No, Virginia. Rick Ross Ain't Gangsta !

No, Virginia. Rick Ross Ain’t Gangsta: Rap’s X-mas Reality Check                          TRUTH Minista Paul Scott “In the real world these just people with ideas They just like me and you when the smoke and camera disappear”                                                                 Hip Hop-Dead Prez When Virgina “V-Gangsta” O’Hanlon’s homegirl broke the news to her that Santa Claus was a big fat fake, it didn’t faze her one bit. As long as she still got her Lil Wayne CD for Christmas she was good. But years later when she found out that her new favorite rapper, Rick Ross, wasn't the gangster she had grown to know and love, she went into a violent rage followed by a major depression lasting several days... Recently, mainstream America got hip to something that “the ‘hood” already knew. Their beloved Grammy- nominated gangsta, William “Rick Ross” Roberts wasn’t a gangster after all. He just played one on TV. This has sent his suburban fans searching for a “Yes, Virginia , there is a Santa Claus” type of affirmation. Just like Virginia O'Hanlon, when she wrote the famous letter to the New York Sun back in 1897, asking for reassurance that the Jolly Ol Soul was real after her friends told her that Ol' St. Nick was just a trick, Rick Ross fans are shedin’ tears in their eggnog, yellin' “Say it ain’t so.” Last week, Rick Ross cancelled the remaining dates of his MMG (Maybach Music Group) Tour, reportedly , because of You tube videos posted by members of The Gangster Disciples who threatened to step to Roberts for shoutin' out their leader's name on one of his songs and using their gang symbol on a CD cover without breakin’ them off a little royalty cash . To make matters worst, the rapper has beef with convicted drug dealer, Freeway Ricky Ross, of the infamous Iran/Contra/Compton cocaine connection that was alleged in the 90’s by the late reporter Gary Webb . Apparently Freeway Ricky Ross is miffed that rapper Rick Ross has the nerve to use his popularity of contributing to the genocide of thousands of children in the 'hood to sell records that glamorize the genocide of thousands of children in the 'hood. Not to mention the die hard Tupac Shakur fans who are hatin’ on him for having the audacity to proclaim himself the reincarnation of the " father of THUG LIFE." However, the main people upset by the revoking of Rick Ross's ghetto pass are members of his Caucasian crossover fan club who ,vicariously, live the ghetto life thru their favorite rappers from the comfort of their spacious homes in the 'burbs. Someone once said, insubstantially, that 80% of the kids who buy rap music are white. While we are not sure how he, scientifically, arrived at that figure,he's probably darn close if you look at whose parents have the most disposable income . During the mid to late 70's, Hip Hop started as an obscure form of party music barely known outside of four of the five NYC boroughs. However, with the release of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message,” rap music became white America's long range telescope for viewing urban blight. During the late 80’s, Public Enemy frontman, Chuck D, proclaimed rap “the CNN of Black America.” Shortly after this pronouncement , NWA brought gangsta rap to the forefront and rappers became the epitome of Tall, Dark and Dumb, the dudes that all of the cool white guys wanted to be like and the hip white chicks wanted to be with. The best example of the origin of this idea would probably be the miraculous transformation of nerdy" Bud Bundy" to “Grandmaster B” from the early 90’s sitcom “Married With Children.” So for white kids, “gangsta rappers” were the perfect Christmas gift, like a life size, thugged out version of a GI Joe with the kung fu grip. Or Shirley Temple’s “Mr. Bojangles” with street swagger. willing to buck dance at the drop of a dollar. But last week, the charade came to an abrupt ending, when middle America had to come to grips with the fact that maybe their superheroes of the ‘hood weren’t so super ,after all. They finally had to deal with the reality that it was all one big joke and the joke was on them. Although the music industry marketing gurus could spin the well known fact in Hip Hop circles that Rick Ross was a former correctional officer, earning him the title ala rapper 50 cent, “Officer Ricky," the idea that a feared gangsta rapper is scared of gangsters is an unforgivable sin in Hip Hop. He might as well have done a duet with Barry Manilow. But it's not just William Roberts who is perpretratin a fraud , many of the fiercest gangsta rappers and producers in the industry are actually college educated, from Suge Knight to Sean “Puffy” Combs. Even Robert ‘s fellow Grammy nominee Tauheed “2 Chainz” Epps attended college on an athletic scholarship during the mid 90’s, despite his lyrical content that centers around “big booty hoes.” But the question is, now that the jack- in- the- box is out of Santa’s bag, where does Hip Hop go from here? The music executives can either allow Hip Hop to grow up and once again become socially relevant or they can continue on their fool’s errand of trying to fool all of the people all of the time. History teaches us that they will probably try to make a feeble attempt at the latter. I mean if they can turn a C.O. into an O.G., I guess anything is possible. But in reality, the future direction of Hip Hop depends on the gullibility of the consumer. Just like the cop- out that a parent gives his child when she finds her toy pony hidden in the garage two days before Christmas. "Santa exists as long as you believe he does" So does gangsta rap, Virginia. So does gangsta rap." TRUTH Minista Paul Scott's website is No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or Follow on Twitter @truthminista

