Hip Hop Sales May Be Down, But The Influence Of The Culture Remains The Same

Although originally formed in the inner-cities, hip-hop culture has crossed over into suburbia. More than half, or 57%, of Urban Youth, age 12 to 34, are white, although the proportion of African Americans and Hispanics who are Young Urban Consumers is greater within their own ethnic segments than is the case for non-Hispanic Whites.

This group is important to the U.S. economy. Aggregate income of these 37 million young urbanites will grow from $594 billion in 2007 to $684 billion in 2012, much of which will be spent on luxury items. At the core of the trendsetting power of Young Urban Consumers is their ability to influence the consumer choices of their friends. This demographic is among the first to try new things and spend their income on favorite product brands.

“Urban Youth shoppers put a high priority on brand loyalty, and brands achieving the greatest success have formed a connection with hip-hop artists,” comments Tatjana Meerman, Publisher of Packaged Facts. “Significant sales can be attributed to products prominently featured in lyrics, spontaneously embraced by the hip-hop world and products that appear to be genuinely used by an artist prior to the relationship.”

Source: PackagedFacts

 

People want to call Hip Hop dead due to lower sales, but they fail to see how influential the culture is to consumers. Artists just need to learn how to use their influence to generate income outside of record sales. These ulterior avenues of income must be well thought out, you can’t just make a website or clothing line and think it will automatically be a success.

A Call For the Mainstream Hip-Hop Community to become Political in the Wake of the Sean Bell Verdict

“If Malcolm or Huey had the outlets our musicians have today, it’d be global. I have to figure out a way to do it myself.”
Alicia Keys- “Alicia Keys Unlocked”
Blender Magazine-May 2008 edition

 

Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1964 book, “Why We Can Not Wait”

When I saw Jay-Z, the biggest artist in Hip-Hop, could put out a record dissing NBA basketball player Deshawn Stevenson two days after the Sean Bell verdict, but yet could not put out even a statement on the case, I said enough.

 

Hip-Hop music and culture is an often criticized, highly stereotyped art form and cultural movement. Gangsters; ignorant; selfish; destroying the Black community; perpetuators of the word “Nigga;” and vulgar, incendiary rebels without a cause—these are among the many charges routinely hurled. And typically in the dead center of the attack are Black and Latino youth; and more specifically, the Black and Latino young man.

 

For all the racially-tinged hatred disseminated from the narrow-minded faction of the political right, or the equally narrow, grossly misinformed analysis of the Black conservative cohort (the John McWhorter’s and Stanley Crouch’s among others), there has been an identical amount of advocacy and support for Hip-Hop. Whether it be from religious, political, academic, or grassroots sectors, people like Kevin Powell, Rosa Clemente, James Braxton Peterson, David Kirkland, Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, Trica Rose, Joan Morgan and numerous others have articulately, comprehensively, and thoughtfully commented on the full spectrum of the music and culture. They have ardently and courageously defended it’s legitimacy to legions of Americans who see it as a one-dimensional, hedonistic, pesticide in America culture.

 

But now is the time for mainstream Hip-Hop to stand-up and defend the same community of folks who help create it, support it, and maintain it.

 

The claim of “We’re just rappers” and the like is no longer valid.

 

In a music and a culture that is heavily populated and controlled by young Black and Latino men who many times laud themselves as being the authentic voice of an urban Black experience that while is extremely harsh, vulgar, self-indulgent, and misogynistic but yet claims to be “real”—it is time to talk about this realness.

 

It is time to speak on a how the United States makes up less then 5% of the world’s population, yet has almost 25% of the world prison’s inmates. AND 1/9^TH OF THOSE ARE YOUNG BLACK MEN.

 

During the 2000 and 2004 Presidential Elections we have seen Black votes be treated as if they were meaningless in Georgia, Florida, and Ohio. We have seen increasing attempts to demonize our largely Black African and Latin American immigrant population without understanding how our state-endorsed, government-supported, private- corporate sector’s role in globalization is helping to profit from and perpetuate, not address, this issue.

 

We have seen how the lives of Blacks in New Orleans, Mississippi, and Alabama were not primary but secondary concerns in the face and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina—and how we still have no national agenda to address the displaced peoples or comprehensively rebuilt their cities. We are in the mist of seeing historically Black sections of cities like Chicago, Flint, Detroit, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Newark, and Trenton suffering through staggering high school dropout rates (and correspondingly, significantly low high school graduation rates) and economic stagnation.

