Saturday, April 7, 2007

Is Hip-Hop Dead?...Not at all.

To say that Hip-Hop is dead would mean that a whole culture and way of life would be extinct. I believe that the knowledge of what has come before what is presently here is missing. I grew up on Hip-Hop! I remember how it felt to listen to Sugar Hill Gang, Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five, Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, Run-D.M.C., Force M.D.'s and the list goes on. Watching "Breakin", "Beat Street" and "Krush Groove" thinking to myself I wanna do that, too. Not really sure what it was that I wanted to do but I knew "that" was it.

A person who considers themselves well versed in their passion should have a vast knowledge of the history of that they hold dear. If you are a baseball fanatic you should at least know the greats that have swung a bat. Know that Hank Aaron holds the Home Run title and that Barry Bonds is on his way to possibly breaking that 33 year-old record. So why is it, we have people that claim they love Hip-Hop and that they are Hip-Hop, but don't know the pioneers. I'm not saying you will know everyone and everything but know some of the ground breaking moments and individuals who were a part of music history. I say this to say that I find it interesting that people are in the music business and want to be a part of it but don't know certain people and don't take the time to find out who is who...

Recently I attended an event promoted by ASCAP* and had the pleasure to once again kick it with individuals that I consider contributed to Hip-Hop. I was so excited but could not understand how others could not be as excited as I was. Was I making more of it than I should have...? Was I the only one paying attention...? I asked a photographer who was taking pictures if he saw what I saw. I said, excuse me but you need to get over here! There is a great shot waiting to happen. Easy Mo Bee, Allstar and Large Professor are all over there speaking, right now! It seemed like a movie when the movie begins moving in slow motion and the music comes to an abrupt stop a wine glass smashes on the floor and a loud scream of noooooo! screeches out. The photographer says, who?

Thank the Hip-Hop Gods that I had my own camera and took the shot myself. At that point it was then people began to realize who was being caught for a photo op.


Of course there were others who had a hand in Hip-Hop and Music in general but that moment took me back to when I felt music, especially Hip-Hop was fun...In My Lifetime!
By the way, the photographer took the picture anyway. I still don't think he realized the history he had just captured in that one image.


Is Hip-Hop Dead?...Not at all. We just need to remember our history and educate the next generation.

Easy Mo Bee -Biggie Smalls "Ready To Die", "Gimmie The Loot", Miles Davis "Doo-Bop"
Allstar - SWV "Anything" feat. Wu-Tang, Joe "Stutter" feat. Mystikal
Large Professor - "Live At The BBQ" feat. Nas, "Just Hangin' Out" w/Main Source


* The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers


I have more pics to share at www.AListStyle.net
(Paparazzi / ASCAP Hitmaker's Haven)


June Archer...In My Lifetime!

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