Why Hip Hop is Really Dead

[Guinan]

"Poor righteous teaching brother goes into intellectual detail explaining the cause of the Hip Hop "dying" and exposes the music industry. Al though it is partially the music industries fault(such as Record Companies, executive producers, etc etc) society is mainly what's keeping this kind of music alive. In order for us to make a serious change I believe we must stand up and speak out and get more active. " Posted by Truthvids TV on youtube



He is right on so many points.

[Jalili]

Damn, This brother RE-OPENED my eyes on many issues.

[G.O.D.F.A.T.H.A.]

He spoke a lot of true words. Peace.

[Pragmatic]

YouTube - Canibus - Draft Me!

YouTube - Canibus - Draft Me!

Hip Hop Needs a 'Drop Squad'

San Francisco Bayview, Commentary, Minister Paul Scott, Posted: Jun 08, 2005
“Have you forgotten that when we were brought here, we were robbed of our name, robbed of our language. We lost our religion, our culture, our God! And many of us, by the way we act, we even lost our minds.” – Dr. Khalid Muhammad from “Night of the Living Baseheads” by Public Enemy

My favorite movie of all time has to be “DROP Squad.” For those who missed the film’s two week run at the 99-cent budget theater a decade ago, let me hip ya to the facts. The movie was about a group of Brothas and Sistas who went around DROP-ing (Deprogram Restoration Of Pride) sellout Black folks, i.e. agents of white supremacy.

The squad would take a sellout Brotha, tie him to chair and force him to watch the “Eyes on the Prize” video series with Run DMC’s “Proud to Be Black” pumpin’ in his headphones at volume 10 until he swore to never again touch a white girl, eat a pork chop and never ever, ever watch an episode of “Friends.” (Or something like that.) As I flip through the cable channels and pass by the latest Yin Yang Twins video, I have come to one conclusion: Hip hop needs a DROP Squad, bad.

It’s not like there has not been a precedent set in hip hop for some tough brotherly love rehabilitation, as glimpses of DROP Squad-like action were seen when KRS and BDP threw one of the PM Dawn dudes off the stage back in the day or when Ice Cube kidnapped those fools in his “True to tha Game” video and made them listen to Dr. Khalid Muhammad give them a heavy dose of “knowledge of self” for a couple of hours.

But that was well over a decade ago, and most of the pro-Black voices of rebellion have long adopted an “if ya can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” mentality or at least developed some sort of coexistence, non-engagement policy of looking the other way and pretending that hip hop is not being destroyed by corporate forces who still fear its dormant potential to make Black folks set it off against white supremacy.

Historically, one of the questions that has plagued the Black community is what should happen to Bothas and Sistas who engage in activities that are detrimental to the survival of Afrikan people. Whether it be in slavery times when the old Negro would sell out the rebellious Brothers and Sisters by telling “massa” about plans for the big payback or during the Civil Rights Era when agents would spy on Brothers and Sisters and report back to “tha man.”

But the question of how to deal with race traitors has paralyzed our forward movement. This is especially problematic for the Black Nationalists who have tried to develop an all encompassing system of Black Unity, even including those who lack a collective, cultural consciousness. It’s kind of like that crackhead cousin who is always stealing your TV and you try not to turn him in to the Po Po cause he’s fam and everything, but when he jacks you for your set and makes you miss the NBA finals, things get too critical too ignore. So it is with hip hop in 2005.

What if there was a Hip Hop Drop Squad made of black T-shirt, black beret, Red, Black and Green armband-wearing Brothas and Sistas armed with books, CDs and DVDs by our most outstanding scholars and researchers. A pro-Black Propaganda Machine armed to the teeth with laptops, picture phones, copiers, Sharpie pens and posterboard and not afraid to use them for revolutionary purposes.

The Brothas and Sistas could jack TI’s new jam “ASAP” and make it stand for Afrikans Saving Afrikan People (from genocide). This nameless, faceless squad of Brothas and Sistas could organize themselves into Black Power Street Teams and regulate hoods across the country.

What if this group went around writing ASAP in big graffiti letters on posters of Hip Hop artists across the country who are guilty of disrespecting Sistas or other crimes against Afrikan people. What if a resistance force began bumrushing Hip Hop Summits and in-store promotional appearances and made rappers “an offer they can’t refuse” by publicly inviting them to join the Black Power Movement.

What would happen if there was a well organized group of MCs and DJs who jacked every song that glamorized Black on Black violence and used them to make anti-white supremacy mix tapes. What if the ASAP Squad so saturated the streets of their hoods with the revolutionary remixes that they became more popular then the original versions, at least locally?

What if before a negative rapper came to town for a crunk concert, a Willie Lynch-type letter began to circulate around the Black community. And just like the infamous “How to Make a Slave” letter began showing up in hoods across America, what if a pamphlet detailing the plot by which hip hop has been corrupted by corporate America started showing up in barber shops and beauty salons.

