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04.03.03 10:42 PM
jay-z flows anti war, and other hip-hop movements
A search of Google News, reveals that Jay-Z has jumped on the anti-war bandwagon. We'll he already signed his name on the Musicians United to Win Without War list, but now he's spitting lyrics too. In short, the platinum rapper laid down an anti-war message on the already popular bhangra-infused Punjabi MC's "Beware of the Boys - Mundian To Bach Ke," which samples—get this—the theme tune from Knight Rider. Can we say Hova knows how to crossover. First "Hard Knock Life," and now this. A sampling of Jigga's verse as reported by MTV.com: "We rebellious, we back home/ Screamin' 'Leave Iraq alone,' " Young Hova rhymes over a sample of the theme from the "Knight Rider" TV show. "For all my soldiers in the field/ I will wish you safe return/ But only love kills war/ When will they learn?" Now who said hip hop (music) didn't step up to the plate? While this remix is already receiving heavy US radio rotation, the single will hit shelves April 15, and that's a week after Blueprint 2.1 drops. I'm still looking for the MP3.
Now this brings me to my last comment regarding this whole discussion "we" continue to have about how hip-hop fails our youth. Folks need to learn to discern between hip-hop culture and the hip-hop industry. Speaking of which, Kevin Powell's activist organization Hiphop Speaks is hosting a Townhall Meeting on the State of Hiphop Music and Culture on Saturday June 7 in NYC in celebration of Black History Month. Panelists have not been announced yet, but topics include Hiphop Culture vs. the Hiphop Industry, Anti-rap police task forces and FBI surveillance of the hiphop community, Historical amnesia: why we do not know hiphop/American/world history?, How Bush, the war, and the war on terrorism affect the hiphop community/America, The class divide in hiphop: thugs vs. backpackers, commercial vs. underground, The self-hatred of a generation (where did it come from?), among others.
Now you have Hiphop speaks and Russell Simmons Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, and the Urban Think Tank, and there is also Davey D, and we've always had Chuck D. Who knows what else exits out there. I do know for sure that students on college campuses across the country are organizing and making politcal moves and doing consciousness raising under the banner of hip-hop. Moreover, it appears that as more and more hip-hop heads reach their late 20s, enter their 30s and 40s, and start raising families they begin to look at other ways of bringing both the music and the culture to the next level. I said it once and I'll say it again, and as my boy Hashim Shomari once said in his book From the underground : hip hop culture as an agent of social change: "One way to understand hip-hop culture as distinct from its commercialized aspects is to think of it as a variation of the African talking drum, a means of communication for African American youth. ... The communicative role hip-hop has played, and will continue to play, in the African American struggle can not be over stated. By acting as an alternative source of information, hip-hop can teach the masses of Black youth about the need to democratize mass media. ... At present, the entertainment establishment is feverishly trying to separate rap music from its hip-hop cultural context. ... The potential for hip-hop culture to raise consciousness depends on whether or not the entertainment industry totally commercializes rap music as a whole—thereby permanently separating the music from the culture that spawned it—or whether hip-hop culture can politically and economically defend itself."
Addendum: Since I have only partially read through most of them, I can not fully comment, but these recently released books say a lot about all that has been said here recently. Check 'em out if you have the time. If I ever do finish them all, trust that their will be an essay forthcoming. The air is changing dramatically in America as we can see with the recent war in Iraq and the legal twist in Affirmative Action. Sheesh, f*** Amerikkka, let's look at the world. Gender. Race. AIDS. Economics. Politrix. Corporate Prisons. Etc. The issues man...u know the isms and the issues. We see 'em everyday. I don't know how things will play out over the next couple of years kids, but we need to arm ourselves with some education. And yeah, a little meditation wouldn't hurt, if we send off enough positive vibrations...who knows.