Saigon Said Knock You Out

Saigon Said Knock You Out:
Necessary or Unnecessary Roughness ?:
TRUTH Minista Paul Scott


“Shadow boxin’ when I heard you on the radio.”
Mama Said Knock You Out-LL Cool J


Recently, on the top rated, "Chicken and Waffles Morning Show," something happened that shook up the rap world. The hosts were kickin’ it with militant Hip Hop artist, “Songhai” when he started name checkin' rappers who he claimed were part of a diabolical conspiracy to destroy the youth. Songhai threatened to pimp slap the top five commercial Hip Hop artists if they didn’t change their wicked ways, ASAP. Strangely enough, he issued a retraction the next day , claiming that what he said was that he was gonna give the rappers a “hand clap.” But the damage had already been done. The seeds of revolution had already been planted in the minds of the people....

Last week, Hip Hop artist, Saigon created a controversy when, during a visit to NYC’s Breakfast Club Morning Show, he announced to the rap world that he was gonna punch rap’s top dogs, 2 Chainz and Rick Ross, in the grill if they didn’t stop making songs that were detrimental to the children. Immediately, the Twitter-verse was flooded with people who were proclaimin’ him Hip Hop’s new Savior. Then a few days later, in a whirlwind change of events, he announced on his Facebook page that some of his words were “ignorant” and part of a “strategy.”

I have always wondered why, when real Hip Hop artists keep it real about one of the cashin' out rappers, within 48 hours they release an apology or some sort of “clarification.” A few years ago, OG rapper, Ice T, apologized to Soulja Boy and more recently, Lupe Fiasco issued an apology to upstart Chief Keef regarding comments they made that were based on nothing but the pure, unadulterated truth.

So what gives?

Although Saigon has said that he didn't want to single out anybody in particular for the ratchet state of Hip Hop, since you can count all the rappers who are gettin' heavy radio play on one hand and still have a couple of fingers left, how can you not name the names ? Also, since we agree that someone has committed grand larceny on the culture, how can you have a crime without having a criminal?

It must be noted that when artists like “The Game” actually punch rappers they never apologize, they just say “Yeah, and if I see him in the streets, I’m probably gonna punch him again!” But “conscious” rappers go from Malcolm X to Martin Luther King in 2.5 seconds.

While some people may believe that the remarks of Maybach Music Group affiliate ,Gunplay, may have had a little something to do with Saigon’s sudden change of heart, I doubt that’s the case. I’m sure that the rapper risks gettin’ snuffed out by 10 Gunplay look-alikes every.day on the NYC subway. So it’s probably not the street thugs, but the Wall Street thugs that make rappers nervous. They are more scared of Morty Schiester, corporate attorney than they are of some rapper.

And who can blame them ?

If the rumor is true that 50 Cent has the power to shut down projects at rival record companies, how much power do you think his boss, Jimmy Iovine has ? That is why there is this code of silence between industry rappers, whether conscious or commercial.

