CONTENT WARS......it's bigger than Hip Hop!

If I told you there was an artist that has great regional buzz, that has a history of decent sales, that tours the underground scene from coast to coast, and then they drop a song on the net that has a rhythmic vibe to it, you'd probably ask, WHY DON'T I HEAR THAT SONG ON THE RADIO?

Hmmmmm, yeah, I ask the same question about a lot of songs. Now let me clarify, I don't look at the radio as the 'savior' or as the 'only path' for an artist to gain any sort of popularity. HOWEVER, I also understand that the easiest way to reach a massive population is through the mass media. A certain number of ppl visit the outlets that purport the responsibility of releasing 'what's dope', what's 'new' and what's 'fresh', and for any artist, the radio and TV are two of the fastest ways to get your music 'out there'.

So I was searchin the Internet like I usually do and I ran into a song by an artist that fits all the categories that should be giving his newest single all the play in the world. TALIB KWELI - I'M ON ONE..........the beats by Khrysis, and the song is DOPE, by all levels of judgement for a radio station this song is 'perfect' an artist with an underground following, a history of solid sales and on and on and on.......

So I posted the question as a status on my facebook page and the responses were plain and simple. Talib Kweli's single won't get played because he's not talking about killing, selling drugs or gratuitous sexual exploits, PERIOD. My first reaction to some of the responses was dismissive, surely, it hasn't come down to that. Not just a dance song, not just a rhythmic song, not just a well known artist, not just a street buzz, but also THE CONTENT.

Again, let me clarify, I think Hip Hop should be represented in it's fullness. Gangsta rap has it's place, R&B Hip Hop has it's place, Gospel Hip Hop has its place, and so does lyrically driven Hip Hop, or Hip Hop that is devoid of gangsta lifestyle content. So I don't DISS what radio stations are playing, but it gets to a point where there's only 1 portion of the listening audience being represented, and that's when I get confused a bit, I question roles and motives and goals for Hip Hop as a culture. We all know that radio Hip Hop is about 'rhythmic' music, COOL, we all know that they don't want story telling and intense lyrics on radio stations, FINE, HOWEVER, there are artists that can make songs that are not driven by criminal content, yet can still make a song for people to JAM to............RADIO STATIONS - C'MON SON (In my Ed Lover voice) give some of these songs some play. Relieve the culture of all the violent tension and drug related messages in radio Hip Hop.

Make you're money, eat, but allow the entire culture to shine. That's all I'm saying.........check out the video.....