Hey hey!! Hope everyone is good. I got in from work today, went online and saw that CNN had a special last week hosted by Paula Zahn called "Hip Hop: Art Or Poison?" The title in itself gives away the bullshit agenda they have in mind. They simply want to give hip hop a bad name. People wrongly passing judgment against hip hop is nothing new, but with it being more popular than ever and a lack of leadership with today's most popular figures, I am worried that shows like this might succeed in brainwashing some clueless people who haven't formed opinions yet. I understand that we have free speech in this country (some of the time) and Paula Zahn is entitled to say what she wants, but I know she probably never gave the culture or the art form a full proper view before making her assessment, and that makes her ignorant and thick headed. She seemed so dismissive of points that did not support her argument. You gotta give respect in order to get it.
People always wanna hold hip hop accountable for violence, sex and drugs. Are you holding ALL of hip hop accountable? Because if so, then you are holding anyone with something positive to talk about as accountable. Anyone who saw the Dave Chappelle movie "Block Party" knows damn well that not all hip hop is violent. There was a big, big concert in Brooklyn, and everything went really well, but Paula Zahn can't focus on that, cuz she has a specific agenda. That's what's wrong with this damn country, people only wanna focus on the negative of everything, from hip hop to sports to anything. The people who give their lives to help others get nothing, and troublemakers get talked about like there is no tomorrow. If these same images are in a movie, it is up for a damn Oscar and gets praise from the SAME people bashing hip hop. Fuckin hypocrits. America feeds off of negativity, now more than ever.
What bothers me most is that the most successful people today are mostly puppets who aren't doing the music they really can do if they were allowed to be themselves. Celebrities should not be looked at as role models, but they should make more of an effort to be leaders, whether vocally or by example. If hip hop one day gets censored, then what avenue do we have to express ourselves?? The rappers who put out bad music are putting out bad music because people are buying it. If people don't buy it, then they can't be stars. If 50 Cent sells three copies of his next album, then he's gettin dropped. In turn, if 10 Million people buy Pharoahe Monch's album, then marketing and promotion would be WAY different. We fail to realize the power we have. Don't hold a whole culture accountable. People do what they want. Hip hop doesn't objectify women. Women objectify themselves. No one forces anyone to portray an image. Each person makes their own decisions. Try telling Kool Herc and Afrika Bambatta and Grandmaster Flash and everyone involved with starting hip hop that they are poison. Try telling breakdancers that they helped create a poison. Hip hop started on a much different note. It was all about fun being a voice for the unheard until it turned into a multi-billion dollar business.
If you are reading this, and you are one of those people who like how hip hop used to be but don't like what goes on now, then do something about it. There are many artists out there who desperately seek you attention, making the music you've been waiting for, but you dismiss them for whatever lame reason you have. People complain "I wanna hear something different", but when it comes, you have a hard time accepting it. Hip hop was, is and will always be for the people. Don't let some sissy who wants to call his album "Hip Hop Is Dead" make you feel that way. Take a more active approach, because sittin on your ass and complaining doesn't do shit!!!
If you are a hip hop artist being true to themselves, no matter what you rap about, don't let losers like Paula Zahn tell you what you do is poison. Her stupidity is poison. Her scapegoating is poison. Sumi Das, the correspondant, is poison. CNN is poison. And if you agree with Paula Zahn, YOU are poison. Personally, hip hop saved my life and made me feel like I belong in this world. It gave me something to work at, and I met some of my best friends through hip hop. I have worked too hard at developing my style for someone to tell me I am poison. I am a man doing what he loves, and no one can spoil that for me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am off to convince the world that RNR is the next big thing!!! Please hit me up if you can and let me know what you think!
