre, believe me there’s nothing in hip-hop that is as special as Outkast right now. Oh yeah, what about the A-town? The ATL is popular because of Outkast in some respects. Yeah folks new about Atlanta before 1993 but you guys painted the picture of what true ATLiens were about. Flip flops and socks, Hootie Hoo, Cadillac’s, and so on. Remember when people were bootlegging the Stankonia album before it came out? N##### was bumping that “Mrs. Jackson” all over Atlanta and that s### wasn’t even out yet. Can’t you see Dre, n##### don’t get excited over music like that anymore. Not unless it’s Jay-z, Eminem (50 cent too), or the muthaf**king Outkast. That buzz over a certain artists is rare these days. Dre, you have a gift shawty. There are a lot of people, including other rappers that consider you to be one of the best MC’s in the game. N##### to this day are still trippin’ off of your last verse on “Elevators”. Southern MC’s are getting their much-needed respect because of Face, Cee-lo, and you. So, instead of bowing out why don’t you show these n##### how to put out a classic solo joint? Then you and Big Boi come back out with another banger. What about making a CD with about 30 or 40 songs on it? Just take the game to another level because that’s what the game needs right now. Now if you want to sing…I’ll even accept that but you got to understand that even though “The Love Below” is good, you’re better at rhyming. You singing, with all due respect, is like me trying to qualify for the 100 yard dash in the Olympics. No matter how much I want to do it, speed is just not the skill that I was blessed with. If you’re uninspired with hip-hop, then inspire us. If you’re bored then continue to entertain us. Lastly, my n#### Big Boi has been holding the group down for a minute. He’s been so understanding of your growth, as far as I can tell from his actions and statements. I think he knows that no matter how much success you two could have separately, you guys will always be better as a group. Plus, Big Boi is spitting so hard on the mic right now, that n#### has to be in his prime. This is the point in your careers where Outkast could be making the best hip-hop records ever heard. I read where Big Boi said he would even go out on tour by himself to push the album. C’mon Dre, don’t leave Big Boi out there like that. Bottom line, Dre don’t stop rapping. Please find a way to want to rap again. Please find balance in all things you’d like to explore in your career. And please let that balance include hip-hop. For comments email J. Hill at offthedomecolumn@yahoo.com. J. Hill is the Co-Publisher of Criticalmag.com. All opinions expressed in the “Off the Dome” […]

The debate comes up time and time again. Why vote? Nothing seems to matter, and politics are corrupt. Besides, our voices don’t make a difference anyway, right? Wrong. Our voices absolutely make a difference, and they are needed more than ever right now. Aside from the fact that people died during the Civil Rights Era to allow us the ability to vote, the situation in politics is so grave right now that I believe our immediate objective should be to remove and/or keep the worst-case scenarios from office, rather than focus on putting the best folks in. Ordinarily I would hold out and vote for the candidate that best reflects my beliefs. But in this instance, desperate times call for desperate measures. Conservatives vote, often as a unified force, and rarely is their collective voice as splintered as that of progressives. This lack of focus serves to weaken significant opposition to the conservative agenda. I believe that in this instance, we, as those seeking change, must adjust accordingly. Sure there are people who exist who closely echo the sentiments of many of us. But can they really win this time, given their inadequate funding and relatively low profiles? And can we afford to waste votes in this climate where we’ve seen the results of a worst-case scenario (Bush)? Like it or not, voters who embrace a moderate platform are needed to ensure the success of both the progressive and conservative agendas, respectively. And like it or not, the truth is that there are differences–major differences–between the main political parties (i.e. Supreme Court Nominations). Am I beholden to democrats? Absolutely not. But I’ll take them over republicans any day, as long as things exist the way they do. Read on. The fact that the media has [http://www.guerrillafunk.com/thoughts/doc1067.html] decidedly conservative bias is what tilts most in the middle towards conservatism. It’s easier for the average, no-opinion-having, non-reading American to parrot the Newspeak on everychannel USA then it is for them to do independent research and analyze information on their own. But given the state of the [http://www.guerrillafunk.com/general_info/economy9_26.html] economy and the fact that global war is being waged on people of color for [http://www.guerrillafunk.com/thoughts/doc2846.html ] profit, it’s necessary for us to develop our own strategies. The effectiveness of the agenda of the conservative political base has been their success in generating confusion and spreading misinformation, thereby making many of us so disillusioned with the system that we refuse to participate in it. We’ve come to believe that things will never really change no matter what we do. This belief often allows the very small percentage of people who vote to shape policies, and thus control the destinies of the larger collective. It’s all really quite easy for them to accomplish through the propaganda they release on outlets they manipulate. In fact, let’s dissect an example of this propaganda. Yesterday, a story ran showing that CNN Gallop polls say [http://www.guerrillafunk.com/general_info/arnie.html] Things Look Good for Schwarzenegger." The story ran all over the media–so much so, in fact, that it seemed as though the media had it’s own agenda. He was on every television news program and on the cover of every daily. View this in contrast to the coverage of Bush’s recent [http://www.guerrillafunk.com/general_info/admission.html] admission that there exists no concrete link between Saddam and 9/11, an obviously much more newsworthy story in light of the fact we’re killing–and being killed–on a daily basis in Iraq. What admission, you say? The one that was all but swept under the rug. The one that flies in the face of the administration’s objectives and official story up to this point. The one that was too much truth for the public, I guess… But back to the poll. Did they ask you any questions? No? They didn’t? Well guess what, they didn’t poll me either, or anyone I know. And where did they poll these mystery folks, and how many did they