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Digging in the Crates w/ Davey D #1
There are lots of tracks we can look at and I think folks should add to this so we can compile a list.. But here’s three songs that I feel address the plight of the inner city Black male….
The first one comes from Boston rapper Akrobatik who drops gems to the shorties he sees hanging out on the Front Steps (Tough Love)… The beat is dope and the lyrics are incredible… Its a damn shame that major radio stations never picked up this song and that way too many people sleep on one of my favorite artists Akrobatik
2Pac dropped a dope 3 minute song that thoroughly expressed the angst and plight of the young Black inner city male
The second one ‘Streetz Are Deathrow’ comes courtesy of the late 2Pac. Its always been my favorite cut from him. In a about 3 minutes Pac underscores the tormented mindset of a young cat trying to navigate an increasing confusing world..I wish he did a video for this song.. Not sure if I ever heard Pac do this song live..But he captures the moment on this piece
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS3IZtNU_f4
I know i said I would post up 3 songs, but I couldn’t post the 2pac cut without digging in the crates and pulling out Ice Cube. His 1990 song ‘The Product’ sits right alongside this 2pac cut. It’s off the Kill at Will Ep. Cube skillfully takes us from the moment of conception to the tragic ending in a jail cell.. Coming at the tale end of the crack era Cube like Pac captures urgency of a troubled time.. Cube was arguably at his best when he flipped this song..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd1xxQpXcuc
The last one is a classic from Blastmaster KRS-One.. ‘Loves Gonna Getcha’ .. Like Akrobatik’s cut this song is one that dispenses advice as KRS lays out the all too familiar plight of the neighborhood dope dealer who’s love for material possessions leaves him blind to the realities and dangers of life..Its songs like this that made everyone fall in love with KRS and see him as one of the best Hip Hop has ever produced..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQAssqqYQ-E
Anyway enjoys these gems and feel free to post up songs that you feel need to be listened to by ‘the young black male’
Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner
Ice Cube's song 'The Product' still holds true for many Black males almost 20 years after he recorded it.
Davey D, you know that I do not know “Hip-hop”, but my three songs for the young Black male would have to be – 1) “Optimistic” by Sounds of Blackness, 2) “You will Know” by Black Men United, and 3) “Be a Father to your Child” by some one-hit wonder. Google these songs, young Brothers, they’ll give you insperation, courage to be a man, and information about what being a man is all about.. For those young bucks who were blessed to have a pop or step-pop google “Just The Two of Us” by Will Smith – will bring a tear to yo’ PS. “Hey Young World” by Slck Rick gives some insight, as well.
Be a father to your child is Ed OG and the Bulldogs. you coulda googled that yourself.
and you are really recommending a will smith song? why not the grover washington/bill withers original? it’s a far better track.
will is pretty corny as a rapper. i know you are trying to talk about parental responsibility but no one in the inner city is tryna hear dat, yadidahmean?
i feel where you are going with this but your lack of knowledge is a bit of a detraction.
Haven’t I seen you tracking me on a Boston site, e-scribblah? I’m the Rapologist-Critic, you are the student. Call me “Mahatma”, thank you! You “must” be white thinking that you are priviledged enough to criticize me. Give me your three. You got my top three. You don’t feel me, you follow me, but you can’t wear my shoes as a Black Man speaking to the Black male between the ages 15 – 24 today. Yo’ turn….
“…no one in the inner city is tryna hear dat, yadidahmean”” – Uh… No, I don’t know what you mean. When is the last time you talked to a young Black male? I spoke with my son before I e-mailed you and worked with a bunch of them yesterday at my Church at our Friday NIght Youth Program. How do you know, e-scribblah what they tryna hear, I’m a Mason – enlighten me.
For your information, e-scribblah, Wil Smith is the Father of your Modern day Hip-hop.
An excerpt from “The Origin of Rap Music” book published in 1994 – “52. What rap song placed Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince above the average “Gimmick Artist”?
A) Parents Just Don’t Understand
B) I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson
C) Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble
D) Brand New Funk
E) Nightmare On My Street.”
