To this day, I can't convince anyone that I actually have listened to Hip-Hop for 32 years. I think it's because they can't imagine me listening to songs by gangsters about "ho's" and "gat's".
That's not the Hip-Hop I listen to.
I heard my first Hip-Hop song when I was 12: Rapper's Delight by Sugar Hill Gang. One of the greatest stories every told. I was a music freak by age 5. When I became old enough to earn allowance, I used it to buy singles.
Think about it. It's only natural that a 7-year-old girl who watched Soul Train every weekend in the 70's, hula hooped and roller skated would fall in love with funk and soul and eventually Hip-Hop.
I learned all the words to Rappers Delight and sung along to the EP hundreds, maybe even thousands of times. I immersed myself in the story line and I could visualize chicken that tasted like wood, soggy macaroni, a bottle of Kaopectate, a super hero in panty hose.
To me it was like a bedtime story on steroids. The only thing missing was visuals.
In the 80's my brothers and I listened to Run D.M.C., The Beastie Boys, Ice Cube and Grand Master Flash.
I also learned all the lyrics to The Message and at age 16 I felt it was imperative that I see the Grand Master in person. So, when he came to The Country Club in Hollywood, I saw him...twice.
I enjoyed the first show so much, I stayed for the second. I was a tiny bit dismayed when I realized both shows were exactly the same.
My fandom for Hip-Hop flowed into the 1990's when I listened to a lot of A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys and De La Soul. I listened to an all Hip-Hop AM station (the old K-DAY) as often as possible.
In the late 90's/early 2000's I listened to KPWR 106 but it seemed like the peace-promoting, think for yourself, have fun brand of Hip-Hop disappeared from the radio waves. That, and I was so immersed in graduate school I stopped listening to music so I could study.
The other day my husband got me a compilation CD that includes a lot of the songs I listened to in the 80's and 90's and it revived my memories of listening to Hip-Hop day and night throughout my 20's and how much fun that was.
If you were a closet Hip-Hop lover in the 80's and 90's like me and want to hear some "old school", type "M.O.S. Anthems Hip-Hop" into your Google search field and you'll find several places to download it for free.
The compilation includes artists like Run D.M.C., A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg, House of Pain, Special Ed, DJ Quick, Cypress Hill, Common, Dead Prez, Public Enemy and much, much more.
Yes, some of these songs have gang references and explicit language but many are just your standard poetic, fun and sometimes thought-provoking tunes that make you want to dance. That’s the Hip-Hop I listen to.
This week's song is a hip hop response to the Arizona Immigration bill SB1070 by Chuck D (Public Enemy). You can listen to the MP3 here or you can "right-click" on the link and download the MP3 to your computer or iTunes library.
Below is a public statement from Chuck D (Public Enemy) and his wife Dr. Gaye Theresa Johnson Professor Of Black Studies and Chicano Studies UC Santa Barbara:
“Jan Brewer’s decision to sign the Arizona immigration bill into law is racist, deceitful, and reflects some of the most mean-spirited politics against immigrants that the country has ever seen. The power that this law gives to police, to detain people that they suspect to be undocumented, brings racial profiling to a new low. Brewer’s actions and those of Joe Arpaio, Russell Pearce, the Arizona State Senate are despicable, inexcusable, and endorse the all-out hate campaign that Joe Arpaio, Russell Pearce, and others have perpetrated upon immigrants for years. The people of Arizona who voted for this bill, as well as those who crafted it, demonstrate no regard for the humanity or contributions of Latino people. And for all of those who have chosen not to speak up, shame on you for silently endorsing this legislated hate.
In 1991 I wrote a song criticizing Arizona officials (including John McCain and Fife Symington) for rejecting the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The same politics I wrote about in “By the Time I Get to Arizona” are alive and well in Arizona today, but this time the target is Brown people.
These actions must stop. I am issuing a call to action, urging my fellow musicians, artists, athletes, performers, and production companies to refuse to work in Arizona until officials not only overturn this bill, but recognize the human rights of immigrants. This should include the NBA playoffs, revisiting the actions of the NFL in 1993, when they moved the Superbowl to Pasadena in protest against Arizona’s refusal to recognize Dr. King. We all need to speak up in defense of our brothers and sisters being victimized in Arizona, because things are only getting worse. What they’re doing to immigrants is appalling, but it will be even more damning if we remain silent.”
Buy music by Public Enemy on iTunesWatch the video on YouTube
Check out more on their MySpace page.
The song of the week is brought to you by Michael Zampelli, former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.
Currently, Zampelli manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.
:
:
Support Get Galvanized, Visit our Sponsor page.