Ok, I don’t know how many of you are sick of people trying to destroy our culture and/or the feelings within the hip-hop community. But the one thing I can’t stand is when someone who doesn’t understand, know or want to know what the culture is about, spews ignorant statements towards a positive group of people without knowing what it is he/she is talking about! For many of you in the New York area, you may know of ‘pink lips’ Stanley Crouch, who writes for the Daily News. Now, for years I have noticed that he is perceived to be the ‘voice’ of Blacks as far as the mainstream white media is concerned and probably the only reason he keeps his job is because of the constant and ignorant attacks he places on the Black community. I guess the Daily News feels like if one of them wrote some of the things that ‘Pink Lips’ writes, they would be crucified by the Black community so why not let one of our own do the lynching for them! The title of his column on Monday, September 8, 2003, is “Rappers Kill Themselves and Culture.” Of course this catches my eyes and since I have a very low opinion on this ‘writer’, I go to see exactly what ignorance he is ready to spit! Of course, he didn’t disappoint me! Please, if you can, go read this article off the Daily News site (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/col/story/115822p-104320c.html), especially if you are not in the New York area. For starters, he makes reference to another rap war going on because of the murder of Murder, Inc. associate, D.O. Cannon. Here’s what he wrote: ‘There are those who will see the murder last week of the rapper known as D.O. Cannon as something about which we can say little other than, “There they go again.” The victim, a largely unknown figure who worked for the Murder Inc. label, went down before achieving any kind of notoriety. He is now no more than an indication of another rap war.’ First off, because a rapper or a person associated with rap is slain, beaten up or robbed, doesn’t mean there is a rap war. If that’s the case, then anytime a Black man is robbed by a person of another race, then that means there is a race war going on. Sounds stupid, right? Why is it that someone who is on the ‘outside’ of things, KNOW what is going on and KNOW how to report it? Just because a Black man writes about something Black-related, doesn’t mean he knows what he is talking about! ‘But it seems to me that we should do more than expect rappers to now and again bump each other off. We should better understand what they have brought into the world of popular entertainment.’ Ok, ignorance at it’s best! So you mean to tell me that rappers started killing each other off before others started killing each other? Does this mean when people of other races, cultures or other genres of music kill another, it’s because rappers were the first to do it? ‘Perhaps the grandest irony is that there is absolutely no violence at all in the place from which the thugs of gangster rap get their ideas, their philosophy. Their so-called gangster esthetic comes straight out of Hollywood, particularly Ernest Dickerson’s film “Juice,” which starred Tupac Shakur as a neighborhood menace who modeled himself on the psychopath portrayed by James Cagney in “White Heat.” Films such as “The Godfather” and “Scarface” are treated as training films for living the treacherous, gaudy life of a criminal. Michael Corleone is something akin to a folk hero, fictional though he might be.’ OK, let’s back track here! There is absolutely no violence at all from where the rappers get their ideas! Where did this man grow up? His parents did a tremendous job of keeping all the bad news from him. There was never any violence until rappers started spitting words, right? So, the Godfather, Scarface and Goodfellas were not based on the dealings of the Mafioso back in the days? Al Capone was a fictional character, as was John Gotti? And there was no violence in rap or the world at all until “Juice” came out, right? ‘When these ignorant knuckleheads with gold teeth are visited at their mansions on “MTV Cribs,” their “art works” are almost always movie posters for gangster films!’ Oh, so that means there are no white kids in all of America that doesn’t have movie posters from their favorite movies? That didn’t start until Hip-Hop became a ‘fad’, right? And where does Stanley Crouch get the nerve or the right to label these human beings, ignorant knuckleheads? I bet if these same ‘knuckleheads were white; he would never used those terms in the publication he writes for! And another thing, besides maybe Juvenile, how many rappers actually have gold teeth anymore? And the last I checked, that gold teeth fad started when he was young and his generation was full of pimps and drug dealers! ‘That they have terrible taste and are inarticulate clowns of one sort or another does not make them that different from most of the people in popular music. What does make them different is that their lives are often on the line. The putting each other down that was once considered a lot fun when rap was young can actually amount to a battle cry.’ How many rappers lives are on the line that wasn’t on the line before they entered rap? And on the flip side, how many rappers lives are on the line? The rappers I see when I go out always look happy and enjoying life! And putting each other down is called battling and it’s been at the forefront of hip-hop since the inception! That is what MADE hip-hop (outside of the artistry) in the early days. Crews battling each other and at the end of the day, that […]

“dead prez means dead the fu**ing president” This ominous message greets visitors that venture to socially conscious hip-hop artist Dead Prez (DP)’s official web site. However, with all forms of music it takes more than strong statements to entice listeners to hear the message being conveyed. But after moving 400,000 units of their debut album Let’s Get Free with little promotional support from their label, DP’s commercial viability is not in question. Their follow-up RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta received an impressive 4.5 mic rating from the The Source. So why is DP searching for a new label after being dropped by Sony/Columbia Records? Well, the official reason given was Sony executives felt that the album would not be a commercial success. This is a very simple explanation that covers up a much more sinister logic. It could be argued that they were dropped or censored due to the strong political stances that they took in their music, which in turn could alienate customers and would make reaching sales goals a little more difficult. Which raises the uncomfortable conundrum of whether politics has a role in hip-hop today. Ever since Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message” gave vivid imagery of life in the inner city, the potential of a syncretic mix of hip-hop and politics has existed. With groundbreaking groups such as Public Enemy and Brand Nubian bringing a Black Power aesthetic to the masses, it seemed that politics would play an integral part for years to come. But then, for lack of better words, hip-hop completely blew up. It now stands as a billion dollar industry and outsells all genres of music save for Rock. While this has afforded those involved with hip-hop unprecedented opportunities in terms of endorsements, film, etc., it has taken the music that so many love, and made it into a product that is sold and exploited by large corporate record companies that have little interest in the music itself. With corporate involvement in the music, a dichotomy has developed in terms of where politics can be successfully applied. By success I mean reaching the intended audience and producing tangible results. When trying to ascertain the role of politics in hip-hop, it must be viewed from two different perspectives, political and musical. In the political arena hip-hop has quickly made its presence and power felt. It is in the more important and far-reaching musical arena that there has been a disturbingly diminishing role for politics as hip-hop’s popularity has increased. A Sleeping Nation Has Been Awoken The explosion of hip-hop’s popularity has made many politicians aware of the voting power that the young hip-hop nation wields. To protect the interests of the hip-hop nation in light of the increased attention being bestowed upon it, hundreds of organizations such as Russell Simmons’ pioneering Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HHSAN) have been formed. What these organizations have done in a short period of time has shown the positive results of combining hip-hop and politics. With assistance from hip-hop artists such as Jay-Z, P. Diddy, and LL Cool J, the HHSAN has held rallies that have raised awareness and protested issues ranging from the outdated Rockefeller Drug Laws to NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed school budget cuts. This garnered the organization nationwide recognition, but more importantly has shown the ability of the hip-hop nation to throw their weight around in the political arena. Other notable political mobilizations included the numerous Million Youth Marches that were held in places such as Harlem, and reached as far as Italy. The march in Harlem took place despite the voluminous amount of attempts by former mayor Rudy Giuliani to prevent it from happening. Even more indicative of the growing influence of hip-hop in the political arena is the election of Kwame Kilpatrick as mayor of Detroit. The self-proclaimed “Hip-Hop Mayor” was instrumental in bringing this year’s Hip-Hop summit to Detroit drawing over 17,000 attendees with participation from Eminem and Nas. With the musical genre becoming so influential and its brightest stars becoming so well known, gaining media attention and support from politicians has become increasingly less difficult. With more and more breakthroughs taking place, hip-hop’s influence should increase exponentially in the near future and its constituents will have an opportunity to really shape many of the policies that impact our everyday lives. Politics Doesn’t Sell Records The musical arena has not yielded such awe-inspiring results. This can be attributed to the business mindset of those that have discretion in what gets put into stores and played on the radio. With so much money being spent on nurturing and developing talented and profitable entities, the focus has shifted dramatically away from lyrical content, as evidenced by Dead Prez’s current situation. Large record companies have made it clear that if they do not see an act achieving a certain threshold in terms of record sales (usually gold (500,000 copies) or platinum (1 million)), they will not release the album regardless of the musical quality of the product. Likewise, radio stations have concurred by only playing music by artists who already have very large followings and are considered very popular. In addition to music, many record companies have realized that they are selling a lifestyle to the record-purchasing public. With much of the youth aspiring to drive high-end automobiles as opposed to proselytizing others to important social issues, record companies are simply following the age-old mantra “Give The Customer What They Want.” Even artists such as Talib Kweli or Mos Def, who do make songs addressing social ills, have found success and received radioplay from tracks that do not focus on political or social issues for the most part. This erects huge barriers in front of artists who are trying to get a political message heard by hip-hop consumers. Although nothing can be taken away from political hip-hop organizations, their influence does not have the same wide-reaching potential as a song that is played on radio stations across the nation. Even though Nas’s “I Can” made […]