Current Reading List
The New H.N.I.C.: The Death of Civil Rights and the Reign of Hip Hop by Todd Boyd
The 'Hood Comes First: Race, Space, and Place in Rap and Hip-Hop by Murray Forman
Mulatto America: At the Crossroads of Black and White Culture: A Social History by Stephen Talty
Everything But The Burden: What White People are Taking from Black Culture edited by Greg Tate
American Skin: Pop Culture, Big Business & The End of White America by Leon E. Wynter
And to see the original discussion that sparked this hip-hop debate go here.
posted by lynne | link to this |
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Comments
observation 1) it's funny how we give props to a dude when decides to drop ONE rhyme that ain't about "money, cash, hoez" and killing, yet if a conscious group like ded prez dropped one bling bling song, we be screaming how they sold out and we'd never forgive'em. fuck that, i refuse to have that double standard, jay gets not props here.
observation 2) you're right, there is a difference between hip hop culture, and the hip hop industry. but let's be real. which one is the most influential. the average hip hop fan is not a backpacker, and they could give a damn about all five element. they just like the music, and right now, the music is GARBAGE.
observation 3) as for UNDERGROUND music, underground music will always have a following. why? because we are selfish. the underground appeals to that side of us that wants to keep that unknown superstar to ourselves, without sharing it with the rest of the world. without sharing with BET or MTV. but truthfully, there's only one thing keeping underground music underground, THE DEE JAYS. but watch, the same way Rock N' Roll started out as undeground records, the same way Motown started as underground, underground hip hop will eventually see the light of day. you can see evidence of it on the mixtape circuit. back in the 60's, 70's, and early 80's, the BEST and only the BEST music was played on the air. if we ever get to that point in hip hop, hip hop will be heading in the right direction, but unfortunately, we ain't there yet. one.
posted by hardCore | April 4, 2003 6:12 PM #
i hear ya...if you noticed though my commentary on Jay z was loaded with contradictions, and well jabs. Trust I ain't praising him. Read these lines again: "the platinum rapper laid down an anti-war message"
and "Can we say Hova knows how to crossover."
This is again about the commercialization and commodification, oh yeah and you forgot this statement I made: "has jumped on the anti-war bandwagon"
I guess cuz you only know me on AIM and in email and on blogs, you don't get that sometimes I am being sarcastic...or even just questioning folks motives.
On your 2 and 3...I hear ya hear ya hear ya. Radio ain't changing. Satellite, right now, is the revolution. Clear Channel has to much of a hold on radio and payola is for real in many markets.
I also don't think it's about the backpackers, the underground, the type of music, none of that. Hmm... When I speak of a culture, I am not even speaking of the four and sometimes five elements, there exists a hip hop aesthetic. There exists a hip hop sensibility. And I probably said this before, I am not hip hop, I do not represent hip hop, but I come from hip hop, I grew up in it, and it shaped who I am today along with my Black church experience. Those two poles are my influences and thereby influence how I go about dealing with the everyday world. Nuff about me...I don't want to sound like I'm on a hip hop soapbox. There are many sides to this story. And I think the discussion should continue.
Corey...on most points, we agree. We are on the same side. Elevate this nugh.
posted by lynne | April 4, 2003 6:31 PM #
lol....i wasn't so much talking DIRECTLY to you, as i was talking directly to the issues. you're right, we agree primarily.
posted by hardCore | April 4, 2003 9:02 PM #
i knew you weren't i just like to make it sound that way. ;)
posted by lynne | April 4, 2003 9:17 PM #
oh...by the way...
that BEAT on Punjabi MC's song is HOT (and i don't mean the Knight Rider part). the indian melody running through there is ILL, big ups to my friend Sofia who put me on to her music 2 years ago.
posted by britni | April 4, 2003 10:37 PM #
Have featured Panjabi MC a couple times on the blog over the past couple years and still get weekly search requests for him. Check out "Gidden Wich" and "Mahi" both with immediately recognized samples...I've got a LOT more REALLY GOOD stuff in my collcection if people are interested - I can put up some more.
Lynne - I want to hear more about your church background and how it influences you now! Sing it, sista! Don't forget to check the Gospel Memes at my site...
http://www.interestingmonstah.com/notes/Gone_South
posted by Laura | April 5, 2003 5:34 AM #
Thanks for the book mentions. I've been looking for something great to read.
posted by Anitra | April 5, 2003 2:36 PM #
Regarding Punjabi MC and JayZ, it is great to see that bhangra is finally going to make it into the mainstream in the US, just about 10 years after it made it big in the UK.
