WHAT ARE YOU REALLY CONTRIBUTING TO THIS CULTURE?

[Masindi_P]

hock: STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT

Besides the rhymes, the battles and the tight flows what is your contribution to hip hop? Not only on this site, but also in your immediate domain. Regardless of whether you're from the North, south, east or west.

As long as you play the game this is a question for you to think about.

For instance, how many people have you really schooled with humility and dedication on this site? Correcting them and training them in the right path.

I see so many guys who think hip hop is all about being rude, arrogant and throwing cuss words around. When in actual truth, they straight wack. I'm not afraid to call a spade a spade.

How may people do you know who use this opportunity to spread knowledge, challenge the status quo, educate others about their surroundings? Where I'm from, that is what is all about. The true school of hip hop.

I ain't hating, i ejoy tight brothers on the site, just dont wanna mention names cos I might fail mentioning some of you, and spark unnecessary beef. A wise man once said, the only number that brings no change when added to another is zero.

What is your contribution to hip hop? What are you doing to preserve the true artform? What are you doing to skool the new brothers in the ancient paths of truth and being really REAL?

There's so much we can achieve on this site if we get together to build upon a vision. Ain't hating on anyone, JUST LOVE THIS CULTURE TOO MUCH TO SEE IT SELF DESTRUCT.

WHAT'S YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THIS CULTURE? 8)

[BrothaNature]

Preach mi Bredda. As a 29 y/o who lived during the Golden Age of Hip Hop and during the Public Enemy years, I agree.

We people of African descent and those w/ in the Hip Hop Generation should see the current standard of what our culture has been mad out to be as a slap in the face! It is not cool to think you HAVE to "catch a case" in order to sell records, and neither should we allow major record companies to get away w/ sitting behind the scenes telling others this is how it should be while the youth take the blame.

So I will say again. If we realize that Hip Hop has its roots in the oral traditions of the African griots, then it is OUR responsibility to give back to Africa by using Hip Hop as an influence to uplift African and Her children first!

Why not use the influence Hip Hop had for others for OUR benefit, and invest in African peoples, the businesses and companies.



If we want to "rock" the latest fashion, why not invest in having these clothing lines made in African, not China.

Start eating more health, by eating less meat and more vegetables and fruits.

Watch less Tell Lie Vision and Read more books. Most of the best conscious MC's got a lot of their song Ideas from the books they read. And Besides, it counters the perception that the Hip Hop generation (and Black men in general) are not intelligent and dont read..Because, as the saying goes "If you want to hide something from a Black man, put it in a book".

Stop using the word "N^gga". It is not cool and does not even sound right.

These are but a few things we can do to uplift OUR SELVES as oppose to 'thinking' we have to accept everything just because its "popular" when you know its not of our nature

[Masindi_P]

[quote name="BrothaNature"]Watch less Tell Lie Vision and Read more books. Most of the best conscious MC's got a lot of their song Ideas from the books they read. And Besides, it counters the perception that the Hip Hop generation (and Black men in general) are not intelligent and dont read..Because, as the saying goes "If you want to hide something from a Black man, put it in a book".

Stop using the word "N^gga". It is not cool and does not even sound right.

These are but a few things we can do to uplift OUR SELVES as oppose to 'thinking' we have to accept everything just because its "popular" when you know its not of our nature[/quote]

That got Me inspired

TELEVISION (or as you would say it)

Tell Lie vision, how you have deceived our chilren.

Told them that drugs are cool, taught 'em to smoke sum while chillin'

Told them America's a land of hooligans and gun banging,

Taugh 'em "the cool dress code" windbreakers with jeans hanging.

Taught them to disprespect their elders

Now african children dun lost the values that held us,

together as one.

Tell Lie Vision, you lied to ma beautiful sistas.

The beauty they concealed u led them to reveal.

Now they being used and abused.

In ma eyes for the evil you brought, you stand accused.

HIV, AIDS - broken hearts, divorce 'n more is the hand you forced.

I guess you not the only culprit, but you played your part.

Your cunning ways remind me of Eve and the serpent.

Subliminal influence, we turn and wonder what happened.

While you sit back and laught at our oblivion...

We didna conceive how we walked str8 into your trap and...

like helpless deers we lay captive to your snares.

You sold out our culture...

Made hip hop, a rat, race, money power 'n fame.

Tell Lie Vision, is what I see really true?

What you told Americans about africa ain't true?

What you told us about them... I wonder how true..

I figure you enjoy keeping the truth misconstrued

The only truth I've heard from your is of wars...

atrocities, tragic events of natural 'n human cause...

I despise the years I spent looking out to you for knowledge....

Wasted... could they be?