 

We have seen how the NYPD could stop the Bushwick 32 from going to a friend’s funeral. And now we see how no amount of bullets to an unarmed man warrants excessive force by the New York City Police Department…again.

 

Now we need mainstream Hip-Hop to talk about it. They need to tell America how they see it.

 

While R&B superstar Alicia Keys has come under great scrutiny for her comments about “Gangster Rap” in the May 2008 issue of Blender Magazine, the most profound statement she said has been lost. Keys talks about the women empowerment anthems of Aretha Franklin and the soulful, yet explicitly political songs of Marvin Gaye as being examples of the power music holds: the ability to impact society. She goes on to express how she wants her music to bridge the politically & musical gap in an effort to raise awareness on important societal issues.

 

It is in this spirit that I call out the most talented and successful Hip-Hop artist of our society to rise. Brothers and sisters are being killed, disrespected, and belittled to the point where many now are saying our lives are meaningless.

 

This is directed at your “favorite rapper” and your “favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.” It is a call to go against the inclination towards profit-driven commercialism and mass media appeal. It is a call to step away from the “music is just fun,” “music as a way to escape reality,” “we’re artist, not politicians,” explanations. It is a call in the mold of Dr. King and many Black leaders of the past to look beyond your image or your bank account and into the heart and soul of our society; to look at injustice and stand against it. It is a call to use our largest communication and cultural medium to talk about the pressing issues of our community right now. It’s time to break from our regularly scheduled programming, because our community is in a state of emergency.

 

It is not a call for the adults of Bakari Kitwana’s Hip-Hop Generation, or the activist of our past movements, or the Hip-Hop artist of today that are “underground” but making music in the “backpacker,” “conscious MC” tradition. This is a call for the biggest of Hip-Hop’s stars to stand up and say something. It is time to answer the call. Our people can not wait any longer.

 

We need our Hip-Hop stars to stand up beyond being artist, but as responsible men and women that are needed. Because right now, it’s bigger than Hip-Hop.

Plot to shoot officers in Brooklyn exposed ( Could this be karma from the Shawn Bell case)

Dozens of cops were pulled off the streets in Brooklyn Saturday night after NYPD officials were tipped off to a plot to shoot patrolmen, police sources said.

Officers were taken off their foot patrols in East New York, and cop cars were positioned to block a route to the 75th Precinct stationhouse on Sutter Ave. for fear of a drive-by shooting.

The extraordinary measures were taken after a confidential informant – who works with the Brooklyn narcotics squad – told police around 6 p.m. there was a plan to shoot up the Brooklyn stationhouse, sources said.

Full Story: Daily News

Threatening cops that had nothing to do with the Sean Bell case is pointless. A few cops make some bad decisions and now every cops is out to harm people?

The shooters of Shawn bell found not guilty(No Justice No Pieace)

Rest in peace Shawn Bell

My heart goes out to your family.

I apologize for not speaking on your case but my over the verdict has taking over. I feel if i speak on it while I’m mad i might not know what im saying.

For more information click here.

Wouldn’t you like to be a Nigga Too? (Nas’s new single)

The following was taken from Nahright.com

Almost immediately after the Little Homie’s new single hit the web yesterday, astute listeners (including myself) noticed some similarities between “Be A Nigger Too” and NYOIL’s 2007 track “What Up My Wigger Wigga.” Well Robbie over at Unkut reached out to me and he offered me a a forum to share my opinion on the music and the message behind it. Here’s a small excerpt from my response, but you really should go read the full thing, listen to both songs and see for yoursel

 

DJF4T SAID:

“…Does this brother realize that his attempts at diffusing the word “Nigger” by making it some all inclusive colloquialism to represent all races is as weak as the beat he spit it too? Does he realize that when Robert Schwartz decides to stop being a nigger all he has to do is change his look. maybe trade in the bapes and backpack put on a suit and he’s right and exact. When Robert Yung decides he’s no longer a nigga he can be whatever an person of Asian decent can be in the country stereo types not withstanding. When Robert Rodriguez decides to stop being a nigger he can become a proud man of Latin descent. However for Robert Jenkins who’s grandparents where NIGGERS, blown over by fire hoses and beat within an inch of their lives, when the term meant what it will always mean despite his attempts to make it a term of endearment. Whom despite his affluence or allegiance has to be as scared as a runaway slave when pulled over for driving black or shopping black, or standing in a group of more than 3 in his own neighborhood while black or any of the number of things blacks can do innocently while being black and end up dead because the cop who shot him 50 times like Shawn Bell or 42 like Amadou Diallo didn’t consider himself a nigger…We’re the only race that embraces our disgrace, and now you would have everyone else sing along with us in our shame.”