The answer was – D) Brand New Funk. The song Brand New Funk (Jive, 1988) was the first song that actually displayed any real lyrical talent on the part of The Fresh Prince. prior to that, him and Jazzy Jeff were the combination of a great DJ and a clown prince emcee. The Fresh Prince was whack! His whole existence in the industry of Rap Music is because of gimmicks and the use of video. Even his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, said that she listened to Eric B and Rakim and didn’t listen to her husbands music, back then. Since 1985 on Philadelphia’s Pop Art’s/World UP Records with the song “Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble” on over to Jive Records with the “I Dream of Jeannie” sample, he’s been whack. However, in 1988, he struck gold when he came out with the gimmick “hip-hop” record called “Parents Just Don’t Understand”. In 1984, Herbie Hancock had sort of paved the way for more creative Rap videos to be made when he received a Grammy and won MTV’s Awards for Best Video Concept and Best Special Effects in a Video for his hit song “Rock It”. And that was all that was necessary for DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince of Philadelphia (my hometown) to come up with the formula in 1988 to become the first rap group to win the Grammy nomination in the new award category of Best Rap Performance with their gimmick track “parents Just Don’t Understand” from the album “He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper (Jive, 1988). That video became the highlight of MTV and everyone jjust had to see it! Michael Jackson tuned Black folks on to watching MTV on cable and Run-DMC were the first rap group to appear on MTV, but that video helped hook the next Black generation and gave new meaning to young Black’s recording videos. Quite frankly, the song was weak, but the video was something that all kids and even “mainstream” adults could relate to. It had a commercial, comic appeal, As a result of that video, the album went on to sell 3 million copies in 1988 and earned them the invitation to be presenters at the Grammy’s as well as being nominated. However, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince boycotted the Grammy’s along with three other nominees because the new award was being given off-air, even though they had won the first Grammy ever for Best Rap Performance (Although they were not the first to be nominated for a Grammy for rapping. In 1984, a jewish-named white guy named Rodney Dangerfield was nominated for his “Rappin’ Rodney” record on RCA in the Grammy’s Best Comedy category. two years prior to Run-DMC even being nominated in their Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group category ). As well, perhaps from the success of that album and video, MTV started giving Best Rap Video Awards and gave DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince the first honor in 1989. in 1989, they were nominated again by the Grammy’s for the gimmick record “I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson”, but lost to another equally-whack California rapper named Young MC. In 1990, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince were nominated a thrid time by the Grammy’s in the new category of Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “In This Corner…”, but lost again to a Quincy Jones track on the Warner Brothers released album “Back On The Block”. Quincy Jones got in the “Vibe” of Hip-hop in 1989 and tried to sort of correlate Rap, or what was then starting to become considered “HIp-hop” acceptable to mainstream, into the history of African American music on that album. In 1991, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The fresh Prince won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for their hit “Summertime” on the Homebase album on Jive/RCA. Also, that year Fresh Prince went on to star in the sitcom “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” on NBC. And during the 1991-1992, 1992-1993 seasons, the show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air ranked among the top 20 most watched shows in America according to Neilson Media Research in 1994. However, after the ’93 season the show never made it back into the top 20 gain of the Neilson ratings. A lot of Fresh Prince’s antic as the character “Will Smith on the show came directly from comedian Eddie Murphy and the brothers from the streets of Philadelphia, as America would sit, learn, and watch each week – “modern day Hip-hop” being created”. In 1996, Will Smith’s “Fresh Prince of Bel Aire” hip-hop fans obviously followed him as he went on to star in a blockbuster movie called “Independence Day” and the movie went on to become one of the largest money-making films of that time grossing at the box-office $306,169,268. In 1997, The Fresh Princestarted recording under his real name…My critique of Fresh Prince, or Will Smith, as a rapper is that he is a whack
“GImmick Artist” who opened the doord for everyone “outside” of New York to make it in the industry under the term “Hip-hop”. Fresh Prince is the Father of today’s Modern Day Hip-hop as far as its followers or supporters. Moreover, my comments about his life – coming from Philadelphia and making it to where he is today he has been fortunate and blessed. He has been a positive role model and my 12 year old son still laughs at him and Carton. I do not see too many kids coming from two parent homes like he did these days, nor do I get to heart about kids turning donw post-secondary scholarships, nor do I ever hear about kids blowing a million dollars and then turning around and getting casted to star on a tv program. Nor do I hear about Black kids getting to go on tv and then on to gross over 250 million-plus at the box office, and then getting to marry movie stars like Jada Pinkett. That kid, now man, husband, and father, was blessed! Mainstrean white America loved him, therefore he is you all’s Father of Modern Day Hip-hop when you really look at it. who’s supporting hip-hop today. .This is why I am called a “Rapologist-Critic” or “Mahatma” (a most respected teacher). “Lack of knowledge, e-scribblah?”
Haha lol.. I would have a different point of view.. My songs would be directed towards the hood ! NOT ACADEMIA !
2pac “In this white man’s world ”
Nas “I gave you Power”
Ed O G”BE a father to your child” <———-617 Resident and mentor of mine
I’m the Rapologist-Critic, you are the student. Call me “Mahatma”, thank you! You “must” be white thinking that you are priviledged enough to criticize me.
