When Did You Fall In LOVE with HIP HOP?
I am an 80's baby at heart and I remember when I was first introduced to Hip Hop. I was watching MTV and VH1 and I watch the rap videos that would play after school. I remember "Yo MTV Raps" and Dre. Dre and Ed Lover. I first fell in love with HIP HOP when I heard "Cha-Cha Cha by Mc Lyte, "It's my Beat" by Sweet Tea and "The Greatest Man Alive by 3 Times Dope. The list is longer but I had to name a few. I had my boom box and rocked out to Afrikka Bambata and lounged out on the couch to watch my Crush Grove and Beat Street VHS tapes. The music back in the day was life for me and I miss those days dearly. This new age music has been manipulated and stepped on and seems quite unrealistic. I guess I'm offended that the nation is in a recession and all I hear on the radio are songs glorifying the bling, making it rain, drugs, money, sex and power. Is this what our children have to look forward too? I remember when me and my friends would clear the living room just so we could dance to Kid n Play and Big Daddy Kane.We would "Qun diddly diddly diddly dee" to Heavy D and wave your hand in the air when Chubb Rock's song hit the airwaves. I remember as around the age of 8, my older cousin came to my house and she brought her cassette tapes and "Me and Kid Sensation and that home away from home, in the black Benz limo with the cellular phone", (My Posse's on Broadway by Sir-Mix-A-Lot blazed through the speakers and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I jammed that song for months remembering every word. I loved Hip Hop at one point in my life, it meant so much to me. The movement represented the struggle as well as the care free beats to make your body rock. We can't forget "Breakin 1 and 2" and Ozone and Turbo with the break dancing "Electric Bugaloo" type style. Hip Hop was knowledge, it was ART, it was about battling and broadcasting your skills in a non violent way. It gave hope to young men on the streets, it gave them a way out. When you heard a rhyme, you heard a message that was monumental. What happened to our generation? What happened to our MUSIC? What happened to HIP HOP?
Who is your favorite MC?
2 comments:
Queen Latifah has always been my fav
80's and 90's hiphop rocked and for me it still does. I got into the groove of hiphop because of my brother who had a turn table in his bedroom with all the latest vinyls. He would blurt out the likes of De la Soul, Mos Def, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, RUN DMC etc I didnt really have an appreciation until I started clubbing around age of 15years old.
I still love and prefer jamming to tunes from way back, music with real lyrics and artists that demonstrated talent.
I dont know what's happened with HIP HOP except the concentration on nurturing talent has now become a bigger focus on commercialising everything. It also seems that if your image doesn't quite fit the mould, the chances of being show cased is less likely.
@BareFoot Countessa Thats exactly how I feel. I truly miss the old days.
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