The Philosophy of Hip-Hop

If you take the time and look, there seems to be a real philosophy of hip-hop that even the most astute of hip-hop heads miss. Hip-hop is a powerful art form if harnessed properly. Originally spawned from the streets of New York, the musical form gave rise to a genre that gives the poor and underprivileged a voice.

Thanks to corporate America, rap has done much to spread hate, violence, misogyny,  and (to put it bluntly) make all black males look like aggressive, violent, drug dealers and criminals. However, if we divorce original underground hip-hop from the mainstream corporate noise that most people think of when they hear the words "hip-hop," you can see that there is a stark contrast between (say) Lil Wayne and Immortal Technique.

As a sociologist who has studied social change and social structure research, hip-hop in it's true form is a major and serious threat to the establishment. As the deaths of Robert Kennedy, Malcolm X, MLK, 2pac, Jon Lennon, and Troy Davis will attest, there is nothing more threatening to power then an intelligent, articulate and talented individual who is willing bring about change through a sincere and powerful message. This message can be compounded through hip-hop by making catchy, memorable, and repeatable lyrics that also create an emotional involvement. (The listener assumes the roll of the vocalist which really makes the listener understand the rhetoric and perspective.)

With that said, it seems that there is a real code of honor in hip-hop (among real artists) where respect is earned. You don't have to be cool with everyone, but give props where props are due! There are a couple other consistent repeatable hip-hop themes that artists who are representative of hip-hop really endorse.

The first is confidence, you can't be an MCEE without it! The second is to just be yourself! Do something original. Bring something new to the table; it's okay to use others work for inspiration, but there is a fine line between respect and imitation; the good ones never cross the line or flirt with it once they establish their career.

The third is to believe that you can accomplish your goals if you work hard to achieve them (because no one will do it for you). This is the one that most cats miss. I don't care how talented you are, if you have no drive, motivation, or ambition, you will not make it. Although you have to have skill; raw talent is not required to be successful. However, dedication is! Inspecta Deck and Classified (from Canada) are prefect examples!

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Hip-hop and the Hood / Ghetto

In a very real sense, rappers and hip-hop artists are the product of society, their community, and environment! In a way, rap is just like country music, they are both a self-expression that tells a relatable story from the perspective of the vocalist. The difference is that hip-hop has traditionally been a black genre of music and (because the poor and underprivileged are disproportionately black [and Latino]) the story they tell is based off the (often horrendous) situation they're trapped in.

"I rap about shit around me; shit I see."- Eminem (If I Had...)

If you think about it, living in the ghetto is nothing like what the average American experiences. In towns across the country the police serve an important function and are helpful and gracious if given the opportunity. However, the average kid in the ghetto has never been helped by a cop, and every encounter is negative. So, the attitude (expressed by NWA) is "fuck the police"--which was a response to the Rodney King beating.

In any real scope, the police are the biggest gang/cult with guns. Just because it's "legitimate" and socially exceptionable doesn't make them any less of a gang. (As you will come to find out) I have personally been disrespected by the police and judicial system for what is clearly a coercive routine. I can't image what it would have been like if I were black, let alone if I were raised in the projects where police just plant evidence and set people up.

Similar to gangster rap, being a thug is not necessarily (suppose to be) glorified as it is a statement about success and principles. The most famous hip-hop thug was 2pac who explained the situation best.

"I'mma not thug'n for me, I'm thug'n for my family; wrong or right, that's what I gotta do." - 2pac

Pac is illuminating a very serious issue when you live in the ghetto. Basically, people who live there have first-world problems, they have to worry about shelter, cloths, and (most importantly) if they will have enough to eat. What pac is saying is that he doesn't necessarily want to steal but his "stomach hurts so (he's) look'n for a purse to snatch." (2pac - Changes lyric) He has to do what he has to do to feed his family and the end(s) justifies the means.

The fact is if you put a man into an extraordinary situation (like prison, or the ghetto) he has to take extraordinary measures to survive, let alone be successful. Pac referred to himself as a rose which blossomed from the concrete with a damaged stem. This symbolized his rise to stardom from his harsh development in a hostile environment. He was illuminating how the beauty of his soul and artistry grew and blossomed despite his surroundings (rather than because of it).

There seems to be a consistent theme in (real) hip-hop about the hood/ghetto and upward mobility. 'I lived in the ghetto, the ghetto don't live in me' is the sentiment expressed perfectly. People who live in the hood aren't there to be hip and fly, they are their because of a failed economic system. So when hip-hop artists from the hood get money, no one blames them for leaving that environment of desperation and negativity.  In any real sense, it is what the individual should do to to better himself, his family, and his future. However, a legitimate criticism is when artists who (supposedly) rep for their community, don't give back to it what-so-ever.

"Still got it wrapped like a mummy. Still ain't tripping, love to see young blacks get money. Spend time out the hood, take they moms out the hood. Hit my boys off with jobs, no more living hard." - Dr. Dre (Still Dre)

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Gangster Rap

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Gangster rap came along because people that were in gangs started to rap. Instead of thinking about the message and/or what was right, gangster rap says "fuck it" (to put it delicately) and illuminates the harsh realities of inner city struggle.

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Schoolly D, Ice-T, and NWA are widely credited for being the first gangster rappers. In gangster rap, if the guy that is rapping is a gang banger, drug dealer, or pimp, that's the perspective he raps from. For the most part, when you rap, you rap to another rapper; what a gangster rapper says is: "listen or i will shoot you" rather than "listen because I got something real to say." Gangster rap takes rap to it's true form, rapp'n and not give'n a f*ck.

