sassysage's Blog

hip hop is NOT the great redeemer that all these folks are trying to make it out to be.  there i said it!

that’s coming from an original hip hop head who fell in luv with the genre as soon as my ear buds could appreciate music…

i had high hopes for hip hop and still do.  especially when you see how its powerful force has manifested empires in so many facets of global society. it is a voice and i’m a firm believer in speech as a form of true freedom.  but i draw the line in making hip hop into a ‘Savior’.

this week i happened upon a Huff Post article about hip hop as the new spirituality for youth.  the author, Dr. Monica Miller was wrote a commentary on the jay z/kanye video “no church in the wild” and youth finding meaning through the lyrics of hip hop. she finds that for youth “music (hip hop often cited) provides what churches often can’t”.  she states that jay-Z and kanye should get, “an honorary degree in theology”.  MBA’s yes; MDiv, come on now…why?  are they really saying something that transformational? or are we hooked on the swag that makes hip hop so irresistible…

i’m sticking with the essence of hip hop and speaking truth.   hip hop is the new spirituality (?), sending hate mail to dream hampton cause she tweeted about nas getting a ghostwriter (?), defending to the end like it’s all good with hip hop (?).

if you’re talking about underground hip hop, i agree with you. but if you are referring to the mainstream, fast food version served up for the masses; i pass…glorify not please.   Dr. Miller is correct that many youth are listening to, believing in and living their life for hip hop. but that makes me wanna holla false prophet…

the messages in a lot of the songs, videos and overall vibe of mainstream hip hop is NOT COOL. let’s stop kidding ourselves and recognize that a lot of hip hop has corrupted the minds of many young and not-so young people in ways we should not be praising.   those hooks of get ahead by any means, nothing matters but bling, shaking booty is all that counts is NOT the road map to success.

just when i was ready to put away my b-girl kicks, lupe fiasco premiered his new video ‘b@tch bad’ from his upcoming album Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1.   All I can say is preach Lupe, preach…