I have never been moved to write to your site before – but having read this open letter I felt the urge. I am a Hip-Hop fan also and have been listening to the music for about as long as you. I can remember when beats DIDN’T all sound the same, when there wasn’t an East coast, West coast or Dirty South sound (in fact there wasn’t even a “dirty” south). I remember when lyrics counted for something and skills were the most prized part of the art from – whether on the mic or decks. I really got into Gang Starr with the album Daily Operation and Primo’s ability to hook up classic, jazz, soul and funk breaks is unique and I would say even true genius. But as Van Gogh learned in his lifetime – genius doesn’t necessarily pay the bills. It could be argued that Dre and Primo are the two greatest hip-hop producers of all time – but their respective places in the mainstream and today’s hip-hop fan base is reflected by their different directions. Primo’s position definitely doesn’t make me think he’s in it for anything other than the art! While in your article you argue that primo shouldn’t make beats for Limp Bizkit you don’t mention major and arguably mainstream artists like Biggie(RIP) and Jay –Z, who Primo has both laced with his tracks. Both of these artists, no matter how legendary, can both be offered up as contributing to the decline of hip-hop into the current “cancerous, empty, and in a state of lifelessness” you describe. Many of their verses read like department store shopping lists, but maybe at the fear of being labeled a “hater” you decided not to include them. Funnily enough I [enjoy] both of these artists but the point I’m making is that an artist like Jeru – who I agree, fits primo beats like a hand in a glove – doesn’t sell units and consequently in order to even continue making records with artists like that, a producer needs to pay bills with artists who can sell. The way you describe the industry it’s like you are blissfully unaware that it is an industry – there’s big money at stake – hip-hop is arguably the music version of Hollywood – and we can see how many deep and meaningful films with artistic integrity come out of there! The masses don’t want integrity (and the majors definitely don’t want to give it to them) – they want cheap thrills and spills – guns, sex, drugs – hip-hop provides all these in abundance – it’s just that we’re missing the Spike Lee or Cohen Brothers are even Woody Allen type films, if you like, in hip-hop – because that’s where artists like Jeru fit – they are, were and always will be on the edge and there is a place for them in my mind – but not in the industry’s. Primo has stuck with Guru – so in many ways you defeat your own argument – as you said guru’s albums have not set the world alight (though his Jazzmatazz tours have brought in cash) but primo remains loyal – but you can’t do that with everyone! Primo’s been lacing MOP – another uncompromisingly underground act no matter how Dame Dash tries to clean ’em up with plastic beats, so I don’t think primo aint been staying true. But label A&R’s make deals – not artists. They decide who laces the tracks so maybe you should be urging artists and producers not to sign to labels and just seek each other out – so they have the freedom to work with who the choose – one problem you wouldn’t probably hear their music. Labels are the outlets and it’s the deals they have with radio that determine what listeners hear in the first place. The Rakim situation at Aftermath says it all, Rakim – the god left (dropped, or a mutual decision? – outcome is the same), from what I heard he got tracks from Primo and Interscope wasn’t so happy with that direction. Reading between the lines money-maker Dre and the company and the rest were trying to gangstafy Ra – or club him out – Ra is just Ra – but in the ECONOMIC str8jacket that is today’s hip-hop, just being Ra ain’t happening. If Primo was the way you describe him he’d be Dre – “respected” by all – making beats for 14-year-olds who thinking shooting “n#####” is cool! One last point – something you seem to have missed is that all these artists are real people! They are not their images, they are real – no matter what they do in public. By real I don’t mean “thugs” are “street” I mean flesh and blood – breathing, eating shi**ing – like us all. That means they fall out – like us all, they grow together and apart – like us all. The fact Jeru and primo don’t work together might be something hip-hop fans like you and I can’t feel but people can’t always get on even for the sake of big cash – let alone the sake of art! Because believe, if labels thought Jeru and Primo would make millions they’d be trying to get them together. As for Meth and the likelihood of him getting into a shiny suit – who gives a f**k – you want to listen to real hip-hop turn off the radio and listen to joints up to 1996 after that forget about it! We all need to come to terms with the fact that we loved has changed beyond recognition – I mean rappers weren’t even talking about platinum b4 – even if they sold a million records – Dre and cube used to diss the radio – Sam Cooke said “a change gonna come” – I guess it did! By the way the letter was still kinda dope – or I wouldn’t have written this! -Yinka

An Open Letter To DJ Premier As a fan of Hip-Hop for the better part of 15 years, I feel as if I have some say-so in how this art form should be portrayed. I feel that image has become grossly overrated, monotony has taken the place of artistry, and the voice of reason has become the voice of advertisement. Hip-Hop is a sacred ground of beats, rhymes and life, and only a few have been bold enough to keep this precious gem pristine and as pure as it was meant to be. In my opinion, no one has detained the true essence of Hip-Hop better than DJ Premier. When it comes to the art of production, Premo, you are the blueprint. For over a decade, you have laced the ears of fans nationwide with a plethora of beats and sounds that are simply legendary. Seemingly, you have music flooding your veins, using the simplest of ingredients to create magnificent confections with an aroma so rich, the speakers on our CD players awaken our senses. You have been exceptional to this game, and Hip-Hop owes you a debt of gratitude a million times over. But, I must take issue with some of the things I’ve seen take place over this decade that you have graced Hip-Hop. While you may be the greatest producer this game has ever seen, some of the wrong people have been blessing your tracks. The Gang Starr Foundation- which consisted of Guru, Jeru The Damaja, Big Shug, Group Home, and you- are arguably the greatest collective of talent Hip-Hop will ever see. You were the “Dream Team” before the 1992 Olympic Basketball team was ever assembled. The possibilities were endless, and a hostile takeover was definitely in the making. But, this “Friendship –vs.- B.I.” nonsense came into play and the ship mysteriously sunk. Why? A crucial part of business is keeping the business together. Did you miss that part of the scenario or what? I read an interview you conducted sometime ago, and according to you, you met up with Jeru at the funeral of one of our fallen comrades, Headquarterz. In reading the interview, I noticed that Jeru offered to let bygones be bygones, and come together once more to pick-up where you guys tragically left off. Nothing ever happened! There have been many MCs to bless some of your greatest beats, but no one can ride a Premo beat better than Jeru The Damaja. Guru? Nope. Bumpy Knucks? I love him dearly, but he can’t hold a candle to Jeru. M.O.P.? Close, but not quite. Big Shug? Forget about it. Group Home? I’m afraid not. Afu-Ra? He is Jeru’s clone, and nothing beats the original. You and Jeru made some beautiful music together. With you behind the boards, Jeru’s first album is a bona fide classic, and maybe he isn’t capable of making a more perfect debut. You have helped make Guru a household name in Hip-Hop, and without you, I don’t think he can succeed (see his Jazzmatazz series and other solo ventures as a point of reference). Before you give Limp Bizkit another hypnotizing track to ruin with garbage lyrics, please go to Brooklyn and find Jeru. Both of you need each other, and Hip-Hop needs the both of you right now. Premo, you are my favorite producer, and you have probably influenced this Hip-Hop community more than any other beat maker. There are some MCs in the game today that can use your services and get their career back on track. As much as I love Canibus as a lyricist, his beat selection has slowly killed his career. I want you do all of Canibus’s fans a favor and take him under your wing. He needs you as much as Guru ever did, and maybe even more. Method Man has decided to go the pop route, working with P-Diddy and the Bad Boy camp. It is a disgrace that you have not kept Method Man on the right side of Hip-Hop more often, so please hit this man on the 2-way before he starts wearing shiny suits! Another beautiful piece of art can be had if you were the first person in line to get at Ras Kass when he comes home from prison. Ras Kass may be the most under appreciated rapper of this millennium, and he needs to bring some heat to the table and get his name where it should have been a long time ago. Chino XL is really in dire need of your services, and maybe you can use some of his as well. It is impossible for Chino to write a wack rhyme, and the same goes for the beats where you are concerned. Please do Hip-Hop a favor and make that magic happen! Lastly, as one of your biggest promoters, on behalf of the entire community of Hip-Hop, I ask that you please do whatever you have to do to produce Rakim’s album. Dr. Dre seriously dropped the ball with Ra, and there is no other producer on God’s green earth that can compliment his wordplay like you could. Many fans refuse to see Hip-Hop has become cancerous, empty, and in a state of lifelessness. Pioneers such as you can help pump the aura and life-blood back into the veins of Hip-Hop that is necessary to resurrect it. I challenge you to step up and be counted amongst the true legends of their respective professions. I challenge you to find one single untruth in my attempt to reach out to you. Finally, I challenge you to continue to bring forth the sounds that give us all an outlet to imagine being where most rappers need to be. Preem, holla at editorial@allhiphop.com! **Note to the readers: This is no way an attempt to berate or belittle DJ Premier, and the opinions of the writer are not necessarily those of Allhiphop.com**

“Can’t I live my life/ without ’em treatin’ every brother like me, like I’m holdin’ a knife?” – Public Enemy, “War at 33 and 1/3” The other evening I was scouring the Internet looking for quotes to inspire my son for his judo class. I came across a very cool Eastern tale I want to share with you. Lieh-Tzu wrote: “A man found that his axe was missing, and suspected his neighbor’s son of having taken it. Observing the youth walking around, the man was convinced that his was the walk of a thief. The youth looked like a thief and talked like a thief; everything he did pointed to his having stolen the axe. Then one day the man happened to find his missing axe. After that, he noticed his neighbor’s son wasn’t behaving like a thief anymore.” Immediately my mind sunk into my life’s journey. I remembered all the times I’d been fingered in department stores, or watched old white ladies who, when seeing me coming down the street, clutched their purses and crossed before the intersection. I also revisited the times white men checked to make sure their wallets were still on them, eyeing me as we stepped out of a crowded elevator. Once my friends and I flagged a cop car down because we had a flat tire, only to be accused of being participants in a drive by. After we were humiliated and made to stand on the corner in a blinding spotlight, one of the victims told them it wasn’t us (surprise!!!!). They then left us stranded with no help for the flat tire, no tow truck — just the cold Bay wind, and a quarter to call whomever we wanted. We had the quarter before we flagged them down. For all intents and purposes the Black man in America is seen as a beast. It is a myth originally created by slave owners of our ancestors to justify their heinous crime. It was again used during the civil rights movement under the guise that black men only wanted rights to sleep with white women. Every generation of Black people deals with it on some level. The males feel the brunt of it, but the sisters suffer too. Their “beastly nature,” by most accounts, is one of a sexual nature. I remember as a young teen my dad would tell me how, as a young Black male, my image to the police would change. He said if I ever got pulled over with my friends to “Keep your hands on the wheel, speak slowly and clearly. You are older now and things change a bit.” He never told me officially, but now I realize that was my first day of training on how to react to those who only know me as “the beast.” Talib Kweli illustrates a thing all Black fathers must teach their sons at some time. In a song entitled “The Proud,” he states: They make the guns easy to get and try to keep n##### dumb Target the gangs and graffiti with the Prop 21 I already know the deal but what the f### do I tell my son? I want him livin’ right, livin’ good, respect the rules He’s five years old and he still thinkin’ cops is cool How do I break the news that when he gets some size He’ll be perceived as a threat or see the fear in they eyes It’s in they job description to terminate the threat So 41 shots to the body is what he can expect Words this real have never been spoken on wax. Unfortunately, as a young Black male, I have had a member of the San Francisco Police Department put the barrel of his gun to my eye socket for something for which you can’t even get a ticket. It is the burden of Black males to know how and when to react to those who see us as beasts. In the case of the police, it may be by not making a move too soon. Sometimes it is simply by smiling or making eye contact with the couple coming toward you. Other times, it’s in your dress code. I cannot tell you how many times, when I’m sporting a suit and tie and maybe a charcoal gray trench coat, that I have noticed how white people seem to perceive me differently, say, in department stores (or indifferently, meaning they don’t follow me suspiciously). But let me wear my khakis and a sleeveless t-shirt and some work boots. My athletic shoulders reveal tattoos. My head is shaven. As soon as my 6 ft. frame enters the store, the mall, or the elevator white people scatter like roaches. The funny thing is that sometimes you can forget you are their beast. That’s when it hurts the most. Stepping into an elevator and watching people scamper out you look around like: What is going on? Where is the crook? Only to realize when the steel doors close that the hazy reflection reveals the crook – They think it’s you. The interesting thing is that among Black males, we often do try to be the beast white people think we are. We stare one another down, we mean mug and ice grill people we’ve never met as if we hate them. I caught myself doing this a few weeks ago. I was in Oakland, near the Coliseum. I started looking around at the broken street signs and decaying roads. I saw lifeless eyes in the car next to me. Other eyes looked at me as if I were prey. In self-defense, I threw in Dr. Dre’s “Chronic Album,” playing the song “The Day the N##### Took Over.” I opened my window. I turned it up louder, thinking that, if people could hear the music I was playing, they might think I lived like that, and they would fear me. I felt the need to be feared. That’s so hard for a […]

