HIP HOP STAND UP: NOW IS OUR TIME!

You don't have to be an economist or other financial expert to be aware of the ailing American economy. It is the number one topic of discussion in the presidential campaign, the daily news, and at the water cooler at work(at least for those lucky enough to still have jobs.) However, the stories that are promoted are often coming from the top down. We know that the banks are struggling, we know that Wall Street is struggling, but the stories from Main Street aren't being heard. Millionaires are losing their prescious 401k and retirement savings.
The middle class are not only losing their retirement plans, but their jobs, and their homes as well. The poor,well, their already constant struggle to survive from day to day is only getting harder as more and more join them.

All of these people are going through real struggles, and have stories that need to be heard. The issues aren't being broadcast on a large scale because it would be an "inconvenient truth." With the prices of everything from gas to groceries increasing exponentially in price, and each dollar less valuable, people are literally losing the shirts off of their backs across America.


Oh yes, the stories of struggle are real, and in a place like New York, they can't be ignored and overlooked by not reporting them. I have seen and heard a real story every single day. I've seen a formerly middle class family, going from subway car to subway car, begging for enough money to eat. I've seen a man dressed in a dirty Brooks Brothers suit, holding out a cup, begging for change; calmly telling the story of how he had been homeless for the past week, and needed some money to just clean himself up. I've seen the looks on the people's faces riding the train when these things happen. They want to help but realize that they aren't in a position to do so, so they act like they aren't paying attention or avoid eye contact. Their feelings of guilt and sympathy usually masked by the newspaper, book, or ipod in front of them . One man, frustrated with the fact that no one was helping, started to become visibly angry, and the passengers on the train all collectively held their breath waiting for the man to lose his cool and go postal.

One of the things that made me fall in love with Hip Hop was that it gave a voice to the unheard. The people who were ignored, the people who didn't have journalists and news stations following and reporting their every move to the world. These stories weren't told because it was easier to ignore them and act like they didn't exist, than to do something about them. Starting with Grandmaster Flash's "The Message," Hip Hop took on the responsibility that the media was ignoring, and carried the torch sparked by 1970s political artists such as Gil-Scot Heran and the Last Poets. Because of Hip Hop's rising relevance, the mainstream was forced to at least pay attention and listen. Political rap acts such as NWA and Public Enemy exploded onto the scene with their raw street reporting because they exposed the emotions many people felt but were afraid to express. Of course over time the message got lost as Hip Hop grew more and more into a pop culture art.


Today, hip hop's impact on pop culture can be seen everywhere. It has become a multibillion dollar industry and we should be proud of how far it has come. However, I am a bit upset with hip hop for compromising many of its core principles to get where it has. Keeping it Real is a phrase made popular by Hip Hop,yet Hip Hop hasn't kept it real with itself. In many ways it is the victim of the same problems that have brought down the economy of our country; corporate greed and moral compromise for financial reward. This piece is not meant to simply chastise Hip Hop but to alert it to the opportunity it has to once again be reborn, and be the voice of America's struggles. We all make mistakes, and Hip Hop now has the opportunity to correct many of it's own.

The reason Barack Obama is so popular and has created the movement he has is because he speaks for those whose voices go unheard in America, much like hip hop used to. For those record label executives who think that people don't want to hear a real message, I give you an example that shows you are wrong. People in America are eager to vote for him because they know that he at least understands what they are going through. People don't expect miracles from their politicians or their music, but every person likes to know that someone hears them and speaks for them.He himself has said that Hip Hop has an incredible opportunity to do so. (YOU TUBE: BARACK ON HIP HOP)


I can speak for M.O.V.E Records and Mekka Don and say that we are going to do our part. There are dozens of other things that everyone involved in our movement could be doing with their lives. I encourage you to take a moment and listen to Mekkas's music, read this blog, and see that we are serious. We hope that all of those in the music community, with more fame and more money aren't jumping on Barack's back simply because it's the popular thing to do, but also because they want to do their part in making the Change he is talking about. Hip Hop is equipped with the tools to do so. So I encourage everyone who's lives have been molded in some way by hip hop to stand up because now is our time!