SIMPLE STEPS TO RECLAIMING CULTURE

I recently had a chance to do an interview with some HIP HOP LEGENDS for a project that I'm working on.....Whodini, Special Ed, UTFO and SALT N PEPA artists that raised Hip Hop up from the Golden Era into the 90's platinum era; and when asking about Hip Hop going forward into the future, there was a resounding call for the LISTENERS to reclaim Hip Hop culture. So I want to provide readers with what I feel are 3 simple steps towards listeners reclaiming Hip Hop.

One of the main reasons why I'm writing this list (which may expand) is because there is a ground swell of people that have turned away from Hip Hop because they think Hip Hop is too negative, too sexual or too socially irrelevant for their lifestyle, but they grew up on it, they at one point in time connected with it, and now THEY NEED TO TAKE IT BACK. So instead of sitting around talking about how much you hate commercially driven Hip Hop, I want to give a start up guide towards bringing Hip Hop back into your life.

1. Purchasing Power - Wu Tangs 90's classic C.R.E.A.M. still holds true, CASH RULES EVERYTHING AROUND ME, and therefore music trends will always lean towards purchased music. The power to shift Hip Hop in any variety of directions will only happen by people buying the music they love. Music appreciation is a great thing, but in a capitalistic society who's buying what, will always lead labels and artists to continuously reproduce the content that is most profitable.

Stop settling for bootlegged culture. Burning CD's and downloading MP3s PROVES the thought that Hip Hop is a disposable art form. The more downloads and the more CDs burned steals from the artist being rewarded for representing YOU; and while you burn CDs of content driven artists, the commerically driven RADIO ARTIST will make money from alternative revenue streams and be able to offset lackluster record sales.

BUY MUSIC

2. Seek and you shall find - TURN OFF THE RADIO FOR A WHILE. Don't get frustrated because of the frequency of the 10-20 songs in rotation. There is a whole world of music out there for you, on the Internet you can find the sub-genre of Hip Hop that is for you. The radio formula is dance songs and sex songs, it's no secret that Hip Hop radio stations DO NOT play non-rhythmic Hip Hop songs. Songs that are content driven or lyrically intense are looked down upon. The chances of hearing a song that isn't for the club are slim to none in most music markets. So as a listener you have to be DILIGENT, turn on your computer, log on to a variety of Hip Hop sites and find some artists that represent YOUR LIFESTYLE.

If you're mature, have kids and a family, radio Hip Hop probably doesn't REPRESENT enough of your lifestyle to gain your attention. Hip Hop that you can listen with your kids, Hip Hop that you can play at your family functions, Hip Hop that can provide a soundtrack for a day to day lifestyle that doesn't include drugs, drinking and shooting up something or someone is out there. GO GET IT!

3. Demand the supply - the only thing that is as great as purchasing power, is the power of the people. When people are 1st paying attention to something, it develops the popularity of a product. In a demographic world, companies 'know what people are doing on the web'. Websites you attend, artists name you mention, blasting songs on facebook and twitter, emailing good songs to your friends and family. It all counts. Letting the world around you know what new artists have the creativity and content that you enjoy is a small step towards shifting the balance from the commercial radio driven era of Hip Hop that has turned off so many people, into an era where Hip Hop can be both representative of the people from which it comes and economically profitable for the artists that are creating the variety of Hip Hop flavors that has made the artform so impactful.

There are my three steps to reclaiming Hip Hop. I might add a few things in the future as I wrap my head around a few more simple things listeners can do to get Hip Hop back to an era of being representative of the entire Hip Hop electorate.


PEACE AND BLESSINGS.