Jay-Z
Hotep,
I’m enjoying Jay-Z’s latest literary expression, “Decoded.” The 5th of my top 5 greatest MC’s of all time, Jay-Z has stepped into the classroom and blessed us with a learning tool. But, for your MannofStat, “Decoded” has also been a pleasant reminder of my early days as a Hip Hop head. Feel me?
For the last 10 months, I’ve transfused the Hip Hop that flows through my veins to the masses. Hip Hop is the blueprint of my expression. It’s the manifestation of my soul, but this blog also reveals how this refined culture of expression was used against me in a court of law, Racial Justice, 7/19/10 (http://word2themasses.blogspot.com/2010/07/racial-justice.html). I can’t help but wonder what the outcome of my trial would’ve been had the Blastmaster, KRS-ONE been residing as my judge. Rakim and Kool G Rap should have been amongst the jurors of my peers. And, I know ineffective assistance of counsel wouldn’t have been an issue if my defense team consisted of Biggie Smalls and Jay-Z. Ya heard?
I now introduce you to an aspiring novelist, ready and willing to breathe his expression on the masses. We know him as “Bucktown,” the author of “Immortal After Death.” The masses have yet to experience it, but inside the box, it’s an epic literary work. Word is bond.
A true Hip Hop historian, Bucktown will take us back to the true essence of Hip Hop, instilling a sense of pride inside of any head that’s nodded to the pulse of Hip Hop. Bucktown, step up to the mic and breathe.
MannofStat
It was the summer of 1983, “Sucker MCs” by Run DMC was in heavy rotation on the radio. Hip Hop music was a relatively new thing. Up until then, and even for some years afterward, many people believed it was just a fad that would eventually fade. The music was uncultured and unconventional. It was called ghetto music…Black music. Hip Hop music defied the norm of mainstream music. It was black people speaking rhythmically to music. No, it won’t last. That’s what was said, but on the contrary, 1983 was the year Hip Hop firmly established itself as not only as a genre of music, but also a culture that would become the standard bearer of both music and life.
It is said that art imitates life. Well, created by young black men, Hip Hop became the vehicle they and others like them, used to express themselves personally, intellectually and politically. Like James Brown’s “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud,” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s going on,” Hip Hop music became the voice of reason, motivation and discontent for Black America. The torch in the struggle for true liberation and equality for the black race was taken up by generation X with songs like “The Message,” by Melle Mel that illustrated the struggles of a black man living in the ghetto, Queen Latifah and Monie Love with “Ladies First” enlightening black females of their worth and inspiring them to value that, and KRS-ONE, Ms. Melody, Heavy D, Dougie Fresh, Just-Ice, D-Nice, Public Enemy, Stetsasonic and others admonishing us about our genocidal behavior with “Self Destruction.”
Black History Month is the time of year that we officially acknowledge the struggle our race has been through and is still going through. Hip Hop music is a part of that struggle. In fact, in my opinion, Hip Hop is the pulse of our struggle. For me, it is synonymous with Black History Month in respect to their significance. Because of Hip Hop music, black women feel motivated to keep their heads up and persevere and we as a people are beginning to recognize our power. Black power!
Peace,
Bucktown
Copyright © 2011 by Rodney Taylor
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