[ProZak]

there's so much that springs to mind here I can hardly tell where to begin..

first of all: it's bigger than hiphop! Commercialism isn't just on tv, it's everywhere. I'm speaking of Europe here, since I can't really know much about africa without having been there. Money has a way of beating all the soul out of the things we do. The times we live in make us believe there is no choise but to be fuel for the machine. Still, we have to counter it in some way or it will just keep growing, and this is not just bacause some people want it to, but because most people are indifferent to this process since they are unable to see what it's doing to people. Actually, all I know about Africa is that people are poorer there, so I guess you aren't as much brainwashed by the 'market'(yet). So maybe change should start there. Also people everywhere who get what's going on should realise that these ideas aren't so crazy at all and entirely possible, we just don't have the kind of media power to get more attention. I'll stop here since I can go on and on...

ohyeah, and a little more on-topic: I'll try to do what I can, like posting shit like this on the internet for anyone who want's to hear. Organise non-profit hiphop parties, write for websites, stop buying top 40 crap cause even if I wanted it, I'd download it for free. And try and remember my ideals if I ever get enough money to abandon them...

[trae_z]

well i sure do contribute alot to the Hip hop culture. some of which is by blogging on Hip hop related matters. checkout two of my post, the first on modenine and the second on the art of rhyming. peace out!

http://traedays.blogspot.com/2004/10/mo ... eview.html

http://traedays.blogspot.com/2004/12/wh ... learn.html

[chemical]

Im also new i n this culture .i had love for hip hop since 2 pac died but being an mc is new and i still got lots to learn . I thought hip hop was all about battlin, dissin , cursin even in my book of rhymes ihave battle songs mostly , and few love songs .

But im sure as long as there are ppl like Masindi P this culture will never die . I really look up to u man u r an inspiration to me . I wanna be just like u when i grow up.

and i forgot to answer the main question havent contributed anything but im sure i will .

[Wesso]

i know i can't rap that good but in my heart i love hip hop.What can i say man its a part of me you can see it from the way that i walk,talk,and wear my clothes.Im aiming to do anything, anything to contribute to this culture,anything that has to do with the game.

[Masindi_P]

[quote name="chemical"] But im sure as long as there are ppl like Masindi P this culture will never die . I really look up to u man u r an inspiration to me . I wanna be just like u when i grow up.[/quote]

lol:lol: That made me smile bro... when you are appreciated it feels good.

I appreciate all the guys who stop and take audit of themselves and their contribution (and I meand everyone, those who post back and those who just read and think about staff they are doing or ought to do).

When I grew up learning the game in all its elements (aspects), I learnt that hip hop as an art can mobilise the masses, we can use this culture to develop our communities in different ways. That is why the corporate is trying so hard to get a piece of the cake (if there were no prospects of making some ching ching* (money) from it do you think they would have been interested?) That should actually motivaate us to claim back this culture for the development of BLACK - its originator, if you know what I mean.

I know there are those quick money chasers who sell this culture out for cash, and in the process mislead the masses...

Hip hop is about consciousness, self awareness, taking dominion over your domain and making an impact.... (whether in rhyme form, graffiti, production, concerts, or just straight community development just to mention a few examples).

TRAE_Z i visited your site bro and I appreciate what you do over there, People these days see 50 cents and eminem rocking on a video and they think they've seen and caught the essense of hip hop, thus all the wackness that's down playing the culture worldwide... I appreciate the free lessons you be dishin out over there... I also appreciate those whom we know nothing about, but are in their sphere's making great impact....

PS... I ain't hating on 50 and Em.... Im just making an example...

My prayer is, in as much as we want to be remembered for the great rhymes we've laced, stages we've rocked, and battles we've won... It is of utmost importance that we rise to contribute to our community.... Just like the struggle was in S.A... and Africa for that fact.

2pac ran scholarships programs that some of us don't know about...

I know of emcees who take time out, off the stage and the mic to run community development programs.... (Overseas cats when touring overseas run workshops of all sorts to uplift the standard of hip hop in their host countries)

Where do we start you may ask, I believe we can start on this site.... Help upcoming kids, develop threads that will help people become better instead of just throuwing them into the deep end, cos at the end of the day, though they learn, they also learn some wrong things.... These are but just examples...

The bible teaches us to take over our domain (Genesis 2 if you wanna page through)... God enjoys seeing people being productive in the right way.... So...... lets get going souljahs!!!!!!!!!

By the way... I believe we need wisdom to make meaninful contributions, and in this world right now, the only unpolluted truth, and untainted wisdom you can trust is not in the words of man, but in God who made us, Therefore... Making Jesus our Lord and Leader, our source of true wisdom in this day and age can see us take hip hop to greater heights.... (Once again..................... Selah 8) )

ONE LUV

[obifromsouthlondon]

[quote name="trae_z"]well i sure do contribute alot to the Hip hop culture. some of which is by blogging on Hip hop related matters. checkout two of my post, the first on modenine and the second on the art of rhyming. peace out!

http://traedays.blogspot.com/2004/10/mo ... eview.html

http://traedays.blogspot.com/2004/12/wh ... learn.html[/quote]

ditto

check my blog and playlists (see my signature for links). need to cop that 419 state of mind big time

peace