It used to be that gangster rap was expressed by individuals who were in gangs rapping about the situation they found themselves in. Today, many so-called gangster rappers are not a lagitmate representation of reality but only an act. Instead of talking about what they know, they fabricate their stories to appear as if they went through that type of struggle.

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Hip-Hop Record Labels & Big Business

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Rap is big business! It's (estimated as) a 3 billion dollar industry. Although hip-hop has traditionally been a genre of music where an artist doesn't necessarily have to depend on radio play (because a lot of stations won't play the music), getting a song on the radio can do wonders for your career. Press involvement is how you get a buzz and the more you (or your label) network(s) and get(s) individuals, groups, and organization to feature your music, the better your release will do.

The problem is record labels are like a bank, they loan you money, and they want their money back with a lot of interest. The conditions on your contract are like the conditions on your loan. In real terms, all the label wants is "your two hit singles" so they can make their money, and fast!

As a general rule, the record labels don't care about the artist. They would rather see the artist "act a fool" and make money then do something respectful and dignified (because that doesn't create a lot of attention). They try and exploit the artist rather then empower them.

Not all the problems are the fault of the record labels. Most artists don't know when there suppose to get paid, how much, or (even) how. They don't read the terms of their contract and end up finding themselves in a situation that could have been avoided by consulting legal representation prior to signing.

It seems that the really good rappers/hip-hop artists go into business for themselves by making their own label--or become the CEO of the label that "put them on." If you go the independent route it is important you "focus on yo business." Getting into production, owning your own pressing plant, and running your label so professionally you can acquire other artists and companies is important to be sucessful with your indepenedent label. If you can, get into publishing, synchronization, and ques on film. The point is to treat your business as an asset and accrue capital from owning copyrighted material.

I personally started my own record label because I don't want to have to depend on anybody or have people (I don't necessarily trust) run my life. I want it to be about the music and not necessarily just the money (although, I don't care what anyone says, money is an important factor, by necessity, to running your own label).

I have a pretty good idea what's going on in hip-hop and eventually I wanna give talented artists the opportunity to make money and sell their original stories instead of requiring a gimmick for quick sales. I know hip-hop is (suppose to be) the representation of (oppressed) peoples and I want to give them a voice.

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Hip-Hop vs. Rap

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Hip-hop is an expression of people. In particular, it is usually the truth expressed to the streets through the youth. It's what we see every day. It's the freedom to create with your heart and say whatever is on your mind. Truly, it is the music of culture, people, and a reflection of society. Life is culture and culture is expressed though hip-hop, so it could be said that hip-hop can take us where we want to go!

Make'n rhymes doesn't necessarily make you a hip-hop artists; it makes you a rapper. Hip-hop is about using your heart to create something others can feel! (Hearing it, understanding it, and liking it all mean nothing if the person listening to the music doesn't feel any emotion evoked from within themselves due to your rhymes.) To put it simply, hip-hop is what is being lived, rap is something that is being done.

Rap is the main component of hip-hop. Taken alone, the lyrical form does not included the cultural expression that is associated with hip-hop. A good rap not only has a good rhyme scheme but it is clever. It can also be argued that good rap doesn't have (or need) a beat. The point is to entertain with words rather than express cultural sentiments through music.

Rap is rap, and some rappers are just bad people so it makes the lyrical form look bad when it is really just those individuals. Coporate America loves (gangsta) rap music because it makes alot of money from sensionalizing violence, crime, and celebrating the objectification of women.

When it comes to my music, Apollo (and for the most part, Dionysus) is me, Apollo is why I'm in hip-hop. But E$ is my show, my act, me "just rapping" ...although, I do like to blur the lines.

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A Short History of Hip-Hop

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When discussing the history of hip-hop, you can tell it had a start in jazz, gospel, rock and roll, and disco (among others); but the very beginnings of hip-hop culminated in New York. DJ's started it all. Guys like DJ Kool Herc (the father of hip-hop) would set-up their "rig" at a local basketball court or park and play music. Naturally, the culmination that gathered soon turned into a block party.

As the DJ would spin and (later) scratch, there would be break boys (b-boys) and b-girls dancing. In order to get on the mic and MCEE, praising the DJ was all but a requirement. In a historical sense, DJing, break dance, and graffitti are just as much a part for (traditional) hip-hop as MCEEing. Graffiti artists were often MCEEs, DJs, and b-boys themselves. At the best parties you might have a writer tagging a wall while the DJ scraches, the Emcee revs up the crowd, and the b-boys are battling each other on the dance floor. Talk about entertainment!

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In such a spontaneous setting it was important for the MCEE to improvise and entertain. This is why most would agree you're not an MCEE unless you can freestyle. And, due to the historic roots of hip-hop; it can be argued that crowd control is also an important factor of being a good MCEE.

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After 1985 hip-hop and rap had a split. Graffiti art and breaking was no longer the vital means of expressing culture. Rap became the leader and it was because corporate America found out they could make (a lot of) money exploiting artists (as explained in Hip-Hop Record Labels & Big Business). As you can read in Hip-Hop vs. Rap, hip-hop is truly a cultural voice for the people; however, when rap takes over the airwaves, no real hip-hop gets played, and people don't understand the difference; the end result is that (corporate sponsored) rap makes the whole genre sound pejorative.

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Visit my other blogs: EDULUTION, Lyceum Recordz and The Psychosocial Philosopher