LOL. now you’re starting to SOUND like KRS-One–in his later Temple of Hip-hop years., when he had lost all relevance and became prone to delusions of grandeur even above that of an egotistical MC.
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uh, last night. i live in Oakland, by the way…
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well, you’re about 32 degrees short of being a “G” then.
“When is the last time you talked to a young Black male?”
last night. i live in Oakland, by the way…
“I’m a Mason – enlighten me.”
well, you’re about 32 degrees short of being a “G” then.
“This is why I am called a “Rapologist-Critic” or “Mahatma” (a most respected teacher). “Lack of knowledge, e-scribblah?””
actually, i’d say you have far too much time on your hands. i hope you dont expect anyone to actually read that long-ass brain fart on mr “getting jiggy with it.”
look, i remember when FP/JJ came out with “Rock the House” so dont try to act like you possess some secret knowledge no one else has.
i’m just saying that the typical inner city rap fan does not listen to Will Smith. if that’s hard for you to comprehend i dont know what to tell you. since you are obviously past the point of further learning, or at least making a non-contradictory point.
will’s a role model of a suce$$ful sellout and actually has become a pretty decent actor, but “the father of modern day hip-hop”? i dont think even Mr. Smith himself would agree with that.
ask any young black male who’s more relevant to their lives as a rap artist, Fresh Prince or Tupac, and i think you’d have pretty much unanimous opinion in favor of Shakur.
i did find it interesting how you gave Christian references and quoted KRS in the same paragraph. obviously you never listened to the lyrics of “the real holy place”
and please, your wanna-be pro-black racism is just tired. anyone who doesnt agree with you is a “white european,” apparently. yet you practice a European religion.
and does anyone but yourself call you a “Rapologist”?
at least have the courtesy to admit when someone else has made a valid point (or four).
and while we’re on the subject of ‘Pac, one could fill up an entire iPod with his relevant songs speaking to young black males, starting with–yup–“Young Black Male” from 2Pacalypse Now.
You don’t hear me. Coming from Oakland “the land of Hammer”, e-scribblah, you like the man with no arms – you can’t hang. Sound a little like Davey D, come to think of it. You ever want to “hide” knowledge put it in a long paragraph on here.
Fresh Prince would probably agree that there were no successful rappers outside of “New York” until he came on the scene on MTV and toured with Run–DMC. He probably would also agree that his video and show captured white mainstream America for hip hop to become acceptable.
Isn’t Will Smith successful and still alive? Why wouldn’t he be more relevant to our young Black youth than a dead Tupac? Where’s the intelligence at? Don’t always shoot the messenger, TRY to understand the message. We might learn something. I just did.
The devil knows I’m hot on his trail, so he’s sending out Hatred, Jealousy, and Envy to attack me, but I been fighting this battle since 1987. Call me “Israel” because I’ve beeen wrestling, the land is near, though.
“Can’t Stop The prophet by Jeru The Damaja -another good one to listen to.
Back in the day this brother G-Slimm from New Orleans, LA made a track called Countdown to Population Zero… It still brings chills down my spine . Sadly he was murdered…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFLFpXudr18
“To teach the East is what Rap intended
but society wants to invade
but do not walk this path that they laid, cause its…” –
D-Nice
self distruction ya headed for self distruction! that song had it’s 20th birthday earlier this year
Goldie, why we got to go all the way to N.O.? Another good track for the young Black males is “Real Deal” by the Lifer’s Group. Don’t listen to “wanna be’s” or studio “parole models”, because.unfortunately the deceased can’t testify. Our young black youth need to hear the “real deal”. Good catch, joc.
“Young Man ” by Ceelo on his first solo album Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections
A little country hip-hop perspective, different, yet useful for constructive discourse with brothers.
“Robbin Hood Theory” by GURU on Moment of Truth
“Wolves” by Dead Prez , the intro on Let’s Get Free
I play this track with my male students every year and allow them to free right after listening. Great analogy!
“You don’t hear me. Coming from Oakland “the land of Hammer”, e-scribblah, you like the man with no arms – you can’t hang. ”
ha ha you funny. i been hanging, so call me Mr Fantastic with arms of elastic, while you need another crack hit from your bully pulpit but aint saying shit.
Oakland is the land of independent, original hip-hop, biotch. oops that’s mister biotch to you.
maybe you didnt know Hammer was an indie artist before he was signed to capitol. or that too short was the original west coast indie phenomenon. or that southern rap owes a lot to E-40 and the Click, not to mention Master P. or that there would be no Def Jux or Rhymesayers without Hiero Imperium. just like there would be no Ja Rule and DMX without 2pac.
so you wanna dis Oakland? you better get your facts straight and your game tight.
