Things just ain’t the same for gangstas.
Cops is anxious to put people in handcuffs.
They wanna hang us, see us dead or enslave us.
Keep us trapped in the same place we raised in.
Then they wonder why we act so outrageous.
Run around stressed out and pull out gauges.
Cause everytime you let the animal out cages.
It’s dangerous, to people who look like strangers.

Dr. Dre - “The Watcher” from The Chronic 2001

I been through mad different phases.
Like Masons.
To find my way.
And now I know that happy days are not far away.
If I’m strong enough, I’ll live long enough to see my kids.
Doing something more constructive with they time than bids.
I know because I been there.
Now I’m in there.
Sit back and look at what it took for me to get there.
First came the drama with my mama.
She got on some fly shit.
Til I split.
And said that I’ma be that seed.
That doesn’t need much to succeed.
Strapped with mad greed.
And a heart that doesn’t bleed.

DMX - “Slippin” from Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood

I talked in a recent blog about the ongoing trend of media and police to blame hip-hop music for violent acts committed at bars, clubs or other places in the community. In that blog, one of my main points was that the rap music played on the radio or at clubs is not representative of real hip-hop culture (see Violence Created by Hip-Hop Shows? from July 6, 2006).

Recently, groups of hip-hop activists all over the country have stressed the same type of viewpoint by speaking out against local urban radio stations for their inadequate coverage and misrepresentation of urban communities. (more…)

Who Killed the Electric Car? is the second environmentally-conscious documentary I’ve seen in the past couple weeks, along with Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.

Electric Car is a film that investigates the birth and death of General Motors’ EV1 electric car while examining the roles of auto manufacturers, the oil industry, government and consumers for the limitation and lack of response to the electric battery technology. (more…)

  Rating:
  Release Date: June 13, 2006
  Website: KRS-One Website
  Label: Image Entertainment

KRS-One “Life” Album Review
I got a little discouraged while researching this album. I could only find three websites that reviewed it, and just one was favorable. One response even contained the phrase “this cat can’t rap no more.” I must say I was quite taken aback by this, because I think “Life” is easily one of the best releases of the year, and among KRS-One’s best albums to date. And with fifteen quality albums to choose from, that’s saying a lot. (more…)

  Rating:
  Release Date: June 27, 2006
  Website: 7L & Esoteric Website
  Label: Babygrande Records

7L & Esoteric “A New Dope” Album Review
I’m a big fan of the old-school. It’s what I came up on. It’s what made me love hip-hop in the first place. That’s why it’s hard for me to say that I don’t really like a lot of old-school artists today. For some reason, as hip-hop has evolved over the past twenty years, old-school rappers tend to sound ancient to me, and it’s often hard to listen to my old favorites who have stayed the same while the art form has just gotten better and better. (more…)

We ride for y’all, all my dogs stay real.
People don’t think these record deals
Gonna feed your seeds and pay your bills.
Because they not.
MCs get a little bit of love and think they hot.
Talking ’bout how much money they got.
All your records sound the same.
I’m sick of that fake thug R&B-rap scenario.
All day on the radio.
Same scenes in the video.
Monotonous material.
Y’all don’t here me though.
These record labels slang our tapes like dope.
You could be next in line and signed, and still be writing rhymes and broke.
Would you rather have a Lexus or justice?
A dream or some substance?
A Beamer, a necklace or freedom?

dead prez (stic.man) - “Hip-Hop” from Let’s Get Free

In a land not very far away from here.
George W. Bush was drinking beer.
His daddy was head of the CIA.
Now listen up close to what I say.
The CIA worked for Standard Oil.
And other companies to whom they’re loyal.
In a whole nother land.
By the name of Iran.
The people got wise and took a stand.
Told the oil companies that this ain’t funny.
This is our oil, our land, our money.
CIA got mad and sent false info.
To Iraq to help start the Iran-Iraq war …

Saddam Hussein was their man out there.
They told him to rule by keeping people scared.
Saying any opposition to him, he must crush it.
He gassed the Kurds, they gave him the budget.

The Coup (Boots Riley) - “Head (of State)” from Pick a Bigger Weapon

I received an email last night from a teenager. Many students doing research on hip-hop culture contact me via the Hip-Hop Linguistics website looking for facts, views and opinions. This young lady was wondering how I think “rap helps establish the identity of teens in today’s society.”

Now being that I am a big advocate of hip-hop culture and its ability to play a positive role in the lives of young people, I was excited to give my opinion of the role hip-hop can play in identity construction. (more…)

With the recent escalation of fighting between Israel and Arab militants, I started thinking about hip-hop on that side of the world. I regularly read articles about hip-hop in Israel, and from what I can tell, it has a pretty big following. I’m sure you’ll find the same in many Arab countries.

With my interest in politically conscious rap, I started to wonder what, if anything, these Israeli or Arab rappers might say about their region’s ongoing conflict. (more…)