One of my biggest beef’s with Nasir has always been his failure to articulate these big ideas and theories that seem profound and well thought out on the surface, but fail to hold up under closer scrutiny. Not saying that’s what has happened here, because I’m still looking over the evidence, but it would appear that NYOIL has thought things through and is ready to have the conversation Nas has taken it upon himself to start. To here Nas- Be a Nigga too click here

Freedom of Speech? Does that include rappers?

Why is so hard for people to acept the fact that rappers are U.S. citzens, and that they have the same rights as anyone else. Which brings me to my point: Why is that people have a problem with rappers cursing in their music. I mean it’s their music. How would you all like it if someone came to your house and told you not to curse. It’s not they put a gun to to your head and say ” Ay you in the Docker’s on listen to my album”. Then you go on and on about their music is a bad influence on the youth. My question you is ” How does the youth get the music in the first place”(go ahead I’ll wait)?……… Cat got your touge, then I’ll tell you. They are exposed to the rap music through telivision, radio, stores, and the internet; all these of which are controled by adults…………………. Cat go your tounge agian? Telivion: Let’s see, you can put a parental block on that.  Radio: Change the staion. Stores: If you go to Best Buy they wont even ask yo the maditory qustion “May I see your ID. Inconclusion I say don’t point the finger, but if you do look in the mirror first.

Stop Hating on the Barack!

What is it with the Democratic race; why is it every time Hilary and Barack get in the same room together she always trys to find away to make Barack look bad. I mean grow up. I’m sure everyone already knows that everyone involved in politics have done done something crooked behind the scenes. So I ask you Hilary Why are you hating? Don’t you know that by your actions, you’re only making your self look bad. You probly spend more time trying to sabotage Barack than you do working on your campaign. I know a lot of the things I’m saying are hurtful, but sometimes people need tough love. I hope you know that by your actions, you have probly ruined any chances of joining forces with Barack. Now that’s just sad.

 

To see Barack Obama dusting Hilary off click here

 

Life Styles of the Rich and Famous

Why are we so infactuated with the life style of the rich. I mean really, what do the do for us. Do  they pay our bills?(NO!) Do they make us richer?(NO!) Do we make them richer?(YES!) I mean, I dont see why they’re so interesting to start with. They’re just regular people with money. And why we sick back and be broke while being infactuated with their lives; they sit back and get rich off of comsuming ours. Why do you think they make so much money off of reality shoes.

You know what? It just hit me. I’ve concluded the unsolved ridel(Why are we infactuated with the Rich & Famous). Because most of us dont like the reality were in, so we feed off of their’s(crickets, crickets, crickets). Fasinating, insent it?

Nigger or Nigga? Is there really a Difference?

Nigger or Nigga, what’s the difference?  Nah, really?

 

Before I begin, please allow me to say, this is not my attempt to intellectualize the use of the N-word.  I personally think that’s an oxymoron in itself.  Instead I’m more interested in obtaining clarity in our usage of the word by asking how do we intelligently make an argument that nigga differentiates from nigger?  Nigger or nigga, I ask, “What’s the difference”?   

Written by Cornell Dews

 

Nigger is defined as “a black person, a member of any dark skinned people, a person of any race or origin regarded as contemptible people, inferior, ignorant, etc.”  Nigger is also defined as “a victim of prejudice similar to that suffered by blacks; a person who is economically, politically or socially disenfranchised.”  While nigga, on the other hand, is defined as “an extremely offensive name for a Black person; only a Black can call a Black a nigga.”  The latter of the definition is what we “black folks” have attempted to institute into doctrine.  We’ve attempted to do it by stating that “nigga” is not the same as “nigger.”  Instead, “nigga” is a word of endearment according to many of us.  And we’ve indoctrinated it into our culture simply by substituting the ‘er’ in the word nigger with an ‘a’ as if that changes the definition.  Damn. 

