"There are plenty of fools in the forefront of what most people would consider Hip-Hop. And for Hip-Hoppers like myself, who understand, realize, and harness the power and potential of Hip-Hop, we are outnumbered in trying to explain to the world that Hip-Hop isn't just what you see on television (and actually hardly ever is what you see on television).Just to be certain that we're on the same page, the Hip-Hop I'm talking about is complex (Sorry MC Stupid). The Hip-Hop I'm talking about is into justice (Sorry MC Soldyoursoul). The Hip-Hop I'm talking about is artistic (Sorry MC Noskills). I may not know the hottest rapper on the radio, but best believe MyHipHop is alive and kicking snares.
Hip-Hop culture has given me too much for me not to defend its honor. I've spent the last year and a half of my life documenting the power in Hip-Hop music because it was this aspect of the culture, this unique art form that spoke to me like nothing ever before. As I've matured, I've realized that we can all learn from the culture that grew from the concrete.
So I've collected, extracted, and explored words of wisdom and motivational mantras in my new book, THE MESSAGE: 100 LIFE LESSONS FROM HIP-HOP'S GREATEST SONGS (Thunder's Mouth/Running Press), which recently dropped and is available in bookstores and online. THE MESSAGE is named after the song performed by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five ("Don't push me, cause I'm close to the edge...) which many consider to be the first commercially successful socially conscious rap song.
Despite Bill O'Reilly and his crew of crusaders looking to crucify Hip-Hop (shoot, if I was Bill I'd be threatened by the potential of Hip-Hop too), we can learn a plethora of lessons from the greatest Hip-Hop songs. THE MESSAGE explores a myriad of themes including spirituality, love, relationships, family dynamics, politics, career goals, and ambition. I fuse my personal experiences with the book's entries (some of which I've learned, some of which I'm learning and some of which I had to write into existence in my own life) to really show the impact that these lessons can have.
Each life lesson is aptly titled after a Hip-Hop song and THE MESSAGE includes a well-rounded selection of artists who've made meaningful songs, including folks like Public Enemy, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, Little Brother, Lauryn Hill, Common, Talib Kweli, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, OutKast, Queen Latifah, 2Pac, Kanye West, LL Cool J, EPMD, Rakim, De La Soul, and Big L.
My goal in writing THE MESSAGE was to use the tools from Hip-Hop culture to empower my generation. Hip-Hop is the language of our youth. It's a global culture. For those so quick to dismiss or give up on it, I extend the challenge for us to reclaim its power and use it for good in our communities. Why should we allow corporate interests/moneyhungryfools/ignorant media to define what Hip-Hop is, and allow that definition to be overwhelmingly negative?
There are tons of activists, writers, MCs, educators, who are representing Hip-Hop lovely. It's up to us to support those artists making meaningful art (and it’s not just “backpackers”), those community advocates using the culture to affect change. If not, we risk losing one of the most powerful and influential cultures we've ever seen. Complaining about the dysfunctional aspects of rap music is one thing, but finding ways to use the culture for empowerment is a much more effective action plan.
If we don’t reclaim our Hip-Hop, trust, no one will.
Written by: Felicia Pride
Felicia Pride is a writer, literacy advocate, and Hip-Hop baby. She’s the author of THE MESSAGE: 100 LIFE LESSONS FROM HIP-HOP’S GREATEST SONGS. Check her out online at www.feliciapride.com or www.myspace.com/thebookchick.