poll? Most of the polls are between 500 and 1000 people. This is significant because, at least as far as this instance is concerned, there are 37,000,000 people in California. These polls are definitely not representative of the entire voice of the state. Understand that the media can craft the desired results of these polls by selectively choosing their polling demographic – if they even conduct the poll at all (who knows?). For example, if I go into Oakland or Hunter’s Point in the San Francisco Bay Area and ask 1000 residents what the number one problem in their community is that they’d like to see addressed, it’d be safe to assume that black-on-black crime would be at the top of the list. But pose that same question to residents in Simi Valley, California and the answer would be completely different – probably something along the lines of complaints about property taxes or excessive real estate expansion. The more the media clouds the issues, the easier it is for conservatives (people who actually band together and vote) to shape policy. But why complain? Does it really do any good? Well, more often than not, it doesn’t. But voting does, if enough people do it. The problem is that we’ve effectively been led to believe that we can’t make a difference on an individual level. Of course, the media doesn’t help. They tell us that the electoral process is corrupt, and they rarely provide adequate and equal coverage of all of the candidates and their respective positions. So that leaves it up to us. The fact is, if more of us became involved, minor snafus in the system wouldn’t matter as much. But they matter greatly when candidates run neck-and-neck and the margin of error is as slim as it’s been in recent elections. Add to this the element of celebrity and the dynamic of everything changes completely. Conservatives like to say that although Americans have the right of free speech, celebrities should "keep their pie-holes shut," since they not only aren’t knowledgeable enough to be in politics, but […]

The death of Matthew Hall has been widely publicized lately by the media circuits here in New York and there have been numerous despicable assertions, which are trying tarnish his legacy. He was a good friend to me so please read this first if you will write a news article about him. If you are not planning to write one, I encourage you to because the media has been portraying Hiphop, the followers of Hiphop, and progressive elements (particularly the Zulu Nation) as negative influences to society in this incident. Matthew Hall is known as Optimus Rhyme in the underground Hiphop scene here in New York. As you may probably have heard, he was a member of the Zulu Nation founded by Afrika Bambaata. He was also a member of the amazing break dancing crew Motion Sickness. Although he performed poetry numerous times, he was more known in the New York open mic scene for his freestyles. As a matter of fact, he was 2nd runner-up on the freestyle competition at the first ever Hip-Hop Summit of Russell Simmons when it was held at Riverside Church, Manhattan. Recently, the NYPD has been implicating his Zulu brethrens as his shooter. The Zulu Nation is a movement that promotes peace, equality, spirituality and justice and in no way did advocate violence or racism which the media has been implying. I have talked with his Zulu brothers and they have informed me about the disgusting strategies the NYPD has been imposing on them such as coercing them to give false testimonies. His Zulu brothers are greatly devastated and are mentally and emotionally tortured because aside from Matt’s departure, they have now become suspects (because they would not oblige to the demands of NYPD like lying). Although I am not a Zulu, I can personally attest that it was not a Zulu who was behind Matt’s death—Matt was even wearing an “I LOVE ZULU” shirt when he was shot. The NY Post particularly has been spreading atrocious lies suggesting that Matt provoked a physical altercation that led to the shooting. But anybody and I mean ANYBODY THAT KNEW MATT knows that he would not instigate such incident. In my years of knowing him, I have never even seen him close to getting mad even during the time when he was harassed by security personnel at Hunter College when he organized a free show. Matt was also politically active. He was involved with the political organizations Refuse and Resist (www.refuseandresist.org) and Not in Our Name (www.notinourname.net). He was a strong advocate for the liberation of Palestine and the elimination of the oppressive social system. Matt played critical roles on the October 6, 2002 rally in Central Park (which was attended by 30,000 people), November 20, 2002 student walk out converging at Union Square and the February 15, 2003 rally in New York City where conservative estimates was at 500,000 but perhaps had 2 million people. He lived what he preached. In my recent visit to his building after he passed away, a worker in his building showed me a book by Gore Vidal Matt gave him to clarify the worker’s disillusioned thoughts on American politics. Events have been organized to commemorate his legacy. On Tuesday, September 30, students of Hunter College are having a memorial (6pm @ Room 105 Thomas Hunter Bldg.). October 7, Guerilla Words (a monthly open mic which Optimus used to help promote, 213 2nd Ave corner 13th St.-8pm) will dedicate the October open mic to Optimus Rhyme. Cajo Communications is organizing a October 29th show with numerous artists (Immortal Technique, C-Rayz Walz, L.I.F.E. Long, Oktober and possibly dead prez to name a few) at Lion’s Den (214 Sullivan St.) for him. Act Your Rage, a defunct monthly open mic Optimus hosted twice (he hosted the last one), will be revived to be held outdoors but specific information are not yet available. 99.5 Pacifica Radio and End of the Weak’s radio show gave tribute to Optimus. Once again, the NYPD has shown incompetence and impatience to the point that they are ruining the lives of Matthew’s friends. Once again, corporate media’s thirst for profit (by writing burlesque articles to draw readers and viewers) is damaging an innocent man’s name. To describe Matt is beyond adjectives so I guess when people ask me to describe him; I always have a hard time to. To name a few descriptions fitting to him, he was definitely smart (reflected by his GPA) he was definitely caring (proven by his works) and he was definitely responsible (balancing his studies and school activities, work, healthy social life and political involvement). I am not just saying this because he passed away; I am saying this because it is the truth. On behalf of the mourners of Matt who wish the truth to be known, thank you for reading this letter.