The emergence of Hip Hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons as an establishment-endorsed political leader of the new generation of Blacks gives me pause. Being a member of this new generation, I think this should be put on the table for discussion. Why have mainstream media’s political pundits given Russell Simmons an open mic? He’s a guest on Charlie Rose; he’s become a constant feature in the New York Times, Newsweek Magazine and many other newspapers and magazine across the country. Hailed as among the one hundred most influential African Americans by Crain Magazine, can helicopter to Albany for private meetings with New York Governor George Pataki on the Rockefeller drug laws. He has organized fundraisers for senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer, works closely with former HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo, teams up with democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton to register new voters, and dines with Shimon Peres, Israel’s former Prime Minister discussing a possible Middle East youth summit. Either the king makers have peeped Simmons’ ability to use his influence over urban youth as leverage in his business and political ventures and they want to control him, or the severity of the US economic recession deems it time to send in the clowns. Russell Simmons and his Hip Hop Summit Action Network have orchestrated several very high profile, massive political rallies in New York City, using his connections in the entertainment industry to get mega-stars like P. Diddy, Mariah Carey, 50 cent, LL Cool J, Jay Z and Alicia Keys to attend and draw thousands of Black youth. But it was painfully clear that the majority of youth in attendance were more interested in getting a glimpse of their favorite rap artist than in the city budget cuts in education or draconian drug sentencing laws that send many of our peers to prison for decades. Simmons and his star-studded entourage put on a good show but have yet to present a clear political program of action and vision for Black people. Black youth have a tremendous amount of unused political power. Young people represent the most revolutionary force in all movements for social justice around the world. We have the energy and tenacity to fundamentally change our conditions, and we have nothing to lose. That’s why leadership is so important. Black youth in the United States are under attack from all quarters. Police brutality, failing schools, mass unemployment, foster care, inadequate health care, and the exploitation of a criminal justice system by large scale corporations all simultaneously attack us in order to break our natural spirits of resistance. But the most pervasive and unrelenting attack against us has been conducted by the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry with its overt and covert manipulation of Black Hip Hop culture. Culture is a weapon. Like a double-edged sword, culture can be wielded in the interest of oppressed people to further our struggle for self-determinations or in the interest of our oppressors to keep us enslaved. Originally, Hip Hop was a source of strength in our community. Created by young grassroots people on the streets, it defied the status quo. From seemingly nothing, no money, no musical instruments, no multi-national conglomerates or political connections, it emerged as an international cultural force. Hip Hop exemplified our peoples innate creativity, social consciousness, and self-determination. It was our voice of resistance. Now that Hip Hop is totally controlled by giant international corporations, "artists" promoted by industry and media executives, including Russell Simmons, reflect a superficial petty criminality and a vulgar individualistic materialism that erodes our collective struggle. The systematic degradation of Hip Hop is an example of the use of our culture to further the interests of our oppressors — the wrong side of the double-edged sword. Russell Simmons’ Hip Hop cultural credentials are key to his ability to influence this "new generation" on political and economic issues. The phenomenal rise of Def Jam Records in the 1980’s with groups like Public Enemy and RUN DMC made Simmons and his partners Lyor Cohen (son of Israeli immigrants) and Rick Ruben very wealthy. In 1999 they sold Def Jam to Seagrams Universal Music Group for $130 million. Universal was subsequently acquired by Vivendi to form the international entertainment behemoth Vivendi Universal. Lyor Cohen was named Chairman and CEO of the Island Def Jam Music Group and Simmons named Chairman of the Def Jam Records division. The brash B-boys that burst on the music scene are now corporate executives towing the company line. In an effort to ignite young people to social action, many Black grassroots community leaders have reached out to Hip Hop artists and impresarios for assistance. Sometimes these efforts are fruitful and solid relationships are forged based on mutual respect and in the interest of our collective struggle. Hip Hop maverick Tupac Shakur had intimate ties to respected political leaders like Dr. Mutulu Shakur and was a living example of a successful cultural / political link. Tupac was the co-founder of The Code Foundation, a youth organization involved in the current struggles against racism, police brutality, and drug abuse, human rights and reparations. His untimely and unresolved murder is a reflection of the work that needs to be done to make our generation aware of our collective political power and the power of our culture as a mechanism to spark the fire. Individual artists with consciousness like Chuck D, Mos Def, Common, Dead Prez, and others have also forged links with grassroots leaders and committed their creative skills to our collective struggle against oppression.. But when grassroots political activists reach out to Russell Simmons there is a recurring disappointment. When organizers of the Millions for Reparations Rally in Washington DC met with Simmons, after going through an obstacle course of handlers, Simmons said "Wait till next year, I’ll do it and I even let you all speak." Rally organizers declined and decided to do it the hard way, without the superstars, media access, and strings attached. Simmons also launched a special "reparations" sneaker brand in his clothing […]

Forget Michael Jackson–the face of hip-hop has changed more dramatically within the last three years than MJ’s reconstructed front piece has in the last three decades. And kinda like Mike, the change hasn’t been all for the better. Once upon a time, the only thing a Black kid from the ‘hood was able to successfully produce was a nervous flutter of locked doors and clutched purses. Now that the absorption of hip-hop culture into the pulp mainstream has made Blackness a marketing goldmine, and the lucrative franchise has upped America’s tolerance of Black people, record companies work at break-neck pace to sustain a fresh lineup of ghetto superstars. And everything hip-hop touches turns to platinum. Our music has no doubt become one of corporate America’s most profitable commodities and industry pimps, who come as close to South Compton or South Jamaica as Wayne Brady does to being a soul brother, have been eating well off of their assembly-line production of hip-hop hits. Factor in the pop-locking passengers in car commercials, the beat-boxing restaurant spokesmen and the hip-hopping kangaroo movie and it’s quite evident that our music, our slang and our trends are being manipulated to everyone’s financial glory but our own. What may seem like a sudden invasion on hip-hop culture, however, is really just a part of the same long-standing agenda to retain control of all things economically profitable that has actualized industry and politics in this country. And since African people have traditionally been the victims of America’s commercial and cultural exploitation, it’s only logical then that hip-hop become the next target in that sequence of legal robberies. With expressions of race pride and concern for the global struggle of African people harder to find than a Black girl in a Fabulous video, it seems like only a small minority of artists and consumers are conscious of the subtle agenda to send hip-hop the way of rock and jazz. The present state of hip-hop weighs heavily on the shoulders of the proud mothers and fathers who passed to us a divine inheritance of artistic and intellectual genius. But take heart hip-hop, there is hope. The liberation of the art form–and ultimately the people who create, support and adore it–lies in a throwback to rap’s real roots and a reconnection with the West African elements that designed the music and the culture in the first place. If we openly acknowledge and embrace where we came from, we can challenge the temptation to sell out that heritage for a buck and some bling-bling. Contrary to a theory asserted by a self-proclaimed authority at The Source magazine, hip-hop was not born to represent all ethnicities and races. It’s a Black thang. It’s rooted in an epic memory of Africa, the birthplace of all human civilization, all science, all art, all music and dance. The captivating narrative and storytelling tradition-Africa. Poetic wordplay and lyrical trickery-Africa. The drums that produce the pulsations that produce the rhythms that produce the beats that produce the hit songs that move the brown and white, yellow and red bodies–Africa, Africa, Africa, Africa. So when we fail to trace the origin of hip-hop beyond the neighborhoods of New York City, past our influential musical predecessors like the Last Poets and James Brown to our awesome African heritage, we’re not only denying hip-hop the history that it presently needs, we’re failing to identify with the soul of our people. But trying to convince the average emcee that the real roots of their art are in Senegal or Sierra Leone and not the XYZ Housing Projects is a real battle indeed. The disassociation of hip-hop from it’s cultural roots has witnessed far too many contemporary emcees sacrificing themselves as slaves to the industry when they’re really heirs to a greater musical legacy. The motherless child syndrome is evident in hip-hop’s vulnerability against corporate bloodhounds as well as it’s estrangement from it’s greater African family. Painstaking steps have been ordered in an effort to isolate hip-hop from an African origination so that our art can be better tailored to the tastes and trends of multi-cultural audiences and spend-thrift consumers. But despite all that, the influence of West Africanisms is still in effect, proving that through the scheme for deculturalization–and even our own disappointment of an ancestry a continent away–hip-hop remains intuitively, inherently and intrinsically African. As quiet as it’s kept, hip-hop speaks Africa every time an emcee hypes a frenzied crowd to scream on cue, every time a little liquor is poured out in a symbolic show of respect for brothers who have passed on, every time a cipher is charged with lyrical freestyles and acapella choruses. Although the pretentious hip-hop ego may like to fancy itself the end all be all of the genre, it’s simple to trace our hip-hop mannerisms, our speech, even our stage techniques, to the call and response, the improvisation, the repetition, the communal creation of music– the musical traditions of the mother continent. And lying the very heart of the art form, hip-hop’s brand of West African oral tradition transcends the separation of Africans in America every time an emcee rocks a mic. The lyrics that weave poetic tales about the young Black experience, from the testimonies of ghetto strife and survival to the social commentary of conscious hip-hop, recommit the emphasis that West African people have traditionally placed on the spoken word in general and the art of storytelling specifically. "Word is bond" ain’t just slang–it’s the African way of life. Accordingly, those who are divinely blessed with the ability to bend spoken word into enchanting tales have traditionally been respected among craftsmen of the highest caliber. In most West African communities that esteem is reserved for the venerated griot– historian, musician, storyteller extraordinare. In most Black neighborhoods a similar respect is reserved for the dopest emcees and floetic lyricists. So it doesn’t take much stretching of the imagination then to associate the present-day rapper as the grandchild of the celebrated griot and their […]

