Post by dj on May 17, 2008 1:12:01 GMT -5
Rockford hip-hop considered guilty until proven innocent
Sep 29, 2007 @ 09:09 PM
By James Ford
SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER STAR
“Hip-hop … a way of life. It doesn’t tell you how to raise a child, or treat a wife.”
These are the words of Q-Tip (a member of the legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest). Perhaps truer words were never spoken. Indeed, it is no secret hip-hop culture and music has dominated youth culture for the past two decades. And its effects on society have never been more visible than today.
This once obscure culture has evolved from a mere form of recreation for poor kids in the South Bronx to an international multi-billion dollar industry. It stands alone as the most marketable genre in all of music and its impact can be seen anywhere from movies to clothing. Hip-hop tells us how to walk, talk, dress and (depending what commercials you watch) even how to eat. It more than has its finger on the pulse of what’s popular, rather it is the heart. But this kind of influence has not been without controversy.
Most recently Rockford has experienced the birth of its own burgeoning hip-hop community. Rap artists of all styles and backgrounds have burst onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere. We have put out albums independently, played local gigs, won RAMI awards and even received media coverage. What we have not been able to do however is shake the stigma of a music blamed for many of society’s ills.
Unfortunately, many in our community paint all hip-hop music with the same brush, viewing all of its practitioners as nothing more than thugs and sex-crazed drug dealers. Recent events, like the alleged association of a hip-hop show to a downtown shooting and the cancellation of a hip-hop concert due to safety concerns, serve to fuel these kinds of notions. Yet these conclusions are grossly unfair and inaccurate.
As if it weren’t enough that many local bars and nightclubs already enforce a strict “anti-hip-hop” dress code and try not to play rap music, area artists are now left to wonder if they’ll still be given the platform to expose their talents. What artists and true fans of hip-hop understand that perhaps the general public does not is that rap music is an entire musical category. It has a spectrum and a remarkable amount of range. From Gangsta Rap to Socially Conscious, from Underground to Crunk it is all hip-hop.
There is no doubt certain styles of hip-hop are more prominent than others and that the materialistic gangsta bravado is generally what is proliferated.
However, for one to make judgments of all hip-hop artists based on this small faction is erroneous.
Moreover, to insinuate that the music is solely responsible for the attitudes and actions of the youth is equally wrong and a convenient excuse.
Many of the rap artists in this community are keenly aware of the trends in our music and seek to contradict them. However, we also don’t appreciate our very culture being used as a scapegoat for the problems that plague our local environment. Many of the incidents that occur in our city have less to do with the music being listened to and more to do with issues such as education, family structure and social inequity.
As mentioned before, hip-hop artists in Rockford have worked extremely hard to build followings and have establishments open their doors to allow our voices heard.
Our events draw large crowds, the majority of who come to do nothing more than enjoy good music. It would be a shame to see this movement jeopardized because of indictments based on false pretenses.
We recognize the tremendous reach and impact of our music on society at large, but we feel people ought to be held individually accountable for their own actions rather than using music as an excuse. On behalf of all the artists in the community, I ask that you continue to support Rockford hip-hop!
James Ford, Jr. aka Judah the LyricalRev, is an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His lyrics focus on society, politics and faith. He never swears during his songs. He’s pursuing a master’s degree in education at Rockford College.
Sep 29, 2007 @ 09:09 PM
By James Ford
SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER STAR
“Hip-hop … a way of life. It doesn’t tell you how to raise a child, or treat a wife.”
These are the words of Q-Tip (a member of the legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest). Perhaps truer words were never spoken. Indeed, it is no secret hip-hop culture and music has dominated youth culture for the past two decades. And its effects on society have never been more visible than today.
This once obscure culture has evolved from a mere form of recreation for poor kids in the South Bronx to an international multi-billion dollar industry. It stands alone as the most marketable genre in all of music and its impact can be seen anywhere from movies to clothing. Hip-hop tells us how to walk, talk, dress and (depending what commercials you watch) even how to eat. It more than has its finger on the pulse of what’s popular, rather it is the heart. But this kind of influence has not been without controversy.
Most recently Rockford has experienced the birth of its own burgeoning hip-hop community. Rap artists of all styles and backgrounds have burst onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere. We have put out albums independently, played local gigs, won RAMI awards and even received media coverage. What we have not been able to do however is shake the stigma of a music blamed for many of society’s ills.
Unfortunately, many in our community paint all hip-hop music with the same brush, viewing all of its practitioners as nothing more than thugs and sex-crazed drug dealers. Recent events, like the alleged association of a hip-hop show to a downtown shooting and the cancellation of a hip-hop concert due to safety concerns, serve to fuel these kinds of notions. Yet these conclusions are grossly unfair and inaccurate.
As if it weren’t enough that many local bars and nightclubs already enforce a strict “anti-hip-hop” dress code and try not to play rap music, area artists are now left to wonder if they’ll still be given the platform to expose their talents. What artists and true fans of hip-hop understand that perhaps the general public does not is that rap music is an entire musical category. It has a spectrum and a remarkable amount of range. From Gangsta Rap to Socially Conscious, from Underground to Crunk it is all hip-hop.
There is no doubt certain styles of hip-hop are more prominent than others and that the materialistic gangsta bravado is generally what is proliferated.
However, for one to make judgments of all hip-hop artists based on this small faction is erroneous.
Moreover, to insinuate that the music is solely responsible for the attitudes and actions of the youth is equally wrong and a convenient excuse.
Many of the rap artists in this community are keenly aware of the trends in our music and seek to contradict them. However, we also don’t appreciate our very culture being used as a scapegoat for the problems that plague our local environment. Many of the incidents that occur in our city have less to do with the music being listened to and more to do with issues such as education, family structure and social inequity.
As mentioned before, hip-hop artists in Rockford have worked extremely hard to build followings and have establishments open their doors to allow our voices heard.
Our events draw large crowds, the majority of who come to do nothing more than enjoy good music. It would be a shame to see this movement jeopardized because of indictments based on false pretenses.
We recognize the tremendous reach and impact of our music on society at large, but we feel people ought to be held individually accountable for their own actions rather than using music as an excuse. On behalf of all the artists in the community, I ask that you continue to support Rockford hip-hop!
James Ford, Jr. aka Judah the LyricalRev, is an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His lyrics focus on society, politics and faith. He never swears during his songs. He’s pursuing a master’s degree in education at Rockford College.