When Saigon, called out 2 Chainz and Rick Ross, he was not messin’ with individuals. He was messin’ with brands that people have invested a lot of cash creating and they weren’t gonna let some rap revolutionist cancel their meal ticket. Contrary to popular belief, industry beefs are not handled by the rappers but their image consultants. So, the same, " Pierre Escargot," that picks out your favorite ratchet rapper's outfit for the BET Awards is the same cat who handles his beefs.

When Saigon went on his rant he committed an unforgivable industry sin. He made people start to think. Also, as an industry insider, he co-signed something that we already knew. The masses are pissed off at the current state of Hip Hop and they were just waiting for an industry cat who was as pissed as them to articulate their frustrations in a large forum.

And it’s not only the brainiacs that are outraged. It’s the thugs too. Although rappers like Rick Rozay are flashin’ their jewels, the streets are just tryin’ to eat. While members of the Hip Hop Millionaire Boys Club are ridin’ around in Maybach’s with heated seats, the boyz in the hood are out in the cold rappin’ that line from Freeway’s “What We Do.”

“If my heat stops workin’/Ima rob me a person”

Already there are videos on Youtube of Rick Ross catching heat from members of the Gangster Disciples in various states. And America’s greatest fear is that the gangstas get politicized and stop stockin’ bullets and start pickin’ up some books. That’s why politically educated artists pose such a potential threat.

We may never know how many brain cells were sparked by the power of the Saigon interview. Even with the retraction, once words come outta your mouth, you can't call them back.

As omniscient as the heads of the multi-national corporations that control Hip Hop claim to be, they will never be able to discern where rap ends and revolution begins.

But that doesn’t stop them from trying. Many people have had their lives destroyed or ended for daring to wake up the masses.

J. Edgar Hoover's COINTELPRO “fear of a Black messiah who could electrify the youth” is still in effect and the rap industry is part of the program. So I don’t fault rappers like Saigon for being guarded with their words.

I blame us.

The blood of the martyrs is on hands of those who claim to want socio-political change but have not formed a Hip Hop United Front to make artists, writers and activists with a message feel secure in speaking truth to power

Remember during the 60’s, it was the student movements on college campuses that held Muhammad Ali down with speaking engagements after he was banned from boxing for speaking out on the war in Vietnam. Unfortunately we don’t have that structure any more.

We must rebuild it.

Also, as powerful as the music industry executives appear, they are not gonna put guns to our heads and force us to buy our children Chief Keef cds this holiday season. So we must join the “Take Back Hip Hop Black Friday Campaign” and only spend our money on music from artists with a message this holiday season.

And I’m not talking about those artists that are just using conscious Hip Hop as a marketing scheme or an entry level way into the industry. I’m talking about those who are actually involved in our physical and mental liberation.

This way we can honor those artists and activists , past, present and future, who sacrificed their lives for speakin’ the truth and were either blacklisted, put in jail, or, like Saigon said on his latest video, “Blown Away.”


TRUTH Minista Paul Scott’s weekly column is “This Ain’t Hip Hop,” a column for intelligent Hip Hop headz. His website is No Warning Shots Fired.com For more information on the “Take Back Hip Hop Black Friday Campaign” contact info@nowarningshotsfired.com or follow on Twitter @truthminista

Popular Rapper Roger Ratchet is Dead

(Atlanta) After two days in critical condition, popular rap star, Roger Ratchet is dead. The artist , born as Roger Sam Boman, who was in intensive care resulting from an Acme speaker being dropped on his head, last Wednesday was pronounced dead at 10 o’clock , Friday night. Strangely enough, the rapper seemed to be on the verge of a miraculous recovery when somebody snuck into his room and pulled the plug on his life support machine. When his death was announced loud screams of Hip Hop fans could be heard outside the hospital chanting, “Hooray, the Ratchet kicked the bucket!” The 20 year old rapper is survived by 15 children and eight baby mamas.