When Barry White’s essence left this earth on the morning of July 4th, a large chunk of music history was lost. Not just R&B, Soul or whatever you feel like calling it. All music. His contributions to R&B music are common knowledge, but sadly many a hip-hop head is unaware of the influence Barry White had on the music we love and bump. The lush, orchestral instrumentation he was known for lacing with his panty moisturizing baritone, have been the ingredients for many a hip-hop producer’s#### records. After his passing I was digging through my collection (vinyl of course you suckas!) and picked out the following choice cuts that have been sampled over the years. I know. Technically I am dry snitching (sorry DJ Premier, please forgive) but think of this as an education for the uninformed. Rest in peace Barry White; one of the only brothers that could sport a perm with respect. Love Unlimited “Under the Influence of Love” Love Unlimited-not to be confused with Love Unlimited Orchestra-was a crooning trio of Afro’d soul sisters put together by Mr. White. The songs haunting opening strings and climactic drums have been borrowed a few times. Black Rob absolutely murdered it as the foundation for “I Dare You”. But another Harlem cat, Cam’Ron, did his thing on it with his dog DMX on “Pull It.” Cam’s label at the time couldn’t clear the sample but it was a mixtape winner. Love Unlimited “I Did it for Love” Another hard to find gem from Love Unlimited which Barry White produced and arranged. Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie (you know, The Madd Rapper), slowed down the opening bars of the slick guitars and added crisp drum programming to create “The Benjamins”. Even P. Diddy sounds hot spittin’ over that beat. Love Unlimited Orchestra “Midnight Groove” You’d be a fool to think that Barry couldn’t get funky. Love Unlimited Orchestra is the 40 piece band Barry created. It made his sonic visions a reality. The typical lush and melodic rhythms meet up with some collard green grooves for this number. The treat is about a minute and half into the song when the break comes in crystal clear. DJ Scratch knew what was up because he barely had to add anything to the loop to create Flipmode Squad’s “Cha Cha Cha”. Barry White “Playing Your Game Baby” This track is so ill Evil Dee basically only had to loop this to make a winner for Black Moon’s “I Gotcha Open Remix”. Evil Dee got his money’s worth for this sample since he used most of the songs elements, from the opening horns to the spacey organs and guitars. The groove was definitely not too underground to make you stop when you mingled. Brooklyn stand up. Barry White “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby” It’s the sick opening drums coupled with hypnotic chords that make this track tasty like extra syrup on candied yams. You get extra cool hiphop points if you already knew that De La Soul flipped this on “De La Orgy” from the debut 3 Feet High and Rising. This is another one of those tracks that barely needs to get touched since it’s so damn banging on its own. Ghostface and Raekwon went berserk when they spit over a looped version (they even left some of Barry’s vocal’s in there) for “The Watch,” another gem limited due to sample clearance problems. Also, Alchemist flipped it for Nas to get busy to on “No Idea’s Original” from The Lost Tapes Barry White “It’s Only Love Doing Its Thing” Now this is creative sampling for that ass! If you miss the first 2 seconds of the song then you will have missed it. Producer on the come up Dirty Swift chopped and extended the opening guitar lick to create 50 Cent’s “21 Questions.” The answers? A lot of radio, video and anything else play. Love Unlimited Orchestra “Love’s Theme” Now I’m not sure who sampled this (what, you expect me to know everything?) but if no one has (doubtful), I need to wipe the dust off my MPC2000. The slick wah wah guitar on this instrumental track is head nodder’s bliss. Barry White “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me” Queen of HipHop Soul Mary J. Blige had Barry White to thank for her smash hit “You Bring Me Joy” off of her My Life album. Play this record from the beginning and everyone will think it IS Mary’s version until Barry’s voice kicks in “When we met…” This is one of those records a DJ always wins with if he plays it at a party. And this little note about Barry’s influence was written by none other than legendary DJ, Grandmaster Flash. Here’s what he told AllHipHop.com: "I myself was cuttin up Barry, before I had an MC. Coming from a HI-FI era, Barry White’s music was my first technical understanding of STEREO. It was during these year I was creating what DJ’s do on turntables now. This was much earlier than the MC’s or the breakdancers. Please keep these historical facts in mind."

I spend a lot of time during my day reading Hip-Hop articles and listening to what a lot of these rappers have to say. In my short stint as a writer for this website, I have also been privileged to learn about different unknown aspects of the game. In my talking to various personalities and reading on current happenings, I have found that the game of HipHop is one big smokescreen. There is not a lot of room to breathe once you get past all the wrongdoings and contradictions that happen on a daily basis. There is one subject in particular that brings a rise out of me more so than any other subject that I run across. Before I continue with my random musing, please be informed that the purpose of this is not rain on anyone’s parade; it is to simply bring a brighter light to an important issue that, in my view, has not been addressed properly. Also, be aware that my opinion on this subject is not those of Allhiphop.com or the general public-at-large. The topic I’d like to discuss is those d#### over at the RIAA. The RIAA (which stands for "Recording Industry Association of America") are people who are hung up on the idea of suing people who download copyrighted music from websites such as Kazaa and Grokster. Their claim is that online piracy prevents the Internet from being a free marketplace and it takes away artist and record company’s rights to privacy. "The Internet can’t be a viable avenue for distributing music unless artist and record company rights are respected," said the trade group’s President and CEO, Hillary Rosen. This is hypocrisy that borderlines on stupidity! The record companies themselves are the biggest con artists and thieves on the face of the Earth today. For years, people have seen the horror stories about how artists make these companies millions of dollars, but the artist is basically left out in the cold, starving and not better off than the average fan. TLC is a prime example of this very thing. In an interview with VH1, they stated that their album, CrazySexyCool sold well over 10 million albums worldwide. Yet, they made out with about $50,000 in profits. How is that possible? They were robbed blind, had to file bankruptcy, and it almost cost them their career. Almost. Another point that struck me was the sudden influx of rappers in motion pictures. Most major label rappers are not lacking camera time by any means, so what would possibly make an MC have the idea to become a thespian? Then it hit me. They have to find a way recoup the up front money that they get from these record companies and pay it back in interest. Rappers can go on the road and perform 150 nights a year in various conditions and sweat for small chips, or they can do a bit part in motion picture for eight weeks and collect bigger funds at the end of the day. How would you rather make your money? Artists have helped provide the CEOs of these record companies with yachts, expensive cars, dream homes, lengthy vacations, high balance credit cards, and other extravagant material that comes along with being a high-powered executive. The RIAA is trying to keep that dream alive for these crooks, and it has to end somewhere. What they have failed to tell consumers is that by downloading music they are not hurting the artist, but they are hurting the company itself on the back end. The company itself takes a hit because it cannot recoup what it has lost as a result of "audiophiles" robbing them of the right to privacy on the Internet. If the technology for downloading music did not exist, artists would still be in the same slave-like position that they are in today: they receive a meager to non-existent budget, which in turn is spent on studio time, producers, travel, advertising expenses, etc. Publicists, managers, and road personnel also have to be paid, so as you can see, the music industry can suck the blood right out of you. If you are afraid of lawsuits and big, bold messages of threat popping out of nowhere on your computer screen, heed the warning and stop downloading the product. If you are of the rebellious persuasion, let the record companies know that you are tired of artists being taken advantage of by simply continuing to download the products that websites make available. The executive’s yacht will always be gassed up, their lobster tail won’t get any smaller, and the diamonds on their wrist will not glisten any less. The RIAA obviously has many fans, by virtue of the fact their website is nonexistent due to computer hackers ripping their site to shreds. Special thanks and praise goes out to Kazaa, Grokster, and similar websites for giving Hillary Rosen the middle finger!

