By Seandra Sims







WHAT HAPPENED?

An interesting thing happened to Styles P in 2005.

The rapper released “I’m Black,” a song that lit a fire in the heart and minds of hip-hop fans of all colors and cultures. Fans waited and waited – for a video and a formal single, which never materialized. “I’m Black,” featuring singer Marsha Ambrosius, was a ‘hood hit without question.

The song was true to the streets, had a catchy hook and was a true inspiration to a lot of different kinds of rap fans.

Styles never fully explained what happened, chalking it up to “politics and bulls**t” in an interview after his album Time Is Money dropped a year later.

Rap veteran Willie Dee of the Geto Boys agrees and explains there is a concerted effort to stop music like Styles P’s from getting to the masses.

“It’s still out there – they just aren’t playing it on the radio. Way back when, [radio] program directors didn’t hesitate to play the music if it was good,” Willie Dee said during the recent Hip-Hop Honors in New York. “You could not deny Public Enemy’s sound.” Rapper Ice Cube, whose longevity in the game was cemented by smart personal and business transitions over the years, concurs with the Geto Boy’s reasoning.

“At some point, they didn’t want their kids to praise Chuck D (of Public Enemy). They didn’t want a poster of KRS-One or Ice-T or some of the more political rappers on their kids' walls,” Cube says. “They didn’t want their kids to idolize these guys that were talking about equality when its all said and done. So they decided to push that kind of rap to the back, not letting us have those outlets. By 93-94, it was escapism rap…everything that was destructive…that became mainstream.”

Watch to Ice Cube's full explanation of how rap with a message was dismantled. (click [/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iz63aL0Onk]here[/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iz63aL0Onk] for a youtube link.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iz63aL0Onk

At a time when hip-hop’s critics are lamenting over the lack of political substance in rap, some artists like Styles P find their commentary silenced by record labels or overshadowed by mainstream consumer demands.

“People are still making political rap – you’ve got people like Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Common, and definitely people like Immoral Technique who are still trying to tell people what’s going on in the world,” says UGK’s Bun B, who is known for sharing his political views. “But, I think the fact is people just don’t want to hear it. People are scared of the truth – you’d be surprised,” he adds.

Few would argue that hip-hop is filled with gritty truth, with most rappers hailing from poor inner cities, where crime, drugs, and injustice have always provided content for songs. In the golden age of political hip-hop – mid-to-late 80’s, and the red-black-and-green days of the early 90’s – the protest on songs like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message” was clearly a response to harsh economic times and political leaders who didn’t seem to care about the plight of the ghetto.

During the happier, materialistic Clinton years, some say the political content in rap disappeared. In the late 90s, bling became king, and many rappers took a more “me-centric,” competitive stance that was less focused on the stories of oppressed people. The new “ghetto fabulous” lifestyle was personified best in the Hot Boys song “Bling Bling,” where Manny Fresh bragged that he was “tha n***a with tha Lex bubble/Candy coated helicopter/With tha leather cover.”

Cash Money Records co-founder Birdman defends the apolitical image the Hot Boys portrayed to youth, telling AllHipHop.com, “To me, I think music is an art and a culture. To me, a message and who it comes from are two different things. Guidance comes from your home – music can’t do that.”

“The music business is hard right now and to say that political rap is gonna make a comeback…I don’t think so.”

-Juvenile

Kaine from Atlanta’s Ying Yang Twins argues that the political messages are still there, even in that type of contemporary rap: “Our songs all have messages – never mind if you agree with them or not. There’s two sides to every story. So who cares if they love or hate, as long as they tune in – that’s how the industry looks at it.” Adds Birdman, “All rap still has a message – the message is to try to make it, ‘cause it’s hard out in these streets.”

Along with the bling, the mid-to-late 1990’s was an unprecedented growth period for overtly “conscious” rap that played heavily on musicianship. It had a lighter, more acceptable sound, but the ‘hard in the streets’ message still played heavy. Within conscious rap, artists such as Black Star and Common painted lyrical pictures of the souls of ghetto people in their songs.

DJ Kid Capri notes that during that time, MCs with mainstream political marketability like Nas also emerged: “[Nas] makes records that make you think, and make you change and see things in different ways,” Kid Capri tells AllHipHop.com. “It’s that you have to get it across to the masses, and how you do that is to have the perfect beat and hook.”

