From: OT <overtime@ev1.net>
Newsgroups: rec.music.hip-hop
Subject: ***Rhyme With Reason??***
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 21:40:33 GMT
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wassup yall!!

Its yo boy OT comin down one mo gen fo the road.

This weekend I'm moving to Austin (Kari, holla at a playa doe)but i
wanted to post a coupla posts I couldnt post becuz of time constraints.
(Between packin and sellin most of my stuff and gettin new stuff for a
crib, my time has been shote)

But I saw this on the one-eyed monsta last week and I wanted to share
it with the group and maybe start a discussion on this topic.

I was watchin' BET and watched Tavis Smiley's show. He had a topic
called 'Rhyme with Reason: The Return of Conscious Rap'

They had Common, Dead Prez, and Kevin Powell on the show as guests, and
basically the show was talkinbout the return of comercial hip-hop with
a message instead of the 'bling bling' aesthetic that is most prevalent
in commercial hip-hop these days.

Now, IMHO, alot of the so-called 'bling-bling/gangsta' hip-hop has a
strong message too, but basically they discussed their opinions on the
subject.

Like I usually do, i took notes on the show and these are some of the
more outstanding outtakes that cuaght my attention, and my opinions on
them too:

First of all, all the guests were pretty informed, and I give alotta
credit to Common becuz he kept it REAL, especially when asked about
using the 'N' word. (His explaination was that even though the word is
negative, if you want the common folk in the streets to relate and
overstand you, you have to talk like they do to get their attention,
which is true to me too.)

The only thing that i had problems with with Common was that he spoke
in 3rd person when talking about Blacks (i.e. Our people this Our
people that) Now, I am guilty of this too but I have since changed
becuz I realized that WE cant all be categorized the same, which is one
of the largest problems we face in the Digital Divide.

I also disagree with him on why you dont hear his songs on all the
radio stations. He said its becuz distributors, stations, promoters,
labels, etc are pimping a certain type of music, and if you dont fit
that mold you automatically dont get play. To me its becuz even though
alot of conscious rap is good, it doesnt move the dancefloor, and
that's what sells records first and foremost.

Dead Prez, even though i dont agree with alot of their rhetoric kept it
real too becuz they are actually out doing something in the hood
instead of talkinbout it.

I didnt agree with their positions on the death penalty. I come from
the state that has led the nation in executions since the US reinstated
the policy. (Texas had more executions last year than all of the rest
of the states have had combined since capital punishment was reinstated)

I think the death penalty is a deterant, and is needed.

Also, I disagree about the hate all police stance. Now, I've had a
number of run-ins with the law,(I've been arrested and booked at least
five times) and I know there are crooked cops, etc. and it doesnt
excuse stuff like the shootin in NY, but I also have a few potnaz who
are cops and we are good friends. They chose that line of work as a
profession, it pays their bills and takes care of their kids, so I
caint knock a man for doing what he needs to do.

Also, most of the problems come in when folks are doing what you aint
supposed to anyway. If you dont have warrants, and aint full or high,
or packing, or drunk...the laws usually will let you make it. I get
pulled over all the time by state troopers when I drive out of state on
business and most of the time they let me make it with a warning. You
just have to know how to talk to em. Stop acting guilty and they wont
fuck with you...

The best thang that DP said was that "the industry is willing to pimp
anything, and that's how we got signed...they are willing to make money
off the revolt."

But in some essense, their position and ideals have been turned into a
marketing scheme, which really isnt cool either.

Now, Kevin Powell said a number of things that i didnt agree with.
He was explaining that we need music with 'socially redeeming'
qualities, not all the bling stuff. He then went on to list groups he
felt fit this category (Crooked Lettaz, the Roots, Common, Lauryn, and
a few othaz) What the hell does this mean?

And my otha question is...Who made this n!@@a an authority on hip-hop?
I can overtsand talking to an artist, but what does he do besides front
for whitefolks and be the angry Black man on the REAL World? (note: In
the REAL world, most Black folks dont even WATCH MTv)

Also, he started bathering about how we need affirmative action. Now,
I am of the opinion that getting rid of affirmative action was a GOOD
thang.

I am from a state (Texas, FL, and a few other Southern states)that
repealed affirmative action and replaced it with garanteed entrance to
any state university for high school students in the top of their
class. To me, this is a betta deal than they had before, becuz now all
you have to do is work hard and be in the top of your class, before you
could get rejected even if you topped your class becuz of test scores.

It's funny to me becuz most folks who always shout about racism,
affirmative action etc. are from places that dont really have problems
with these issues. Powell needs to bring his punk-azz Down South and
goto Jasper, Vidor, or Giddings if he wants to talk about racism. And
that's just in Texas.

Anyway, what do yall think about this topic?

Personally, I think that there are alot more messages in the
bling/gangsta music than most folks realize, but if you dont know how
to listen/translate the music, then the message is lost. Also, an
easily translated message (one that makes everyone dance for example)
is alot betta than beatin a brotha over the head with a book.

Most of the time, people who aint from the hood just dont get the
message in alot of these artists music, all they here is cussin', gats,
and dope.It's like I always say, the rappers in the hood make the music
for an audience that already overstood the message BEFORE it was
delivered, becuz they not only love it the live it.
So, their music doesnt have to be 'conscious' becuz it really already
is.

On the show they defined 'conscious rap' as:

Music that doesnt use profanity
doesnt degrade women
addresses social issues
and doesnt promote violence

(which was strange to me becuz Common ∓ DP's lp's both contain these to
some degree)

What do you define as conscious???

Stay UP!!

OT