Greetings of peace and contentment.
Last year, I was asked to expound on the History of Hip-Hop Culture, following a visit by Jeff Chang (author of the book Can't Stop Won't Stop). I spoke to a body of students undertaking the study of music. They were very impressed to learn an aspect of Hip-Hop that they were totally unaware of. As a result of the positive reception I received from these students, I figured that I should give to you what I gave to them.
Below you will find excepts from my e-book "The History of Hip-Hop Culture". My desire is to inspire you to learn and motivate today's youth to reflect the positive aspects of Hip-Hop culture.
-"What is "Hip-Hop"?
"Hip-Hop is a very distinct Black American sub-culture. "Lovebug Starski" was the first use the phrase "Hip-Hop" in his rhymes. Afrika Bambaataa started calling the movement "Hip-Hop". Space Cowboy said, "Hip Hop, hibba, hibba to the hip hip hop and you don't stop the rockin, to the bang bang boogie say up jumps the boogie, to the rhythm of the boogie to be." Is that Hip-Hop? Yes!!! This song, Rapper's Delight was the first record to use the phrase "Hip-Hop". But there is much more that you were never told about the origin of Hip-Hop culture.
"The music to "Rapper's Delight" was written by Niles Rogers. Most people don't know that he was a dedicated hardcore member of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.
"Let's get into it..."
-"We are here to discuss the history of the Hip-Hop culture, but the origin of the Hip-Hop culture was born from Community Organization for Positive Social Change. The one is born from the other. So you cannot discuss one without the other, as I have often seen done by others in the past. You can't gloss it over to make White people comfortable about Hip-Hop. You have to tell it like it is."
-"How exactly was Hip-Hop conceived?"
"Hip-Hop was born out of the chaos of the 1960's revolutionary movements. We know that the circumstances outside of a mother's womb affect the nature of the life that is growing inside of her womb. So, when our mother "America" missed her period during that decade, she produced a new life for Black America... and that new life has affected the whole earth. Then to truly understand the origin of Hip-Hop, you must study to understand the circumstances surrounding its conception and birth.
"I repeat, since the mother is America, and she missed her period in the 1960's to give us a just life, through social equality, they say a seven month baby has a chance for life... then Hip-Hop's pregnancy, which they tried abort under the number of 6 (1960's), was born under the number seven, in the 1970's; but the baby did not fully mature until it reached the number 9, in 1990 (during the revolutionary period of Hip-Hop culture).
"Even though try tried to kill Hip-Hop, the baby survived. Those of you, who are old enough to remember, can bear me witness; the U.S. Government did not want any Hip-Hop to exist in America.
"To truly understand Hip-Hop, you must study to understand the circumstances surrounding its conception & birth."
From these brief excepts, you can begin to see that this is not the average thesis on the subject of the History of Hip-Hop Culture. My perspective is not as if I were some college student who "hung out" in the ghetto to interview the poor niggers, then stole the information about their life's story and made a fortune off of the hard work of others. I didn't go to college.
No...
I lived the history. Therefore, I am uniquely qualified to speak on it indepth, and from a perspective that few write from. I hope that after reading this subject that you will share your comments on the effects it has on your perception of what I call "today's 'imitation' of true Hip-Hop culture".
Thank you. |