As times changed, the voice of hip-hop changed. In today’s money-driven music industry, artists are less likely to channel their politics in songs. Former Hot Boys member Juvenile, in the midst of a recent comeback, admits his last political song was “Get Ya Hustle On” after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“The music business is hard right now,” says Juvenile, “and to say that political rap is gonna make a comeback…I don’t think so.”

WHO IS LEADING THE CHARGE NOW?

Nowadays, beyond the “militant-political” hip-hop dungeons where Dead Prez, Immortal Technique and others dwell, most rappers – while they often care—are less focused on a brazen political agenda within their music. Many have even become more cause-driven and reactionary to “breaking news” such as the murder of Sean Bell by the NYPD.

There’s a definite media angle to hip-hop politics now that didn’t exist in the past, and rappers and hip-hop influenced politicians such as Real World veteran Kevin Powell (D-NY) and Newark, NJ's Ras Baraka (D-NJ and an affiliate of Lauryn Hill) have capitalized on the spotlight. Incidents such as Columbine, Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, the Jena 6, and topics like AIDS awareness and healthcare, have provided platforms that hip-hop artists and activists can champion alongside their mainstream White counterparts.

As an example, Kanye West used his personal experiences with conflict diamonds as content for his popular 2005 track “Diamonds from Sierra Leone.” Around the same time, VH1 aired a documentary film entitled “Bling’d: Blood, Diamonds and Hip-Hop,” which took Raekwon, Paul Wall, and Tego Calderone across the ocean to learn up-close how the conflict diamond trade in Sierra Leone has destroyed an entire African community.

Just two months after releasing “Diamonds,” West used his appearance during the Red Cross’s Hurricane Katrina telethon to make an emotional attack on the younger President Bush for his poor rescue response in New Orleans. His words echoed across the airwaves, prompting many in urban America to agree with his sentiments.

And sometimes, hip-hop’s influence is helping rally urban communities around issues that seemingly don’t affect them directly. Rapper Drake is speaking out against offshore oil drilling – the menace behind our worst oil spill in history – and Kanye West, Pit Bull, and Cypress Hill are boycotting performances in Arizona over the state’s controversial immigration laws. Immortal Technique, touched by the ravages of war, is building orphanages in Afghanistan, and Jasiri X is rapping about everything from society’s ills to “minstrel” rap.

“The majors are owned by Wall Street, which is strictly numbers and no heart – the root of the problem.”

-Willie Dee of The Geto Boys

Hip-hop icon Jay-Z has come to symbolize the political prowess that top rappers can possess today. He has donated concert proceeds, spearheaded a global clean water effort, and is creating ventures with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as Bloomberg Financial. Top hip-hop artists have also helped raise significant dollars when they align themselves with political causes. Diddy’s popular “Vote or Die” campaign was a merchandising bonanza for t-shirt sales, and Wyclef’s Haitian relief effort, though mired by mismanagement of funds, raised over $1 million using Twitter and other social media.

Meanwhile, the occassional political song is tucked among today’s typical guns and glamour rap content. Some examples include Eminem’s “Mosh,” Young Jeezy’s surprising election anthem “My President is Black,” and Lil’ Wayne’s “Georgia Bush,” a scathing commentary on Bush’s Hurricane Katrina response. The most political rappers are underground MCs like Dead Prez and Paris, whose content often denies them radio airplay, so they tour instead to survive. Still, Dead Prez is reportedly working on a Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama and have worked with DJ Green Lantern in the past to gain more notoriety.

The unquestionable reach and influence of hip-hop, along with the obvious concern held by artists, still leaves many to ponder why isn’t there more political commentary in today’s rap songs. Willie Dee sums it all up with the wisdom of an industry O.G.: “Everybody’s just playing the numbers game. The corporations have eaten up all of the independents. The independent movement was like the backbone of hip hop – with the independence, you didn’t have to answer to the majors.”

“The majors are owned by Wall Street, which is strictly numbers and no heart – the root of the problem,” Willie Dee adds. “See, once you go to the root and start playing with the numbers, and you say ‘hey, we want to hear this type of music,’ then that’s the kind of music that’s gonna be played.”

