Why the Right Be Hatin' on Hip Hop

Why the Right be Hatin’ on Hip Hop:
Race, Rap and Republicans
Min. Paul Scott

The crowd sat glued to their seats as Dr. Theodore R.
Poindexter, head of the Moral Maniacs conservative
group, stood before them banging his fist on the
podium. “They are the biggest threat to America since
the Cuban Missile Crisis; destroying America from the
inside out,” he yelled while sweat beads rolled down
his now crimson face. No , he wasn’t talking about
some terrorist cell of anti-American foreign
nationalists. He was referring to the new rap group,
“Hip Hop Strike Force....

Although Hip Hop has put billions of dollars into the
American economy over the last two decades, it is
perhaps the most “hated on” form of entertainment ever
created.

For the hood, Hip Hop at its best has served as the
voice of the voiceless or as rapper Chuck D said the
“the black CNN.” But for the Conservatives Hip Hop
has been the epitome of evil, proof that Armageddon
was near at hand.

Now, the fear of offensive lyrics can be understood.
Sen. Robert Wentworth’s worst fear is to be summoned
to his son’s principal’s office because Lil Bobby
threatened to bust a cap in his 3rd grade gym teacher
for “dissing” him in front of the class.

But “gangsta rap” is not Hip Hop in its totality. Like
most issues concerning black people, the Right takes
Hip Hop at face value without putting it in a
historical nor social context. So their “well
informed” talking heads give the American people an
overly simplistic analysis.

“Tonight on Fox News Hip Hop is bad...Now for our
next story....”

Quiet as it is kept...Conservative America’s fear of
“gangsta rap” is not because of the over abundance of
four letter words; but that these same words could be
used to incite a riot or at the least start young
people thinking critically about making fundamental
changes in society.

They understand that the only difference between the
radical militant Black Power leader of 1967 and the
gangsta rapper of 2007, is content and misdirection of
rage. In other words, the degrees of separation
between Malcolm X and 50 Cent are not as much as one
might think.

The threat of black voices of dissension has always
been a major concern for the “powers that be” in this
country. One of the first things that the slave
traders did to the enslaved Africans was to take the
drum. They found out the hard way that the drums of
war that they heard beatin’ in the distance weren’t
calling the Africans to dance but to rebel.

During the Civil Rights Era the power structure began
to turn its attention to “urban youth violence” and
FBI Chief J Edgar Hoover put his COINTELPRO Program in
overdrive with the purpose of preventing the rise of a
black messiah that could energize the youth.

During the early 70's, the fading Black Power
Movement left as its legacy militant music like the
Isley Brothers’ “Fight the Power” and the OJ’s “Give
the People What they Want” until it was replaced by
the mindless, apolitical Disco music. Despite the
militant overtone of the Tramp’s song “Disco Inferno”
and its challenge to “burn tha mother down” it was
simply a call for drugged up disco freaks to hit the
dance floor.

It was the Hip Hop music of the late 80's and early
90's that brought the content back to black music.
The music of groups like Public Enemy resurrected the
rebellious spirit of a generation.

But that rebirth was not without consequence. America
has always had a beef with those entertainers who have
dared to bite the hand that has allowed them to gain
wealth and popularity.

One can look at the careers of Paul Robeson, who was
blackballed for being a “Commie”, Billie Holiday who
was banned for singing about that “strange fruit”
hanging from southern trees or Chicago Bulls player
Craig Hodges who was blacklisted by the NBA for
wearing a dashiki to the White House.
Although, Hip Hop was still in its commercial infancy,

Professor Griff, Sister Souljah, Ice T, Tupac Shakur
and others felt the wrath of an America scorned at the
hand of the Conservatives and those who courted the
Conservative vote.

Now in 2007 we see a renewed attack on Hip Hop
from a post Michael Richards/Don Imus America aching
for a scapegoat upon which to blame all of this
nation’s problems.

So a few of the homies have gotten together and
recorded a “diss” record aimed at those Right Wing
talking heads who have been guilty of “dissing” Hip
Hop. (And frankly, a few were thrown in just cuz we
don’t like ‘em.) The track, “Drums of War” featuring
Big Swagg, Mr. Cox and yours truly can be found at
http://www.hiphopstrikesback.com

Let this be the song that sparks the revolution! The
Left’s new anthem that makes the Right shake in their
boots! The song that will bring about a wave of
social equality that....

OK, I’ll settle for making Bill O’Reilly have
nightmares about a bunch of “gangsta rappers” bum
rushin’ the No Spin Zone, tying him up and forcing him
to watch 48 uninterrupted hours of Black
Entertainment Television...

Min. Paul Scott is a “gangsta journalist” based in
Durham NC. His blog is
http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com He can be reached
at (919) 451-8283
info@nowarningshotsfired.com