Hip Hop, Where Are You?

Today I was driving to the store and turned to 107.9, Atlanta's Hip Hop Radio Station. Immediately I grimaced at the sounds that came from my speakers. Another local "rapper" whose name I choose not to mention has been on heavy rotation for the past 3 months with his debut single. He meandered through the track with elementary verses that had no substance or message. I shoot my head and asked myself what has Hip Hop become? Why dont't the real MC's get radio play to the masses? I remember a time when Hip Hop pure. No videos exploited our women, protrayed fake lavish lifesyles, or glorified crime. Hip Hop gave the world a first hand look at how Black Culture thrived in America. There are still many MC's out there who have a message in their music that uplifts our people. Unfortunately, new "rappers" in the game are selling there souls for commercial success by making fade music. Fade music to me are songs that are hot today and forgotten tomorrow. Real MC's make songs that speak to your soul and feed your intellect. When ever I photograph a Hip Hop artist, I ask them, "How will your music progress the Hip Hop movement?" To the "rapper", Hip Hop is fame, money, drugs, and women. For the real MC, Hip Hop is revolution.