oct 19th 2004
Me and my brother had a "difference of opinion" about the VH1 hip-hop awards (or whatever the hell that was.) His position was that it was great that Hip-Hop was being recognized by the mainstream. I told him watching that show would be like watching someone rape the corpse of a person you love. Needless to say he went bananas when I said that. I have since been convinced to watch it and have gotten into yet another argument with him about it. The following are some of the highlights.
ME - MTV(akaVH1) didn’t and wouldn’t deal with rap until they absolutely had to. Until it was something they couldn’t ignore financially.
BIG BROTHER - it's entertainment, its called the music *business*!
ME - So our culture is defined by business?
BB - it’s a culture that’s being honored by a business.
ME - Really? Then why aren’t they honoring all aspects of the culture? Why aren't all of the originator even there? As a matter of fact who are those people in the front row?
BB - 1st of all it's VH1. #2 they have been giving the rest of the world history that they might otherwise not know
ME - Sure they are, a history with a selective memory. That’s why hammer can do a 2 Pac poem and anthrax wack ass can be on stage with PE at the same time. Where was Living Color that night? Where was X-klan, Kurtis Blow, the Jungle Brothers…
BB - So your saying this is not a good thing?
ME - (very sarcastically) any opportunity I can get to see MC hammer dance for the sugar hill gang is a great moment for hip-hop…I’m sure after this there will be a greater respect for all those involved, it will revitalize their careers and this show will live on in our memories like Motown 25. KRS ONE saying that he “doesn’t consider his music black music …but an expression if his intelligence” will be like seeing Michael Jackson doing the moonwalk for the 1st time.
BB - So NOW YOUR DISSIN’ the TEACHER, KRS
ME - You always question your teachers, no? Plus i'm questioning, not dissing
BB - Look he made it clear he said what he does is “entertainment” (said in a long annoying way emphasizing each syllable of the word)
ME - Look don’t get it twisted I LOVE KRS got all his albums and have always supported. He is arguably one of the most important figures in the art form. But when you say something like that it can be taken to mean that “black music” isn’t “intelligent music”
BB - Well, what about Nas
ME - I loved seeing Nas and his pops. I think that’s beautiful I was surprised that they were a part of it.
BB - See…
ME - How ever you can’t let VH1 define for you what your culture is especially when it's sponsored by a liquor company and hosted by Vivica Fox. When the standard of excellence is defined by how much $ you make for someone else, you're not in a position of power.
BB - They have been showing documentaries all this week
ME - Right like the one I tried to do in 1996 that I couldn’t get funding to complete or anyone with $ interested in. There is no interest in us defining our own culture, and what happens when we don’t define our history? We end up with a rock n roll hall of fame that honors Elvis before John Lee Hooker and makes organizations like the Black Rock Coalition necessary. I’m sure in the next 5 to 10 years there will be some sort of hip-hop preservation society.
BB- Why can't you choose to see the good aspects of this?
ME - (silence)
BB - So what would you do if VH1 wanted to honor hip hop and hired you what would you do?
ME - First of all I don’t think VH1 would hire me to do that and if they wanted to honor hip hop they could start by taking their cameras to a rock steady reunion or perhaps show a broader ranger of videos in their daily programming. I feel like Hip hop used to not care what other people thought as a matter of fact no one took it this serious. People were just having FUN. Remember fun?
BB - So what about Puffs 'Vote or Die' campaign?
ME - Vote or DIE? Really? DIE?
BB - How else do you get young folks to get out and vote?
ME - He can run for office… instead of misquoting Gil Scott Heron and making voting into a fashion statement.
BB - He cares and he’s doing his part.
ME - yeah he was the same cat who said Martin Luther King and the activists in the 60s had good marketing
BB - He didn’t say that
ME - I’m paraphrasing but he used the words “good marketing.” I think I know what he was trying to say but it the way he said it cheapened it to me.
BB - so you just hate everything huh?
ME - (sarcastically) I like carrots
BB - So are you going to vote
ME - Probably
BB - Who for
ME - The rich white guy
...WE LAF...
If you want some culture checkout these links ya’ll
http://members3.boardhost.com/playahata/msg/5873.html
http://www.manhunt.com/news/stories/1096461873.html
|