Well now folks, the summer season is really in full swing. The BBQ’s are all sparked up, the coolers are packed with ice and whatever your favorite “drank” is. But what would summer be without a great murderous anthem like southern rapper Bone Crusher’s “Never Scared”? Let’s look at the lyrics and see what kind of self degrading rhymes this young brothers cooked up, shall we? I think the lyrics goes something like “Let a choppa go PLOOOOOOWWW! to your melon/Now the plasma is oozin’ outta yo cerebellum/ AttenCHUNNNNN! F### n####, now you swellin’!!!” The video for this track is pretty impressive. It’s structured as if you were flipping through a comic book. Old Bone Crusher is stompin’ through the city like Godzilla smashing up the town, making his best “I’m crazy” face and all that good stuff. I have heard this track on the radio, and seen the video countless times. My questions though are these…Why do songs that celebrate Black people killing other Black people get so championed by the radio and video outlets? Who puts up the money for high powered videos like these? What A&R decided this was “the one”? Who are the program directors that think this song should be memorized by urban youth across America? When did dancing to Black death become the thing to do? What does it mean that you buy or dance to music like this? Understand that these media outlets are feeding poison to our youth through videos and music like “Never Scared”. However, rap songs that suggest violence is entertaining only get major rotation when the victim is another Black person. I challenge Bone Crusher to make a new song. One called, “I Ain’t Never Scared of the Patriot Act”, “I Ain’t Never Scared of Cops Who Abuse Me” or “I Ain’t Never Scared of the IRS”. Let’s put money on that he won’t (actually, I’m Muslim and I don’t bet). But if he does, I’d wanna bet you that you’d never hear of Bone Crusher again. That is, unless you are trying to find him at his old job. The bottom line is that Black on Black death anthems have become commonplace in the rap industry. These are different than songs that are talking about the pain and why’s and how’s of it all. Today they have us dancing into our graves- to our own music!!! It’s genius really. Because while all of this money gets made, the videos get played etc., people NOT from the Black community are getting paid the most. Have you ever asked yourself why Bone Crusher gets more love than Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Paris and the Coup? Don’t tell me the conscious stuff aint’ got beats!!!! Boots and Paris alone will smoke a gang of fools beat wise. And Paris, Talib, Boots and Dead Prez got wicked flows. WICKED!!! So lets not talk about rhyme styles either. Bottom line is, there are people in the rap industry that want us singing songs of Black on Black death. They WANT our children to enjoy watching these video that they cleverly package into comic book themes. They want to make our minds and spirits numb to seeing our brothers, uncles, and nephews and even our precious women die in the street. They are encouraging that we do these things, and create songs to help us mentally achieve it. They tell how “dope” 50 Cent’s “Many Men”, and Baby’s “What Happened to that Boy” are. They spin it, and when you see the video you wish you were in it. Honestly, I’m not really mad at Bone Crusher personally. Because I don’t think he even fully understands how this music industry, this political and social system work and manipulate people like him. I don’t think he has ever critically thought about the Black male image in America and how corporations exploit it. What you learn though because of songs like these, is that at the end of the day, it is good to be brave. It is good to pick up the gun and blast one for protection of self. It’s good to defend your pride, and your territory. As long as the other person is Black. Don’t’ EVER be scared, of Black people. Party hard and keep it crunk, all the way to the grave. You slave. Bone Crusher replies – HERE!

The Tupac Shakur that I knew was a family member, a cousin to be specific. He wasn’t a rapper, actor, gangsta or dancer – just the creative cousin of the family. Some of my earliest memories of ‘Pac are of me staying the night on Greenmount Avenue in Baltimore, where he lived. In 1985, him and my older brother Kenny would hammer nails through sheets in the wall and make in-house tents during those simpler days. They would draw spaceship windows on the wall and pretend it was their craft that soared the skyways. They would bang one side into the wall and then tuck the other side under one of their beds to create the rocket ship effect. I don’t know exactly where their imaginations took them, because neither Pac nor my brother would let me onboard their adventure since I (and some of my other relatives) was too young. Nevertheless, I was privy to be a member of their exclusive band. I was a drummer, dancer, singer in the “Prince & The Revolution Band”…I was permitted to be everything BUT the lead. Our theme song was “1999,” a Prince song that crooned “I’m gonna party ‘til its 1999.” It was a lot of fun for all of us, but for Tupac, it was hard labor. He worked hard to “book” our shows, he would get mad if we missed our cues and nobody else could take that coveted lead. If we messed up, he would kick us out of the group. You could get your spot right back, because he didn’t have any replacements to fill in the band. It was fun though… We were just cast members in his performance and we just didn’t know at the time. I didn’t know how serious it was for Pac until Set, his sister, later told me a funny story. She told me she once asked him angrily, “Why do you always get to be the lead (Prince)?” And, Pac furiously retorted, “Are you out here booking the gigs? Are you out here getting us work? I’m working hard for his group and that’s why I get to be the lead.” Set just gave up, but they had a serious argument. Now, understand, this was all fiction, since the name of the group was “Prince & The Revolution,” and it was a complete imitation of the real life act from Minneapolis. We only performed in the living room, but that’s when I realized that it wasn’t all fun and games. His destiny was in motion. After that, I really started to notice his creative elements. I observed that he was into rapping and acting. He was just a corny kid rapping, but back then everybody was. Kastro of the Outlawz, who is my cousin as well, was there putting pen to pad and so was my brother Kenny. They would be out on the local playground trading verses with other ambitious young Black boys in Baltimore. Years later when his success took off, it was no surprise to any of us. But, my fondest memories are from back in the days, before he became an icon of Black America. At my 10th birthday party, I rocked my cutest attire, my tightest braids, a brand-new bootleg Cabbage Patch Doll and I was ready to go. And all of my cousins were invited to my mother’s house to celebrate. As we were downstairs, partying and having a good time, he was always the one in the middle of the circle, dancing, or performing. His mind was always thinking creatively so a normal conversation was rare with Tupac. If we had a chore, he would find a way to make the household labor fun. Our parents were out and about a lot so we often looked up to him as a leader, not only the older cousin. But that’s how he was. He was the only kid on the block that could exude a cupful of confidence with a half-a-mouth of braces. During that time, Pac’s mother couldn’t quite afford to get to get his dental work completed and that was often the subject of laughter. Still the confidence remained. I lost touch with Tupac when his mother relocated their entire family to the West Coast. Consequently, the band fell apart, the rap ciphers dwindled and the spaceships were permanently docked on Earth. We communicated infrequently and only rejoined at holidays and other special events. We all sprouted out, taking our own courses in life. Tupac took his act on the road and word of his success began to trickle through the family tree even before he was American’s darling. As his public success grew and grew, I held fast to my memories of Tupac. Fortunately for me I would share a part of him that remains uncaptured by the rap records, idol worship, media and magazines. The Tupac Shakur that I knew was a family member, a cousin to be specific. But, I have grown to realize that all along, he actually was a rapper, actor and dancer – just that creative cousin of the family.

Again, it is not purposeful censorship. It is just that you dont make it to those positions. That includes the left (what is called the left), as well as the right. Unless you have been adequately socialized and trained so that there are some thoughts you just dont have, because if you did have them, you wouldnt be there. -Noam Chomsky on What Makes Media Mainstream A couple of weeks ago I read an op-ed piece at BlackElectorate.com called Hip Hop Goes to Ludacris Limits by Elisa Cramer. It was the typical "rappers are the root of all evil in Black America" type of editorial that has become all too common in recent years. While I myself have been critical at times of the lyrical content and imagery of certain hip-hop acts, I always try to avoid the perils of reducing the negativity that permeates my beloved culture to the actions of a few selfish and misguided individuals. On the contrary, the problems that pervade hip-hop music are the same problems that are currently endangering our democracy, particularly when concerning apathy toward the consolidation of voices across the media. In the case of hip-hop, I find it rather ironic how the same people who observe the rap game from the sidelines are so quick to catapult themselves to the role of referee, when in fact many of these Ivy League scholars and cultural critics are sharing nose bleed seats with Bill OReilly and little Megan from the suburbs. Consequentially, I would encourage the few public intellectuals with book contracts to resign from their academic posts and start flooding the mixtape circuit with their own material. I am sure they are capable of stooping down to hip-hops level and dropping science on wax instead of pulp for our sake. Even further, I would urge each baby boomer out there who feels that hip-hop is dying to make every effort possible to save this music from the fates of jazz and rock and roll if they are truly committed to practicing what they preach. If our parents can’t even stop Michael Powell and the FCC from pimpin the masses, however, I find it hard to believe that they will be able to save hip-hop from the cheap seats. In previous columns and essays I have argued that the music industry itself is to blame for the current state of hip-hop. After all, any grassroots phenomenon that finds itself co-opted and comodified at the hands of multinational corporations should not expect its priorities to remain the same. Like the Civil Rights Movement which brought black votes to the Democratic Party, hip-hop music has exposed untapped markets to industry behemoths like Universal and Sony. I still stand by that assertion but I think it is important to expound upon the role of the socialized consumer because we, yes we, are ultimately responsible for the nature of this music be it good or bad. Imagine if soccer moms in suburban America saw television advertisements of new Clorox products and thought to themselves, "Damn! That new version of Pine-Sol has a hot container! Its gonna sell madd units yo!" As weird as that sounds, it is precisely what happens with many hip-hop consumers today. I myself am not immune to it, and based on several observations and conversations with my peers, it is quite evident that I am not in short company. Ill admit that I probably see the marketing side of hip-hop from a different lens than most (not arrogance, just telling it how it is), but I think it is fair to assume that hip-hop consumers are probably more conscious of the "blow up potential" of a particular brand or product (in this case rappers) than any other group of consumers. We know who’s going to blow before they blow and if you ask, most of us can tell you why. In essence, the hip-hop consumer base (namely the mainstream consumer base) has been socialized to the point that we think rather similar to the way market research firms (who spend millions trying to understand us) want us to. If one had not heard any of 50 Cents mixtape material, a few minutes of his breakout video "Wanksta" would have made it quite clear that 50 was headed for stardom and most of the reasons have nothing do with his actual mic skills. Is that a problem? Well for label executives its wonderful. Many critics have argued that rappers like 50 Cent are bad for Black America, but on the flip side, dude should probably be looked upon as mainstream hip-hop’s savior given the prevalence of file-sharing and a sluggish economy. In an interview with BlackElectorate.com publisher Cedric Muhammad, Roc-a-Fella records CEO Damon Dash had this to say about record sales: "Hip-Hop right now is easy. I can go gold now, sort of with my eyes closed, ya know?" I can understand why Mr. Dash would feel the way that he does, but if one looks at the big picture, there is reason to believe that records sales are not easy right now but merely on life support. As I said before, hip-hop music has benefited the music industry much how the Civil Rights Movement has helped the Democratic Party. Unfortunately, the black leadership establishment has been privy to the bad guy/worse guy dichotomy of party politics, but lacks the resources and/or willingness to contest it with any vigor. As a result, the black masses continue to be underserved by both parties. Similarly, label heads like Master P and P Diddy have their best days behind them and as time will prove, will ultimately find themselves irrelevant in the bigger scheme of things much like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Im not hating on Percy Miller and Sean Combs as businessmen, but I would be the first to argue that their viability inside a racist white power structure is directly tied to record sales, nothing more, nothing less. Theyre in the business of making […]

