I Don't Know Hip Hop?

Those 10yrs my senior tell me I don't know anything about hip hop,or the 80's.I tell them you must not know me...

I believe there is a common misconception of the difference between Hip Hop and Rap. The Dewayne Wayne Kid (generation as I like to refer to the my generation those born in the mid-late 80's.) We are often the ones lost in the interpretation. At the turn of the decade we were born into the transition of Hip Hop to Rap.Its easy to see why one may confuse the two. By dictionary definition Hip Hop is:popular music, art, and dance: a form of popular culture that started in African American inner-city areas, CHARACTERIZED BY RAP, graffiti art, and breakdancing.


By that definition,Hip Hop is the product,Rap is to be the marketing& business dept with successful ways to sell a quality product. Hip Hop is the artist,Rap is the A&R Rep that is to find a way to make the public love it. By that definition Rap has failed Hip Hop tremendously.Hip Hop is similar to a Bad Boy artist,signed but producing not one track,collecting dust,when they do debut they fall apart due to lack of foundation,structure,quality. Which is combined with a number of others who like them feel they are the star,this organization would be nothing without me. Well I'm sorry to tell you Rap,Hip Hop went and got their lawyer and their back to air you out and sue you for copyright-infringement. They've been tapping the radio waves,booths and your whack business meetings. All the while flying under the radar producing QUALITY music with a following that needs no shine. No broads spittin about ass shakin,no dudes spittin about hittin,blingin,shootin,or any other mainstream packaged bullsh!t. Only strenghthening their argument combined with compiled evidence that you are to blame for the attempted murder of Hip Hop. That's right I said it,Rap did it.

As an 80's baby I am the epitome a 'DeWayne Wayne Kid'.The DeWayne Wayne Kids are that of the 'Y' generation aka(Echo Boomers or Millenials). Born smack dab in the middle of evolution. In 85 LL.Cool J. Salt& Pepa both made their debut. Flipped up shades and bent multi-color hats became the new,inspired by DeWayne Wayne a character on 'A Different World' hit show from 87-93. You can watch the migration of the show and see how the world around it was changing. From the sky-rocket in teenage pregnancy to the rise of young black America inflicting harm on each other.That was TV,imagine what it was like in real life. Hip Hop was there every step of the way.

During this time The GenYDWWKids running rampant,reeking havoc on anything they touched because to them,it was their right. In the time A Different World began and ended Salt & Pepa released their 3rd album LL Cool J was on his 5th.Artists like Heavy D,Snoop,and WuTang had just stepped on the scene,which only confirms and coincides with the almost blanketed conversion,union of Hop Hop and Rap during this time.It was almost as if we were provided a soundtrack of the time period,by each artist at that time. It was a true definition one that is almost eerie. Anyone not familiar can simply get up on the catalogs of lyricists from that era and almost feel as if they were there. If you were lucky enough to live in that time recants of that time frame,it takes you back.

In my opinion Hip Hop feeds your soul. It's the equivalent of your 1st love every time you press play. When the beat drops its similar to how your heart dropped when the phone rang and you hoped it was him. Hip Hop is an expression of love,real life scenarios,stories. Rap started out like that with lyricists such as Notorious B.I.G,Tupac & Snoop, and the whole Westside movement. Although Snoop was a direct product of NWA (Niggas With Attitude)'s Dr. Dre a group with a 'fuck the police'attitude. Really being the first "gangsta rap" squad on the scene,Snoop still provided more of a story behind his music. These masters of ceremonies are who started the race in Rap,they passed the baton to these youngins some where along the way and now every song is about 'chains,$,hoes,and cars'. For the Gen Y-DDWKids this is not something that is we can relate to. For not only are we just in the prime of our lives,most just graduating from college with six figures being a few years away. We come from a different genetic make-up. There was something in the water between 84-89,that bred some driven, individuals that look for more than the material things in life for we know there is something greater that lies ahead,something more structured form of existence that exceeds that of things that glimmer and shine.

That is how we approach our music also. If it isn't the greatest,with much quality and substance. We'll use your album as a coaster or a something to stabilize a crooked table in the crib. Come official when you present something to the Gen-Y DWW Kids because anything less than SUPERB is uncivilized. Many of us are trapped in a state of nostalgia when it comes to this music thing. We are constantly reaching for the past,something that will never re-surface. They say we must accept the new bogusness being blared through the radio waves,I say I've never settled in any aspect of my life and it for damn sure won't start with something I believe is my lifeline.

If Hip Hop won't show it's face, TeamHipHop will hunt him down. Underground emcees, fuel the greateness. Mae Day brings the MC Lyte back to the femcees,Common,Kweli,and Mos Def are the Godfathers of New Age Hip Hop in my book and those like Small Eyes and P.H.I.L.T.H.Y will be the ones to carry the torch when they retire. The newcomers are GenY-DWW Kids voice,most being born in the same time frame. They let TeamHipHop know it's not a dream,good music did once exsist and they are in position to ensure that it reclaims its thrown. At the top.

Bubble-gum,fad-following,trend-spotting,skinny-jean,tight-shirt wearing,puppy chow emcees will be but to sleep....SOON!!! The DWWKids are making a buzz underground that can no longer be ignored,you can't help but to recognize greatness.

Those 10yrs my senior tell me I don't know anything about hip hop,or the 80's.I tell them 'you must not know me'...