The SnapClap

KRS-One and Marley Marl have a new release that’s slated for release in about two days. I had no idea that this project was in the works, although I have been listening to Kanye West’s song “Classic” which features the Blastmaster among many other notables. In one of his lines Krs remarks, “Don’t you wanna hear more KRS on your radio station.” To which I silently answer, . .no doubt.

The title of KRS and Marley’s album is Hip Hop lives, which is interesting because it stands in stark contract to Nas’ Hip Hop is dead. I think Nas accomplished his goal with Hip Hop is Dead, or at least it’s in the works. Hip Hop is dead is lightning rod of dialogue that seems to have pushed everyone to challenge its validity. Now everyone seems to be stepping their game up. Everyone wants to show that Hip Hop ain’t dead. Be that as it may, the number one record in the country is prolly still Young Joc and the marketing schemes and gimmickry that have led to the demise of the Hip Hop’s constitution are still prevalent. With Joell Ortiz, Common and a few other notables slated for releases in the near future, the fate of Hop Hop sits in a balance.

I think to some extent, albeit premature and ignorant, Aftermath’s signing of Ortiz represents somewhat of a shift in the current paradigm. Ortiz is somewhat of a throwback, not really a gangsta for the sake of being a gangsta. I hear the pain, truth and hunger in his voice. And besides, he rocks mics with Immortal Technique. Anyone who’s down with Immortal Technique is cool with me. Now, if Aftermath signed Immortal Technique (not that he’d sign anyway) that would clearly indicate a shift in the current paradigm. Well, as they say nothing lasts forever, so to me everything is a signpost of change in Hip Hop. I think one of Shaolin’s finest put it best when he said, “You might be a ghost, but you ain’t Houdini.”

Wynton for President! In March, Wynton marsalis released a new entitled from the Plantation to the Penintentiary. I was on Amazon looking at reviews and there’s a 14 minute video of Marsalis talking about the album and speaking on the genesis of the song concepts. Marsalis got real deep, politically, philosphically and musically, its pretty ill. It was like Jazz as politics, featuring the creativty of hope. Check it out here, he gives a great commentary on American leadership about 9 and a half minutes into the video. I thought he was gonna announce his desire to run for president right then and there. I found myself in agreement with alot of the things he said, like we as americans desire the dollar bill almost above everything; religion is being as a political tool. I mean, he was right on the money. i might have to pick up this CD and see what its all about.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a great appreciation for hip hop.  In addition, I have been know to spit a few verses here and there.  I’ve also been know to quote a rapper’s lyrics in a discussion if it’s applicable.  One of the quotes I use often when in a conversation when someone needs to decide something important, goes like this:  

I normally don’t quote rappers but in the immortal words of the famouns rapper Dres from Black Sheep; “The Choice is Yours.”  (now mind you, . I always start by saying “I normally don’t quote rappers but in the immortal words of XYZ etc etc etc; but I do usually quote rappers, but thats neither here nor there)

Anyway, I was surfin’ the blogosphere and I came accross the comments of conservative Orlando Congrassman Ric Keller.  It seems like He quotes rappers too.  Keller recently quoted LL Cool J’s Mama said knock you out.  Now I don’t normally quote rappers but in the words of the famous bronx MC KRS-One: “Bitin’ whatever you say to boost they ego, We know the steelo, your whole character is foul.”

Check out the video here at Thinkprogress.com.  This is how they explained it:

In what could be a congressional first, U.S. Rep. Ric Keller of Orlando quoted early hip-hop star LL Cool J on the House floor to prove he was a longstanding supporter of a police funding measure.

“Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years,” said the conservative Republican lawmaker, citing the classic hit “Mama Said Knock You Out” from the early 1990s album of the same name.