Voices like Talib Kweli and Jay Electronica rise from the political ashes. Kweli's recent take on the controversial Arizona immigration policies, “Papers, Please” offers an education on the hot button issue over a triumphant track and reminds us that “a people united will never be defeated.”

And then there is the internet and the new freedom associated with it, essentially offering new hope for politically and civic-minded artists.


http://www.thegrio.com/specials/hip-hop-politics-from-the-beat-to-the-ballot/

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I read this post and waited almost 8 hours for someone somewhere to say something like I know what's going to happen but no one showed up, 25 views and none responded. . . Since it's not about Modenine Vs. Ruggedman or M.I Vs. Saucekid or who has the best track and the worst track?

This is about that Culture we all want to associate ourselves with. The culture we all front to be at its forefront. The Culture of "HipHop" where you don't need your legs to go there, all you need is "your state of mind". I know better now. . . Mostay'all ain't REAL. period.

On this issue. . . it is evident even in this article that there was a time in history where hiphop would be found in the semantic field of revolution. A culture which stands today as a result of its pioneers' strict adherence to knowledge and wisdom over mediocrity. It is however such a pity that what is know as "HipHop" today is synonymous to pure mediocrity.

the contemporary HipHop ahs almost lost its political torch solely because of one fact; "You have to read and see with your minds open to criticize issues". How many young minds read today let alone read with all sense of reasoning. . . Most young minds prefer to default their Cable channel to MTV Base, Channel O, E! or Soundcity where they get influenced by what they see but not what the people they see are seeing.

To be able to talk politics, you need to be able to watch different channels and read different articles from different extremes to draw out your own perspective. NO one wants to do that. Since it doesn't sound like FACEBOOK. I've heard IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE talk in an interview solely about politics and instantly i realise how intelligent and brilliantm this cat is, not only in his words but also in his mode of presenting it.

In the final analysis, i believe the political torch in hiphop is not vibrant anymore. You only hear the vibes from underground mcs who have the voice and knowledge but don't have the RADIO!!!! and also in my opinion, the little left of the political torch has been shifted almost off the blacks to the Latinos in Hip Hop. . . the IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, Army of the Pharaohe and so on. . . also, i think in Czech Republic, their political hiphop is really finding its way to the mainstream (not a fact, but what I see in their hiphop)

IN MY OWN OPINION.

bouzymill:
also, i think in Czech Republic, their political hiphop is really finding its way to the mainstream (not a fact, but what I see in their hiphop)

IN MY OWN OPINION.

UNA DEY VEX GAN O! CZECH HIP HOP?

I really feel you on your write up. It is such a shame that in the mordern era for one to stay relevant in the game, it is almost a pre requisite to dumb your music down .

hax:

UNA DEY VEX GAN O! CZECH HIP HOP?

Bros no be vex oooo , na just one unintentioal trip to an unknown website and unconscious download of an album from an unknown Czech MC that introduced me to some Czech mainstream MCs and found out most of their themes are politically inclined. . . Too absurd wang guy dey rap about CLIMATE CHANGE!!!! no be small matter. . .

Rhymefest
Little Brother
Brother Ali

bgees:

Rhymefest
Little Brother

Brother Ali

Ofcourse Brother Ali is conscious of everything. . . from Spiritual to religion and even race (issues about his own race) to politics. . . He is conscious of the environment.

However, I wouldn't co-sign Little Brother or Rhymefest for political consciousness. . . I jsut can't figure out a track of Little Brother going hard on the mic with politics. . . If not the usual Bragadodoccio, it is about having a good night with a girl. . . They're one of my favourite Mcs though.

For me, it'll be the following MCs:
Talib Kweli.
Dead Prez.
Little Brother - apparently the group is now defunct.
The Roots.
Mos Def.
Mad Villian aka Victor Vaughn aka MF Doom

Vacora:

For me, it'll be the following MCs:
Talib Kweli.
Dead Prez.
Little Brother - apparently the group is now defunct.
The Roots.
Mos Def.
Mad Villian aka Victor Vaughn aka MF Doom

I co-sign all these people for real. . . what was I even thinking. However, I stil lgot a problem with little brother making it to you guys' list. I'm just finding it difficult to place my mind on any Political record from Little Brother. I cant just place one joint from them. Their own revoolution is against the politics of Music industry