I kept my ear to the ground at my station’s (97.9 the BEAT) promo meeting last week. Method Man was coming out on May 29 to battle our listeners in Def Jam Vendetta. I thought to myself "cool, I’ma fall through." I invited my girl Suga since she’s a Meth fanatic. May 29 – Dalla, TX 2:00pm: Suga hit me with like 3 emails tryna make sure I was still taking her to the station with me. We actually beat Meth to the station so we walked around the mall for a bit (yes, the radio station is in the mall). And by the time we got back he was in the studio. Now, the studio is all glass in the front, so it’s easy to get mofos’ attention. I dared her to hold a sign up for Meth. She did… "can you c## sign my jeans pleeze?" Meth knodded a definite "no doubt" and about 45 minutes later Suga had Meth’s autograph and a Wu symbol drawn on left ass-pocket of her jeans. She was taking pics but I was more interested in trying to find his label contact so I can hook up an interview… As we were leaving, a small squad walked up to the studio… somebody said something about being with Cadillac Tah. It didn’t register. About 30 minutes after that I heard Keith Murray on the rival station hyping up the Def Jam Vendetta tour. Somebody else told me they’d heard Joe Buddens on the radio too. *oh s###!* That’s why Meth’s ass was in town. The tour was sponsored by the rival station so I knew I wasn’t getting access but I wanted to go anyway… it was time to start making calls. 9:00pm: I couldn’t find anyone to go with me and I was about to get mad. I damn near called it a wrap before I remembered hearing Tah’s name. On a last ditch, I 2wayed my little sis that works at Murder Inc. Girlie works quickly because within about 4 pages I had a contact name and an all-access pass. I got Suga on the phone and she said she’d roll out with me. 11:30pm: Dex Diamond from the INC was our connect, but as we’re strolling past tour busses I heard somebody call me… it was my date from prom back in ’96! I hadn’t seen that character in like 4 years. Shadow had been working for Def Jam forever and I damn forgot. He told me that the venue (Blackberry’s) was on some b#######, complaining about the Vendetta street team’s shirts, charging extra to male clubgoers that came dressed casual, and they damn near cancelled the concert. *psht* Gotta love Dallas. This is why tours like this usually skip us. Anyway, Dex came and got me and Suga. We got out of paying a $20 cover charge, copped some all-access wristbands and got a spot right next to the stage to see the show and play paparazzi. 12:00am: Meth was the host. He didn’t perform.. the most we got was an "M-E-T-H-O-D." Cadillac Tah was the first to perform. Him and his peoples did their thing. I feel kinda crazy admitting that I only knew which one Tah was by looking at the posters in the club. (Tell me it’s a regional thing and I won’t feel so bad.) They did about 5 songs, what would have been a decent set if the audio didn’t keep f###### up. They lost their big speakers too many times to count. They even got the crowd involved by getting them to chant "fix that s###." Joe Budden was next up, his roadies warmed the crowd up for him before he rushed the stage in a HOODED VELOUR WARMUP. Damn. I was sweating FOR that cat. We’re talking about Texas, yo… where it’s 90 degrees at night! Joe and his hype man are definitely two cats high on life right now because they ran back and forth across the stage like it was going out of style. He even climbed on top of the 4-foot speakers for a verse. When they took a breather to talk to the crowd, he asked Dallas to represent… then told us we needed to be quiet because we lost to the Spurs. His set was about 5 songs long as well. He did "Focus" and had to come out his jewels before he did "Pump it Up." Mad energy… mad sweaty. And he never came outta that big Philly cap that damn near covered his eyes. In between acts Suga and I took flix with the artists. I had to go holla at Joe for a minute… I’m still kinda partial to him because he was my first artist interview for AllHipHop.com. Dex made sure we got introduced to everybody, bought us drinks and was a good host. He had some stage time during Tah’s performance. When it was done he was back with me and Suga. He looked out for me because he’s tight with my little sis, but I think my booty-ful friend Suga got special attention. 1:00am: When Freeway came on deck, I promise that was the livest I’ve seen the crowd. East Coast hip hop gets spins out here but of course never to the degree they do in the East. Free represented lovely, flowing past the end of tracks a few times. Cats were really digging that. He asked the crowd how many of them bought his album and he got a pretty decent response. I was shocked because Dallasites are really laid back when it comes to crowd participation. They rocked along with him to cuts from his album but everyone went crazy when he did "Roc the Mic." (partially because local artists sampled the beat to make a Mavericks playoff theme song last year, but anyway..) Mister engergy himself, Joe Budden came back to the stage to play hype man for Free. CNN brought up the rear of the show. […]

For starters, I’ve got to commend Bakari Akil II for the column; Is Hip-Hop A Culture? I find it fascinating that collectively we, as a people are on this journey to define our culture. Damn, I wish I were seated in the center first row at Florida A&M when the respected Tim Reid, posed the question of a lifetime: What is Hip-hop and Is it a Culture? Imagine Kay without a response. That’s like knowing all the answers on a final but choosing to fail. Never. However, when it comes to the Hip-Hop culture, I feel we, the people should stop the let’s find a definition game and defend this dynamic sub, which is now an above ground culture. Tell me. Who is the Culture God? Who decides when our stamp in society is good enough? Who are we basing our recognition and acceptance on? Whose scrolls are we following? Would we feel refreshed and content if white America and its board of achievers finally said we were official? This is by no means an attack on any true supporter of Hip-hop within Caucasian race. This is a launch against closet haters. Twist. The Hip-hop culture is molded by key elements: breakin’, djin’, graffin’, and so. But what happens when a person feels the wind of this culture without engaging in any of these activities? Are they ousted or unrecognized. Nope. The culture embraces everyone. Take a look at our backers worldwide. Hip-hop isn’t exclusive like country clubs. As a mater of fact, the Hip-hop culture away from the key elements gives off a conscious feeling of belonging without the puff and snazzy marketing tools. It is about identifying with the pioneers that made this culture so ill. It’s about relating with the new choice generation with an added spin. See, some got it twisted. Hip-hop isn’t all about rap music. Only “outsiders looking in” think like that. Simply scholar’s that traditionally write articles on Shakespeare cooked up to publish a book on Jigga for a buck. The same scholars that tap into already reported information on the Biggie and Tupac wars and think they are on to something. Please. Stick to analyzing Socrates. Back to what Hip-hop ain’t. Hip-hop isn’t all about gats and drugs. Name a genre, race, or creed that hasn’t brandished a gun to kill while getting stoned. Hip-hop isn’t about buying out bars or copping crimson colored Cadillac’s season-to season. Name an Irish or Italian crime unit that didn’t floss. I’ve done my homework. I study American History. Hip-hop is bigger than that. Don’t let the opposition drive you into straight ignorance. The buck stops here. We ain’t defining this culture anymore. Take it or leave it. Next up: Politicians Bill O’Reilly and any key politician cocked behind a cherry wood desk needs to realize that Hip-hop holds no room for discussion. The facts around the globe show that your golf partners that head up major retail firms are adapting to this culture. They like and love this culture. Name a commercial we haven’t influenced. Something is seriously wrong if our culture of baggy denim wearers has Senator’s children in a scurry to cop the new 50 Cent. “G, G, G, G-Unit!” It looks like YOUR children are going through identity and social issues. The idea of wanting and yearning to align with so called underachievers and arrogant folk would send me to the quack. Understand, when we break down to social classes, how can this culture make so many kids from perfecto household’s revolt? It’s obvious. The attraction to this culture has nothing to do with how many times b###### and diamonds are spilled on a track. It has to do with pop culture using their sixth sense to see past the smoking mirrors that cloud our culture by politicians and journalists with no analytical skills. And so what, certain acts in the rap aspect of Hip-hop embrace a flashy life. Haven’t the affluent driven on our filthy streets in candy red coupes while the hood pushed go-carts. Haven’t the affluent teased us with lavish lifestyles as we sat stuck in poverty stricken boarders. Haven’t they made us feel less than below average because the furthest the hood has traveled was down the block? And that journey on broken heels was to meet mama at the market. I figure if a waves of talented youths ignored by the masses are able to make something out of nothing, let them. If they can flip a thought into an enterprise, let them. Maybe your kids should be paying attention to the Hip-hop culture, instead of being spoon fed success. Side Thought The last few concerts I’ve been to, I had to win my way in via radio weeks in advance, since seats were sold out by a new wave of supporters. Back in the day, we could have copped a ticket to see the biggest Hip-hop act in a mom and pop hall, an hour before the show! Now we gotta f### with arenas. All politics. I’ll leave that alone. Dollar Bill Back to Billy my favorite Bill. I suggest you drop all the thug magazines that you possess in your library as weapons of Hip-hop’s destruction and engage in a battle with Hip-hop journalists you’re skeptical interview, because they’d bring brains to the table. That wouldn’t be good for your ratings. Imagine a rapper or affiliate challenging Bill with knowledge. Your mission is so see-through and so typical. Off course if you dialogue with gangster rappers, they’ll tell you gangster s###. Dig It So the question is still on the table. What is the Hip-hop culture? Simple. It’s a way of life. It’s a grind meant for grinders. It’s a group that can stand in the face of adversity and utilize the raw tools that the higher being granted to be used creatively. Whether that’s rapping over pounding tracks, breaking on cardboard, airbrushing ball hats, or kicking it in a corner using our slang and […]

Another relaunch. You go ahead and browse around and see the new features. You are going to find that everything has changed and nothing has changed all at the same time. A lot of time and energy was invested in this new AllHipHop.com so I’ll just take a minute to say some thanks. The entire staff (or should I say the staff that contributes?), shout out to the Inner Circle (you know who you are), Ley, the AHH Army and the IC…ya’ll are the illest for real, illseed for coming back, Jean Grae for joining us. Big D.Frempong and Steve for their tireless dedication. We are all here for one reason – hip-hop. Let’s hoist it up and respect the roots. With that, I am is going to share few thoughts that were going through my jumbled head before we blasted his new, stronger AllHipHop.com. Just more babbling, but maybe there is something you can take from it. Life is just a way to occupy your time before you pass away. I’m seeing some of you are really bored. We are from a place where Jesus forces a smile. Underground just doesn’t get the credit it deserves these days. Heavy Metal is the new hip-hop: Can’t wait for Ice T’s Bodycount to return. Jean Grae, Rise & Shine and Joe Budden are the future. I am the walking Invictus: Master of my Fate, Captain of my Soul. Pain is mental. Fatigue is a concept. And Keith – thanks. It worked out even though it was a different type of working out. The haters will be exposed this year and that hate’s going to consume them. Erica wrote me on 1-11-01: I ain’t never gonna throw that letter away-one of the most inspirational letters ever written on a sheet of paper. One Love to my dog Tim, Aunt Joan, my Pops, Aunt Machelle and all the rest of Life’s solders we lost along the way. Speaking of soldiers: Can Jam Master Jay get some justice? To D.B. and his boys: We’re having the last laugh so hard we’re crying. All in all – there really isn’t much to say and if you know anything, you know why. PEACE!

