Prometheus 6

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Every now and then I come across an essay that sums up my feelings on a subject. When I do, I pay homage to the writer by posting the essay. Such was the case with when rapper Mello-D said "Rap is Republican!" He did not mean that today's mainstream rap artist endorsed Republicans. He simply meant that the attitudes conveyed, reflected a Republican sentiment. In many ways I feel the same way, so I won't re-invent the wheel, instead I re-post Darnley "Mello-D" Hodge of www.ThermiteRecords.com.

I think Saul Williams said it best when I heard him on the radio a few weeks ago in L.A. "Rap has gone Republican", he said. And, It's true. Early on hip-hop was intended as a counter-culture: underground. Hip-Hop was meant to be a voice for the voiceless. But now? "Hip-Hop" is all about "Gimme mine... look at me... I'm rich... your broke... F you... look at all my fine women.... look at my car... I have the American Dream!". I'm not dissin'.. really... I'm not.... but Jay-Z, Puffy, Nelly and the rest of the pop-rappers do not represent a counter-culture. They don't represent you or me. They represent the system! They need the system, they love the system, they ARE the system! They are doing exactly what America wants them to do. Shuck and jive, tap dance and feed intellectual stagnation and social destruction to our youth. They look controversial but pose no real political influence. Politicians used to be afraid of hip-hop because of the revolutionary messages Public Enemy and BDP and X-Clan had. But nowadays, even Newt Gingrich is "getting Jiggy with it" because rap is no longer a threat.

Remember how they banned all those songs on the radio after 9-11? Rage Against the Machine was banned, a few songs by U2 as well as a hundred or so other songs.... but NO Rap songs were banned. Did you know that? Do you know why? It's because America understands that even though rap may look dangerous on the surface... there is absolutely no threat in the lyrics or content of seeing a brother "blinging" with a big booty chick shaking her butt in a video. Hip-Hoppers think they are controversial? Pleeeeeease.... that's what America wants you to think! The system is 10 times more afraid of a man with a voice than a man with a gun. They aren't afraid of you! You ain't saying nothin'!