In this portion of an exclusive interview series by DatzHott.com, nationally syndicated radio show host Big Boy of “Big Boy’s Neighborhood” talks about the greatest wow factors of his career and the time he met the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EOUGXkusJUg
Robert Griffin III
An interesting conversation went down on ESPN’s ‘First Take‘ the other day around Robert Griffin III (RG3) and how he identifies with race and him being Black. Sports writer and panelist Rob Parker raised the question whether or not RG3 was a brother or a ‘cornball brother‘.
Parker took issue with the way RG3 answered some questions about race in a recent USA Today interview.
‘For me, you don’t ever want to be defined by the color of your skin’.. ‘You want to be defined by your work ethic, the person that you are, your character, your personality. That’s what I’ve tried to go out and do….I am an African-American in America. That will never change. But I don’t have to be defined by that.’
In response to those quotes Parker asserted; “Well, he’s black, he kind of does his thing. But he’s not really down with the cause, he’s not one of us….He’s kind of black. But he’s not really the guy you’d really want to hang out with because he’s off to do something else.”
When questioned as to what he meant by saying RG3 is not one of us, Parker noted that because the rookie quarterback has a white fiance and that there were rumors he might be a Republican his Blackness needed to be called into question.
When asked about his braided hair style, which often times has led to Black people being denied employment, Parker responded; ‘That’s different…wearing braids, you’re a brother’. But he didn’t move off his initial point that RG3 might be a cornball brother
Needless to say this conversation caused a lot of outrage especially among those who read RG3’s USA Today remarks and concluded that it was admirable he appeared to be trying to rise above the minefields that often occur when it comes to discussions about race. Parker’s cohorts Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless attempted to rein him in and ESPN issued a statement saying Parker’s remarks were inappropriate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2G5GwnQMmE
Now on the surface all this can be seen as some BS with Parker arguably making controversial remarks as a way to get attention and boost ratings. After all, this is the same Parker who once wrote that baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron was a coward for not showing up to see Barry Bonds break his home run record.
Michael Jordan
With all that’s going on in the world why should we be concerned about such discussions? On the other hand, there’s a lot to consider especially when it comes to the types of demands we have long put on athletes to be better role models and to speak out. It wasn’t too long ago that many of us decried athletes like Michael Jordan for playing it safe by remaining silent or taking apolitical stances on important issues that seemed to downplayed his Blackness.
Many got upset with Jordan when he refused to speak out about all the Black inner city youth killing each other over his high-priced basketball shoes. He was famously quoted as saying ‘Republicans buy sneakers too usually at full retail’, when asked to address the issue.
Jordan further enraged people when he refused to weigh in on two racially charged elections in which former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt, an African-American, challenged long time far right conservative Senator Jesse Helms for his US Senate seat. A lot of attention was on Gantt who stood a good chance at becoming the second or third African-American win a Senate seat.
Gantt sought an endorsement from Jordan who refused.. He played it safe and many accused him of not being ‘down for the cause’. It wasn’t until Jordan met Helms and the Senator dismissively looked him up and down and called him ‘Fred’ that Jordan began to rethink his position. For those who don’t know calling a black man Fred was a long-standing ‘joke’ Helms had when dealing with African-Americans. He’d call them Fred no matter what their name was, because Fred was the generic name for ‘the Help‘. Jordan reflected on that incident after Helms died and admitted there was more to life than making money.. You can read about that encounter HERE.
All this is not to suggest that RG3 would ever be like Jordan. Perhaps RG3 is the type of guy who will proudly step up and support worthwhile candidates and speak out on issues of importance. He also may be conservative whose opinions stand in stark opposition of the ones held by the majority of Black folks. Time will tell if RG3 is ‘down for the cause’..
Rob Parker
This leads to the next point..’What cause was panelist Rob Parker expecting RG3 to be down so he could avoid being classified as a cornball brother?
Did he want him to talk a certain way? Often times some Black folks who speak in a certain tone or are too articulate are accused of not being Black and acting white.
Did Parker want him to dress a certain way? Go to a particular church? Have a Black girlfriend?
