Upload
the-wheel
View
137
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
THE WHEEL SPEAKS ON 2013 – Authentication Or Impersonation Or Changing A Generation Finally Is It Hip Hop Again?
Citation preview
1
THE WHEEL SPEAKS ON 2013 – Authentication Or Impersonation Or Changing A Generation Finally Is It Hip Hop Again? I am more than likely going to find this feature in particularly analyzed quite thoroughly and strange as it may seem all I have to say is it’s about time. Years ago in 1974 when I was a young impressionable teenager along with my best friend Bobby Warren we had something that inspired us all hours of the day and night. Something that inspired us to travel and to places that I am pretty sure we wouldn’t if we hadn’t discovered what was then our muse simply a source of inspiration. In Greek mythology the word muse of course is used when speaking of the Greek God Zeus and his nine daughters and creativity wise each possessed a particular gift which inspired a specific art or science as well musical.
2
Muse |myoōz| noun (in Greek and Roman mythology) each of nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who preside over the arts and sciences. • ( muse) a woman, or a force personified as a woman, who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist. The Muses are generally listed as Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Euterpe (flute playing and lyric poetry), Terpsichore (choral dancing and song), Erato (lyre playing and lyric poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Thalia (comedy and light verse), Polyhymnia (hymns, and later mime), and Urania (astronomy). I can remember traveling to Staten Island with my friends walking from Clinton Avenue in Jersey City where Bobby lived all the way to West Brighton in Staten Island probably over 30 miles over the bridge and all. And doing it by choice with our crew being inspired enough not to even have any fear what so ever although we were traveling into neighborhoods especially in those days for Jersey dudes might have been considered pretty courageous. And then bonding with young and upcoming rappers and disc jockey’s and crews who all had a mutual inspiration. It became for many of us in Jersey City where I was born and raised more than inspirational it was a way of life and something that our parents eventually embraced because it kept us all together and out of trouble. And as the number of people in our crew grew so did the inspiration it would resonate throughout our neighborhood and every kid wanted to not only listen to it they wanted to be it. And the art form we all wanted to be in our lives each and everyday was called hip-‐hop and no matter how much money you had or didn’t have. Where you lived or how old you were if you had skills suddenly you were not only embraced in your neighborhood but people from other hoods who travel just to see you. We’re talking before the internet or social media talking about traveling to places with our portable mini-‐cassette players and recording the famous battles like Busybee Starski and Kool Moe Dee when the latter mention was trying to come at the then reigning king on the microphone. Or when we’d go to the Audubon Ballroom where Malcolm X was assassinated years before to see the ColdCrush Brothers who featured Grand Master Caz do routines that are still legendary. Or as I mention the other day while talking to legendary DJ and friend Kyle Majik Jackson we’d drive from Jersey City along with Grand Wizard Capone to pick up his uncle who was a manager at McDonalds. Little did I know the dude in the car changing his cloths back then was Afrika Bambaataa of the Almight Zulu Nation that we had to get to his gig. We’d have car loads of crews from Jersey City with us all traveling as a unit of brothers and together Sweet Slick & Sly crew with the Almighty Albee Alb god rest his soul and my man DJ Stranger along with the Prince and Jimmy Mack. Of course the Killer Force Crew was present Danger Dee Mello-‐Mel and Cool Sir Brown and the Grand Wizard Capone always had that whip everybody squeezed into as well like my cousin Kool DJ Jones who sometimes would steal his mothers car at night, but
3
we had to save the parking space so we’d put empty garbage cars there until we got back to save the space. But what I really loved about those days was the camaraderie it inspired and if you didn’t have basketball skills later made famous on a record by of Biggie Smalls it made no difference we all finally had something that was ours. Examine that word ours and yes it gets a little personal now so indulge me for a few more minutes. ours |ˈou(ə)rz; ärz| possessive pronoun used to refer to a thing or things belonging to or associated with the speaker and one or more other people previously mentioned or easily identified Like all forms of music created there is a source or origin. origin |ˈôrəjən| noun the beginning of something's existence Inner city children in particularly minorities