Guys, please support real Hiphop, i hate hate phony and wack rappers and there are a lot of them these days. I am looking forward to buying The Roots latest EP How I Got Over
Real MCs never get any airplay

To be able to talk politics, you need to be able to watch different channels and read different articles from different extremes to draw out your own perspective. NO one wants to do that. Since it doesn't sound like FACEBOOK

@Bouzymill

You listen to some rappers talk about politics and ignorance just pours out . . . and you wonder why people will rather listen to them talk about rims?? It's what they do best, making music is easier for them than being socio-political icons.
It's not bad though, hiphop is about self-expression for black people, they're mirrors of the world they grew up in, and that world didn't include CNN.

In my opinion, it's quite good to be politically active and all that, but it's not a duty.
Their main purpose should be to make good music, and that's the only thing you can fault them for.
I'd rather Young Jeezy stuck to bling . . . 'My President is black, My lambo's blue' just doesn't sound right.


I've listened to Immortal Technique talk . . . he actually sounds quite intelligent in interviews, unlike in his albums.
He's good with words and all . . . but when he starts the controversy B.S, they just don't make sense.
That's the difference between hearing someone that learnt in school and one that learnt on Wikipedia.

@eldee. Nice post.

Im not a big fan of all that socio-political hip hop stuff. Even though I'm a huge hip hop fan, and a news geek. I follow politics closely, and am interested in what happens in the world I live in, but that's just not what I really want in music. Give me something that bumps and sounds good and I'm happy.

I don't understand the logic behind the claim that people that do not make conscious music are uninformed, or just can't be bothered. Maybe that's just not what they want rap about. Na by force?

eldee:

@Bouzymill

You listen to some rappers talk about politics and ignorance just pours out . . . and you wonder why people will rather listen to them talk about rims?? It's what they do best, making music is easier for them than being socio-political icons.
It's not bad though, hiphop is about self-expression for black people, they're mirrors of the world they grew up in, and that world didn't include CNN.

In my opinion, it's quite good to be politically active and all that, but it's not a duty.
Their main purpose should be to make [b]good music, and that's the only thing you can fault them for.[/b]
I'd rather Young Jeezy stuck to bling . . . 'My President is black, My lambo's blue' just doesn't sound right.

I am not saying everyone in hiphop should be political.   .   . The post is about POLITICAL TORCH IN HIP-HOP AND THE CONTEMPORARY TORCHBEARERS and I said we don't have much of that anymore because of the reason I stated (lack of knowledge.

eldee:

hiphop is about self-expression for black people, they're mirrors of the world they grew up in, and that world didn't include CNN.

CNN was just a figurative language for political consciousness, not to be interpreted literally. History of blacks in the US and other black nations is boring without the politics. Everything that happened is connected to politics. And that's the mirror through which they see the world.

eldee:

I've listened to Immortal Technique talk . . . he actually sounds quite intelligent in interviews, unlike in his albums.
He's good with words and all . . . but when he starts the[b] controversy B.S, they just don't make sense.[/b]
That's the difference between hearing someone that learnt in school and one that learnt on Wikipedia.

You are the first person that would tell me IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE is not intelligent and that sounds kind of absurd because this brother is INTELLIGENT. period.

THERE IS REALLY NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEARNING FROM SCHOOL AND WIKIPEDIA. THEY ARE BOTH PROPAGANDA, What you see is what you get. that's the best way to learn.

Krayola:

@eldee. Nice post.

I don't understand the logic behind the claim that people that do not make conscious music are uninformed, or just can't be bothered. Maybe that's just not what they want rap about. Na by force?

it will be stupid for anyone to claim that people not making conscious music are uninformed. That is wrong. Music is not always about politics.

There are two two school of thoughts in music. one says MUSIC should teach and the other says Music should entertain and also there's a school that supports the two. The main point is good music is good music, politics or no politics.

This post is about HipHop political perspective and that's why we are leaning towards that,

bouzymill:

I am not saying everyone in hiphop should be political.   .   . The post is about POLITICAL TORCH IN HIP-HOP AND THE CONTEMPORARY TORCHBEARERS and I said we don't have much of that anymore because of the reason I stated (lack of knowledge.