Did Parker want RG3 speaking out about the recent killing of Jordan Davis, a teen shot to death by a white man in Florida who felt his music was too loud?
Or did he want RG3 to be ‘down for the cause‘ by weighing in on the controversy surrounding the firing of KTBS whether reporter Rhonda Lee? She was fired for responding to a racist Facebook comment where a viewer told her to get rid of her natural hair and wear a wig. Was this a cause for RG3 to be down for?
Would RG3 be less of a cornball brother if he said he was a fan of Chicago rapper Chief Keef and could kick the lyrics to all his controversial violent themed songs? Would that be an indication that he’s down for the cause?
Parker said he was just being honest and reflecting what folks say on street corners and in the barbershop. Perhaps..The irony is that in many of those barber shops, RG3 may carry himself in a way that they deem satisfactory, while calling Parker’s Blackness into question. For example, some might say Parker is a cornball brother for sitting on a panel, cheesing at white owned ESPN, a Disney company vs showcasing his talents on Black owned TV1.
Some might say Parker is a ‘cornball brother’ because he doesn’t speak out about the prison industrial complex or bring attention to the plight of political prisoners, like; Mumia Abu-Jamal, Herman Bell, Dr. Mutulu Shakur or Romaine “Chip” Fitzgerald or Ed Poindexter to name a few.
Perhaps he’s a cornball for not speaking out about the plight of unions and how Black folks in Detroit, a city he once worked in, will be disproportionately hurt by recently passed anti-union right to work bill.
Some might call him a cornball for publicly blasting RG3 vs sitting him down and talking to him behind the scenes about his politics and ways in which he engages Black culture. Parker’s public condemnation of another Black man for something so personal is the type of behavior we often advise youngsters to avoid for fear of it leading to unnecessary beefs and violent confrontations. How is it ‘being down for the cause’ to call someone out like that? Was he trying to shame Mr Griffith into a particular way of being? Should RG3 upon hearing these remarks dump his girlfriend?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFY2kJ96jNY
We could go on and on playing ‘I’m Blacker than thou games’ pointing out where and how someone falls short of some mythical mark. Someone can always claim they are ‘Blacker’. Perhaps we should be more concerned with the types of causes RG3 gets behind.. In short lets choose substance over style. It may have been a bit more instructive if Parker had noted that the folks in the barbershop were looking for RG3 to come hang out at the local youth centers, or speak out on some recent occurrence impacting Black folks who live in DC and the surrounding DMV. Even better would be if Parker himself could’ve invited the star quarterback to join him and others to an activity or be a part of cause that would enrich the community. To simply suggest he’s a cornball brother is in the words of James Brown, is talking loud and saying nothing.
written by Davey D
Not a good week for sisters… First we have Rollingstone Magazine releasing their much ballyhooed 50 Greatest Hip Hop Songs of all times. They assembled a panel of 33 artists taste makers, label executives etc.. As they scoured through over 30 years of recorded material, Rollingstone and their panel could only come up with 3 female artists who put out songs worthy of being on their Top 50 list Missy Elliott who was 38, Lauryn Hill (45), Salt-n-Pepa (46)…So sisters were told don’t trip after all, who cares about a damn rap chart? There are bigger fish to fry..
Perhaps that bigger fish was tennis star Caroline Wozniacki who has been accused of doing a ‘racist’ impersonation of fellow tennis player Serena Williams. During an exhibition match in Brazil against Maria Sharapova,Wozniacki stuffed her bra and shorts to replicate the body of the curvaceous Serena. She then strutted around the court like a peacock and drew laughter from the crowd and other tennis players.. As this story was being reported it was pointed out this wasn’t the first time tennis players have stuffed towels into their under garments to make fun of Serena.
Supposedly Serena is friends with Wozniacki and things are all good.. The news reports say Serena laughs at these sorts of jokes.. And so once again Black women were told they shouldn’t trip, after all this was’ just harmless fun’.. In one of the reports I saw today, it was explained that since was done in Brazil, people there take racism differently and making fun of bodacious bodies is not racists..
