Me Generation

            It occurred to me as I was riding around doing what grown people do, running errands. I’m on my way to the grocery store and it hit me like a brick. When is the last time you heard a group of rappers get together and rap about anything other than how much money they have or have spent? Think hard, because of the top of my head I can think of several tragic events that have happened in recent memory that deserved some sort of collective outrage. And I don’t mean just wearing some t-shirts or a quick line in a song. Of course I bring this up, because once upon a time “me” wasn't the entree’ of the day.

            Way back when I was just chillin in a place that in 1988 earned the distinction of being the “Murder Capitol” (look it up). That’s right Albany, GA! It was fun, but dangerous at the same time. The entire country was being ravaged by drugs and murder. Ask your older relatives what it was back then. I remember NWA “Straight out of Compton” was the new craze. It was as gangsta as it got! I remember watching YO! MTV Raps and they premiered something that hadn't been seen since “We are the World”. A group of musicians that decided to put “us” before “me”.

            Yep I can remember it like it was yesterday. The “Stop the Violence Movement” was something completely new in rap. Imagine that, rappers came together to rap about the destruction that was happening in our communities, what an idea. It was revolutionary then, and considering the current climate in rap it is as revolutionary now as it was then. I’ll give a couple of names: Boogie Down Production, Heavy D, Dougie E. Fresh, MC Lyte, D-Nice, Stetsasonic, etc. I’m not going to spoil you, so you can look up the rest. It almost seemed like a once in a lifetime occurrence, or was it?

            They say that lighting only strikes once in the same place. You would be wrong to believe that, because the very next year the west coast took a stab at it. This time it was “We’re All in The Same Gang”. This movement had just a little more credence, because at the time NWA was considered by the FEDS to be a serious threat to society, and they took part in the movement as well. The song also features Above the Law, who at the time was just as gritty as NWA. There again I won’t name all the participants, because I feel that I would do a disservice to the reader by spoon feeding this information.

            I just wanted to put this out there to illustrate that being gangster doesn't always mean irresponsible. It also doesn’t mean that rappers should neglect where they came from just because they have “made it”. Looking out for self can only get you so far. I think that selflessness should be honored and not selfishness! I just want this post, and all future post to be snapshot of where we can go, not how fast can we kill the culture. My apologies to my hometown of Albany, because my reference to it being the murder capitol wasn’t to shame the city, but only to help illustrate what was going on at the time. Peace!