SUPREME ENTERTAINMENT BLOG TALK RADIO SHOW!
I’m your host Wisdom Supreme and today’s show is going to focus on Hip-Hop music, art & culture! Where it’s been, where it’s at most importantly what direction it’s going in! Hip-Hop may mean different things to a lot of different people! To some it’s just a cool form of music. To others it’s a fly way to express one’s self through your style and fashion sense, your slang and the way you speak and communicate with friends & fam. & way to show how you feel and let others know who you are through rhyme and song! And to others still it’s a culture and movement that’s a voice for the voiceless, courage for those in fear and wisdom for those seeking knowledge of themselves, the people around us, and the truth about things going on in the world! Or maybe it’s a little bit of all of the above!
But the one thing we can should all agree on is that it is not, is the selfish, self centered egotistical, materialistic, misogynistic, pop chart saturated, ignorant minded, material wealth blinded art form, that has become a shadow of it’s former self! Chubb Rock once said in his record “What’s Beef” feat. Das Efx and PMD, “how’d Black Power go sour, where’s Brotha J.”! Speaking of Brotha J. from the highly respected crew X-Clan from the early 90’s, I couldn’t agree more Chubb! While we’re at it, where’s Chuck D. (from the legendary Public Enemy), where’s Rakim, where’s Jeru the Damaja, where’s Gangstarr, where’s a Tribe Called Quest, where’s the Jungle Brothers, where’s OC, where’s Show Biz and AG, where’s Bahamedia, and where has true school Hip-Hop gone?
Now I’m not here to bash on every new artist out today, that’s not my point or intention with today’s show! But what I do have a problem with is any artist or fan of today, who don’t have a healthy respect, knowledge and understanding of the forefather’s who paved the way for artist of today to even get in the game let alone eat well of it and prosper! I recently had a heated debate (ok it was more like a flat out argument with some guy/girl on YouTube who left some crazy sounding disrespectful comments on a video clip I had showing footage of Rakim performing Follow the Leader at BB Kings Bar & Grill in NYC! I’ll read a brief quote from the first comment this person stated for you to get your take on it: “fuk this fiool rakim, he aint shit , faggot ass east coast bitches, fuk ny and the east coast, you know nothin bout hip hop, you wak ass r & b bitches, damn this shit hurts my ears, fake fuks!!!!! quit tryin to act like g;s you all aint shit!!!! tupac forever, sincerely a WEST COAST G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now we are headed toward a scary and sad state when so called Hip-Hop fans don’t even have a respect and appreciation for the elders who paved the way for the new generation to do their thing today! I’m not saying you have to think or believe an artist like Rakim is the greatest rapper who ever lived (even if some do believe him to be the true poetic equivalent to Michael Jordan in Hip-Hop, sorry Jay), but you must respect the man and the undeniable talent and ability he brings to the table! I mean Rakim’s style, slow flow delivery monotone smooth vocals and advanced lyrical wordplay were light years ahead of it’s time! That’s why you still have lyricists from Nas to Common, to Black Thought to Canibus still reciting and deciphering his rhymes to this day! Can you imagine if I or some new artist came into the game thinking fuck Rakim, Fuck RUN-DMC, the Hell with Kurtis Blow and LL Cool J, old bitch ass East Coast bitches! How long do you think I would last in the music industry? Probably not more than a week or 2! The first week would be the initial shock and everyone wondering if I was serious or was this some kind of a sick gimmick. The 2nd week is when all the stations and record companies would put the blacklisted ban on all my stuff and I’d be pretty much booted out of the industry quickly and swiftly! So why would anyone deem it appropriate to go after the likes of Rakim makes no sense!
Now one of the biggest problems I also see in the game today is the materialistic love affair with money, jewelry, cars and other items of so called prestige! It seems as if we’ve all sold our souls for diamonds and gold! Ice grills, iced out watches, spinning and floating rims, etc. Let me say this, there is nothing wrong with wanting nice things, or liking a material item, but when it becomes your main goal or objective to the point where you have young kids running around thinking they ain’t shit unless I got those diamonds on my neck, and my watch iced out and rocking the latest $200 pair of Air Jordan’s, we are in the serious state of emergency!
I mean don’t get it twisted artist from back in the day from Slick Rick, to LL Cool J, to Big Daddy Kane and more all loved their jewelry and fresh gear, pocket full of money, fly ladies, big whips and all, but they also knew the importance of taking care of one’s community and uplifting the youth with positive msgs. too! Whether Slick Rick’s Hey Young World, Big Daddy Kane’s Word to the Mother (land), or I’ll Take You There, Brand Nubian’s “Slow Down”, & “Wake Up”, Queen Latifah’s “Ladies First” The Jungle Brothers “Straight out the Jungle”, Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power”, “Night of the Living Basshead”, and anything else damn near off their catalogue of classic albums!