Damn straight we at war, and hip-hop is wounded. On street corners from Brooklyn to Brixton, South Central to Shanghai, arguments, conflicts and battle raps occur to overstand whose side you on? Pop hop or "real" hip-hop? Regardless of where a hip hopper is located, the world bows down in respect to what the African-American and Hispanic youth have created. For it has connected black youth and pierced through national boarders and languages barriers. For example the Black French have taken hip-hop and placed it into a coherent expression in their tongue. Ghanaians in West Africa have also blended their own hi-life to hip-hop creating a new offspring in "Hip-life." But the "Black Briton" has always had a special relationship. A cousin in bondage in this western hemisphere, one dominated by the modern super power and the other by the former, sharing similar experiences, living in similar conditions speaking the same language. Without question Blacks in Britain were energized by this new art form and were with it from day one. No skeptics, no second thoughts. It was what we had been waiting for. hip-hop is ours. Public Enemy kicked down the barriers with "Tour of a Black planet" and those who saw PE at the Hammersmith Apollo tell legendary stories of their experience. It sent chills down our spine hearing the tours introduction ringing out of the "Nation of Millions…" classic. We had been recognized as worthy comrades in this hip-hop squadron. And we gave Chuck unquestionable support when watching him whack up interviewers. These were our men. And he didn’t just stop with these shores, but converted hip-hop soldiers in places most rappers didn’t know existed. South Africa, Australia, Ghana, Britain, France and beyond, all pledged allegiance. Blacks were the primary targets, but whites couldn’t help but to be drawn. This was the time when everybody hated us. Other music forms, parents, the industry, radio, television, they hated it. And we loved their hate… f### ’em. This is ours. After we waved goodbye to Jazz, Blues, and Rock n Roll we had something to express ourselves in again. And we weren’t going to allow it to be f##### up. This time around, our hip-hop radar’s were out and even more sensitive. You bet, for anyone who even hinted on f###### up the game were being swiped on from all directions. Whether it was fake gangsters or commercialism. They were being swiped at by Jeru on "Come Clean" or O.C’s "Time’s Up." You had to go through a screening process before you were accepted. Even West coast gangsters initially had a hard time joining the squad. The lines were drawn, and they were clear. Barriers with men standing strong on post like FOI guards. hip-hop over here, industry Negroes over there. You mess up, you get dashed. So MC Hammer was expelled after he broke the code. No argument. Vanilla Ice went the same way. The issue didn’t have to do with race; cause white folks have been in hip-hop from early on in one way or another. Whether it was Beastie boys, 3rd Bass, DJ Muggs, House of Pain or that kid you once ran with. But they weren’t industry backed and kept allegiance with what hip-hop was. Neither did it have to do with being signed to a major label, but retaining the art form and not sacrificing it in the interest of commercialization. However our early warning indicators weren’t enough. For Saddam Hussein knows when these men want to invade, their gonna do it from every angle. And you’d have to be on your best Shaolin guard to defend against it. And invade they did. They launched their invasion, with lyrical inspectors for topic restriction. They gained ground, closed the gap and enticed members to convert. Some were convinced of their sincerity. Jumping ship proclaiming "its all about the Benjamin’s what?" some went AWOL. Others said they were going and coming back, screaming they were just "keeping it real dawg!" And soon these "hip-hop" cats were defending People who were ostracized such as Hammer. Consequently the "Keep it real" cries from the hip-hop fraternity were diminishing. But ironically these same "Keep it real" screams were growing on the side of this new growing rap industry. Growing in credibility with the induction of the defected hip-hop guards sporting new bling bling suits. They turned their back on pro-black hip-hop Common documented our suddenness as it slipped away. Jeru documented our desire to get it back and attacked Puffy. (Reflective of hip-hop’s new departure, civil war and impending international conflict.) Puffy survived. Jeru was applauded but was still shot down. Taken hostage, now missing in action. Puffy got new converts and was able to capture more emcees from the hip-hop camp and trained them in the art of flirtation- Flirting in-between enemy lines. Releasing beaten down R & B hook songs, while being respected as hard. Hip hoppers put down their armory when these deserters came back, closely examining them, asking each other "is he on our side or not, for he sure looks like he’s still got the stripes." This converted a lot of heads that previously frowned at hip-hop They were now down with this new acceptable look. More people, meant more sales, which meant more money, which meant the industry had found the model to work off, a model to re-define as hip-hop, while still claiming to "keep it real." (But only if you stick to this model.) However this confusion and blurring of the lines is more an American phenomenon. On this side of the Atlantic (as in Canada) there is still a clear definition of the embodiment of hip hop principles and what isn’t. It has always been a struggle for home-grown artist to be recognized by the industry. It is still raw, rugged and creative. Remnants of hip hoppers exist all over the world that are reflective of the old pre-bling hip hop era in the states. Rugged backpackers, freestyle frenzied, skill […]

President Rogers: Mr. Speaker, Vice-President Fourtou, members of the big five, distinguished rappers, and fellow consumers: It gives me great pleasure to present to you my State of the Hip-Hop Union address this evening. I am certain that after hearing my plan for this nation, we will all come together in a show of solidarity to protect our interests both here and abroad. Before I get to my three point plan, however, I would like to announce my goal to “leave no child behind” by encouraging rappers to act as responsible role models who will denounce misogyny, violence and hedonism whenever appropriate. In the coming years, several of our new artists will be politically conscious teachers that will drop knowledge on the masses and live up to the creative potential they wittily but misguidedly exhibit when rapping about drugs, guns, hoes, and money. As stated by Minster Paul Scott of Durham, NC, the “dummifying of hip-hop” has reached unprecedented levels and will only be countered when we as an industry take chances on artists who are actually creative, articulate, and halfway conscious of the world they live in. Before we can get to my plan, however, it is essential that we get the economy going because it’s hard to take chances on non-traditional rappers when record sales are down. Nah mean? Economic Stimulus Package Today is a very challenging time for the Hip-Hop Nation. Piracy is rampant, record sales are down and 50/50 ventures are hard to come by. Likewise, record labels are dissolving or moving out of the hip-hop market altogether and several rappers have begun to pawn their Bentleys and Jacob watches to avoid bankruptcy. To stimulate the economy, the Hip-Hop Nation needs the type of leadership that will kick start our industry into the 21st century. That is why I am proposing $69 billion tax cuts to each of the five major music distributors (Universal, BGM, Sony, EMI, and Warner-Elektra), who sell and/or distribute nearly 90% of all music bought in the United States. More money for the distributors means more jobs for lawyers, lobbyists, and FBI personnel to go after college students who download and distribute copyrighted music from the Internet. More money in the hands of the big five also means more $18 compact discs (CDs) on the shelves. Some ivy-league economists argue that putting more CDs on the shelves at a time when consumers are broke is ill-advised supply side (“trickle down”) economics. While I understand those concerns, it is important for us to remember that it is the ingenuity of the Hip Hop entrepreneur that has allowed our economy to grow over the past few years. Think about it. Way back in 1996, rappers were using special effects and high tech graphics in their videos. Nowadays, they use rented SUVs and $250 hoochies as extras and are selling records nonetheless. If that’s not fiscal responsibility, then I don’t know what is. Besides, what better way to stimulate the economy than with sex and chromed out whips? With the right support from my administration, I am sure that we can provide our corporations with enough capital to invest in more hoochies and escalades for every video! (Applause) Hater Defense In these trying times, it is essential that our rappers, video hoochies, and label executives remain safe and secure from the evils of terror, also known as player haterism. That’s why I am supporting the appropriation of $666 million trillion to the Department of Hater Defense to pay for extra shiny gold fronts, rims, and silver jewelry that will blind evildoers and thus deter their criticism. Some of that money will also go toward bulletproof Hummers and fitted caps to protect our artists from extremists who have been announcing their assassination plots on mixtapes these past few months. Finally, by arming every artist with 23rd century Motorola two-way pagers, we will be equipping them with long-range hater defense capabilities. Some argue that increasing deficit spending for the sake of expensive and unproven technology is irresponsible. To the critics I ask, “Whose side are you on? Ours or the playa haters?” (Applause) Ja Rule-50 Cent Conflict Not since the days of the Tupac-Biggie beef have we seen a grudge with the potential to be so deadly as the Ja Rule-50 Cent grudge. A death to either, particularly at a time where Bill O’Reilly appears on television five days per week, would be drastic to the well-being of the art form which we have all grown to profit from. As a result, we will arm 50 Cent with all of latest anti-playa hata technology on the market. For those of you who question why we have taken sides and armed 50, please keep in mind that 50 Cent is the only quadruple platinum-selling Shady Records rapper in the region (of Queens, NY). As a result, it is in our national interest to help 50 and the G-Unit shield themselves from any terrorist attacks and brutally punish their opposition! (Applause) The commercial success of 50 Cent is God’s Plan and we all know that G Unit is the Future, so why not Get Rich or Die Trying with our Shady allies? I have faith in the Power of the Dollar, and with time, so will the rest of the globe. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail. GGGGggggg Unit!!! (Standing ovation) [Editors note: Evan is still wondering how the popularity of Ja Rule has gone down at the same time that the popularity of George W. Bush (aka “G Dub”) has gone up. To explain to him why rappers are remarkably eloquent when dissing their peers but relatively illiterate when criticizing their elected officials, send an email to: editorial@allhiphop.com] About the author: Evan Rogers is a sophomore political science major at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.

