Hip-Hop is DEAD

There is a great PBS Independent lens special called Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Ryhmes. (Follow the link to watch three previews of the documentary) The filmaker Byron Hurt is a long time hip-hop lover who now in his activist days isn't afraid to ask hardcore reality questions to current hip-hop fans, produders, and Mc's, (famous or wannabe.) The documentary has him interview Busta rhymes, Jadakiss and many other famous rappers. Industry moguls, and a group of mc's waiting outside a record studio trying to become famous as well as 3 drag-queen hip-hop heads, also provide an unusual percpective on the culture.

I have to admit I feel that the "bling," Misogyny, and glorification of violence is not only killing Hip-hop, but may also be helping to destroy black culture. Why BET is banning a Little Brother video for being "too inteligent," yet the Nas single "Hip-Hop is dead" is sandwiched in between two homogonous gangster rap songs that Nas is gunning on? Nas is too famous and too well-loved for his video to be banned, the same reason that Kanye West can speak out for tolerance of homosexuality. These men are trying to save Hip-hop.



One might ask if there is a conspiracy to keep violence in popular rap to execute population control, Maybe not but is it truly what people want to hear? without a doubt it is, but why? is it a ruthless cycle of social cohersion and then corporate capitalists using that excuse to keep it because it makes them money. As if there's not a market for "Hardcore reality in Hip-Hop" to quote Immortal Technique, or even just good hip-hop. the reality of the situation is that the ultra-violence in Hip-hop isn't helping the situation of violence on the streets, and the rich white dudes that are getting rich from producing this so called quality product are indifferent to this epidemic.

The only thing I know for sure is underground Hip-hop has better flow, better beats (and in the few cases they don't have better beats is simply cuz they don't have billions of dollars to spend on production) and is lyrically superior to commercial hip-hop.

Ty Featuring Eska - Sophisticated & Coarse (Everyday Thoughts)

Brit hop from Gilles Peterson

Gotan Project - Mi Confession

New Gotan; Rapper on this track is Koxmoz (Apolo Novax & Chili Parker)