Where's my Kangol? The Hip-Hop Appreciation Week W/O Old School Style
May 15 '01
The Bottom Line Money and the power is how it's rapped about today. How about respect, responsibility and peace instead?
First off thanks Madtheory for not only inviting me to this write off....
BUT, for also understanding that my post would be late due to computer troubles.
AND, for giving me back the gift of sleep. You see folks, your narrator (me) was at a loss for an artists name. It was a artist she loved back in the day. She loved him so much that she forgot his name! I sent a song title and a approximate release date for it. Voila, madtheory e-mailed me back the name and a sleeping pill. With that knowledge, who better to bring us all together for...
Hip-Hop Appreciation week
My fellow co-writers are (myself not included) :
LessThanNick1, churst, sfoster79, repulsemonkey, DVON, sXeJustin
Music brings together people that would otherwise never have crossed paths. Take for instance a concert. How many different people are you intersecting with? You share a common bond with them. The liking of the artist whose concert you are seeing. For those few hours your differences don't mean squat. Differences that make no difference when it comes to love of music. I listen to all types of music. I have a place in my soul for hip-hop though. A wonderous blending of various types of music, set to a hard beat. In the right hands it becomes poetry in action. I want to feel like I have just had a drive-by lyrical beating on my soul.
Artists seem to have forgot about the music itself. They concentrate on image, money and bottom dollar lines. Coast Wars, mic-checkin', battle of the emcees are all things that create good press. But, in the end I want good music. Afterall, my newspaper isn't going to sing to me at the breakfast table. If you can't feel the artist in his music, it's a waste of breath. I say spend less time cranking out album after album. Spend more time perfecting one album over a length of time. Keep it about the music and most of all.. Keep it real.
What Does Hip-Hop Mean to You?
Hip-Hop the artform means a lot to me. The beat and lyrics mesh together in a way that make me crave more. When hip-hop first started out it was different. I was a impressionable youth at the time. I was addicted to the beats and lyrical poets. I was never into the thug, or gangsta throw down either. I was more into the free-spirited positive rap/hip hop artists. Music that was taken from the minds and hearts of artists. Not their middle leg or hired writers take on things. Sure, an image sells...to others. Not to me. I am looking for a lyrically gifted hip-hop artist.
Fashion is a big part of the Hip-Hop I know. Why back in my day hoodies and Fila's were the shizznat. I recall walking to school everyday wearing my Air Jordan's that are making a comeback today. While I was into the style of dress then. I can't relate anymore. Today's fashion isn't really something I am down with. Nelly pull your pants up ;)
The theme of HHAW this year is Charity. In what ways have you heard of Hip Hoppers giving back to the community in a way that was cool?
Growing up in the ghetto so to speak was not a bad thing. I enjoyed every minute of my life. Sure times were tough and money was tight. But you know what else was tight? The neighborhood bond. I never have been as close to my neighbors as I was then. There was a certain respect for people in the 5th Ward of Houston. We all took care of one another, and it wasn't uncommon to get dragged home by the ear. The kids of the neighborhood were taken care of by everyone in the neighborhood. You couldn't skip school. Cause Miss Mary would call your Mamma, and blab all of your business.
Where am I going with this? Well a true artist a responsible artist doesn't forget where he came from. Or where his fans come from for that matter. Social responsibility calls and what artists have answered it?
First and foremost KRS-One for the single "Self Destruction". I remember cranking this loudly on the radio at home. I even recall sneaking to watch the video on BET. The song was a call to unite. The coast wars and rivalries were somewhat calm for a while. It also raised money for the National Urban League.
Queen Latifah's public service announcements about AIDS awareness. Although mostly aired in California it was still a great thing to do. I respect Queen Latifah's early music. It was the answer to the growing trend in rap. To degrade, beat or badmouth a woman is uncalled for. She has also lent herself to domestic violence prevention.
What was your first rap album?
1988's Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick . Now I know what you are thinking. EricaAnn, um didn't that album have a song on it called Lick the Balls and Treat Her Like A Prostitute? Yes, the album did. I admit that it was a bad for me to own this album at a young age. However, Slick Rick was essential in getting the ball rolling in my love for hip-hop.
It was his smooth accented voice and catchy beats that hooked me. Scratching records become a love of mine soon after. Slick Rick's album was the first one I played as a DJ. I feel a tear forming. Excuse me...
But despite the adult theme of some songs, Slick Rick had a moral side. One can't forget the socially responsible "Hey Young World". I know everyone loved the song "Children's Story". However my favorite song is "Teenage Love". It spoke volumes to me later on in life. The accent and true knack for "storytelling" made Slick Rick a favorite cassette from back in the day.
Which rap artist do you feel represents Hip-Hop to the fullest?
KRS-One without a doubt. He embodies all that I mentioned at first in this editorial. Socially responsible, talented, mic slayer, and trademark voice. One listen and you know it's him. His beats and lyrics have almost always been on point. KRS-One assaults you purely with rhymes. Positive, talented and responsible. I am in love with the artist that lets me know I should be treated right. No more screaming of "Where the white b*tches at".
What’s your favorite rap album and why are you feeling it?
The spin that has my vote is Mtv Presents Hip Hop Back In The Day - Various Artists a 1995 release. It contains the early hip-hop that I love so much. The memorable hits are listed below :
1. The Breaks ~ Kurtis Blow
2. The Message ~ Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
3. Planet Rock ~ Afrika Bambaataa
4. Fat Boys ~ Fat Boys
5. Roxanne, Roxanne ~ UTFO
6. The Show ~ Doug E. Fresh & MC Ricky D
7. Freaks Come Out At Night ~ Whodini
8. The Overweight Lovers In The House ~ Heavy D. & The Boyz
9. South Bronx ~ Boogie Down Productions
10. Rock The Bells ~ LL Cool J
11. The Bridge ~ MC Shan
12. Funky Cold Medina ~ Tone Loc
13. The Message ~ Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Now Mtv normally doesn't compile songs I like. But, I have to say they did their homework with this one. Old School is how I like it. How can I say I feel each track without being here for days? Each one holds special memories for me. Be it a basketball game, or that fight I got into. Junior High dances and sneaking my walkman in gym class. I feel young again and carefree when listening to the tracks. Not to mention terrorizing my neighbors with bass. And by the way, I still catch myself singing Track 6. Which tracks are you into?
Man, I wish I could go back in time again! Each one of these tracks is outstanding. It kind of makes me wonder if hip-hop doesn't need to look to the future but the past. Which brings me to the next question.
What are your hopes for the future of Hip-Hop?
Hip hop I am hoping will take a turn for the better. Mindless music is not my style. Intellect, wit and talent is what I need. I want to see it go back to being about the music. Not the Cash, money, clothes and b*tches. Hell yes they have a social responsibility. It's time to look around at the fans who bought your album.
You the artist.
Create, inspire, teach and move musically and lyrically. Stop depending on a fake front to sell albums. People respect a real person, not someone with silicone lyrics, and collagen beats.
"Don’t make a goal, be the goal. You are your goal. So in hip hop, you are doing, advancing, protecting, preserving, and educating yourself." KRS-One
And by the way my computer is still offline. I am submitting this via a friends laptop.
~EricaAnn~
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Member: Just Another Blue Gal
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