For anyone interested, the original Mundian To Bach Ke is about 3 years old, at least. Also, it was Punjabi MC who sampled the Knight Rider theme, NOT JayZ. That is, the Knight Rider is already in the original Mundian To.... (Also, Busta Rhymes sampled it in Fire It Up, even before Punjabi MC).
However, we've got to give props to JayZ for actually giving credit to Punjabi MC (unlike Truth Hurts with the song Addictive, and some others, who have totally taken Indian music without giving any credits.)
posted by DJFM | April 9, 2003 3:50 PM #
i wouldn't say Jay was "giving props." You know Jay...the master of the crossover...he just wanted to be on the "next big thing."
posted by britni | April 10, 2003 11:07 PM #
im sorry
but i aint feelin punjabi mc at all
payce
posted by inthamix | April 17, 2003 5:44 PM #
all the haters can suck dick because punjabi mc is not the guy who is singin in punjabi he is the guy remixed it. its a hella tight song but it would be even more tighter if punjabi mc rapped with jay z
posted by Sam Neigah | April 21, 2003 9:49 AM #
~~Hey mun yall Punjabi Mc mun yo ur great mun yo i dont really understand the wopunjabi im lankan but styll i undertsnad some.......lol.......iight yo jay-z was good......but yo punjabi u got it goin man.....meeri jann i love yea MC...lol yo i really like to talk to yea sum day man yo well keep up the good work rds cuz i ent mun with the punjabi mix yeall ight mun latez ezzzz~~
posted by Jani | May 29, 2003 1:06 AM #
OHHHhh ent the beat is HYPE mun very hot
posted by Jani | May 29, 2003 1:08 AM #
oh yea end ur sooooo Fu**in HOT too man ye ye PUNJABI MC keep it goin
posted by Jani | May 29, 2003 1:08 AM #
Ohh and yea i think the Tv should play the video cuz i never get to see it yo........sum one send me the video.........lol its hot mun iight latez luv yea all PMC piEce iight im out fo sho
posted by Jani | May 29, 2003 1:11 AM #
ummmmmmm................I just had to add this i cant stop sayin it ..........
I LOVE U PUNJABI MC........I LOVE U SO MUCH.......
YOUR SO FU*KIN HOT...........
posted by Jani | May 29, 2003 1:12 AM #
YO MAN SOMEHOW I NEED TO MEET THIS pmc YO SUM HOW PLZZZZZ SUMONE HOOK ME UP WITH mc YEALL.........IIGHT MUN PLZ
THIS MAN IS HOT YOALL MAN I CANT STOP WRIITING MUN IIGHT I BETTER LEAVE BEFOR YEALL PPL GET SICK AND TIRED OF READIN MY SHYT LOL IGGGGHTTT LATEZ FOR SHUR.........
ENUFFF LOVE YEALLLLL
posted by Jani | May 29, 2003 1:14 AM #
PUNJABI MC I LOVE YOU SO MUCH (l)(l) 4
E EVER IIGHT
HAHAHAA OK I BETTER WRITTING
BUT I CANT LOL
IM BORRED YO SO ILL JUST KEEP WRITTING STUFF............LOL
SOON IMA RUN OUTA THINGS TO SAY LOL.......
NE WAYS YEA I LOVE YEA PUNJABI MC
OK OK NOW BYE MUN THIS IS FOR SHUR
posted by Jani | May 29, 2003 1:16 AM #
What do you mean "the same way Rock N' Roll started out as undeground records, the same way Motown started as underground, underground hip hop will eventually see the light of day. you can see evidence of it on the mixtape circuit. back in the 60's, 70's, and early 80's, the BEST and only the BEST music was played on the air." Hip hop is already so diluted it hurts to swallow it.
What MTV considers hip hop and what is really hip hop are two seperate things. Hip hop is not bling bling and dubs hip hop is graffiti and rapping in your friends mom's basement.
Hip hop is manfactured just like the new kids on the block.
Peace,
Jimmy Deez
posted by hip hop clothing guy | May 19, 2004 10:27 AM #
Does anyone know what Punjabi song uses a sample from Busta Rhymes' "I Know What You Want"? Please email me if you do, at josheklow@yahoo.com
posted by jeklow | February 11, 2005 2:23 PM #