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The Dichotomy of a Hip-Hop Music Fan - Page 2

© Steve Juon

eight year old to listen to it, but I *love* that motherfucker. Easily the pinnacle of both Dre AND Snoop's careers, it features their finest raps and Dre's fattest beats, along with an all-star lineup of Dogg Pound MC's who have style and flare and the ability to deliver their raps smoothly to your earhole to the point you memorize all the words. There's even a hidden political agenda: "The Day The Niggaz Took Over" is a subtle reminder that black folk are tired of 450 years of racism and ain't TAKING that shit no more. I don't condone the misogyny or some of the more simplistic rhymes, but the overall effect is a powerful rap album even WITHOUT the intelligence of Chuck D or the linguistic ability of an Aceyalone.

So what's a hip-hop music lover to do? I love freedom of speech, but I abhor misogyny. I love fly gangsta raps, but I want rappers to reach for a higher plateau of self-expression. I love hip-hop and I hate hip-hop and I love it again even though I hate it and I hate to love it yet I still love it anyway.

I have to swallow the contradictions and chalk it up to the same contradiction that we call life itself. Statistically the odds are that we shouldn't even exist, yet here we are. Hip-Hop's like that too. The odds say that an artform like this should never have flowered and not only SURVIVED but multiplied and spread all around the globe; pollinating new fans and new artists anywhere that it reaches. If an eight year old is going to listen to rap, I can at least hope that there is a parent or guardian there to help them discern the meaning and intent. If an artist is going to do gangsta rap, I can hope they'll not forget to remind people that it's illustrative and NOT demonstrative: you're not supposed to follow their example or practice what they preach about the street. I can hope that hip-hop fans will see beyond simplistic rhyme patterns like "trigga" and "nigga" and demand a higher quality product that is not only more creative but less debasing.

I hope for hip-hop. I pray for it every day and every night. And I go to the record store and shell out $12.99 for GangStarr and $13.99 for Goodie Mob, and my faith in hip-hop is rewarded.

To all the gangsters, players, hustlers, preachers, teachers, and scholars of hip-hop music; keep doing your thing. Keep it CREATIVE, don't just keep it real. And always support your freedom of speech.

Peace, Flash

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