created an art form purely motivated by inspiration and passion as well emotion inspired by there collective lifestyles intertwining cohesively it was pure magic. Art coming together at a time in the lives of impressionable young kids like me and my friends that affirmed one thing each and everyday especially to me and that was I could do anything. But sadly along the way something happen things began to change and some of the same patriarchs who carried and nurture the art for years suddenly became more concern about how could they exploit the art? And not gratuitous at all it was done disingenuously the of course the primary objective was as always money and various record label conglomerates of course would do anything to control this new phenomenon and that obviously mean empowerment. Hand selecting certain individuals who would beyond a reasonable doubt be down to do anything to get rich or die trying when in the past the whole concept was it would take a nation of millions to hold us back. But this article isn’t at all meant to blow up those who will eventually be exposed for the friends they’ve betrayed and seen buried into graves or even the royalties that never arrived or have many times we’ve heard about the lies scandal or how bad a boy was who may have been on death row in the days. Because finally it’s come back to what inspired young people like me and so many I know growing up it’s about the youth and their movement. The same way it was our movement and being inspired years ago hip hop music is about a generation of people and many of us are still trying to hold on to a time that has gone and past. When the young prodigy Kendrick Lamar’s verses on Big Sean’s “Control” were examined to so much scrutiny by so many elders especially it was quite disappointing in particularly to hear those who almost took it as being offensive that his name could be mention with some of hip hops greatest of all times (G.O.A.T) like he was doing something unfamiliar.
4
Times have changed so much and the hip hop game has literally been a game that in particularly these last few months could make one totally loose all the respect in the world for an art form they’ve may have loved their entire lives. How you have rappers who reluctantly had to decide whether to boycott a state where murder was defiantly endorsed on a world stage. Or how suddenly grown men who for years without remorse whatever exploited a generation of youth to sell units currently try flipping scripts the same way they flipped birds trying to suddenly make it appear honorable? Music does inspire and unfortunately not just one element and it truthfully becomes questionable when people suddenly try to not change themselves but they honestly are just making an attempt to change their brand and become more marketable, if it’s not the case take those millions that you’ve already made and help to repair the lives you may have possibly destroyed with your influence. Well it was probably unfamiliar to those who like an old washed up basket baller will hold on to hoop dreams and even talk those who still talk about Michael Jordan like they’re on his payroll. Bottom line is time has marched on and the game just like everything has changed and someone has proven to be worthy enough to spark conversations whether be positive or negative and most importantly can you imagine how many inspiring rappers even supposed iconic ones are trying to come back just to get a mention in all of this debate these last few weeks. I am not calling anyone the worst of the best but I know one thing for sure every bodies taking and although it’s shameful on social media see washed up rappers truthfully critiquing and they’ve never sold units like this or receive this type of attention. But now here’s where we begin the conversation about who’s the best or who’s the worst or are you in it for the money power and respect? Because to me it seems that the last close to twenty years the only people that have prospered from what was once done as inspiration are the same individuals who were specifically anointed to herd a collectively group or demographic of people like cattle. I am thankful for my experiences and definitely what for years has inspired my growth into a young man and then an adult of sound mind body and soul. So when we speak of authentication or impersonation or changing a generation and finally is it hip-‐hop again? I’ll respectfully stand by before drawing any conclusions because until we come to the realization that home is where the hatred is instead of dancing to 2 chainz we might be wondering whether or not one day soon they’ll be locked around our ankles and wrist.
5
One there was a message in the music much respect Kendrick Lamar for forcing accountability by acknowledging what inspired you bringing it back to real hip hop telling your story not what they expect you to say. Respectfully, THE WHEEL SPEAKS ON 2013 (The Way Humanity/Hudson Expects Everyone to Live)