Atlanta Rapper In Critical Condition

(Atlanta) A popular Atlanta rapper is clinging to life tonight after a vicious attack. Twenty year old , Roger Sam Boman, known in the Hip Hop world as “Roger Ratchet” was  found critically wounded earlier today outside of Ratchet Recording Studio on Peach Street not far from his home. Details are still sketchy,  but according to police reports , someone on the roof of the building dropped a 50 pound Acme speaker on the rapper as he exited the studio around five o’clock this afternoon.

The once popular artist, who is credited with creating the genre, “Ratchet Rap “ has recently come under fire from Hip Hop fans who accuse him of destroying the culture . At this point there are no suspects.

Have We Outgrown Hip Hop?

Caution. Kids at Play:
Have We Outgrown Hip Hop?
                      TRUTH Minista Paul Scott

“Back in the day when I was young/I’m not kid anymore “
Back in the Day-Ahmad


When Hip Hop legend, “Knowledge B. Born,” headed to the stage to finally receive his Hip Hop Lifetime Achievement Award, he clutched in his right hand a speech written in graffiti that he had wanted to deliver for years. He planned to put the entire audience of rap superstars on blast for destroying the culture he helped create. But when he looked into the faces of a room full of rich kids half his age.who were either half asleep or busy textin’ ,he just crumbled up his notes , said “ya’ll keep doin’ your thing.” and left the stage. Leaving the crowd whispering amongst themselves, “who was that old dude....”
‘
Recently, when Rakim went on stage to receive his BET " I Am Hip Hop Award ," I hoped that he was gonna diss the entire front row of rappers with a fraction of his talent. I thought maybe the “microphone fiend: was gonna kick a freestyle battle rhyme and dare any one of the no talent bums to come up and snatch the mic from his mighty hand. Needless to say, it didn’t happen. Another missed opportunity in the annals of Hip Hop history. At that point, I had to face the sad reality that many of my generation have avoided.

Maybe, we have outgrown Hip Hop.

Perhaps the saddest lament over the state of Hip Hop was Common’s, “I Used to Love H.E.R.” that talked about the sad relationship between Hip Hop purists and the gangsta rap that dominated the charts at the time. However, that was almost 18 years ago and many of us who divorced ourselves from Hip Hop have kissed and made up several times since then.

But like the classic break up line says., “The problem isn't you. The problem is me.” Maybe we are just too old to be listening to the kiddie porn that is passing for Hip Hop, nowadays. At some point the thrill of sneakin’ into your Pop’s secret drawer and peepin’ his Playboy mags wears off and you want a real relationship with a real woman.

Now, I admit there are days when I want to lock myself away from the world and play video games while smackin’ on a big box of Fruit Loops, but unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury. Neither do most folks over 25. Life is moving fast and deals that will affect my life are being made every second with or without my input. So I either have to roll with them or get rolled over.

But Hip Hop, is like Neverland, where you never have to grow old and if you are not careful you can get stuck there and be a 60 year old man poppin’ Viagra while watching " 106 and Park." And this “don’ t -wanna -grow up Toys R Us Kid” mentality is reflected in the rap of today. Instead of those black and white Parental Advisory stickers, in 2012, most Hip Hop Cd's should come with big, yellow “Caution. Kids at Play “ signs.

Today the rap industry is run by spoiled little brats with a million bucks but 50 cent brains. Somebody has, indeed, spared the rod and spoiled the child.

But the question that has always plagued Hip Hop is, who do you blame ?

When confronted, many Hip Hop apologists fall back on that classic line, “Don’t Blame rap . Blame the parents. “ But does this also apply to the Fathers of Hip Hop? Maybe they have acted more like deadbeat dads than the head of the Hip Hop household? This is the only society on the planet where the children are leading the elders.

Last year, columnist Bomani Jones addressed this issue in an article , “A Look at Chuck D’s Open Letter,” where he wrote , “ it’s disingenuous for much of the older crowd now to try and ride to hip hop’s rescue after we definitely had a part in getting to where we are.” But the sad part is that many old school cats are defending rap music with the same excuses that were used 20 years ago. They are defending the lyrics of Chief Keef the same way they did Snoop Dogg in ‘92. But Snoop never grew up to convert his misogynistic lyrics into words that would uplift the community. He only produced a legion of Snoop puppies . So Chief Keef will only produce a tribe of ratchet rappers if left unchecked.

