Blood on Our Hands

The idea of Hip Hop being "dead" was prevalent in the hearts and minds of many MCs well before Nas decided to title his album with the bold proclamation at the end of 2006. If rappers didn't believe Hip Hop was actually deceased, they made tracks stating their opinion, usually believing that the culture was on its death bed. Common made the song "I Used to Love H.E.R." as an ode to hip hop back in 1994. The track was highly critical of the direction that Hip Hop was moving into at the time after attaining more commercial success in the mainstream. Around the same time other rappers stepped to the forefront to convey their disappointment in Hip Hop's apparent downward spiral from an art form that originated from the struggle of the oppressed, to a sound that has been over saturated with bravado and degradation. KRS-1, a Hip Hop pioneer and legend, has been one of the strongest advocates of "Real "Hip Hop as well as one of the bigger detractors of what would be considered "Commercial Rap." The question remains: Is Hip Hop as we once knew it truly dead? If it is dead, who is to blame for it's apparent assassination? Are we to blame the record labels, radio DJs, the artists themselves, or the fans?

The culture of Hip Hop has its origins deeply rooted in the streets and projects of the oppressed and disenfranchised. Of course there were groups with the commercial appeal that were enticing to white America that allowed the culture to gain notoriety. The "Sugar Hill Gang's Rapper's Delight" was a Hip Hop hit single that brought world attention to the growing sub-culture, but rap music's foundation was based in the ghettos and hoods that were generally ignored by the white community. Tracks like "The Message" by Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five and later album's like "Criminal Minded" by Boogie Down Productions gave America more of insight to the plight of African Americans in this country. The culture gave social commentary on black communities and the hardships we endured. The difference between now and then is that the music wasn't immersed in negativity. Run DMC, Melly Mel, Kurtis Blow, Public Enemy, Rakim and KRS-1 weren't glorifying the grind, but were creating ways to escape it. Somewhere the artist lost control of the mission while record labels played the role of master by deciding what was socially acceptable.

When an artist presents his/her album to a label, the label makes the choice of which songs will generate the most revenue for their company. This seems fair when making a business investment into an artist, but tracks with real messages are being scrapped and never see the light of day. There are MC's out there who refuse to let a record exec control their creativity and dumb down their music. Immortal Technique, an MC and political activist, claimed that he turned down a deal with a major label due to the constraints they attempted to place on his music. This intrusion has caused many artists to jump in the game looking for that hit single as oppose to invoking their music with passion and fervor. The music is suffering; the culture as a whole is yielding bastard children who have no regard for the art form that raised them. Radio DJ's influence the trend by deciding what's "hot" and what's not. What we're left with is the same formulaic sound echoing on radio airwaves 24/7.

I'm a fan of Hip Hop; I support the culture, the soul and the passion. In the early 90s, when I was old enough to appreciate what I was listening to, there was less of a divide of what was played on the radio and what was considered underground. Radio stations played Public Enemy, KRS-1, De La Soul, Wu- Tang, Tribe Called Quest, Nas, NWA, and ICE Cube. There was still an underground network, consisting more of local artists and others who broke the geographical barriers. But either way you went, it was still Hip Hop. I don't have a problem with main stream rap music. I listen to all Hip Hop, some time I might be in the mood for some gangsta shit, club shit or some political shit; I'm able to appreciate all sides of the spectrum. The problem is there is no more variety, and now we are forced to do extensive research to locate the remnants of the culture. The average listener will might never hear the Hell Razah joint, Blitz the Ambassador, or AntiPop Consortium just to name a few. I guess it's time to realize that the system has no need to support music that counters its very existence. Maybe it's time for the fans of the music to demand more from our artists, DJs and labels. Is Hip Hop really dead? I don't think so, there are plenty of MC's out there who will tell you differently, and prove that the culture is still breathing in their music. I hear the rumors, maybe she faked her own death. And while there are plenty of people dancing on her grave, she's in hiding, waiting for the perfect time to emerge form the ashes.