State of Hip-Hop

This has been on my mind for quite a while cause its a big part of my life and the Black experience in general. Music has been an outlet of expression probably for as long as we've been on the Earth. As slaves we sang of how we would escape massah, while harriet Tubman led us through the Underground Railroad. Straight through the Blues, R&B's beginnings, and all aspects of Hip-Hop. Music and the freedom of voice it provides is a great part of our culture. This unity is being challenged by the immature views of the hip-hop community. Now of course it is not all of us but a great percentage of us are guilty of pure ignorance and this ignorance can also be seen in many artists. I am a huge fan of the much scrutinized Souljah Boy much like I'm a huge fan of Jay-Z. My thinking is if he's that talented at 18 I've got love for him. Is he always my cup of tea...NO! Do I shudder sometimes when I hear him...YES! But think about what hip-hop would be without Uncle Luke,seriously. He's not at all a thug and would never enter the sentece as a lyricist like a contemporary of his Ice Cube would be. But he definitely put the fun in a lot of 90s parties and dammit I would not mind rocking out to I Wanna Rock while some ladies do the tootsie roll. Just cause everything isn't Jay-Z smooth,Coomon conscious or Kanye hipster doesn't mean it isn't a good piece of work or doesn't have its audience. With that said every song doesn't need a dance either. But don't knock Souljah Boy for he's a product of his environment. Nelly isn't exactly a thug either and he's readily accepted. Lets all raise the maturity level and stop bringing each other down. I hate to use the word hate and I don't believe I have haters cause I'm too busy doing me but there is way too much hate in the world. We can all eat and we all have something to add to the portrait of hip-hop. Let's appreciate when artists push the envelope and think outside the box. Its the reason Lil Wayne is the hottest rapper our right now. He will not conform, he stands up for what he believes in and he takes chances to go places that others wouldn't dare go. And he's willing to work with anyone that's got a mic and a studio. Wayne is doing his best to bring the world together regardless of age and race. He is Hip-Hop right now and he's the best example of leadership that we have in hip-hop. I applaud him and you should too. More love in all areas of the black experience and you too can be...
SUPREME