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Bizniz
or Cultcha
I remember when I was in highschool and I first heard rap...I immediately associated it with "rap" sessions or H. "Rap" Brown (a political activist). I thought it was supposed to be a thing where brothas would talk about their situations from the heart, and express themselves with a beat to keep you into the vibe or the feeling. I got into "rap" for that reason...so I could express myself from the heart about issues. I am of Jamaican descent so I have always listened to reggae throughout my life. When I was in high school and used to write rhymes for fun, I used to ask myself why Hip Hop wasn't nearly as "concious" as reggae. When I listened to Bob Marley or Third World back then, I got a sense of upliftment. Good old Bob used to say "Don't worry...about a ting, because every likkle ting, is gonna be alright." Lookin' around, I always got a feelin' like brothas and sistas are messing up. I have always had a desire to speak to hurting people through rap. When rap became "Hip Hop" I didn't mind. People were at least talking about the culture. They used to explain rap is just "people reciting rhymes over a beat" and seemed to imply that if the music wasn't tied to the culture, it wasn't Hip Hop. People had an attitude and a concern for rap being used commercially and in movies that in no way related to us. When Public Enemy dropped, for people that think the way I do, Chuck D was very welcome. At least this brotha was droppin' concious music (a term used by Jamaicans alot to refer to music whose intent is to edify, uplift and motivate its listening audience). What has happened to Hip Hop? Even people who aren't nearly as concerned about the Positivity as I am are saying that Hip Hop is dying off. Why is this? Well, let's examine this. First of all, if you look at reggae for a minute, you notice that much more music is pushed that talks about the need to take care of the children, respect your mama, overcome the drugs, and encourages you through struggle. I challenge you to recognize that for the most part, Jamaicans are still in control of their own music. It doesn't take rocket science to see that this may be a good reason why they pump positivity into their own culture! What about us? Do African
Americans own, distribute and control their own music? Hell no, read "Hit
Men" by Frederick Dammen if you want an accurate picture. There is
no doubt in my mind that this answers my question.
tOObiz.
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