Too Short, Hammer, Digital Underground, Del, Souls of Mischief, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born, Zion-I, etc. etc. i could go on but you’d probably rather hurl cliched insults than actually think about what i’m saying.
you wanna dis the home of the black panthers? and continue to appropriate their ideology while twisting it to your own fake-ass pontifications ? and call yourself “mahatma”? you must learn…
“Fresh Prince would probably agree that there were no successful rappers outside of “New York” until he came on the scene on MTV and toured with Run–DMC.’
oh, except for too short, you mean? or Ice-T?
“He probably would also agree that his video and show captured white mainstream America for hip hop to become acceptable.”
“Isn’t Will Smith successful and still alive? Why wouldn’t he be more relevant to our young Black youth than a dead Tupac?”
see the contradiction in these two statements? actually, the first one answers the question raised by the second one.
Holy Counter Productive Arguments Batman!!! There’s a lot that young and old cats can learn from a whole lot of True School Hip Hop, old and new, from your block, his, block or my block.
Let’s not lose sight brothers! Maintain
I am loving the uselss banter here. I will add two cents.
I just have to point out though how Mr. Mac Clendon started this whole comment section: “I do not know “Hip-hop”, yet keeps trying to defend himself with cut-n-paste knowledge.
Then he says “You “must” be white thinking that you are priviledged enough to criticize me”.. what? since when do you have to be white to criticize someone? that’s foolish and strips you of any “Mahatma” title.
Anyways, three titles:
Mc Eiht – Straight Up Menace – Sad story with a sadder ending.
Public Enemy – Public Enemy – Revolutionary Generation: people gotta grow up respecting their women.
Tupac – Trapped – that’s one song that made me be who I am.
well, anyone who thinks Will Smith is “the father of modern-day hip-hop” isnt up on modern-day hip-hop, i can tell you that with 100% certainty.
and calling Oakland “the land of Hammer” not only reveals ignorance about Hammer’s impact, influence, and historical contribution, but unfairly maligns one of the MAJOR breeding grounds for hip-hop and rap of all varieties, from alternative to gangsta, not to mention a center for street-level social justice movements, dating back to the era when McClendon’s pro-black ideology was actually relevant.
once you have Reagan and crack come in, the context shifts, so does the relevance to the young black male–which is why Tupac et al. are more relevant than Will smith to this demographic.
Will Smith’s relevance is for mainstream white listeners, what McClendon would likely call “europeans” distastefully, yet he ironically upholds Smith as a virtuous example of a message-bearer to young black males, though Will was never from the ghetto or the hood, and never made music which spoke to people from those environments.
i like “Summertime,” though, but to me Will be always be remembered as the guy who made it cool for white people to use the term “jiggy,” which is just WRONG on so many levels.
McClendon not only lashes out at me, but also takes a backhanded swipe at Davey-d, without whom this topic wouldnt have even been discussed. wow. talk about someone who’s compeltely full of it.
anyway, on a more positive note, here’s some songs which do speak to the actual topic:
Too Short, “The Ghetto”: rollers, task, and OPD, all these cops just to handle me. not only does Short Dog address the police-industrial complex in the inner city, but foreshadows the Oscar Grant incident by about 20 years (just like NWA’s “Fuck the Police” foreshadows the Rodney King incident).
King Sun, “Be Black” a lot of people forgot about the 5% nation, but this Afrocentric Age jewel urged self-knowledge and knowledge about cultural heritage and history.
2Pac, “Lil Homies”: probably my favorite posthumously-released Pac track. this one speaks directly to the experience of youngsters from the hood, in a non-judgmental way. Will Smith never broke it down like Pac does on this one.
BROTHERS, LEARN HOW TO READ, I EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM BACK IN 1994 WITH YOU ALL PARENTS AND GRAND PARENTS – A LACK OF COMPREHENSION – “FRESH PRINCE IS THE FATHER OF TODAY’S MODERN DAY HIP-HOP AS FAR AS ITS FOLLOWERS AND SUPPORTERS (MAINSTREAM WHITE PEOPLE).” THAT BROTHER STILL AIN’T GOT NO ARMS, HE NEEDS TO GO ON THAT NICK CANNON SNAPPING SHOW CAUSE HE GOT MAD JOKES STRAIGHT OUT OF DAVID TOOPS BOOKS. EAT DAT WATERMELLON, BOY, SHO IS GOOD, AIN’T IT? I really don’t have time to be lashing out at no one, I just tell the truth. Tell anyone in Philly or NY to contact Phiadelphia DJ Gary O (Odom) of WDAS 103.5 F,M. and ask to get a copy of “Rapologist Speaks ’94”. Chuck D heard the tape back in ’94.If you’ve heard of Dj Cosmic Kev in Philly on 99F.M., Super Duper Gary O is his cousin. Tell him “Champ” said to let you ignorant people hear the tape to bring this thing 360 full-circle and see who all have been stealing from me, and why they tried to silence me for 15 years now. I ain’t got to lash out, THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU NEGROES FREE! DJ Gary O in Philly, tell your Jew buddies and call my bluff?