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? This is the question faced by the current hip hop artist. As defined by Cheryl L. Keyes, the author of the book Rap Music and Street Consciousness, "Hip Hop is an urban youth arts movement comprised of graffiti, emceeing, disc jockeying, and breakdancing; a street attitude displayed through gestures, stylized dress, and language" (1). Hip hop was originally birthed in the Bronx during the early 70’s to stop gang violence. Afrika Bambaataa, deemed the "godfather of hip hop," was the first to set up artistic battles as an alternative to violent disputes. Bambaataa himself was a Black S#### Gangster, yet he did this all for the benefit of the community. Even though there were pushers and thugs present at the hip hop park jams, it was all about positivity and having fun. Today the hip hop scene is almost the complete opposite. Artists are claiming to be thugs and gangsters; disrespecting women, glorifying violence, and promoting drug use in their lyrics and videos. This trend has led to too much media glamorization of thugs and gangsters in hip hop music. When someone is known to listen to hip hop, the average "adult" assumes the person listens to the mainstream thug artists. Most people do not realize there is another type of hip hop available that does not get media attention. A kind of hip hop where the rappers do not pretend to be thugs. Where the rappers recite rhymes intelligently and make you think about what they are saying. This kind of hip hop is unknown to most people. Instead the thug image has been ingrained into people’s minds as to what people believe hip hop is. According to the International Recording Industry hip hop is the fastest rising music market. In addition to that the Recording Industry Association of America already ranks hip hop as the second most popular form of music. Given these statistics there is no doubt that hip hop is big a part of American culture. However the thug image is not hip hop. In a recent Internet interview, DJ Lord Ron a respected DJ and producer, discredits the thug image in hip hop. "Where is the validation in being a hooligan, a gangster, a mugger?..It’z a wack validation because REAL thugs move in silence and any real street person who represents being from the streets respects that code of silence na mean. Now, when I see or hear these artists claiming to be thugs. I see nothing but followers of a trend just for the dollar bill na mean. I even heard the bubble gum group ‘B2k’ use the word ‘Thug’… Do you really think these artists are real thugs?…A person can be anything they want to be in this society and to blame others for your actions of being this thug is straight up wack yo!… America is in love with violence & sex it does sell but there are many other topics that these rappers can write about." DJ Lord Ron starts out by saying that real thugs do not go out and boast about the things they do. The real thugs keep it in the street. For a real thug to go on an album and boast about the things they have done would basically serve as a confession and would lead to them going to jail. Lord Ron states that the "thug" image is being followed because it is the current trend; it is what is selling. The people who are buying into the thug image do not realize the motives behind these artists is strictly money. The consumers buy into the thug image as reality. The people who listen to that music begin to think that it is acceptable to do the things that are being talked about in the songs. Listening to constant talk about violence and drugs does affect people. Here is an example of what these people are listening to. The following lyrics are from one of the more popular rappers Eminem, from his song "Killing" from the Marshall Mathers LP, You f###### keep eggin me on til I have you at knifepoint, then you beg me to stop? Shut up! Give me your hands and feet I said shut up when I’m talkin to you You hear me? Answer Me? Or I’ma kill you! This violent excerpt is just one of the many examples from Eminem. Eminem clearly relies on shock value to get attention. Another popular "thug rapper" is 50 Cent, here is the chorus to his hit song "In Da Club". You can find me in the club bottle full of bub. Look mami I got the X if you into taking drugs I’m into having sex, I aint into makin love. So come give me a hug if you into getting rubbed. This song talks about taking drugs and having sex as everyday things. Kids are going around singing this chorus as casually as if they were singing the alphabet. 50 Cent is what is wrong with hip hop today, almost like a microcosm of what’s wrong with what the general public see as hip hop today. 50 Cent started off as a reasonably talented lyricist. Then he got shot. This provided the media with a marketing spark and had him touted as the next Tupac. Now it is almost impossible to watch music television without seeing 50 Cent promoted in some way. Rappers such as Eminem and 50 Cent have taken a firm control over mainstream hip hop. However, some hip hop artists are doing what they can to make a positive difference. One example is the group Blackalicious, which consists of members Gift of Gab and Chief Excel. Gift of Gab addresses the thug scene in the following excerpt from the song "Shallow Days". But music does reflect life and kids look up to what you’re portraying and mimic what you act like. Its time for […]