One night while channel searching, I stopped on CNN. I was frozen stiff when I witnessed Paula Zahn asking a Baptist preacher: “What's wrong with Hip Hop music?” And, to think, all this time I thought TBS was Turner’s comedy network. Watching Zahn analyze Hip Hop music is sort of like asking Ron Isley to do your taxes, while R. Kelly is watching the kids. Zahn wouldn’t know Kurtis Blow from a Clinton escapade. The industry word on the street (okay, my friend in New York) says: Zahn gained her Hip Hop credibility from the fact that Russell Simmons watches her show. Well, I sometimes watch HGTV; does that mean I want to date Tim Hardaway? Someone has to put an end to this foolishness—naturally, I volunteered.KweliThe beautiful thing about hip-hop is it's like an audio collage. You can take any form of music and do it in a hip-hop way and it'll be
a hip-hop song. That's the only music you can do that with.--Talib
I may be the only person on the post side of 40 that simply refuses to watch Hip Hop music get pilfered by the masses like Jazz, Reggae, and Rhythm and Blues. Sometimes I feel like a one gun army and I am ready to fight to the end. Man, my kids are in trouble. Let’s face it, my kids may never learn to solve for X, but they will certainly know who Big Bank Hank is. Maybe I’ll adopt.
Believe it or not I like Paula Zahn; in fact some of my best friends are white. You’d think one of my friends at CNN would tap Zahn on the ass like a Tip Drill Video or (more realistically) whisper in her earpiece: Zahn if you want to know what’s up with Hip Hop music, why don’t you ask: Chuck, Mos, Talib, Kris or Esco? Mos would probably point you in the direction of his latest joint “True Magic”. Now I would not expect Paula Zahn to flip that in her changer, but the fact that most black people couldn’t do that either is probably the root cause of TRUE Hip Hop music becoming a resident on a respirator.
Forget no ass Zahn, one day I was listening to The Tom Joyner Morning Show (what can I tell you traffic in Atlanta is just that bad). In any event, Joyner and New York-based Jackie Reid were having a similar debate about the decline of Hip Hop music (thank God for Black History Month). Reid attributed the decline to degrading lyrics (how deep); while Joyner blamed the 21% decline to pirating and bootlegging. Oddly neither thought to scan Uncle Thomas’ play list. Maybe HBCU's is where the fighting on that show ends—I just wish Hip Hop music wasn’t the formatted sacrifice.
And now for the featured presentation:
Reasonable Doubt June 1996, Jay-Z
Roc-A-Fella Records / Priority Records
Iconic is probably the best adjective to describe this Hip Hop classic. If you ever wondered why Jay gets a pass for all the commercial corniness from here to the first Blueprint—look no further than Reasonable Doubt. The Black Album the world’s first rap artist retirement party underscores this fact.
Right from the start, Mistress of Hip Hop, Mary J. stamps her Queen of Soul hook on “Can’t Knock The Hustle.” One track later Brooklyn Buddy Biggie rips a few verses—fresh from his two-year "Ready To Die" debut. Biggie's tag team with Jigga on Brooklyn’s Finest is about as close as you’ll ever come to a neighborhood anthem. The rest of this Hip Hop masterpiece depicts a rags to riches victory second only to that of John F. Kennedy’s White House run. Hip Hop enthusiast will argue that this time America killed the wrong president.
1 love,
Ray Lewis
5 comments:
I believe that it's articles such as this one that keeps the hip-hop light burning - or at least it keeps a match nearby at all times - everytime a rap song tries to blow out the fire.
I often think of how this world would be without hip-hop... probably a world without conversation, a world without creativity, a world without free expression, a world without art or color... Hip-hop is what has truly made the earth well "rounded". It's unfortunate that the anti-hip-hop think-they-know-it-alls still have the mentality that the earth is flat.
TDO
Cuz,
I knew there was a reason I love you more than cooked food! I saw parts of the CNN show and had to turn it off. Hip Hop is not dead to those who remember its roots and pass it on. I will say though that I am tired of all the cursing. Can someone please write a verse without a curse word. Not that I am adverse to "cuss" words, some of them are my best friends. ;). But JEEEZZZ! Putting together a string of profanity does not make one a Hip Hop artist. In any event, we are kindred spirits ...Mos Def's Hip Hop from the Black on Both Sides album, or even Ms. Fat Booty (yeah I know but I like the song!) same artist, same album. Let's go back. How about Poor Righteous Teachers-Rock Dis Funky Joint, MC Lyte's Ruffneck (Beyonce you are about 10 years late with "I Need a Soldier") That's music I can chill to. Maybe it’s the rhythm, it fits my soul. If anyone were to ask me the question (on the non-corny tip), "When did I fall in love with Hip Hop?" My answer would be.... In 1978 on Manor Avenue in DA BOOGIE DOWN.
WALK GOOD.
Ray hip-hop is global and a billion dollar market. However the industry is being flooded with so
many "rappers" and rap songs that any real
hip-hop is not being played on poplar radio rotation. Yes, Jay-Z's (hip-hop mogul) Show Me What
You Got had some life, but check the video with million dollar players in it and the million dollar
ad campaign backing behind the song.
I pose this question, Does the youth of today know what hip-hop really is? Being 40+ means we
grew up with hip-hop. Does that make us purest finding it hard to adapt to what hip-hop is preceived
to be today, i don't know. I do know that many of hip-hop artists themselves have chased the
dollar bill and that just creates a revolving door for anyone to walk through.
Warren G
After rereading this article for the fifty eleventh time... (That’s my slang for “a lot”). Can you tell I really enjoyed it every hilarious line.
I flash back to a hot day in Brooklyn ’79 … listening to the radio DJ on WBLS engaged in a conversation with his guest after airing “rappers delight” questioning who/whom to accredit the innovation of rapping over tight lyrics, and who they were ranking as the originators. And I sat in silent protest, arguing the fact that Jamaicans have been doing that style for ever.
A hip-hop baby to the end, huh? I don't think it's possible for a music form to die, no matter how much people may wound the genre or even wish for its death. Do YOU think hip-hop has lost its consciousness? I hear people say that and it leaves me curious. Who better to answer the question but the most dedicated hiphop head I know.
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