This is not entirely the fault of the rappers ,either. Society has played a major role in the ghetto man-child mentality.

My generation was bombarded with the idea that “Black men in the America would not live to see 24.” So when we reached the ripe old age of 25, we had no game plan. Even much of the now revered “message music” of the 80’s was just repeating the nihilistic predictions for Black men. Few songs actually challenged the socio-economic factors that made such a dire prophecy believable. Even the ones that did offer such an analysis are now considered “old school.”

Rapper Mista Spot on his song , “Classic, “ questioned why you never hear the term “Old School Rock “ or “Old School Country” but their songs are forever immortalized as ageless music which can be enjoyed by their grandchildren. The same should be said about some Hip hop.

But maybe Rock and Country fans respect their music more than we respect Hip Hop. What record company would dare lump Mick Jagger and Justin Bieber in the same category and throw them on a track together? Rolling Stones fans would start bombin’ radio stations.

It must be remembered that it was the wrath of rock fans that led to the demise of Disco.

In 1979, 90,000 outraged Rockers almost destroyed Comiskey Park in Chicago at the infamous , Disco Demolition Night, where some deejays decided to blow up in stack of Disco records to protest the genre. Even today you can still catch people rockin’ the “Disco Sucks” T-Shirts. Since Ratchet Rap” is the Disco music of Hip Hop, what if thousands of real Hip Hop fans started rockin’ “Ratchet Rap Sucks” T-Shirts? and destroying CDs?

At the least , it would make a rapper think twice before releasing another immature , wack Cd.

Will the Hip Hop mental midgets hit an intellectual growth spurt before the culture is totally destroyed.

I don't know. But one thing is certain.

Like the classic Quincy Jones song says, in the end ,“Everything Must Change.”

Even Hip Hop.

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott’s weekly column is “This Ain’t Hip Hop,” a column for intelligent Hip Hop headz. For more information on the No Warning Shots Fired lecture series , contact info@nowarningshotsfired.com or visit
NoWarningShotsFired.com. Follow on Twitter @truthminista

