Can HBCUs Save Hip Hop ?

Homecoming or Homecoonin’:
Can HBCUs Save Hip Hop?

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott

“She’s so self conscious/has no idea what she’s doin’ in college”
All Falls Down- Kanye West


On the block, he was once known as “Big Ferg,” now ,after a couple of years at Hillman College he prefers to go by his government name, Hamilton Winston Ferguson III . He no longer has time to kick it with the homies like he did back in the day. Nah, he’s too busy discussing philosophy, economics and heavy intellectual stuff with his new upwardly mobile college chums. However, every homecoming weekend you can find him in the club gettin’ tipsy and rockin’ to Rick Ross. No different than the brothers on the block he left behind....

It’s that time of year again. A time for football, elections and most importantly, college homecomings. Matter of fact, at most HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) homecoming even surpasses graduation weekend as the social event of the year.

However, the question that I have always had is, how do our institutions of “higher learning” always manage to find the lowest form of entertainment for their homecoming shows? Is there some unwritten rule that you have to get straight ig’nant every homecoming weekend ?

Don’t get me wrong. I get it. After spending four hours a day slavin’ over books in boring classes, every homecoming weekend (or in many cases, every single weekend) students feel the need to get their party on and blow off some steam. But some people have to cope with harder situations. What about the Brothers and Sisters trapped in the ‘hood who say that the reason that they walk around with a 40 and a blunt all day, with Gucci Mane blastin’ through their headphones is to escape the pain of ghetto life ?

What is sad is that Black colleges have always been viewed as the breeding grounds for future leaders who are gonna take African Americans to the next level. So why do they support rappers who are hell bent on leading our children down a path of destruction by paying them major dollars to perform at their homecoming shows every year?

Contrary to popular belief , Hip Hop artists (unless they are 50 Cent status )don’t make their money from cd sells. The newer artists make their dollars by touring clubs and college campuses. And homecoming season is their time for cashin’ in.

So although, we try to blame the current state of Hip Hop on Hen-Dog from the ‘hood who is always downloading Waka Flocka Flame cds or Lil Bobby from the ‘burb’s who gets 15 dollars from mumsy very Tuesday to vicariously rep the ‘hood through Lil Wayne, the real culprits are the college brainiacs who actually bankroll the mysogynistic, minstrel murda music.

Some like to give rappers like Chief Keef a pass, sayin’ that they are just reppin’ their hoods. Problem is, if you are reading this while chillin’ in your dorm room, listening to a Chief Keef mixtape ,you ain’t. Actually, you are guilty of exploiting the people who really have to live that way for your own entertainment pleasure.

Traditionally, college students are supposed to be representing the best hopes and aspirations of an entire race. Although many students are beatin’ people over the head this fall about how our ancestors “died for our right to vote” what about those who died for our right to read a book ? What is your responsibility to them?

This is not to say that all college students have neglected their responsibilities.

Back in 2004, a group of women at Spelman College, protested against Nelly’s Tip Drill video, causing the rapper to abort his visit to the campus instead of facing the music. Also, back in 2009, students at FAMU and NC A@T demanded to know why their student funds were going towards modern day minstrel shows.

The responsibility also rests on Black students on predominantly white college campuses ,as they also have the worst forms of Hip Hop at their homecoming events. If Black college students on these campuses allow rappers to run across stage droppin’ the N bomb all homecoming night they should not be upset when their college professors greet Biffy the next Monday morning with “ good morning Mr Armstrong, “ but give Tyrone a fist bump and say, “what up my n*****”

Can Black college students really change Hip Hop. Of course they can.

There are many examples of entertainers who became superstars based solely on the support that they received from white college campuses.( Hootie and the Blowfish being just one example.) They even created their own genre called Frat Rock. That begs the question, why have Black college students not rallied behind political Hip Hop artists that kick knowledge instead of supporting every hot new artist on the radio talkin’ nonsense? Maybe they could create a genre called HBCU Hip Hop that represents the mission statement of their schools?

Also, perhaps they could use their Hip Hop classes for forums to develop ways to use rap music as a way to make social, political and economic changes in society instead of a way to get an easy A or kill time discussing who is the greatest lyricist of all-time, Jay Z or Biggie?


Fortunately, on every campus, there is always that courageous person who is not afraid to speak the truth. There is that small group that appreciates real Hip Hop. Somewhere ,there is an underground organization that is willing to go all out, to make sure that Black children have a future. This is the movement that will bring change. And when those revolutionists link up with like minds on other campuses, you will see not only a change in Hip Hop, but the condition of the Black community ,in general.

Unfortunately, most college students are tryin’ too hard to be like “the streets” instead of inspiring the streets to be like them.

Rakim told us back in the day that “follow the leader is the title, theme task." But what happens when there are no leaders to follow?

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 No Warning Shots Fired.com Follow on Twitter @truthminista

What About Our Children, Again?

What About Our Children, Again?

Paul Scott


Back when I was in school the blue eyed soul group, Hall and Oates had a song that had the chorus, "you're out of touch, I'm out of time." The song was about some dude who couldn't get along with his main squeeze but it also sums up how I felt while watching the MSNBC special "About Our Children," last night.

The program was promoted as a Bill Cosby Town hall meeting, so like many folks, I tuned in to expect to see Dr. Cosby ranting and raving about how Hip Hop is destroying the minds of young black children especially since he had tons of material following last week's MTV Video Music Awards. I assumed that as the credits were rolling he would still be pointing his finger at the camera and yelling, "Now about that Kanye West fellow...and who told that little girl to jump on the stage with Jay Z !"