CEO, rapper and former hip-hop mogul Master P announced to Allhiphop that he’s going profanity free and launching a profanity free record label, Take A Stand Records, in an effort to change his image.  Now, I’m not one to knock change, change is good, we’re all in flux all the time, even if we try to fight it. But, what exactly does he mean by ‘change my image’.  Does he mean going from a former Forbes 40 wealthiest under 40 A-lister that tuned a childhood friend into his accountant and as a result owed millions in back taxes; to an I’m still relevant CEO/rapper who can still surprisingly make hits?  Because if he does, I think he’s sadly mistaken.  Maybe he thinks he can change the image of the music that he helped to create and popularize? He’s wrong there too.  I know hip hop’s elite are scrambling in the wake of Don Imus comments, but honestly, I think they’re placing their attention in wrong place.

Is Rap vulgar, YES. Is it misogynistic? YES. Violent?  Absolutely!  And I’m not even going to say that I even listen to half the stuff that’s out right now, because I haven’t and I don’t and I don’t plan to. I haven’t heard Young Jeezy’s first or last album and I prolly won’t ever.  I still think censorship is a misguided choice.  I will admit, however, there is a difference between old school hip and the new stuff.  The difference became even clearer when I took a recent trip down memory lane and revisited the hip hop of my youth (some of which I had not heard since then) Superlover Cee and Casanova Rudd, Skinny Boys, UTFO, Grandmaster Flash, Fearless Four, Bambaataa, Just Ice, Boogie Down Productions, Rakim, EPMD, Whodini, Dana Dane, etc. In listening to my newly found old school mixtapes and recordings from DJ Red Alert’s radio show on 98.7 KissFM, I noticed how much ’self censoring’ was going on.  Some songs were about light, simple and easy subjects like new dances, places to shop, things to eat etc.  Other songs told ghetto stories in the tradition of the griot and still others, while containing violent material, rarely did more than connote violence.  But violence is violence; oldschool, newschool or whatever, right?  Ok, fine.  So why then is it that I think we’re barking up the wrong tree with all this talk of censorship? The reason it’s wrong is because society itself has shifted.  Censorship is a band-aid on the greater ills of society.  Society itself is more violent, sexist and classist.  I bet if we conducted a study, we’d find that our awareness of violence, sex, drugs and many other vices has increased in lockstep with the proliferation of the many new forms of media we are bombarded by.  So, while it might seem backwards, as the size of the market increased in numbers and the value of the market increased in dollars, competition increased as well because more people wanted a piece of the pie.  Media outlets began to monetize everything and anything. Video games, cell phones, movies, vehicles, pop up ads, REALITY TV etc.  As competition increased, the content became worse. Who needs good music when you have a great marketing scheme, right?

So, don’t bark up the tree of hip hop, without first looking to the various other forms of ‘entertainment’.  I mean, kids play incredibly violent and realistic video games for HOURS and no once cares.  While the movie industry seems to be blazing a new trail with the potential ban on cigarettes in movies, like Master P’s profanity free record label, I think it has more to do with bottom line than doing what’s right. (P, if I’m wrong, holla at me!)

The ONLY thing that’ll change the media we consume is our appetite for it.  Not to single anyone out or anything, but as long as Young Joc, Young Buc and T-Pain are at the top of the charts, we’re in for a steady diet of slackness.

Oh and by the way, who does Oprah think she is, criticizing hip hop.  Man listen, she got up there and bigged up Jaime Fox’s record like she produced that joint.  While Fox does not overtly call women “ho’s”, there’s so much straight up sex bonin’ on that record he might as well have.  I almost wish that he just said ‘ho’ at the beginning of the record to get it out there, and then he’d be free to sing about something else for the rest of the record.  All jokes aside, the record did have a parental advisory sticker and warned parents of “strong sexual content”. 

SO, as long as WE (and I mean WE as in ALL of us) say this is ok, and we accept it and keep buying it, then nothing will change.  SO, stop buying it.  Stop letting the record companies tell you what to listen to.  Search for your music. Listen to podcasts, join www.emusic.com, see a live show, discover an independent band, do something.