KRS-One and
Nelly will be the latest artists in hip-hop to battle it out. Most people thought
that KRS-One was taking jabs at Nelly in his song "Clear Em Out,"
and this was confirmed by a widely circulated email from a publicity company,
seemingly seeking to promote the record that "Clear Em Out," appeared
on. This wasn’t the case. KRS responded, saying that after he heard the confusion
he contacted Nelly and his managment. Nelly obviously didn’t care for KRS’ explanation
and through jabs at the Blastmaster on the "Roc The Mic," remix which
features Beanie Sigel and Freeway. On the song he attacked KRS with surprising
agression, seeming to forget the Blastmasters notorious battling past. He will
be reminded now.
KRS has recorded "The Real Hip-Hop Is Over
Here," in response to Nelly’s dis. "I’m sending a message to Nelly,
his management team, and the entire corporate structure of the recording industry
(namely Universal Records) that you cannot be insensitive to our cultural traditions
and elders." Says KRS. "Furthermore, I am organizing a strategic campaign
designed to topple Nelly’s record sales. I am saying to the record buying public
and real hip-hoppas…. DON’T buy Nelly’s album on June 25th. Unfortunately
Nelly will serve as the sacrificial lamb to anyone that feels that they can
battle me on any level."
"The Real Hip Hop Is Over Here!" (Battle
statement by: KRS-ONE)
Well,… after speaking with Nelly’s management,
and after consulting with a few other un-named associates, in addition to some
hard contemplation of my own, as well as after reading many of the e-mail responses
and hearing some of the radio responses to Nelly’s performance on the re-mix
of "Rock the Mic"," I’ve come to the conclusion that a battle
(or rather a response) to Nelly’s comments may just be good for Hiphop after
all. The last thing I wanted to do was look like I was using a battle with Nelly
to somehow boost my career. However, my personal wants may be unimportant in
the larger scheme of separating real Hiphop from fake hip-hop for future Hiphop
historians.
I had put forth an "olive branch" statement
which Nelly, and his management, ignored! I had kept as quiet as I could. Even
though I am well prepared for any threat, I chose to practice restraint. His
management and production team had even sent me some tracks for my Kristyle
album (only later to take them back). Now I am wondering what makes Nelly think
he can call me out like this? What made the staff of Universal, Roc-a-Fella
or Def Jam records think it was wise to allow Nelly to appear on such a re-mix
and make such a statement? As I listen to Nelly’s weak dis, and as I read some
of these ignorant e-mail responses, I constantly hear a repeated reference to
KRS-ONE being old and trying to make a come-back .Many of these ill advised
comments miss the whole point that I make when I suggest that we, as Hiphoppas,
have an important responsibility to the future preservation of what we call
Hiphop.
How long are we (Hiphoppas) going to sit quietly and allow these major recording
institutions to validate what success is for our culture and way of life? How
long are we going to allow rap music performers to participate in our cultural
degradation and international humiliation? I’m not talking about what a rapper’s
video looks like, or the content of a rapper’s song. I’m talking about the idea
of an industry of rappers, deejays, music editors, radio programmers and television
producers allowing cultural elders to be disrespected by new-comers when such
disrespect breaks Hiphop’s cultural continuity! Even if my critique of Nelly’s
image is debatable, where is the respect for my cultural seniority and acquired
wisdom. Do I not know what I am talking about? Or are we at a point in hip-hop
where cultural contribution takes a back seat to record sales?
Normally, I would have just sat this one out.
But as I think about it, there seems to be more at stake here than whether I
am perceived as arrogant, contradictory, or trying to make a come-back. The
lesson that must be taught to those recording corporations, doing business with
Hiphop Kulture, is that they cannot think their artist can disrespect a cultural
elder and not expect a fierce cultural retaliation! Nelly is only a symbol for
rappers that are willing to trample over the achievements and developments of
over 30 years of Hiphop Kulture! However, the real battle is with those major
distributors of rap music that care little for the preservation of Hiphop’s
culture, and actually disrespect us as they exploit us! This is unacceptable!