Getting back to the lab – THESE ARE THE SONGS THAT I CAN POSSIBLY CHOSE FROM TO ALLOW THE YOUNG BLACK MALES IN MY “CHURCH” PROGRAM TO LISTEN TO –
1) FRONT STEPS – ACROBATIK
2) STREETZ ARE DETHROW – TUPAC
3) THE PRODUCT – ICE CUBE
4) LOVES GONNA GET YA – KRS-ONE
5) OPTIMISTIC – SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS
6) U WILL KNOW – BLACK MEN UNITED
7) BE A FATHER TO YOUR CHILD – ED O.G.
8) JUST THE TWO OF US – WILL SMITH if you had a pop)
9) HEY YOUNG WORLD – SLICK RICK
10) IN THE WHITE MANS WORLD – TUPAC
11) I GAVE YOU POWER – NAS
12) CAN’T STOP THE PROPHET – JERU
13 )BE A FATHER TO YOUR CHILD – ED O.G.
14) COUNT DOWN TO POPULATION ZERO – G-SLIMM
15) REAL DEAL – LIFERS GROUP
16) YOUNG MAN – CEELO
17) ROBIN HOOD THEORY – GANG STARR
18) WOLVES – DEAD PREZ
19) STRAIGHT UP MENACE – MC EIGHT
20) REVOLUTIONARY GENERATION – PUBLIC ENEMY
21) TRAPPED – TUPAC
22) THE GHETTO – TOO SHORT
23) BE BLACK – KIN SUN
24) LIL HOMIE – TUPAC
“EAT DAT WATERMELLON, BOY, SHO IS GOOD, AIN’T IT? ”
McClendon, it’s kind of hard to take you seriously when you’re writing ignorant stuff like this. let’s see, so far in this thread, you’ve dissed myself. and davey d. and Oakland. and hammer. you’ve made a dubious statement about will smith. and given yourself the undeserved title of Mathatma, though you’re clearly no Gandhi. you’ve otherwise revealed yourself as a seriously confused wanna-be ideologue with a limited knowledge of hip-hop–you cant even spell MC Eiht’s name right, nor King Sun’s.
still, i forgive you, for you know not what you do. and thanks for adding the songs i mentioned–and everyone else’s–to your list. that much is positive.
the rest of your unwarranted attacks would be better directed at the “Europeans” you despise so much. actually, scratch that. you’d be far better off taking a look in the mirror and improving your knowledge of self before you can begin to call yourself a teacher. first you must be a student. this may seem obvious, but “itsalongwaytago when you dont know where you’re going/ you dont know where you’re going when you’re lost.” that’s Gangstarr, by the way.
Did someone say something? Oh. Someone would mess up the list. You are too easy, e-scribblah. You. leave yourself too open. Your not a good counter-er.
“Parables” were always hard to understand for those who didn’t understand. Build on the list.
Sincerely,
Mahatma McClendon
I can not find on what discussion that we were talking about “Hip-hop” not being a culture, but “whoever” the person was that idisagreed that hip-hop “is” a culture, I’ll send that person $50 and an explanation if they can tell me what came first the chicken or the egg? by answering this – What rap group started their song on their album – RAP IS OUR WAY OF LIFE, that’s why we do what we like, born to rock the mike, like…” Think hard and long about KRS- One. Give me the name of the group and the year it was recorded and I’ll send you $50 and explaination of what culture and what “our’ way of lfe is and was. I’ll be looking for you. Easy money. Stay out of it, Davey D!
???
you lost me aways back there.
i’ll give $100 to anyone who can actually explain what McClendon is talking about.
in the meantime, wackahtma, stay on your medication, please.
