The Catalyst

Hello All,

Did you miss me? Don’t worry. I made this Catalyst extra long to make up for my absence. Enjoy!


This past weekend Atlanta hosted the BET Awards. I had to work so I missed the show and all the festivities. It seemed like it would have been fun to participate but the older I get the more out of touch I become. I claim to be a fan of Hip Hop although the only MCs I listen to are the same ones I been listening to for years (Outkast, Nas, Snoop, Jay-Z, Ludacris, etc.) Most of the new school rappers I can barely tolerate. I don’t see myself as one of those people that complain that rap isn’t what it used to be. I mean every now and then a song comes out that I put in constant rotation. But that’s kind of the problem. I like the songs, not the artist.

I was born in 1978 so you can say that I’m as old as Hip Hop. I lived in the south so of course we got all the music late but when we did it was a rap (pun intended). I remember “Rapper’s Delight” but it wasn’t until I heard and saw Run DMC that I was hooked. From there I soaked in as much as I could. My parents, more so my mom, was just getting serious into religion so I really wasn’t supposed to listen to “worldly” music. But as you well know, when a person is in love there isn’t anything you can do to stop them. The thing I like about early rap was the fun that was described in the verses. Everybody was partying, dancing, and having a good time. Not only that, these guys were rhyming and having fun even though nobody really had any money. They did it for the love as a way to express themselves creatively. Although it kept a lot of inner city youths out of trouble (legal or otherwise), Hip Hop music was frowned upon by the mainstream which a lot of kids, including myself, could identify with. I think as children we all know what its like to not fit in. Not to mention having our goals and aspirations laughed at while adults suggested we look into a “real” profession. Hip Hop was the alternative lifestyle urban youth flocked towards.

There was plenty of variety in the beginning stages of rap. You had lyricists like KRS ONE who showed how words could come together to make musical masterpieces. Then you had Public Enemy who taught us kids that although black people have a history of being slaves; before we came here we were kings and queens in Africa. And that Africa is where ALL life began. MC Hammer and Kid N Play represented the dancers and 2 Live Crew was an outlet for all the closet freaks. If you was gangsta (or at least thought you were) you had N.W.A. that represented the ghetto in a way that changed rap forever. No matter what type of person you were there was a rapper or group in which you could relate. And I think that is the most glaring difference between rap/rappers of my generation and the new school.

You’ll find most current rap is quite baroque*. I don’t live in a mansion nor do I drive a Phantom and party with big booty (fill in your own blank) all night. Just like government, church, and state universities rap has become about the almighty dollar. It’s so much money being generated rap couldn’t help but get corrupted. Anytime you do something for the sole purpose of getting paid it won’t give you as much satisfaction as you would think. I remember when being a sellout was the absolute worst thing you could do for your career. Being a sellout was like having leprosy-nobody wanted to be associated with you. Then untalented rappers started going platinum (Take that! Take that!) and selling out became par for the course. Today, you can see rappers promoting everything from deodorant to soft drinks. Unfortunately, that’s not the only way they sell out. I remember when rappers used to boycott the Grammy’s because they didn’t have a Rap category. Then, when one was created they didn’t televise the award presentation. Now, you got rappers throwing tantrums because they didn’t win. Most MCs also seem not to mind perpetuating stereotypes. When racists describe black people what do they say? They say we’re hyper-aggressive, over-sexed, misogynistic, and materialistic. Well, if you listen to 99.9% of hit rap records today you’ll find that most rap artists prove these points. Many rappers use the excuse that their music is strictly entertainment and nothing more. (Funny, Rush Limbaugh uses that same excuse for his racially inflammatory comments.) But the image that gets portrayed goes beyond the border of your neighborhood. People in the suburbs listen to rap. People oversees listen to rap. And I hate that the only image of black people they have is bling wearin’, bottle poppin’, tip drillin’ studio thugs that claim Bankhead when really they grew up in Lawrenceville. (For those who don’t know, Bankhead is the ‘hood part of Atlanta and Lawrenceville is the suburbs northeast of Atlanta)

Don’t get me wrong! I’m not a hater. I just want the new generation of Hip Hop to remember the roots. Hip Hop is a gift and it can be used for all kind of great things. Don’t do it just to get money. Even worse, don’t do it to be on TV. Use it as a way to express yourself. Don’t exchange disses on record or participate in Tweet Beefing to make a name for yourself. Just make music, man. Just make music.

“Are you an outcast? If you understand the basic principles and fundamental truths continued within this music you probably are. If you think it’s all about pimpin’ hoes and slammin’ Cadillac doors you probably a cracker, or a nigga that think he a cracker, or maybe just don’t understand.” - Ruben “Big Rube” Bailey



(Don’t be offended. “Cracker” and “Nigga” are derogatory terms which are often considered race specific but really they are not. They come in all colors.)


Dream Big. Live Bigger.




The All-American
www.rallostyles.com
http://thecatalystexperience.blogspot.com
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*Word you’ve never heard…

baroque /buh-ROHK/ adj. - characterized by grotesqueness, extravagance, complexity, or flamboyance