Who killed hip hop? - (part 1) The Roots

for original blog check out http://emphas1s.multiply.com 

(In this first session, I address defining the culture that has been so misunderstood by going back to the beginning - and looking briefly at its evolution)








Now let's clarify here what hip hop is - in it's essence it is the four elements of street culture started in the late 70's in the Bronx, New York City by DJ Kool Herc, who would hold block parties where he would dj, and utilise the "break" (instrumental bridge) of different funk records (by anyone from Chic and James Brown, to the Meters or Jimmy Castor Bunch) and extend the break by looping it over and over again. First element? the DJ...

During the break, people would get in circles known as cyphers and begin to dance on the break. These people were known affectionately as B boys and B girls (B for Break). Second element? the Bboy

Of course during the break loop, people would come up and begin to chant rhymes off the top of their head rhythmically over the top of the beat. The prowess or swagger of the recital would inevitably keep the crowd hyped up. It would often take place also in a cypher, where the rhymers or MC's would recite (rap) their lyrics. Sometimes it would be in battle form, where the atmosphere would be intense where individuals or sometimes crew, would battle to see who had the best lyrics and delivery. Third element? the emcee

All of this would inspire beautiful works of art which would prove to be like ghetto beauty - elaborate colours on the backdrop of a concrete jungle. This wasn't typical graffiti tags where people write their misspelled alias' in sometimes illegible scrawling. This was Phase 2 and Style Wars. This was glorious. This was the fourth element. the graf writer

The culture is a beautiful thing in its essence, forms of art from out of inner city slums like a ghetto diamond of sorts. Pressure producing incomparable beauty - like Jazz before it - true hip hop is something to behold.

Now I won't be able to do it justice if I gave a detailed breakdown of the whole history, but fast forward 30+ years, and we can see all but one element of hip hop still plays the front. The others have all evolved - whether it's to the cultures benefit? We'll leave that for you to judge or comment on.

Firstly the DJ has become the producer, in most circles, and there is not as much demand for the turntablist (those that use the dj standard turntable as a legitimate instrument to create beautiful works of music) as there are for beat makers. It's beautiful when there is a producer that is a dj (DJ Premier, Pete Rock) but these days, the scratch has taken a back seat. Groups like Run DMC, Eric B and Rakim, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, Gangstarr all put the dj equal with the MC, sometimes he would dominate. Now, he is nowhere to be seen, trading turntables and mixers for powerbooks and tritons and MPC's.

Secondly, graf writers have just remained on the down low, the one element of hip hop, which other than the odd tshirt, has never been able to capitalize on its beauty. it stays on walls and trains. it stays "hood"

Thirdly, the dance has evolved - a lot. Now you can take "hip hop" classes at the gym, but what you'll learn will be more reminiscent of a J-Lo video clip rather than Crazy Legs and the Rock Steady Crew. (Is that hip hop? I don't think so Britney...) And then of course right now, they be Krumping, which has evolved from pop and lock which were branches of bboying on the West Coast of the United States. This stuff is hot, started primarily by Christians as a vent for youth, has taken the dance world by storm. (See Rize or Stomp the Yard for a sample)

Fourthly of course the MC, which never really left. Some would say they've simplified their rhymes, or commercialized to become more accessible, or more controversial, often just for the sake of it, without really saying anything - puppets to CEO's of major labels. The messages are often totally hedonistic, and derogatory towards women.

It comes as no surprise that Snoop Dogg the MC is now in the news. He is being questioned after pointing the finger at Don Imus at his racist remarks recently made about the Rutgers Womens Basketball team, only to have his whole discography questioned by Reverend Al Sharpton et al, regarding his sexist remarks. Not to mention his own brushes with the law recently. I love hip hop in its essence. It's message on a commercial level now though is hypocritical, ignorant and almost irrelevant. You don't have to be prophetic to see that, unless this art and culture of hip hop redeems itself, or straight up repents, Nas may be right.

Like Nat Cole sang, (with regards to US geography this time though) Hip Hop needs to "Straighten Up and Fly Right"...