The Great Rap Debate

The Great Rap Debate: Can Real Hip Hop Still Move the Crowd? TRUTH Minista Paul Scott “Some of you been tryin' to write rhymes for years/but weak ideas irritate my ears “ Move the Crowd-Eric B and Rakin Recently, The People’s Broadcasting Service sponsored the first Hip Hop Nation presidential debate between candidates, “B. Serious” and “Roger Ratchet .” When the moderator asked B. Serious for his thoughts on violence in rap, the artist gave an eloquent analysis on the exploitation of self hatred and stereotypes by the industry . However, when the moderator asked Roger Ratchet , the rapper ,angrily, accused him of dissin’ him with a trick question and had his goons give the poor dude a vicious beat-down, thus ending the debate... Following the first presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, many commentators said that the Prez took an L because he didn’t go hard enough . They argued that he didn't use his arsenal of intellectual weapons to drop bombs on the challenger. However, the same can be said about those who rep real Hip Hop when dealing with those who promote ratchet rap. The art of debating is a time honored tradition as, historically, many of the issues facing civilizations have been settled by verbal confrontations. The course of history has been changed by events like the debates over whether the world was flat or round ,centuries ago , and more importantly the 21st century debate over whether Kanye West’s Graduation Cd would outsell 50 Cent’s Curtis. Thanks to Youtube, some great debates have been preserved ,such as Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) and George Lincoln Rockwell’s “Black Power vs White Power " debate, Dr Frances Cress Welsing ‘s challenge of Dr. William Shockley’s racial inferiority myth or the classic debate between Dr. John Henrik Clarke and company and Dr. Mary Lefkowitz’s crew over the validity of Afrocentricity. Hip Hop’s version of debating came in the form of rap battles, as you couldn't call yourself a real “MC” “ (Master of Ceremony”) if you couldn't move the crowd. Some of the classic battles were Busy B versus Kool Mo Dee and the Cold Crush Brothers vs Dr. Rock and the Force MD’s. But as the days of lyrics are gone, so are the days of battlin’. Today ,battles are decided by gunshots or juvenile fisticuffs at Hip Hop Award Shows. And for many , instead of elevating the consciousness of the audience, “moving the crowd” means seeing how fast people run for the exit when a fight breaks out in the club. Although, there have been hundreds of discussions about Hip Hop over the years, there has rarely been a confrontation between those who are really trying to save the culture and those who are determined to destroy it. For the most part, Hip Hop “debates” have tended to be scripted . Back in the heyday of “gangsta rap” it was easy for a Death Row artist to diss an elderly C. Delores Tucker, as the industry was glad to promote the idea that if you opposed murda music, then you were an old fogey and out of touch with the younger generation. Even when challenged by senior citizens the gangsta rappers rarely debated themselves, instead they relied on “Hip Hop intellectuals” to serve as their mouthpieces while they sat back and said “um...yeah...what he said..” But today, even the people who used to pump NWA ,24/7 , hate rap music . Also we're , obviously, not dealing with a generational but an intellectual gap as the days of the teen rap video programs have been replaced by Hip Hop reality shows about the everyday lives of rappers who are about six weeks short of a middle age crisis Unfortunately, the average supporter of ratchet rap is walking around with a confident swagga , while the fan of real Hip Hop is walking around with a “Kick Me, I’m Conscious” sign taped to his back. It's time for those who want to bring back real Hip Hop to either go hard or go home! Currently, there is a controversy over whether “real Hip Hop “ is represented best by the lyricism of legendary lyricists or the low level, lackluster, lethargic nonsense that dominates the airwaves. Therefore, the question must be posed, “ can Hip Hop still move the crowd not just physically, but mentally and spiritually? Those who appreciate real Hip hop must stand up for truth and stop accepting the big lie that people like wallowing in the cesspool of ignorance. I believe that the masses are ready for change and if it ever came down to a debate between those who want a return to powerful lyrics that touch the soul and those who love the minstrel music , the lyric lovers would win ,hands down. But those who want to save Hip Hop need to quit goin' out like suckas and get ready to rumble ! Sadly, there will always be those who insist on trying to find “beauty in the hideous,” like Talib Kweli said on the Black Star CD back in the day. For those nincompoops who defend the nonsense, the challenge is there . There are folks like me who ain't afraid to stand up for truth and won’t back down because we understand that the battle is not for a trophy or some award, but for the minds of our children. However, like EPMD said on “You Gots to Chill, “ "If you think about battlin’ you better come prepared/come with your shield and your armored gear...” TRUTH Minista Paul Scott’s weekly column is “This Ain’t Hip Hop,” a column for intelligent Hip Hop headz. For more information on the No Warning Shots Fired Lecture Series, contact info@nowarningshotsfired.com or go to NoWarningShotsFired.com Follow on Twitter @truthminista

Breakin' 2 Chainz: Why Do Smart Rappers Make Dumb Raps ?

Breakin’ 2 Chainz:
Why Do Smart Rappers Make Dumb Raps?

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott


“Sophisticated ignorance/write my curses in cursive”
Otis-Kanye West and Jay Z

When the controversial rap superstar , “2 Shackles” granted an interview to an investigative journalist at the New Jersey Times he agreed that it would be no holds barred. When the reporter grilled him on everything from his recent baby mama drama to his beefs with rival rappers he addressed each question without flinching. Even when she pulled out a copy of the mugshot from his most recent arrest, he just smiled and autographed it for her. But when she asked him about the allegations that he had an extremely high IQ and graduated from college ,magna cum laude, he stormed out of the office knockin’ over chairs and mumblin’ something about “birthdays and big booty guhs.....”

If you go strictly by what you hear on the radio ,nowadays, you would swear that Hip Hop was made up of people with low IQ’s and short attention spans. The music that once prided itself on being the “Black CNN” now sounds more like a pornographic version of Sesame Street. Sad thing is that some of today’s rappers are ,actually ,intelligent. Now, I’m not claimin’ that they are rocket scientists but they aren’t the bumblin’ buffoons, that you here on the radio, either.