Public Enemy- Can’t Truss It
Paris- The Devil Made Me Do It
Self Destruction All Stars- Self Destruction
And a 4th:
EDO G & Da Bulldogs(Black United Leaders Living Directly On Groovin” Sounds)- Be A Father To Your Child
Btw- EDO G is still putting out dope cognitive Hip Hop music and wasn’t a one hit wonder as he had more solid material recorded w/ Da Bulldogs & as a solo emcee:
Life of a Kid in the Ghetto (with Da Bulldogs) (1991)
Roxbury 02119 (with Da Bulldogs) (1993)
Dedicated EP (1996)
The Truth Hurts (2001)
Wishful Thinking (2002)
My Own Worst Enemy (with Pete Rock) (2004)
Stereotypez (Special Teamz) (2007)
Acting (with Da Bulldogs) (2008)
A & E (with Masta Ace) (2009)
My dear brother Robert, you know I would know who that group is, it’s grandmaster melle mel and the fourious 5 from 1984, That’s from the lp that davey d did alittle peace on about alittle over a year ago, with melle mel about the cut off that lp called www3 If I’m correct, but you don’t have to send 50 bucks it;s all good, it’s always love,
Peace Joc.
Robert Jr. James McClendon, on August 9th, 2009 at 7:09 pm Said: “Don’t listen to “wanna be’s” or studio “parole models”, because.unfortunately the deceased can’t testify. Our young black youth need to hear the “real deal”.”
Brother what if Malcolm Little was viewed in this light? I am a survivor of the Streets of New Orleans 9th Ward and the last time I checked the city still holds the top of the chart for Young Black Males killing themselves and being locked up on a daily basis. Truth comes in all forms and I give props to ANYONE willing to acknowledge the gemocide, even if only for ONE song… But what are YOU doing to combat the problem???
Goldie, if you want to know what am I doing to combat the problem? Basically, taking time to enlighten people on this site. I do not recall Malcolm recording hip-hop, but I do recall him betraying the Honorable Elijah Muhammed for the “media”. Old news. Being top of the chart for genocide is nothing to brag about, I hail from Phiadelphia. Songs are the back drop to change, not the elements of change. I gave two songs “Optimistic” and “You will Know”, those are just songs, the change starts to occur when the young Black males realize that the true power comes from a greater power source than themselves. It can be “JEYAALG” (Jehovah, Yaweh, Allah or just Almighty God). I’ve been combating this stuff through letters, calling radio stations, maintaining my marriage, raising the only two kids by my wife on this “planet”, and working with the youth where I am at. May I ask what are you doing?
joc, my word is bond. Whenever you need the 50 spot, its yours. “Rap is our way of life, that’s why we do what we like, born to rock the mike like EF Hutton so day say nothing…” RAP IS OUR WAY OF LIFE”. “RAP IS OUR WAY OF LIFE”. Did they say “hip-hop” is our way of lfe in 1984. You all don’t hear me! In 1984, did Grandmaster Melle Mel, Cowboy, Scorpio, Clayton Savage Comikosi, and Eazy Mike say “hip-hop is our way of life. “RAP IS OUR WAY OF LIFE”. Now, if you live and love hip-hop when did this term become a part of your life. What year? Obviously, everyone will jump back to ’76, but it started with….You in the circle, joc, you got the $50. For all those that don’t understand, it ain’t ment for you to understand. Calling you names and blasting you ain’t going to help no one. I ain’t talking about you, joc, talking about those that’s bringing the jealousy and envey to attack me.
I honestly think some of us are just trying to plug our hometown rappers. I can be considered guilty. But I am viewing these songs on You Tube to chose one for a video I plan on making for the youth at my church. If my mom can’t listen to it, I can’t use it, that’s my measuring stick.
e-scribblah, “Listen rather than refute” sometimes. You are good at reiterating what’s already been said and then putting it in your own words, but word, B., you are not schoolin’, you are more like class clownin’. I am learning, but not from you.
Dave Ghetto F/Phonte and Mystic-“Hey Young World pt.2”
Some talk about going out with a blast
But end up being just one more of the six billion stories waiting to be told
Scattered across the globe
From suburban communities to Kenyan dung abodes
From congested slums to shotgun pockmarked bricks that comprise the ghetto,
The globe over
The majority has long been duped into believing we are the minority
By those that seek to be the sole controllers,
The world over
A task that, in essence, is just as hard as Overstanding the concept and mind of “god”
LIFE is already hard enough without the added stress
Plus we only get one shot at it
So why pile on more than what is needed to survive?
