Rapper$ Delight

Our komrades in MIM(Prisons) ask “what role does Hip Hop have to play today?” As a revolutionary culture, that is.

Since rappers are hard core capitalists it’s a waste of time for me to even contemplate this question. As revolutionaries we must not waste time or energy on things we know aren’t going to change. Let’s keep it one hundred on a revolutionary level. Hip Hop has digressed not progressed.

It has come a long way. It’s gone from “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy and Cop Killer by Ice T (who ironically enough now plays a pig in one of today’s many cop shows) to “You’re a Jerk” by the new boyz (the present #1 video on 106th and Park - B.E.T.) and “Throw it in the Bag” by Fabulous featuring The Dream (a shoplifting song).

So you see komrades, what Hip Hop has to do concerning the revolution and what they’re doing and continue to do and will always do is on the opposite side of the revolutionary train of thought. I don’t knock Hip Hop’s hustle. It is what it is. I enjoy Hip Hop as entertainment while disregarding most of their lyrics lest I be tempted to shoplift (humor).

On the real, though, prior to the presidential elections B.E.T. (Black Entertainment Television), the Hip Hop channel, pushed hard for the election of Obama. Almost 24/7. Rappers threw rallies, wore shirts and pins promoting the vote for Obama. What do you think would’ve happened if this much attention would’ve been given to Sean Bell when he was murdered by three pigs of the NYPD? What would’ve happened if every single rapper who was still in the rap game at this time made entire CDs rapping about police brutality? Would it have raised a revolutionary consciousness within our urban youth? What if every CD put out at this time was dedicated to the memory of Sean Bell? What if every CD has the face of Sean Bell on its cover instead of a video girl in a thong bent over a Benz? Yea, that’s all we’re going to get: what if.

Instead this is the reality check. Michael Vick formerly of the Atlanta Falcons gets sent to prison for fighting some dogs, they’re about to send Plexico Burress, formerly of the New York Giants to prison for shooting himself accidentally, and the three pigs who riddled Sean Bell with bullets get sent home to their families. Meanwhile Sean Bell’s children have no father. Sean Bell was unarmed.

It’s a “bloody” shame too, because the fact is, music in general has always bridged together cultural differences.

Is Hip Hop a vehicle for change? It can be, but it won’t be. It will continue to pursue the all mighty dollar. What does the revolutionary culture or revolutionary culture (without the “the”) look like? In the Hip Hop culture I don’t see it. But if I was a Hip Hop rapper this would be some of my CD titles:

Sean Bell, Blood in my Eye, Police Brutality, Assassins with Badges, Modern Day Gestapo, When will they Murder Me?, Attica 71, It’s now or never.

But since I can’t rap a lick that ain’t gonna happen either. So all we can do is what we can do. If you know how to rap then put it down and bring revolution to the rap game because what’s already there is simply a Rapper$ Delight.

MIM(Prisons) replies: While we certainly agree with the points made on the injustice of the Sean Bell murder, we point out that many people still rap about Sean Bell years later. And a whole CD was put out for Oscar Grant, with many others putting out singles in respect to him. Most of them were very critical of the police and their connection to the state including Obama. These don’t get as much play as the other crap out there, even crap by the same artists who put out these revolutionary songs.

It costs millions of dollars to make a song “popular.” Therefore, if you look at the list of songs that get the most rotation, they’re all owned by two corporations: Universal and Sony (occasionally Capitol gets one in). If you aren’t sponsored by one of these companies you cannot afford the payola. That is part of the game. So even the big artists who do some songs for the people have to write most of their songs for the money, or else they choose to not be a “big artist.” Therefore most of what the people listen to is still crap.

If you check out some of the artists that aren’t on BET, in XXL or on for-profit radio stations then there is no doubt that a revolutionary undercurrent to hip hop is still present. What will never happen is hip hop becoming revolutionary for profit. But hip hop is already playing a revolutionary role at the fringes.