One has got to wonder if those apologizing for Wozniacki would’ve been cool if she did the Crip Walk.. Remember how the tennis world and sports writers came down on Serena for doing the popular ‘Crip Walk’ dance? They came down on her even though it was done in another country not plagued by Bloods and Crips, and even though we know Serena is not in a gang. Folks were screaming for her head, talking about how she was out-of-pocket and suggesting she was setting a bad example for the kids.. But I guess the kids are getting a good example with Wozniacki..But like they said it was a joke. Fox News reporters writes about why its a joke.. U can read it HERE
Ok I get it.everyone should lighten up, there are bigger fish to fry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=onBivko4gaw
I wonder if everyone thinks this next story is big enough fish to fried. It involves a Black woman named Rhonda Lee who was a reporter for ABC affiliate KTBS in Shreveport, La. What happened to her was a viewer identified as Emmitt Vascocu took issue with her natural, short afro hair style and posted up a nasty comment on the station Facebook page for all to see. This viewer said that Ms Lee should wear a wig or grow some hair.
His exact words were as follows:
“the black lady that does the news is a very nice lady.the only thing is she needs to wear a wig or grow some more hair. im not sure if she is a cancer patient. but still it’s not something myself that i think looks good on tv. what about letting someone a male have waist long hair do the news.what about that (cq).”
Lee replied;
“Hello Emmitt–I am the ‘black lady’ to which you are referring. I’m sorry you don’t like my ethnic hair. And no I don’t have cancer. I’m a non-smoking, 5’3, 121 lbs, 25 mile a week running, 37.5 year old woman, and I’m in perfectly healthy physical condition.
“I am very proud of my African-American ancestry which includes my hair. For your edification: traditionally our hair doesn’t grow downward. It grows upward. Many Black women use strong straightening agents in order to achieve a more European grade of hair and that is their choice. However in my case I don’t find it necessary. I’m very proud of who I am and the standard of beauty I display. Women come in all shapes, sizes, nationalities, and levels of beauty. Showing little girls that being comfortable in the skin and HAIR God gave me is my contribution to society. Little girls (and boys for that matter) need to see that what you look like isn’t a reason to not achieve their goals.
“Conforming to one standard isn’t what being American is about and I hope you can embrace that.
“Thank you for your comment and have a great weekend and thank for watching.”
Vascuco responded by saying Lee has a right to be proud of who she is, but this world has standards and if you come from a world of being poor, you will dress in rags.. Those remarks sat for 6 days before Lee was by her news director and station’s general manager and told she was being fired for violating station policy. When it was pointed out that there was no written policy setting out guidelines on how one shouldn’t respond via social media and viewer comments, it fell on deaf ears.
It was only after this story started making its rounds that KTBS general manager George Sirven issued a memo for the media to look at..A copy of the memo was also been posted on KTBS’ Facebook page. It reads:
When we see complaints from viewers, it’s best not to respond at all. Responding to these complaints is a very sensitive situation and sometimes our off-the-cuff response will be the wrong response … if you choose to respond to these complaints, there is only one proper response: provide them with [redacted]‘s contact information, and tell them that he would be glad to speak with them about their concerns. Once again, this is the only proper response.
Lee had put up with racial insensitivity for a minute, noting that job she one that been part of a good ole boy network in her neck of the woods and there are some who are not too comfortable with that. In any case the take away from this incident is that Black women need to keep quiet stop complaining.. In this case Rhonda lee came across a situation that was arguably a ‘bigger fish to fry’.. But once she got to frying it, she was told it was the wrong way..
People are signing petitions at change.org and calling General Manager George Sirven 318-861-5813. I hope to be in touch soon. –Met. Rhonda Lee
At this point, even his fans know that rapper Rick Ross is far from the image he manufactures for his songs and videos. Slate Magazine even went as far to label the success of Rick Ross, in the face of his correction officer past, as the end of street credibility being necessary to Hip-Hop fans. So the news that Rick Ross canceled his tour due to threats from Gangster Disciples, posted online, shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone.
In fact, The Real Rick Ross, who lost his lawsuit against the rapper for using his name and image, was recently granted an appeal and has a trial date set for January. According to The Real Rick Ross, the rapper Rick Ross, “doesn’t have the right people around him to explain the streets.” Freeway Rick Ross told AllHipHop.com. “You need to say that it wasn’t intentional or nothing like that. It’s ok to apologize and make things right with a real agreement out of respect.”