But no, as Cosby pointed out during the intro, it wasn't his show; he was just the draw.

That was pretty much the case.

As with most meetings that deal with the plight of "troubled youth," the MSNBC program suffered from the same problem; wrong place and wrong people.

The meeting took place in a nice auditorium at Howard University in Washington DC. I think that it would have been more realistic if it would have been held at one of the many community centers in the 'hoods of DC but I guess that wasn't the ambiance that the producers were trying to create.

On the panel you had a bunch of mostly private school educated folks who would probably wet their pants if one of their students threw up a gang sign during English class. You had the professors professin' about the problem. You had the ,obligatory, lady who looked like she just stepped out one of those movies where the great white hope goes into an inner city school and within the first 6 weeks all of the students become Phi Beta Kappa candidates. I'm still not sure how comedian, Paul Rodriguez wound up on the panel, I guess Chris Rock was busy.

They even showed scenes from a few schools where the children all wanted to grow up to be doctors and teachers. Not one mentioned wanting to be Lil Wayne's hype man or a forward for the Chicago Bulls.

Where were the real people? Where were the community activists that could have told the challenges that they face in trying to change their local school systems? Where were the "inner city" teachers who would have been told where to go and what to kiss if they tried to implement some of the feel good strategies that the panelists suggested? It would, also, have been nice if they would have ,at least, allowed the parents of "at risk youth" to Twitter in some comments even if they couldn't make the pilgrimage to the nation's Capitol.

But instead you had a two hour visit to a fantasy world where the children always beat the tardy bell and the hallways smell like Lemon Pledge instead of stale urine.

I can't really say that watching the program made me a better parent or taught me much that I didn't already know. I can think of a few scholars (Jawanza Kunjufu, Na'im Akbar) that would have kept me from watching the clock hoping that I wouldn't miss the kick off of the Cowboys/Giants game for most of the program.

Maybe it's not all that deep. Perhaps, the problems facing our children can be solved with nice polite town hall meetings where people sit unemotionally, quiet as a panel of really smart folks gives them advice to save their children who step over crack pipes and broken wine bottles on their way to class every morning. Or maybe the solutions are so controversial and advanced that the folks over at MSNBC wouldn't dare allow "real folks" on national TV to discuss the issue.

Or maybe there could have been a good mixture of the two possibilities?

But as Hall and Oates sang , at the end of the program, I think that most of us were left with "manic moves and drowsy dreams or living in the middle between the two extremes..."

Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 451-8283 He recently launched the Intelligence Over Ignorance Campaign. http://www.ioimovement.com/

Is Clinton "Blacker than Obama?"
Min. Paul Scott


If someone asks who is blacker, Bill Clinton or Barak Obama, hands down, most people would roll with Slick Willie.

Bill Clinton reminds me of "Rappin' Rod" from high school the cool white dude who sat in the back of the class and traded Run DMC lyrics with the best of us. You never knew if he was legit or if those old K-Tel "Do You Want to Learn How to Rap" albums really worked.

The myth of racial equality is not squashed until years after graduation when Rappin Rod is now Roderick Winstead the third, CEO of his family business while you're slaving away at some entry level position at a company you despise....

But this is 2007 and we're not talking about Bill, we're talking about "Hill"
Let me be honest...Aretha Franklin she ain't ...(Although the issues with her hubby would make a cool Mary J Blige song)

Although Bill, became "official" with the black community when he played that mean sax on the Arsenio Hall Show, unfortunately, the show was cancelled years ago so that avenue is not open to Hillary. And since Black Entertainment Television's news programs have largely been replaced with videos featuring scantily clad women, unless Hillary is willing to put on a thong bikini and drop it like it's hot, well....

Clinton has already made inroads into the Black community as Rev. Al Sharpton has made it perfectly clear that he will "chill with tha 'Hill" and Barak Obama is basically,
well...Wack

Obama comes preaching self responsibility and one American-ess while Hillary grabs the mic and starts "sticking it to tha man." So I guess in Hop Hop terms, Barak Obama is Will Smith and Hillary Clinton is more like Chuck D of Public Enemy...

This was evident at June 28th Democratic Candidate's forum. Although the debate took place at Howard University and John Edwards had the foresight to give a shout out to the North Carolina historically black universities (What up, homie!!!!) It was plain to see that Hill tore the roof off tha mutha...

While Obama's opening statements about racism dealt with pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps, tha "Hill" kept it real by making it clear that race is still a factor in this country and recruiting "foot soldiers in the revolution."

On the issue of education, while Barak spoke about how people accept the under achievement of black kids as normal, Hillary reached back and jacked that old African proverb that white folks save for just such occasions about it taking a village to raise a child, which went over real big...
Hillary also rocked the crowd when she talked about her 10 Point Black Panther..., excuse me...I mean her 10 Point Katrina plan. And when she talked about protecting Africa by shooting down some planes...

Word Up!!!!!

The show stopper was her response to the AIDS question when she said that America would be outraged if it was mostly WHITE women being effected instead of tha Sista'a!!!!!

The question facing Clinton is can she kick it with tha hood and at the same time woo the conservative Democrat's?

Will she have to have a Bill Clinton/Sister Souljah moment and diss Kanye West at a National Action Network meeting ?

Will she sell Black folks out or in 2008, will she have even Grandma singin'

"I found my thrill, by votin' for 'Hill?"

Min. Paul Scott is a "gangsta writer" and activist. His blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com