Right about now, there is a resurgence of consciousness in Hip Hop. It reminds me of what was once known as "The Golden Age of Hip Hop". This new consciousness is evidenced in the rise of Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Paris, Zion I, Common, Mystic, Mos Def, Encore, Shamako Noble, Immortal Technique, the new tracks […]

“I couln’t help but notice your pain [My pain?] It runs deep Share it with me!”-Intro to Tupac’s “Pain” Where are all the crippled MC’s? The blind ones with lyrics of fury? How about the ones who got maimed in a freak accident, like say a javelin through the face at the high school track […]

Like the child who cried "wolf! " too many times and was eaten when he really needed the help of people who had grown to ignore him, the media and Bush administration are faced with such massive lack of credibility issues that we now must adopt a contrarian stance when taking what they say into […]

Aight. I admit…I don’t think it was really a lobster. I don’t know what the hell it WAS though. Yesterday I went in the bathroom to take a shower and pulled the curtain back. There it was, on its flipside (or not). I immediately called for help. “Baby, you gotta see this,” I said. It […]

I was both shocked and amazed by Bakari Kitwana’s piece about Hip Hop NOT voting for Kerry entitled “Why We (Hip Hop) Shouldn’t Vote For John Kerry”. I understand his frustrations with the Democratic party. But to vote for Bush is political suicide. You don’t believe me? Ask the Arab/Muslim voters who liked Bush over […]

When I say to hip-hop kids that perhaps we shouldn’t vote for John Kerry, the universal first response is raised eyebrows. Then come a flurry of questions, mostly critical and heartfelt ones. These are reactions I’ve come to be expect, especially from a left leaning emerging voting bloc. This election year, the emerging hip-hop voting […]

On “Genesis,” the intro to his debut album Illmatic, a young Nasir Jones remarked: “When it’s real, you doing this even without a record contract.” Fittingly then, Nas took it back to the beginning with a free concert in Central Park yesterday (August 15) to mark his ten-year anniversary as a recording artist. “This is […]

Respecting the Living Legacy of Def Jam: An Open Letter to the Recording Industry from Russell Simmons In a recent Newsweek article by Johnnie Roberts, appropriate questions were raised not only about the future of Def Jam, but also about the future of the recording industry’s relationship with the creative genius of hip-hop culture. The […]

My Saturday evenings have been lulled into repetition as of late. I typically wake up from a nap either to the end of Cheaters or the beginning of COPS. Both reality television programs garner pretty good ratings in the southern Ohio area by capitalizing on the guilt-ridden pleasures of voyeurism. While the Cheaters camera crew […]

Up until now, Bill O’Reilly’s anti-hip hop antics have been so unfoundedly ridiculous we’ve learned to ignore him. From his personal vendetta against Ludacris to attacks on what he calls gangsta rap, Bill finds new ways to criticize hip hop music. But, on a recent show that aired July 14, he went too far. Attempting […]

Adisa Banjoko, I truly thank you for such intellectual nourishment. I can always count on you for some real discussions on the state of our Hiphop community. You are truly a much needed architect on the scaffolds of Hiphop’s cultural development. I appreciate your concerns and comments. Everyone can learn from this. Before I consider […]

Blastmaster KRS ONE, For the last few years I have watched you write or speak about the merits of “being Hip Hop” and alluding to some spiritual core power within Hip Hop itself. While Hip Hop does indeed command more power than any other musical art form before it, too much weight is being put […]

I don’t mean to spit anti-patriotic venom in a land that I probably wouldn’t leave if I could – but when I think of the injustices hidden behind our flag… I can’t help but vent a little. When I think of the high morals that this nation was intended to be built on in comparison […]

Less than one year after Mayor Bloomberg proclaimed July 26, 2003 "Rock Steady Crew Day" in New York City, the NYC Parks Department has denied the World Famous Rock Steady Crew access to Bronx public parks for their 27th Anniversary, which is scheduled for July 22-25th, 2004. The Commissioner Adrian Benepe’s office oversees the NYC […]

The Hip-Hop Nation is still mourning in the aftermath of soul icon Ray Charles’ death. Funny thing is, people may not know that they are mourning – the loss is just that widespread. There is a tremendous lingering legacy in the absence of Brother Ray. And, for some reason, Hip-Hop didn’t directly embrace his work […]

From his directorial debut in “New Jack City” to his latest role as the ultimate Badasss, actor/writer/director and producer Mario Van Peebles has portrayed many facets of Black life through his diverse characters. From street hustlers to cops and even grappling in the wild Wild West, Van Peebles never measured his success through the box […]

While my brother and sister loved the Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello, and cowboy shows on TV; I only remember liking one show and that was The Twilight Zone. I thought Rod Sterling a genius. Though he only lived until age 50 he left a legacy of creative shows that will never be seen again. […]

OK, HIP-HOP, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I am here to stand up for hip-hop heads across the nation and to state emphatically that we aren’t going to be railroaded out of our sense of style. I’ve been quiet lately watching the sweeping fashion changes that have unfurled this year. Yeah, I am not opposed […]

The savage murder of Nick Berg has shocked and horrified many Americans, regardless of their stance on the war. For many Americans this registers as a new “high” or “low” depending on how the war affects them emotionally. I have tried to debate the various reasons why I have been against this “fight for liberation” […]

The word’s out! New York’s beloved Police Department has finally admitted to the existence of a surveillance task force targeting our culture’s hip-hop icons. You know what this means, right?!! Perhaps we can finally bring some closure to hip-hop’s greatest unsolved murders in what has become a growing epidemic of iconic martyrs. Or maybe this […]