But what about the Gangster Disciples? Hakim Green, formerly of the rap group Channel Live, made a excellent point about the Gangster Disciples unity against Rick Ross, “How, just how, is it that gang members can unite and organize against fat ass Rick Ross, but can’t, won’t, don’t organize against police brutality, unemployment, drugs in the hood, poverty, racism, abuse or anything that would actually make a difference in our communities?”
Want to know what Real Gangstas are doing?
Claiming to ‘Fix’ the Debt, but really pushing for more tax breaks so their corporations, at the expense of taxpayers, can make billions
Pushing through “Right to Work” laws so their corporations, at the expense of unions, can make billions
Using “slave” labor so their corporations, at the expense of prisoners, can make billions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CySzoJFkTA8
Here’s a video laying out who the Real Gangstas are here that we need to be concerned with..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=41s1oWM9vOQ
source: http://www.blackyouthproject.com/2012/12/they-not-real-gangstas/
Congratulation to one of the greatest musical acts of all-times..Public Enemy.. The were just inducted into the Rock-N-Roll hall of Fame.. Its an honor the well deserve.. They are the 4th Hip Hop group, behind, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, Run DMC and the Beastie Boys..
One of the strengths that I think goes beyond the group’s massive category of records, is their endurance.. They been at this for over 25 years and are nearing 100 global tours..PE has transcended music..they same way they transcended the borders of this country.. Props to them..
Chuck D noted on twitter; Any achievement by PE is to be shared across HipHop and its real fans.The songs are 1thing but our strength has been our meaning & performance
Peep out their latest song..
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Here’s a a fun song for the holidays… Epic Rap Battles of History..Santa vs Moses..featuring Snoop Dogg. Just in time for the holidays.. I ain’t mad at Snoop for this.. I wish we could see more creativity like this where folks are having fun and going beyond the usual fare..For folks who wanna get more info on Epic Rap Battles.. heead on over to http://epicrapbattlesofhistory.com/
After you laugh at the Moses vs Santa video check out the Michael Jackson vs Elvis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0M0RbaPxq2k#!
So this week’s #10ThingsOnATuesday is double the fun!!! We’re sharing some GO GREEN tips!!
courtesy: http://thatish.com/2012/12/11/20-tips-to-help-you-go-green-10thingsonatuesday-2/
While it’s hundreds of tips and changes you can make towards GREEN LIVING, our list below will compile some of the easier tips you can start to change one by one, day by day. Once you’ve accomplished minor changes, go for the bigger ones like changing out household appliances to energy saving, biking to work, growing a garden or starting a compost!
1. Hang your laundry out to try versus using a dryer.
2. Use recyclable bags when you grocery shop.
3. Take 5 minute showers.
4. Wash in cold water not hot.
5. Receive and pay your bills online (eliminates printed bills).
6. Remove yourself from unsolicited mail, stop pre-screen credit card offers etc
7. Re-use scrap paper!!! (Kids don’t care what they are coloring on!!)
8. Re-purpose glass jars in your kitchen!!! (Putting food away? Use an old jar versus buying plastic containers)
9. Use cloth napkins instead of paper.
10. Collect rain water for plant and garden use.
11. Buy from your farmer’s market and local producers.
12. Turn off the lights and appliances when you leave the room!!
13. Clean with natural products and use old rags!
14. Re-purpose items in your home instead of throwing them out. (Ok so all of us aren’t that creative, but we’re just saying, before you throw old chairs or table into a junk pile, see if something else can be done)
15. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater.
16. Cut off the water when brushing your teeth.
17. Use cloth diapers!
18. Stop buying cases of water, get a re-usable bottle and RE USE IT!
19. Change your lightbulbs to CFL bulbs (compact fluorescent lamp)
20. RECYCLE.
Been having a heated debate about the greatest pose track of all time… There’s been lots of landmark cuts to choose from like Main Source‘s Live at the BBQ which featured a young Nas among others..