The pamphlets could inform the community about how present day hip hop is really a “casualty of war” of the COINTELPRO program that bled over into the Hip Hop Era, and the only real war against hip hop was the one waged against Professor Griff, Sista Souljah and Ice T in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s.

With these simplistic solutions to the problem of eradicating the negativity in Hip Hop and returning it to its Afrikan origins, one may ask why Black organizations did not implement these strategies years ago. Like dude said in the Coach Carter movie, it is not failure that they fear, it is success.

Many of our Black leaders have a vested interest in the maintenance of the status quo. Kind of like the cop that realizes that although he may detest the crime and violence on the streets, if all the crime would stop tomorrow, he’d be back flipping burgers at Mickey D’s.

So it is with the strange relationship between Black leadership and the entertainment industry. Usually when a crisis arises in the Black community, like when cops beat down a Brotha, a restaurant refuses to serve Black folks their burgers or two rappers threaten to blow each other away, a Black “leader” suddenly shows up and assumes HNIC status.

But after a few high profile press conferences and idle threats aimed at the powers that be, it’s back to business as usual and the cops go back to pimp slappin’ Brothas, Denny’s goes back to puttin’ the “We’re closed” sign on the door when a car full of Black folks rolls into the parking lot (even though it’s only 4 p.m.) and hip hop reverts back to tales of sex, drugs, murder and mayhem.

How would Black leadership react to a group of Brothers and Sisters who did not wait for someone to lead them but believed in taking matters into their own hands? What if a Hip Hop DROP Squad already exits? The possibility is there.

So the next time that your favorite thug rapper starts making CDs about Black Power and your favorite “video ho” Kinky Kim changes her name to Queen Nzinga and starts a mentoring program for Black girls, it may be because of a sudden change of heart – or just maybe they were paid a midnight visit by the Hip Hop DROP Squad.

But then again, like “Garvey” said in the movie, the DROP Squad is just a myth and doesn’t really exist. Or does it?

Minister Paul Scott represents the Messianic Afrikan Nation. He can be reached at (919) 949-4352, minpaulscott@yahoo.com or http://members.blackplanet.com/THE-MYD.


Peace be upon you

[Pragmatic]

YouTube - Armed MC - The Rap Music Pyramid Conspiracy (Real Pimps)

YouTube - Armed MC - The Rap Music Pyramid Conspiracy (Real Pimps)

Atlantic Records Tries to Turn 14yr Actress Into Lil Kim


http://consideroursource.blogspot.com/

By bruce Banter playahata.com

Keke Palmer, is the 14 year old girl who played Akeelah, in the movie, Akeelah and the Bee. She and her mother Sharon have a huge problem with the upcoming record deal they signed with Atlantic Records in March of 2006. The problem is that the record label wants to market the 14 year old as a sexpot but she does not want that image.

Keke admits "From the very beginning Atlantic's A&R representative tried to get me to record inappropriate music, and my parents and I resisted."

Soon Keke and her mom became tired of fighting the negative images that the label kept trying to force on her, and they started looking for a management company that could deal with the situation. They settled on DAS Entertainment, a management company out of New York.(John Legend label. One problem, the label has been blocking the efforts!

Atlantic kept telling them that "Keke is "urban", and should be singing urban music". Keke's mom Sharon got her in touch with Mr. Edmonds
(Babyface) and he and Keke worked really well together and came up with a good commercial R&B song, but when it came time to pay for the song the label said no, he was "too expensive".

Paul Porter of www.Industryears.com says "Keke Palmer is the poster child for what's wrong with the music industry. Imagine being 12 year's old and Atlantic Records trying to mold Keke in the mold of Lil Kim or Foxy Brown."

The problem with the corporate hip hop machine is more than black and white. Unfortunately white America enjoys seeing and hearing about cultural misogyny, sex and violence. They honestly believe black America is the mix of lyrically challenged artist they promote.

The industry spin on Keke is nothing new. When you fail to promote or market a new artist they often fail. If Keke recorded a Jibb type "Chain Hang Low" or say a Plies " Shorty" BET and radio would be all over it. In my eyes Atlantic Records for now has simply passed on one of the most talented artist to come around in decades. Keke Palmer is no one hit wonder.



Mike Caren is VP of A&R at Atlantic LA.
Amongst the acts he has signed
and works with, are
US Platinum artist Trick Daddy
and US Gold artists Sunshine Anderson,
Trina and Drama.


Who's behind this nonsense? Well the Senior A&R rep, Mike Caren, was the main antagonist, he kept on saying, " Keke is urban", so as long as they refused to record the raunchy tracks that he sent them, he refused to pay for the good clean mu sic they brought him.At one point he even stopped Keke from recording by not paying for studio time.

