Panelists: Diddy, MC Lyte, Shaka Zulu, Londell McMillan, Ludacris, Queen Latifah
"We are the change we have been waiting for!"
When did you first fall in love with hip hop?
-How do you take the bone out? You leave it in! DJ Hollywood
- politics is the new Hip Hop
What made you want to be part of the Hip Hop culture?
- it was more than just music and it was a community
- Hip Hop's conscience was deep and it allowed the experiences of a generation to be heard
- cultural continuation of an African culture (slave narratives to street narratives)
- empower and advocate for the culture
- Hip Hop as empowerment because of how it touches young people
- the creative aspects are natural
- Hip Hop = urban news agency
- expression, to tell a story, change people's perception, uniqueness
- "Speak the Words" - Dana Owens
- this is s great way to make a living
Difference between a Rapper and an MC and the difference between Hip Hop and Rap music?
- a rapper raps
- an MC is an artist, understands what they are doing in Hip Hop, opinion leaders, claiming the responsibilty, speaks to one's character
- rapping is the action, MC (Mike Controllor, Move the Crowd)
- rapping is one of the elements
- cycles within Hip Hop and gets redefined through time
- rap is a genre of music
- Hip Hop is a life style, a culture
- evolution of it is the entrepeneurial side
- Hip Hop is business
- global, attitude, fearless (use of creativity as its anchor to the pursuit of freedom)
- black music, black culture spead around the world as our most rescent form of music
- started as music and has become so much more
- bridging people together
- it's a Black Thang!
Has the commercial nature done harm?
- this can't be contained because there are multiple ways to do the thing
- if you're telling the truth, you can't ever sellout
- there has to be a diversity in the Hip Hop so that as it grows it reflects the realities
- can't lose sight on our value system but there is not one value system for everybody
Crazy success of Southern Hip Hop
- part of the cycle
- the South is diverse and embrasses the diversity
- wherever the dances are created, Hip Hop is thriving
- instinctive
- feels good, it's fresh
- the strength and genius comes from your experiences
How has Hip Hop treated woman?
- how does the world treat woman? How does the rest of the world treat african people?
- What is missing is the woman's voice
- we are the hoe in the club but we are also the first lady and there needs to be diversity representing the fullest picture
Is the drug dealer still the paradigm of success (especially after Jan 20th 2009)
- he never was or wasn't fully
- people are attracted to things that never was or are not real
- there must be a moral campus
- BO and AO (before Obama, After Obama)
"Doing Our Spiritual Jobs Towards Our Destiny"
Sent with love from a Crackberry Device