Like willingly choosing to ignore the televised fallacies passed off as true lies
Choose NOW to stand up for your rights
Don’t just hand them over without a fight
Or allow them to be taken by the thieves of the night
No matter the situation you face or the fear of the plight
Keep in mind that LIFE IS YOUR RIGHT
My eyes have seen some sick shit in this life
Like scared niggaz running with a loaded gun
Slipped, tripped and quickly ended his own life
Trifling is how so many choose to live
Others await the arrival of the Final Hour which they think is near
In actually, I swear I believe the fucking clock is broken
Like being found dead by your seeds after masturbating while choking
It’s amazing to see how these devils don’t even try to hide their lies these days
For they know the average individual’s mind is twisted confused and constricted like a maze
That many more are caught up in the illusions of the purple haze
For them I mix small amounts of potassium permanganate with a spoonful antifreeze to create homemade napalm in small grades
I admit back in my youth I had nothing to lose
Like a nigga on death row for 19 years and in the last stages of cancer that was just told he was wrongly accused
Then I gained Knowledge and Overstanding of Self
Which aided in the deeper understanding of how to play the only cards I was dealt
From that moment on it was all about the Art of Survival
And how to make loyal disciples of all my former rivals
Attended the Marines School of Infantry to sharpen my skills in shit wrecking
Learned how to take apart the M16-A2 and M203 in a matter of seconds
Scraping firing pins on concrete floors to convert semi’s to autos
And sending a wealth of Guerrilla skills back to my comrades still trapped in the concentration camp style Ghettoes
That was a long time ago and I still await a revolution like the Mau-Mau’s or fed-up brothers and sisters in Soweto
My eyes have seen some of the sickest shit in this life
Like my people bamboozled into glorifying the lamentable conditions presented by the Clandestine International Genocidal Agenda (Countdown to Population 500 Million)
So the struggle continues as sure as day turns to night
Looking back with the gift of 20/20 hindsight at my past, I often wonder how and why I lasted so long.
I can vividly recall when I got No Love tatted on my arm.
Wrong or Right, so much has transpired since I first learned to bring my thoughts to LIFE through my writings.
Never one to mince words, I choose to write about the despair of LIFE; the pain the struggle the fear and the hype.
Despite this, every now and again a glimpse of Beauty breaks through the clouds and gives me the strength needed to give it one more try.
Even though it gets harder and harder to maintain as time continues to wind down, memories of good times and conversations with my true comrades always causes my heart to smile on the inside.
In these days and times you can’t really afford to show your true emotions on the outside.
Nevertheless, I swallow selfish pride, humble myself and continue studying the Art of Survival.
I SURVIVE!!!
Wanted to increase the list, but there you go, Goldie! Got to take you back to 1998 with this –
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HIP-HOP-IZED
You will not be able to stay home brother
You will not be able to keep it locked, or tune in, and cop out
You will not be able to lose yourself on MTV
and skip out for a Forty during commercials, because –
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HIP-HOP-IZED
The Revolution will not be hip-hop-ized
The Revolution will not be brought to you by
HBO”s Def Comedy without commercial interuptions
The Revolution will not show you video’s
of Reagan or Bush blowing a bugle
and leading the charge by Oliver North, Chuck D, KRS, and Source
to eat food to live confiscated from the Temples of Harlem
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HIP-HOP-IZED
The Revolution will not be brought to you by Time-Warner or movie theatres
and will not star Queen Latifah, Ice Cube, or Supa and Juicy
The Revolution will not gve you video’s with sex appeal
The Revolution will not get rid of your own self-disdan
The Revolution will not make you look jiggy, slutty, or hardcore, because –
The Revolution will not be hip-hop-ized, Brother
There will be no Time Magazine coverage of you, Mase and Puffy
pushing old crossover hits that you know the USA likes
and trying to slide in the N-word just for ghetto reference
B.E.T. will not be able to predict the winners at 11:02
on report of the Grammy nominees on FOX 29
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HIP-HOP-IZED
There will be no need for concerts for Mumia
to be done by Rage vs. The Machine
there will be no more hats, movies, or stamps
pushed by Public Enemy performed along with Anthrax
while on brothers like Donta to your roots you didn’t perform
there will be no need for video’s by Tupac and Biggie Smalls
when he was a child with a brand new processed Blow-out
There will be no sample remakes, Russell Simons,
or Nelson Georges’ strolling through the streets of New York
in their red, black, and green libertation Phat gear
that they have been saving for just the proper occasion
Criminal Minded, Niggaz4Life, Banned in The USA,
and Fight The Power
will no longer be so damn relevant
and women will not care if Lauryn Hill opens a Bible