Yeah I do agree, I'm a big fan of diversity in hiphop.
I'm just saying the when we start asking, it puts pressure on the ones already there to deviate from what they actually know how to do.

bouzymill:

CNN was just a figurative language for political consciousness, not to be interpreted literally. History of blacks in the US and other black nations is boring without the politics. Everything that happened is connected to politics. And that's the mirror through which they see the world.

I agree with you here again, and I used the CNN figuratively too.
But I have to disagree with the part where you said politics is reflected in the lives of everyday black people.

Nah . . . politics is not as significant in our everyday lives as you want it to sound.

bouzymill:

You are the first person that would tell me IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE is not intelligent and that sounds kind of absurd because this brother is INTELLIGENT. period.

THERE IS REALLY NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEARNING FROM SCHOOL AND WIKIPEDIA. THEY ARE BOTH PROPAGANDA, What you see is what you get. that's the best way to learn.

Immortal Technique is an agenda artist, you either agree with his views or you see them as extremely daft.
Listen to 'Cause of Death' and see how daft he comes across. . .

Oh . . . so you wanna go all Marxist on me now?? Egbon, relax abeg.
Immortal Technique shows signs of someone who's read too much from controversy websites and mixed it with anger against the Criminal Justice System.
Besides, if you say school is telling you how to think, doesn't Immortal Technique do just that too??

Krayola:

@eldee. Nice post.

Im not a big fan of all that socio-political hip hop stuff. Even though I'm a huge hip hop fan, and a news geek. I follow politics closely, and am interested in what happens in the world I live in, but that's just not what I really want in music. Give me something that bumps and sounds good and I'm happy.

I don't understand the logic behind the claim that people that do not make conscious music are uninformed, or just can't be bothered. Maybe that's just not what they want rap about. Na by force?

I was listening to Jay-Z talk on Oprah the other day and I was like 'this school of hard knocks should be in the Ivy League'.

I just don't like it when the so-called conscious rappers come to act like they're better than the rest of the rappers . . . like 'dude, you're not even smart'.

Off-topic

Did I mention that I've met Immortal Technique before?? At the O2 . . . the British Music Experience Event.
He wasn't performing or anything, funny enough we were the only ones that recognised him.

Dead Prez too,


These guys don't make songs every now and then but when they do , it always shows they have a clear understanding of politics and other issues.

eldee:



Immortal Technique is an agenda artist, you either agree with his views or you see them as extremely daft.
Listen to 'Cause of Death' and see how daft he comes across. . .

Oh . . . so you wanna go all Marxist on me now?? Egbon, relax abeg.
Immortal Technique shows signs of someone who's read too much from controversy websites and mixed it with anger against the Criminal Justice System.
Besides, if you say school is telling you how to think, doesn't Immortal Technique do just that too??

Ahhhhhhh, That's something about most revolutionary artist or even writer. They show you why someone is bad even when the person in question is sen by everyone around as the best. Hence giving you another direction of judging the person. Example is Fela's description of Shagari as the most dangerous in African Leaders. I was watching the interview when he presented his reasons, I was liike yeah. yeah. yeah. whatever, but you know, that stayed in my mind even till now. that's their ways.

Immortal technique do say some things I dont agree to, especially when it comes to religious themes and all that but I just like him because I actually know he's intelligent. He actually studied Political Science, though I think he dropped out.

eldee:

Off-topic

Did I mention that I've met Immortal Technique before?? At the O2 . . . the British Music Experience Event.
He wasn't performing or anything, funny enough we were the only ones that recognised him.

that's really cool.  .   .  He's not really known cos his niche in underground hiphop is not just what people are feeling anymore. and these people are just in love with what they do, they won't switch their style for nothing.

bgees:


These guys don't make songs every now and then but when they do , it always shows they have a clear understanding of politics and other issues.

Dead Prez!! Word. that's the truth.

Let's Get Free - Classic Album

Get Free or Die trying - Got the mixtape but I have never heard one track

Can't sell Dope forever (with Outlawz) - "Fork in the road" - One of my favourite in my best "20"

Dead Prez too,

To me "nas" seems the only rapper this dayz that spits consciously and still commands mad respect,"untitled" to me's such a political project dat the music industry f**ked his a** up big time,nas represents rap music in it's complete essense so to me he's the GOAT of all time even thu a lotta people want to wipe him out kuz they're ignorant or he sounds too complex.