We have all heard the argument, if not participated in it ourselves, “I said nigga with an ‘a’ not the ‘er’.”  I ask, what’s the difference?  If you honestly consider the African American vernacular, which by the way, reference books have been created for translation and application, most of our words that end in ‘er’ we substitute with an ‘a’.  And of course, this obviously changes the spelling of the word, but purposely the meaning of the word stays in tact.  For example, gangster is now pronounced and written as gangsta, but is it defined differently?  We’ve seen the word murder pronounced and written as murda, but again do the definition of the original word change?  There are a slew of words that this is applicable to, for the sake of space, I’ll just print a few.  (you may not be able to find our pronunciation of these words in a standard dictionary, but nevertheless we use them) 

o        Banger/bangao        Reefer/reefao        Burner/burnao        Buster/bustao        Chopper/choppao        Ever/eva (with or without the ‘for’)o        Teacher/teachao        Preacher/preachao        Rapper/rappa 

With all of the words being said, we commonly substitute ‘er’ with an ‘a’ but the meaning stays the same except when we say the word nigger.  How could that possibly be?  We need to realize that’s an asinine argument.   

One of my favorite rappers of all time, Mr. Tupac Shakur, is credited for creating the acronym for NIGGA, which stands for “never ignorant getting goals accomplished.”  With all due respect to Mr. Shakur and his family, how is that definition applicable to our people and our community?  I know that the attempt was to take a word with a negative connotation and definition and do the inverse, but that’s practically impossible especially in this case.  Consider those of us who are “getting goals accomplished” minus the ignorance, do we define or refer to ourselves as nigga’s?  Or how about those who are “getting goals accomplished” from selling drugs, hustling or living a particular lifestyle that leaves them uninformed, unaware and uneducated about the world, would they consider themselves “never ignorant”?   

Nigger is what nigga is.  There’s no getting around it.  Consider this, the word nigger is defined the same in more then thirty different languages throughout the world.  Regardless of how it’s pronounced the definition stays the same.  Regardless of how it’s written, the definition stays the same.  Except in our community where we’ve tried to erase and embrace.  Erase the word in its original context and embrace it in our own, by simply substituting an ‘er’ with an ‘a’ and giving it an acronym and a new definition.  I mean, we’re some bad folks (bad meaning good of course), but damn, how did we do that? 

Even with using the acronym, never ignorant getting goals accomplished, who would knowingly define themselves as such?  Even Tupac wasn’t a nigga.  Like many of us, I’m sure he was called one on several different occasions, but that’s not who he was.  Ask his mother.  Or better yet, ask yours.  Can you imagine a child asking a parent “am I a nigger?”  And the parent respond by saying, “yeah, but you’re the one with an ‘a’ not an ‘er’.”  How intelligent is that? 

  

Written by Cornell Dews

(thank you for reading)

Was Jesus in fact, Black?

           Over the past year the years, there has been speculations regarding the race and the ethnicity of our lord & savior Jesus. You know know what I mean! Qustions like “Is he Black”? “Was he infact a Jew”? Well ladies and Gents Jesus was infact Black. If you actually read the Bible, you’d know that. It says in Hebrews 7:14, The Tribe of Judah from Whence Jesus came, is a dark skinned nation of people. Jeremiah 14:2 also states that, “Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.” The word black in this verse is qadar which means dark skinned in the ancient Hebrew Language.

           

                     The first English version of the Bible was available around the time of Wycliffe 1380-93, wiht a King James Version coming in 1611. Europeans were then able to affix picture of the blonde, blue eyed man and his disciples on Bibile end- pages and inserts, to fooling the world into believing in a white savior of salvation.

 

                           But were you aware that this counterfiet image of Jesus which Christians worship today is based on an Italian homosexual, paedophile, and mass murderer named Ceasare Borgias – who was painted by Michaelangelo around 1400 and used for the base model for the long blond hair, blue eyed effeminate looking Christ which Christians bow down to and worship today – even Black people.

For more information go to http://www.blackhistoryjohnmoore.bravehost.com/jesus.html