Nelly may perform in ignorance because he is new to the game. But someone, knowledgeable
of Hiphop’s history, should have fore-warned him. Unfortunately this did not
happen, and as a result, he (and his distributor) will serve as an example to
all recording corporations that allow such mistakes to occur.
It is of extreme importance that all true Hiphoppas
concern themselves with the idea that being an elder, being a classic, being
an adult, being a longtime contributor to Hiphop’s cultural continuity is not
something to be looked down upon; but in fact, it is something to look up to.
Such a status is something to look forward to. A community that respects only
what is young and new, lacks even the wisdom to continue itself. It cannot even
learn from its own past successes and failures because it does not respect the
collective voice of its experienced leaders. Such a community is bound to continuously
repeat the mistakes of its past, or trap itself in continuously re-inventing
its own wheel– never learning, never growing, never developing.
As I think about this whole thing, it becomes
obvious to me that we shall all become elders of this or that one day. That
our children shall also be elders one day. But what if being an elder is not
cool? What if being an adult is not cool? What if being wise and experienced
is not respected by our children? Do we not then find ways to destroy ourselves
at younger and younger ages? This is what Nelly’s comments mean to me. They
mean that, being an experienced elder (or cultural icon) means nothing if you
have not sold a million of something for your employer. This message stunts
the growth of Hiphop Kulture, because to be a Hiphoppa (in Nelly’s opinion)
you must act and live like you are forever 16 years old. In addition, its strips
our youth of the motivation to contribute to our on-going cultural experience
because in the end, no matter what there contribution has been it can be disregarded
and wiped away by any platinum selling performer of the future. This too is
unacceptable!
As a result, I have launched several missiles
designed to disrupt the idea of disrespecting the cultural icons that made it
possible for others to artistically exist and prosper. Through a superior display
of skill, I shall teach the rap industry a much needed lesson regarding who
can, and who cannot be disrespected. This battle shall not have a winner, or
a loser. This battle, shall once and for all, define what is real Hiphop as
oppose to fake hip-hop. Deejays, editors, rappers, music executives and television
host that continue to degrade Hiphop Kulture by exposing the public to an exclusively
criminal, irresponsible and imbalanced image of Hiphop Kulture shall bare the
title of fake, and shall expose themselves as traitors in Hiphop’s history.
Those that present Hiphop as a culture that is made up of many artistic styles,
diverse ideas and multi- dimensional characteristics shall bare the title of
real, and shall be forever remembered in Hiphop’s history as patriots in the
cause of Hiphop’s cultural expansion.
Hiphop is not all about KRS-ONE. Hiphop is not
all about Nelly. Hiphop includes a variety of styles. But presently, radio and
television programmers, as well as rap music and hip-hop editors refuse to acknowledge
KRS-ONE’s work, while steadily pushing Nelly (and similar styles) to the general
public as authentic Hiphop culture. This is an act of fake hip-hop simply because
such presentations are imbalanced and one-sided. Real Hiphop is not about one
music production style, one rap style, one radio and video play-list, one type
of Hiphop image, one or two cute faces on all hip-hop magazine covers, and one
or two recording companies monopolizing the rap music market place! Hiphop is
about originality, creativity and a variety of talented people building upon
the greatness of Hiphop’s elements.
I do not care what Nelly, or anybody else’s,
response shall be after I drop these bombs! However, I do care about the free
future of Hiphop Kulture. I do care about what future Hiphop historians shall
say of our time. I refuse to sit quietly as ignorant rappers and non-caring
music executives, present Hiphop Kulture to the future as a bunch of mindless
fools who squandered there temporary wealth and popularity on platinum jewelry
with no response from its own cultural leadership. Remember,… fifty years
down the line you can start this/cause we’ll be the old school artist/ And even
in that time/ I’ll say a rhyme/ a brand new style/ ruthless and wild/ running
around spending money having fun/ cause even then…I’M STILL NUMBER ONE!
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN TO SEND A MESSAGE TO ALL CORPORATE
EXPLOITERS OF HIPHOP’S CULTURE. BOYCOTT NELLY’S ALBUM STARTING ON JUNE 25TH,
2002.