because our people will be in the streets doing it another way
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HIP-HOP-IZED
There will be no highlights on “The Box”
and F.M. radio stations which combinated with R&B
and women not combing their hair and wrapping scarfs like skanks
in the name of – Badduism
and music made by and for zionists who have all of the control
the hooks will not be written by Puffy, Dre, Wycleff, or Master P
nor sung by Jay Z, Chuck D, RAkim, Ice T, P.R.T., Wu TAn, DMX, Foxxy Brown, Snoop, Coolio, or The Roots
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HIP-HOP-IZED
The Revolution will not be right after a Grammy, MTV, Soul Train, or C.P. Image Award Show, or any “movement” created and funded by
those who collect taxes like Hebrews
you will not have to speak for us about the hard knocks or thug life,
miseducation, or Money, Power, And Respect
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HIP-HOP-IZED
There will be no hip-hopcracy to govern the selling of souls
with you at the forefront for a few to control
so many minds like Adolph using propaganda
and our young people selling their culture in the name of nursery rhymes on Compact disc calling it a –
Movement
while our white brothers kill our black brothers in the streets
while the News controlled by the “same collectors” collect all of the money at places like Time Warner Brothers merging
as you make them richer rapping about money, power, and respect
when you don’t have a bit of self-respect,
pride, nor dignity yourself
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HIP-HOP-IZED
The Revolution will not need the aid of musical instruments
and the samples of you
to keep the cadence
for when we storm
there will be no mike0checks, dancing, shucking and jiggy-ing
issters on the front line dressed in Hilfiger and DKNY fatigues
nor a need for grafitti, breakers, DJ’s
nor inner-city microphone politicians
because – The revolution will not be hip-hop-ized
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HIP-HOP-IZED
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HIP-HOP-IZED
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HIP-HOP-IZED
THE REVOLUTION WILL BE LIVE!”
IT’LL TAKE PLACE IN YOUR MIND, WHEN YOU ARE READY TO GROW UP. I took from Gil Scott Herron and alot of Spoken Word poets followed suit. “You’re quite Hostile. I got a right to be hostile, my people being persecuted!” – Flavor Flav
“Throughout life people will make you mad
disrespect you and treat you bad
let God deal with the things they do
because hate in your hear will consume you too” –
Will Smith’s advice (Just TheTwo of Us)
I’m looking for that Grandmaster Melle Mel song “Rap is our way of life” . Does any one have it?
This is absolutely hilarious… I know that this debate about Will Smith is basically over, but I am bored and felt like adding on. I am a Hip Hop Choreographer, but danced for many years on the street before I started teaching in a studio. I pop, lock, break, krump, etc… Part of being a bboy is to know the culture that your dance is coming from. The father of Hip Hop (modern or otherwise) is certainly not Will Smith. If I had to pin that title on someone, I would put it on DJ Kool Herc (who threw block parties in the Bronx to showcase his skills as a DJ, leading to other MCs and the formation of rapping, bboying, and later beat boxing) or James Brown (the “Godfather of Soul” also paved the way for hip hop. The “breaks” in his songs [“sex machine”, etc] were mixed by DJs such as Kool Herc, leading to the formation of an entire hip hop movement that has led to east and west coast movements of hip hop forming DJing, MCing (Rapping), Breaking, Popping, Locking, and even the Graffiti culture that sprang from the resulting movements mentioned.) The summary of this little rant is that Will Smith is certainly not the father of hip hop in any way shape or form. He is a fantastic entertainer, as he has managed to traverse from one industry to another rather successfully several times (from music to tv to the big screen), but nothing more.
P.S. I do really like Will Smith’s version of the song “Just the Two of Us”… lol
This debate (or should say one recurrent part of it from one certain person on here) is funny as hell. Yes, the Father of Modern Hip Hop would HAVE TO BE DJ Cool Herc. . .and I’d also throw AFRIKA BAMBATTAA in the mix, too. While I actually dig a FEW of Will Smith’s joints, he’s not really much in my rotation – however, I do gotta give him and his Wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, props for trying to give Black actors in Hollywood a platform for some entrepreneurship to create more Black films, however they aren’t the only ones.
As far as the original topic, here’s some of my picks:
NYOIL – Father, Father
Public Enemy – Brothas Gonna Work It Out
ED OG & The Bulldogs – Be a Father To Your Child
KRS-ONE – Brown Skin Woman
Peace.
There’s a list up there with my name and Davey D added all of “his” favorite songs above mine. I would never recommend no damn Tupac, Too Short, Acrobatik, edt., this site was alwys whack and controlled by the you know who… THIS IS A FRONT FOR THEIR CONTINUATION OF EXPLOITING AND LOCKING UP OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH HIP-HOP (HELPING IGNORANT PEOPLE – HURT OUR PEOPLE). Guilty as charged, Davey D.