"Black is the color of my true love’s hair. His face so soft and wondrous there. The purest eyes and the strongest hands. I love the ground on where he stands. I love the ground he stands. Black is the color of my true love’s hair. Of my true love’s hair. Of my true love’s hair." – "Black Is the Color Of My True Love’s Hair" by Nina Simone Those were the first lyrics I heard from the High Priestess of Soul, Ms. Nina Simone. The first time I heard Nina was on a groundbreaking documentary on Black Gay Men called "Tongues Untied," by Emmy Award-winning director, Marlon Riggs. Hers was a deep vibrato who sang of loving a black man with strong features and strong hands about loving the ground on where he stands. Nina sang of love lost, celebrating brown beauty, in ways that made you love the beauty of our skin. Simone co-wrote the popular "Young, Gifted, & Black" with Weldon Irvine, Jr. covered by Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway. Somewhat of a world traveler, Simone settled at various points in Switzerland, Liberia, Barbados, Britain and France where she lived up until her passing. The divine diva sang "Ne Me Quitte Pas," so fluidly in French having lived there for a many years. "Black Is the Color Of My True Love’s Hair" is the first song I heard from Nina Simone. Legendary jazz singer, song writer, musician and activist Nina Simone passed away Monday at her home in France at the age of 70 after her health had diminished greatly. My recollections of her are fond indeed as she slowly came into my life and I grew to love her. While I was working at Columbia Records, the now deceased artist, Jeff Buckley turned me on to her even more. We used to sit by my desk and talk about Nina Simone, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn. Jeff Buckley loved Nina Simone so much that he covered her "Lilac Wine" so beautifully it’s difficult for me to listen to his interpretation with dry eyes. I remember him those days, those conversations, and how much he loved Nina. But someone else loved Nina too. If you listen to AZ’s "Pieces Of A Man," album, Nina Simone is sampled on two tracks produced by Goldfinga: the album’s intro and on "Love Is Love." Here again Nina delivering incantations which even on a hip-hop record summon you to some far away place – After listening to AZ’s album, I replaced the cassette tapes Buckley gave me with CD versions – two of which have become a part of my daily ritual. In my alarm clock in the morning I rise to the "Ultimate Nina Simone" and close my business day with "Quiet Now – Night Song." But other artists ranging from Talib Kweli to dead prez to Wu-Tang have taken bits and pieces from Nina to create their own compositions. Her work, "Ultimate Nina Simone" album, opens up "Images," an acapella celebration of the beauty of a black women – black women who through their struggle cannot see their beauty. Nina sings, "She does not know her beauty. She thinks her brown glory, she thinks her brown body has no glory. If she could dance naked under palm trees and see her image in the river, she would know, yes she would know." On the same Ultimate Nina Simone, album is the classic "Four Women" where Ms. Simone introduces four very different black women – Aunt Sarah (described with black skin, wooly hair, strong back) , Saphonia (mulatto, yellow skinned, long hair, product of rape by white father), Sweet Thing (hair described as fine, inviting hips, mouth like wine – prostitute), and Peaches (sassy, bitter, frustrated with society). I believe there’s an off-Broadway play running which interprets Simone’s "Four Women." On another favorite, "Wild Is the Wind," she sings romantically…"Love Me, Love Me, Love me, say you do. Let me fly away with you. For my love is like the wind. Wild is the wind. Give me more than one caress. Satisfy this hungriness. Let the wind blow through your heart. For wild is the wind. You touch me and I hear the sound of mandolins. You kiss me and with your kiss my life begins," lyrics that you just don’t hear anymore. Makes you want to fall in love. Nina Simone was one of the last of the great divas of song. Like Phyllis Hyman, she sang of loneliness and finding love in the same note. Her wails, low tones, and delivery echoed from the very depths of her soul, giving a little black girl permission to love her brownness and lovers reasons to hold hands. Her songs were about the seasons of love. Finding someone and losing them and discovering love again, about his hair, the way he feels. She paints pictures and textures which swirl around her mesmerizing vocals. Her rendition of "I Put A Spell On You," may be the most haunting if not the definitive version. Nina was the beginning and end of my day and if you listen closely, you’ll hear Nina Simone’s "Quiet Now – Night Song," playing softly in the background when you call 4Sight Media Relations. "What More Can I Say," Nina…Thank you for your "Night Song." Good night High Priestess of Soul. Rest In Peace.

While attending a symposium entitled, The Business of Show, which explored cultural images of Blacks in media, a simple but profound question was asked. Tim Reid and his wife Daphne Maxwell Reid, hosts of the symposium, owners of News Millennium Studios and stars of such shows Sister, Sister and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air respectively, asked the audience: What is hip-hop and is it a culture? Since we were located at a Florida A&M (a Historically Black College and University) and the audience was a mixture of young Black college students as well as a diverse population from the surrounding community, it seemed the answer would be easily addressed. Yet, the question remained unanswered. Mr. Reid posed the question repeatedly, yet no one in the crowd seemed up to the task. There were responses that skirted the issue and stated what hip-hop was not, but no direct meaningful answers. One young man stated, "I know what hip-hop is, but can’t put it into words." Reid in turn responded, "Well, if you can’t define it, then how can hip-hop be a culture." He stated he has posed this question to young Black audiences many times, but no one has ever provided a definition. To see a huge body of predominately young people who enjoy and grew up on hip-hop unable to define it and explain its cultural aspects was a shock to me. Many people may ask what right does Tim Reid have to pose these questions or to be critical of some aspects of hip hop. Yet, regardless of one’s feelings, the question deserves an answer. It makes perfect sense to ask an audience to define what it often identifies with and has been often identified by. If you can’t state what you are or the code that you live by (which many people who are into hip hop express) then others who have no interest in you, except as a dollar sign, can tell you what hip-hop is and directly or indirectly affect your behavior. Then you are trapped into an illusion that is not of your making or design. Therefore, it behooves all of us who grew up in this era, whether young or older, to come to grips with what hip-hop means, what direction we want it to take us in and what we will use it as a tool for. As a writer who often focuses on issues related to hip-hop and what it means to Black communities, it quickly dawned on me that I should provide my interpretation of hip hop and how it relates to culture. However, since I was not recognized and therefore unable to answer Mr. Reid’s probe during the questioning period, my definition derived from years of listening to and participating in hip-hop from the 70s as a child until today, has to take written form. Hip-hop in its most rudimentary form consists of four major activities. KRS One defined it best when he listed those activities as "MCing", "Djing", break dancing and artistic expression through graffiti. These four activities are the major identifiers of someone being involved in hip hop culture. Now, is it its own separate culture? In my opinion, hip-hop is an extension of Black culture and has created its own subculture that is shared by many. The Four Elements As stated in my article, The Cultural Jacking of Hip Hop (https://staging.allhiphop.com/editorial/EditorialsArchive.asp?ID=46), being an MC can be compared to the tradition of the traveling griot that in African cultures provided historical information, like Nas and his track "I Can" or can provide news on the state of our communities, like Dead Prez and their hit "It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop". They provide us with information that we might not be able to receive in mainstream arenas. DJs provide the basic beat over which the messages are passed, but in a deeper sense can be related to the drummers of old who communicated thoughts and ideas through a complicated system of beats and pauses of the drum. When the drums sounded in traditional African cultures of old, people stopped what they were doing and listened in the same way people in current civilizations stop whatever they are doing when a car with heavy bass drives through their neighborhood. People want to find out what is or the cause of all the commotion. Although the beat no longer provides the message, it does provide the emotional backdrop for the information about to be passed. It sets the tone and lets you know what is about to occur. Break dancing is often theorized to have its origins from Capoeira which is an African Brazilian martial art that disguises its lethality in dancing movements such as the ginga which is eerily similar to the beginning movements in break dancing. Its catlike ground techniques, unique aerial moves and other gymnastic feats performed while standing on one’s hands would definitely remind someone familiar with break dancing of the similarity of the two forms of expression. Capoeira, is believed to have originated in Angola, where most enslaved Brazilians were kidnapped and sold into slavery. Whether break dancing is a direct importation from Brazil that has been "Americanized" or a cultural carryover of a defense system adapted to dance from Africans brought to the US we may never know. What we do know is that it is an African & Latin tradition of dance that has been practiced and has been evolving long before it was officially termed break-dancing and is part of Black culture. Finally, we come to graffiti, which consists of "tagging" or painting your name, group’s name or just plain artwork on public property. What has this to do with African culture? Plenty! Although it is universal to leave one’s mark behind whether as an individual or as a nation, no one is more known for their pictorial representations, better known as hieroglyphics, than the Egyptians. The Egyptians wanted to leave no doubt as to whom they were and to let future […]

After viewing UPN’s hip-hop drama "Platinum" it’s apparent that the producers and writers have created a show based on focusing on the worst elements of hip-hop. Its gangsterism, misogny, violence, and brutality. The "Platinum" premiere episode highlighted the violence and ignorance in hip-hop that has become synonymous with young people and black culture. "Platinum" producers have stated their intentions are to "keep it real." The only thing they have "kept real" is the glorification of violence and brutality that hip-hop needs to move away from. We have lost Tupac, Biggie, Jam Master Jay and many others to this type of ignorance. How many more lives will hip-hop lose before we wake up and realize that these programs masquerading as entertainment only perpetuate the glorification of violence, alcohol, drug use, and negative behaviors in hip-hop? The hip-hop nation needs to realize that, yes we need to "keep it real." But the shows producers are attempting to mirror the worst in hip-hop. You can use the same mirror the producers of "Platinum" are using to correct what’s wrong in hip-hop also. The hip-hop nation should demand that this show not only use its power to entertain but to make a positive difference in the way hip-hop is viewed in society. The hip-hop nation has lost enough lives through senseless violence. We already have BET, so we don’t need another channel promoting violence, hip-hop thugs, drug use and booty shaking sisters.