So the question becomes, why do the smartest rappers make the dumbest raps?

Malcolm X once said the difference between a clown and a wise man is “the clown never imitates the wise man but the wise man can imitate the clown.” However, on a three minute song on the radio, it’s kinda hard to tell. the difference.

Case in point is the hottest rapper in the game right now, 2 Chainz. Some may find it hard to believe that the rapper who gave us such songs as “Birthday Song” and “No Lie” is actually Tauheed Epps , a gifted high school student who , in 1996, got an athletic scholarship to play basketball at Alabama State University . Thus , putting him in the company of such , athletic ,scholar entertainers as Paul Robeson. However, it would be easier to find your favorite rapper's Illuminati membership card than it would be to find an actual record of 2 Chainz’s academic prowess. So the story goes that he was either an academic genius who graduated in three years with honors or a college dropout who only attended a couple of semesters at an institution of higher learning. However, the fact remains that he is far more intelligent than the music that he makes. If you ever listen to a n interview when 2 Chainz briefly breaks out of character and reverts back to Tauheed Epps , you can tell that you're not dealing with a dummy.

So why the charade?

One can make the argument that the rappers of today were not the first to make dumb music. Back in Hip Hop’s early years , there were songs by The Rappin’ Duke and Bobby Jimmy and the Critters. But raps by artists like Biz Markie were seen for what they were ; commedy. The songs were just an occasional break from the more lyrically complex Hip Hop of the time. No no one in his right mind wanted to hear “Pickin’ Boogers” all day, everyday on the radio. But today the airwaves are flooded with mentally challenged music that has dumbed down the culture.

The defenders of commercial rap are always quick to point out how Hip Hop is the most influential art form to ever grace the planet and how it has impacted countries around the world ,socially and economically. However, when you hit them with a socio-economic analysis of the music, they accuse you of “thinking too deep” and all of a sudden the great culture of Hip Hop becomes merely “entertainment for kids”, like some Saturday morning cartoon. But the critique must be done.

If we break down the meaning of “2 Chainz, “ we will see that in order to enslave a people it takes two chains; one physical and one mental. Of the two, the most powerful is the mental chain as taught by scholars such as Dr. Na’im Akbar, author of the book, Breaking the Chains of Psychological Slavery.  Because even when the physical chain around the wrist is broken, the mental chain around the brain remains.

The emancipation from mental slavery has always been the hardest task for those trying to free a people. who have been, as the scripture teaches, “destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” This is made more difficult when those who “reject knowledge” and dumb themselves down are portrayed to the youth as models of success.

However, all youth are not going for the okie doke. Recently, the group , Watoto from the Nile ,released a video called , “Letter to Nicki Minaj” which features a powerful scene where “Harriet Tubman” removes the chains from Minaj’s wrists,symbolically meaning that the chains will eventually drop from her brain. (Good luck with that one.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD8JrLFTPSM


It is no accident that the deeper we entered into the information age, the dumber the music became. It was once said that if you want to hide something from a Black man, put it in a book. But today, you don’t even have to take the bus to the library as the information is literally at the tip of your fingers. So, the mental chains had to become reinforced. The music industry has been involved in a “brain drain” where they take our best and brightest artists and turn them into ratchet rappers.

While it may be argued that teenage rappers like Chief Keef are too young to know any better that's no excuse for rappers like 2 Chainz who are old enough to be their fathers. They have made a mockery out of the saying “with age comes wisdom.”

It’s time for us to break the chains. Hip Hop artists must be pressured to stop the musical mumbo jumbo.

Like KRS said on Still # 1
“Many of you are educated/open your mouths and speak...”


TRUTH Minista Paul Scott’s weekly column is “This Ain’t Hip Hop,” a column for intelligent Hip Hop headz. For more information on the No Warning Shots Fired lecture series contact info@nowarningshotsfired.com or visit
NoWarningShotsFired.com Follow Twitter @truthminista