Unfortunately, Das Entertainment the Management co was also ineffective in dealing with the label, they now began to codify the intent by repeating , " we will not promote her unless she records urban music".
This statement confused Keke and her mom.They are unsure of what is really being said indirectly.

Just for the record Keke is from the south side of Chicago. She began singing in her church's choir at the age of five, and she auditioned for a stage production of The Lion King at the age of nine. She grew up listening to Brandy, Aaliyah and TLC, so it was not like she was recording rock music! She was recording good music, with great beats, with good positive lyrics, her music is what all kids want to hear no matter where they live. She was blessed to have worked with some of the top producers in the business, some even cut their price down so that the label would not have an excuse not to pay for the songs.

The only thing she and her parents could figure out was that the subject matters that she chose to sing about were not as, " urban " and they would have preferred.

She is only 14 years old, and when she signed the deal she was only 12 years old, "what did they think she would be singing about?" Anyway, they kept their word and did very little to promote her cd. They refused to provide marketing reports, even when Das management kept asking.Then on Sept 14th they received the report, 4 days before her cd release date of Sept 18th.

Needless to say, it was not a good report, there was absolutely no plans to pay for a national announcement to tell kids that her cd was even being released! They kept their word and did not promote Keke because she was too clean, she refused to go " urban", and sing words that disrespect her and other young girls.

Keke's parents tried to promote the release in Chicag o(her hometown), they called the press on their own, and managed to get on some morning shows, but that was only in Chicago. Her debut cd that she worked so hard on sold 1,325 copies, the label supposedly shipped 69,000 copies.
She was on a Disney Channel movie called, JUMP IN, that over 8 million households tuned in to watch it's debut, also the soundtrack to that movie debuted at 5 on Billboard. She was the only artist to have 2 songs on that soundtrack(she can sing). The Akeelah DVD sold 1.2 million copies and on that DVD she has a music video, so her audience, kids from 8-15 know who she is. She also sung the end title credit to the block-buster movie NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM , which grossed over 270 million, her voice is the first voice you hear coming out of the movie. Fox tried to get Atlantic to go half on a music video for Keke, but Atlantic declined stating, "that song is NOT "Keke's image" so we will not pay, of course they regretted that after the movie grossed so much! This was way back in February, 2007, this was a forshadowing of events to come!

Last week Keke's mother, Sharon, received a call from an employee of Atlantic Records, a confidential call off the record. The caller told her mother that the president of the label is so disappointed with low sales that she may pull Keke's cd off the shelf. The caller was so upset by this statement that she wanted Keke's parents to know what was being said behind closed doors. She was disappointed that the label refused to promote Keke, and now they are blaming her for poor sales!

Keke was informed that Congress was working to make the labels promote positive music, well her music is positive, but the label will not spend a dime to promote it because she refused to sing raunchy lyrics, and dares to call herself Pop/R&B and not urban / Hip-Hop.

Keke admi ts "I am only a kid, my parents would kill me if I sang stuff like that". Ask yourself would they want their daughters to sing negative music?

They knew her age when they signed her, they came to her after seeing Akeelah and the Bee, and begged her to sign, so why did they not think that she could really be like Akeelah, a good girl?

In closing, we are asking our audience, should Keke just let it go, accept the fact that this label will not promote this album. Or should they try to get the message out on their own?

Keke wants to try to get the message out because they worked extremely hard on this music and it is good, and the early reviews online are good.

G0 to www.kekepalmer.com and listen for yourself.

I think the kids would like it if they knew that it was out. Her parents are so tired of fighting the label. They are not rich and to launch their own promotions would cost a lot of money , so her parents don't want to go broke trying to push a cd that the label should be pushing, they go broke to break the album, and the label just becomes riche

Original Post by

SunShip

Atlantic Records Tries to Turn 14yr Actress Into Lil Kim


Peace be upon you

[Pragmatic]

YouTube - I Just Saw This on CNN com Nigeria's hip hop industry booming

YouTube - I Just Saw This on CNN com Nigeria's hip hop industry booming

YouTube - Fela Kuti - Documentary Part 1/6

YouTube - Fela Kuti - Documentary Part 1/6

Music is the Weapon of the Future...~


Fela Kuti Documentary PART 1 Documentaries RBG Tube | PanAfrican.TV v2.0 - Free Revolutionary Audio Video Speech Library of Leaders, Activist, and Educators





Peace be upon you

[A-Sun]

Peace.

Poor righteous teacher has a point, Hip hop is a joke.
For example, compare Nas's N album with Lil waynes Carter 3 album.
Nas album is way more deep rooted, also it's schooling us about our history.
Wayne's Speaks about him mis treating women, taking unnatrual drugs, and of course killing.

Whos album sell 750,000 copies in a week : Lil Wayne

The Government want minorities to take each other not lift each other.

PEACE