The point is there was a balance, so for every 2 Live Crew, or N.W.A., there was a Public Enemy, or Boogie Down Productions, or for every Jungle Brothers, there was a Heavy D & The Boys or De La Soul, or EPMD or Kool G Rap, or Masta Ace to give you some diversity! Now everyone pretty much sounds the same, spitting up and regurgitating the same old lame, half ass flows at their ass & tittie shows, looking to duplicate whatever sells, no matter how far or low they have to go!
I think KRS-1 from Boogie Down Productions “Love’s Gonna Getcha” put it best, “it’s alright to like or want a material item, but when you start fending and carrying on for it, just remember, it’s gonna get you! The greed for material wealth, always leads to a mighty downfall eventually! You can strive to get rich, but don’t stop trying to put out and create quality music and material that yourself and your fans and people can be proud of! Remember if you can’t look yourself in the mirror at night and be proud of what you do, then is it really worth all the millions? There are some things, that shouldn’t be for sale, and your people’s pride, musical history and culture is some of them!
I also think that the Independent industry or way of music has been a double edged sword that’s been a blessing and a curse to the game! On one hand I think it’s great that anyone who loves the art and wants to do music or create an album can do so now, without having to go the major label route, if there not showing them love! It worked wonders for everyone from Masta P, T.I., to Nelly & Papoose! But the downside to that is that the every Tom Dick & Harry wants to start up their own label and start putting out albums independently, thinking they’ll be the next Nelly or Masta P to blow up! Or hoping they will be the next underground MC from their region that will get the attention of a major label who will be willing to give them a plush 7 figure deal! That is great if these artist are all talented & gifted, but when a lot of them or the majority or shaky or mediocre at best, you leave the floodgates open for a whole crop of wack MC’s & suspect artist! Which in the long run, such weak, low talent artist dilutees the quality of the culture and art form as a whole.
Back in the day you had to be nice as hell to get a deal or to get put on, because there were only a few outlets that allowed new artist to even break into the game, especially breaking into the industry if you were from NY! I remember the story Chris (KRS-1) told of his struggle to get put on back when he & Scott La Rock were shopping for a deal and got dissed by Mr Magic back in the day! Mr Magic (a DJ who played in NY during the mid and late 80’s was like “The Man” to speak with if you wanted your record to get any kind of spins in NY back at that time! So if Magic wasn’t feeling you, and if you weren’t cool with or down with cats from the Juice Crew (MC Shan, Roxxxane Shante, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Biz Markie, etc.), or if you didn’t have production on your project by the legendary Marley Marl, then it was difficult to really get on! But if that crew dissed you or thought you was wack, it was even worse! That was like the kiss of death to someone’s career, especially a new artist, who hadn’t even proven themselves yet!
That’s what makes KRS and Scott La Rock’s classic debut “Criminal Minded” that much more remarkable because they had to be nice in order to get in the game, go up against the Mighty Juice Crew and rock they way that they did! The average candy coated bling wearing rapper of today wouldn’t have stood a chance against those kind of odds! Can you imagine if a Young Jeezy or Rick Ross getting into the industry or getting a deal depended upon them coming into the game and having to take out the likes of a Jay-Z, Nas lyrically? Or to get your 7 figure deal you had to go round for round in a all out lyrical showdown with Papoose, Immortal Technique or Canibus? Half the people in the game right now wouldn’t even exist! But I guess sales overshadow skills these days so will never see that happen now will we?
But alas people I do believe there is some hope for the future generation of Hip-Hop even as we speak! It’s been brought to my attention that the latest Billboard numbers show that rapper Common (one of Chi-town’s finest) currently has the number 1 album in the country with Finding Forever! Which is a hot album by the way, so if you haven’t heard Common’s latest joint yet, I highly recommend you check it out! But what I think this maybe a sign of is letting the industry know that mediocre lyrics, no substance, lack of original subject matter or creative flow and style type of artist won’t be tolerated anymore! Common has been a well respected and talented MC for years, so for him to continue to build and grow in his popularity and exposure this late in his career is truly phenomenal! Now all we have to do as consumers is to continue to support quality artist that we feel are worthy of our dollars and support, and stop listening & watching the low rate, mind numbing, ass shaking, garbage spewing, shucking & jiving minstrel show madness, that these TV & radio stations pump in our heads on the regular!
Instead of if it doesn’t make dollars it doesn’t make sense, how about if it doesn’t make sense, it’s not getting our dollars! Until next time ya’ll I’m Wisdom Supreme reporting live from Supreme Entertainment Blog Talk Radio Show! Good night & God Bless!
Peace!