I wrote this earlier this year while chopping it up with my brothers of Kingdom Knock. I revamped it a few weeks back on my Tumblr Blog and my DJ J. Lone Fan page. I really wanted to share it hear because this along with what the other brothers of Kingdom Knock have posted express who we are as a unit. Hope you enjoy and share. I look forward to seeing the comments.
Hip Hop to us is when Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Africa Bambata and the Soul Sonic Force ended and Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy Started. Not that we don’t and didn’t respect that hip hop, it just really wasn’t our generation. Hip Hop ended for us when Masta P started. No diss to him, but the “Golden Era” ended then. Hip Hop is an evolving beast. It has to evolve to survive. The issue we should have is the lack of consciousness in this generation. But hey we just matured, at least one of us (I was) was bumpin’ 2 Live Crew at some point (then I’d go right into Gang Starr or Pete Rock & CL Smooth)…We loved the way it felt, loved the lyrics (as nasty as they wanted to be) and as militant as they were. We couldn’t get enough of it…We were at Peaches for the midnight sale of Wu-Tang Clan’s enter the 36 Chambers. We were at the shows when Das Efx was really spitting in the crowd and seeing Biggie was too big to hype the show, but Puff was all over the stage throwing money on Big’s set, Craig Mack’s set and Junior Mafia’s set. We saw Naughty Come up from underneath the stage with all the pyromania as the speakers blast 19 NAUGHTY 3 to the beat of a heart…It’s hip hop! It just evolved, but many of us didn’t evolve with it b/c there was such a comfort in what we knew. We didn’t want it to go away…We grew up and it continues to grow out…Hip Hop…I still love her. #hiphop #thegoldenera #theevolutionifhiphop
Being from NY and living there during the peak of the Golden era its easy how I can replace the exact same sentiments and feel by replacing some of these memorable moments. Like feeling the same why about seeing Redman spit a freestyle on the block or playing Cee-lo with M.O.P. outside of the club before they hit the stage to just being able to see ATCQ or any random member of the Native Tongue at any given time of the week. It was the feeling of empowerment and entitlement that was shared across the Hip Hop culture at that time.
ReplyDeleteThen to grow up and mature and in some cases expect this same feeling to be the mantra for the culture today. Not fully realizing that the set of circumstances in those times have changes or evolved dually in part of what we were a part of during the Golden Era of Hip Hop, and in some cases not really appreciating the fact that the culture actually still exists despite all the changes that it has gone through.
Hip Hop is not Rock music it’s not Country Music it’s not Pop Music it’s not Folk or Bluegrass Hip Hop is not even RnB Jazz or Blues. I would even attempt to argue that it’s not even a way of life, but something much more deeper comparable to nervous system in a body. Because depending on where you are your impacted and affected by this culture differently just how if your pinched on your finger it doesn’t hurt as much as it would if your pinched on arm, but you still Feel it. you still Feel it.......I still Feel it do you?
I don't feel the culture of hip hop anymore. What some see as growth i see as perversion. The lifestyle was about taking what you got a making something special, like our slang, style, moral code. Now everyone trying to be Hugh Hebert or the cartel & most of these rappers can not go home like Biggie or S carface & be comfortable. Financial growth is always good, but at what cost. One Love - Big C
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