You had Craig Mack‘s Flava in Ya Ear which featured notables like Notorious BIG, Busta Rhymes and LL to name a few..
Of course we had Tribe Called Quest‘s Scenario which featured Leaders of the New School and the late Kid Hood. But at the end of the day you gotta narrow it down to two tracks..
One of my favorites is Heavy D‘s slept on track .. A Buncha Ni— which featured among others Guru and a young Notorious BIG who made his debut
Juice Crew.. The Symphony which features Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Craig G and Master Ace. When that song dropped in ’88 Hip Hop changed for the better. Everyone had to step up their lyrical game. The careers of all those featured took off and almost all featured on that song were immortalized within the Hip Hop annals …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbsPTkwqWCI
It would be almost 10 years before another quintessential posse cut would come along on par with the Juice Crew. In ’97 the Wu Tang Clan dropped Triumph where all 9 members of Wu-Tang including Capaddona came along and like the Juice Crew before them changed the game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isumZjs3dKA
its always been a Hip Hop fantasy to speculate as to what would happen if the Juice Crew squared off w/ Wu-Tnag in a lyrical battle.. Who would match up with who? How would things go down? Juice Crew’s Symphony vs Wu-Tang’s Triumph.. Which is the Greatest of all-time?
This is part 2 of an article we penned called The Historical Definition of Rap pt1. In that piece we talked about how the term Rap had been around long before DJ Kool Herc and his sister Cindy Campbell threw that first landmark Back to School party August 11 1973 in the community center at 1520 Sedgwick Ave in the Bronx.
Many are not aware that when Herc and his partners Coke La Rock and later Clark Kent rocked the mic, they used the words ‘rhyming’ and ’emceeing’ to describe their vocal expressions. The word Rap became attached to Hip Hop in 1979 with the release of Rapper’s Delight by the Sugar Hill Gang.
Prior to ’79, the word Rap was attached to a variety of other vocal activities most notably slick, persuasive talk from street hustlers, pimps and players. Rapping was all about mesmerizing and dazzling folks with words with an end goal of convincing one to give up everything from money to property to sexual favors. if you were said to have ‘a good rap’, then it meant you had the gift of gab which in many circles was revered and respected.
Dolemite
With respect to the act of rapping, many seem to think that saying rhymes in a syncopated fashion over music is unique to Hip Hop. That’s a mistake. To not see Rap as something that is rooted in deeper histories, is to short change Hip Hop culture. Simply put Rap is part of a continuum. Every generation within Black America can point to an activity or music style that included rap-like vocal expressions. They range from little girls doing double dutch jump rope to young kids doing engine engine number nine type rhymes to determine who would be it when playing tag.
We’ve seen expressions that we associate with rap today show up in the form of popular artists like Rudy Ray More aka Dolemite who did tons of movies where he did routines like his signature Signified Monkey .
We saw it surface with singer song writer Clarence Reid aka Blowfly who did x rated songs like Sesame Street and Rapp Dirty which was released in 1980 but according to him was written in 1965.
Both More and Reid come from a generation where street talk that encompassed rhyme was not unusual. Sometimes called signifying, testifying or playing the dozens, such expressions are key foundations and precursors to Rap.
We saw Rap expression show up in songs like Here Comes the Judge released in 1968 by comedian Pigmeat Markham. Although not called ‘rap’ it clearly could stand alongside anything we hear today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvMBxlu62c0
We saw rap with Louis Jordan and his group Tympany Five and their landmark cut The Meeting which was released in 1962
In the same vein as Pigmeat is actor Lincoln Perry better known as Stepin Fetchit. The controversial character who many felt kept alive nasty stereotypes of Black people being lazy and shiftless was during his heyday in the 1940s, the most successful Black actor in all of Hollywood. In this memorable scene from the 1945 musical Big Timers we see Perry hit up the piano and rap, decades before what we know as Hip Hop emerged..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qALvc-MIDY
Last Poets
We saw Rap expressions manifest itself in the form of revolutionary acts like the Last Poets, Gil Scott Heron and the Watts Prophets who are considered the grandfathers and godfathers to modern-day rap. These acts emerged on the scene in the late 60s early 70s with the express purpose of providing sound tracks for the various Black liberation struggles taken place all over the country…Songs like When the Revolution Comes, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised and Tenements respectively exemplified the type of vibe they were kicking on the eve of Hip Hop’s birth.
Over the years not only have many of the songs from these acts have been sampled, but some of these acts have from time to time been featured in songs with popular artists. For example the Last Poets are featured on Common‘s song The Corner and Nas‘ You Can’t Stop Us Now‘ which borrows the baseline from a classic Temptations cut ‘Message to a Blackman‘
The Last Poets rap influence is shown on cuts like the White Man’s Got a God Complex which was featured on the ‘This is Madness‘ album (1971). It was remade 20 years later by groups like Public Enemy and Def Jef. Below is the PE version which keeps alot of original cadence in tact.
The Def Jef version of God Complexx, shows not only the influence of the Last Poets but also Gil Scott-Heron as he uses the beat from Revolution Will Not Be Televised.
Ironically groups like NWA who were perceived as having an anti-revolutionary message sampled the Last Poets ‘Die Nigga‘ off their album ‘The Original Last Poets Right On‘ (1970) and made them known to younger generations with songs like ‘Real Niggaz Don’t Die‘ off the ‘Efil4zaggin’ (1991)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jy6Nebd_e0
Gil Scott-Heron is often called the Godfather to Rap. It was a title he shunned, stating he preferred to be known as a bluesologist. Nevertheless, Heron was a towering figure whose signature song Revolution Will Not be Televised was redone by too many Hip Hop artists to name. Cuts like B-Movie and ReRon which were released in 1980 and 1984 respectively demonstrated his Heron’s rapping ability.
He was also one of the first artists from the 60s/ Black Power generation to jump on a song with than modern day rap artists..The anti-Apartheid song Let Me See Your ID (1985) which features, Run DMC, Kurtis Blow and Mele-Mel to name a few was monumental. The content and purpose of the song was incredible, but also although unintended it contrasted the generational differences in rap styles.
The Watts Prophets have not only been heralded as important figures in the emergence of West Coast rap, but in 1970 they released an album called ‘Rappin’ Black in a White World’. Many consider that to be the first to use the word ‘Rap’ to describe a recording that featured rhyming, This groundbreaking album proceeds ‘Rapper’s Delight‘ by almost 10 years. They also featured a woman vocalist named Dee Dee McNeil who isn’t often named when speaking of the Watts prophets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHxM71rcQus
One artist who is in the same vein as these revolutionary poets but not as well-known is Stax Record recording artist John KaSandra nick named ‘Funky Philosopher‘. He did a bunch of black conscious songs in the early 70s including one that is many ways a head of its time for the emerging Hip Hop rap scene at the time.. ‘(What’s Under) The Natural Do’ (1970) is an incredible song that talks about Black power and how folks are gonna have to do more than just wear an Afro hairstyle in order to uplift the community.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQow4jYVM9I
One can’t talk about the Last Poets, Gil Scott Heron and Watts Prophets and their influence on Rap without talking about the Black Arts Movement which proceeded them and exerted profound influence. BAM introduced a style of spoken word that was hard-hitting, uncompromising and often recited over Bebop and Jazz. BAM co-founder Amiri Baraka than known as Leroy Jones illustrates that style with his famous piece Black Art.
Baraka’s ‘rap’ along with the spoken word and slang executed by others within the Black Arts Movement were such that it was hard for folks outside the scene to pick up and appreciate.It was for the Bebop crowd who coincidently called themselves ‘Hip’. It was deliberate in challenging the mainstream and being anti-establishment. It’s deliberately uncomfortable Many like to draw parallels to Hip Hop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh2P-tlEH_w
BAM member Sonia Sanchez gives a brief history of that time period and how their spoken word paved the way for modern-day raps heard within Hip Hop. Sonia Sanchez: From Black Arts to Hip Hop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtRffMdbB0Y
Members of BAM
Just for added understanding, one may wanna peep this brief documentary on bebop which was the precursor to the Black Arts Movement. Again here you will be able to draw some strong parallel to Hip Hop, especially when you consider that Bebopers called themselves coined the term ‘Hip’ which is how they referred to themselves. Peep Bebop Jazz the Evolution of Culture Through Music.
These are just a few highlights of the many artists and expressions that are akin to rap to be in our midst before the birth of Hip Hop..Look out for pt 3 which deals with the influence of Black Radio deejays on what we know as Rap..
written by Davey D
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Gays and Hip Hop
Who is the Gay Rapper?
That’s a question that obsessed people after the Connecticut
publication One Nut set off a firestorm of speculation a few years ago
by publishing a series of interviews with an anonymous well-known
rapper who claimed to be gay. Hip-hop fans and industry insiders went
on a witch hunt, analyzing lyrics and theorizing about various
artists’ offstage behavior. Stars ranging from LL Cool J to Dr. Dre
to Jay-Z to Method Man found their sexual orientation being called
into question.
Sadly, the fascination was fueled by prevalent gay stereotypes. Far
too many people seem to think that being gay would somehow prevent a
rapper from busting a mind-altering dance move or kicking a dope
freestyle. But such notions are ridiculous. After all, there are gay
policemen, accountants and doctors who are as good at their jobs or
better than their straight colleagues. So why couldn’t the Gay Rapper
be a superstar?
A listen to the tracks “Straight Trippin’ ” or “Fam Biz Edit,” put
out by Bay Area rappers Tim’m T West and Juba Kalamka with their crew,
D/DC (Deep Dick Collective), lays to rest any idea that gay rappers
lack the necessary skills.Over the past couple of years, D/DC has
built a strong reputation at its frequent shows for both gay and
straight crowds. The D/DC group is best known for its innovations —
fusing spoken-word, as well as straight-up rap, with the music. Their
current CD has a title that’s hard to confuse with any other,
“Bourgiebohopostpomoafro Homo,” and they’re working on a new disc,
“The Famous Outlaw League of Proto-Negroes,” due out in the fall on
the Sugartruck/Agitprop/Cellular label. Check out the Web site
gayhiphop.com to sample D/DC’s music.
Another Bay Area artist who is openly gay and has forged an awesome
reputation as an innovative rhymer is Hanifah Walidah. She first hit
the scene in 1994 using the name Sha-Key, having released the
impressive album “A Headnodda’s Journey.” Her single “Soulsville”
was ahead of its time because it fused rap with spoken-word years
before that would become common. Walidah is featured on the new
compilation album “Shame the Devil” (Freedom Fighter Records) which
deals with the prison industrial complex. She’s currently at work on
a hip-hop opera.
Hanifah and D/DC are just a few of the gay artists taking their
rightful places in the world of hip-hop, and these artists are
building upon the trailblazing spirit of earlier gay hip-hoppers.The
Bay Area owes a debt of gratitude to people such as Page Hodell, one
of the first women to do a live mix show on commercial radio, working
the turntables on KSOL in the mid-’80s. She rivaled, and often
surpassed, her male counterparts. Hodell also deejayed and produced
one of the country’s longest-running hip-hop clubs. The Box, as it
was called, ran for more then 10 years in San Francisco, attracted
thousands of clubgoers, mostly gay, and became a Bay Area institution.
Props are also due for Dave Moss, who was on KSOL’s up-and-coming
rival station, KMEL, at the same time as Hodell. KMEL was then known
primarily as a dance station, but on Saturday nights Moss would put
together incredible East Coast-style break beat/hip-hop mixes that are
still talked about today.
DJ Neon Leon, well-known in London and among house music fans
everywhere, started in the mid-’80s as a hip-hop DJ on KALX, the
University of California-Berkeley station. He later earned his
stripes as a Hip Hop club DJ at the now-defunct I-Beam.
We could go on and on naming gay artists who have made an impact on
hip-hop. Gays have always been down with hip-hop. Many have embraced
the culture from day one….The question is: Do we accept our gay
brothers and sistas?
So who is the Gay Rapper? He or she might be the victor of a fierce
rhyme battle or the artist whose record you dance to every time it’s
played on the radio or at a club. So what difference does it make?
written by Davey D for San Jose Mercury News.. please send emails to
mrdaveyd@gmail.com
July 14 2002