This is What Hip Hop was Born for

Hip hop on the hill , an article I just read by Nia-Malika Henderson, talks about how rappers are finally honestly putting their money where their mouth has been the last 30 years. They are instigating political change like never before. They are really branching out from soup box the actual organizing and supporting of pivotal groups like Green the Block. According the this article there's is a freshly formed group of artists called "Hip hop Caucus" who are raising political support straight from Capital Hill for issues such as climate change and rehabilitating convicts back into society.

Many big names and legends are getting on board from Jay-Z and P-Diddy to Rick Ross and Young Jeezy. They are ready to stop lamenting the despair of hard street life and FINALLY call enough significant attention to it that it gets changed once and for all. By "significant attention" I mean the kind of social consciousness that doesn't just herald the desperation and anger felt but also harnesses those strong feelings into actions that can take us and future generations where we have yet to go. A voice of hope: is why I will always love hip hop culture.

Featured Artist: TPain

"Broke up with my girl last night so I went to the club (so I went to the club)Put on a fresh white suit and a Minicos sitting on dubs (sitting on dubs)

I’m just looking for somebody to talk to and show me some love (show me some love)If you know what I mean… Uh-Huh…"

-TPain in "Bartender"

Bartender is one of the first TPain songs I learned and I love it! Something about his smooth, melodic style. His street name is actually "Tallahassee Pain" taken in part because he grew up in Tallahassee, Florida. The other part taken in rememberance of the hardships he triumphed through while living there. Later, as his career grew it became shortened to just "TPain". He was born in 1985, according the Wikipedia. Can you believe he is only 24? He has accompolished so much already I would have guessed he was at least Kanye West's age. (He's not old either) Tpain actually started out with intentions of being a rapper. But as his style progressed and oppurtunities began to find him he found himself singing more and more. Thus, you find, his first album was titled "Rappa Ternt Sanga" We are glad for this turn in destiny. TPain has contributed much to the world of Hip/Hop through his singing and producing. Here I recount just a brief snapshot of his budding career. Wonder what's next?

He has been producing music since age ten when he re vamped his bedroom with a keyboard, beat machine and four-track recorder. He has already dropped three full albums and collaborated with various industry big names since 2005. His albums are Rappa Ternt Sanga, Epiphany, and Thr33 Ringz.

From his first albm you'll remember the hit "I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper)". On his sophmore album we get "Bartender". With his third album comes the shining hits of "Can't Believe It" with Lil Wayne and "Chopped & Skrewed" with Ludacris.

He has been featured already, in the last year alone, on songs with Rick Ross, 2 Pistols, Ciara, and Ace Hood.

His appearances so far include Jimmy Kimmel Live and Saturday Night Live.

TPain had a Grammy under his belt by age 23 for the song "Good Life" (Along with Kanye West on Mr West's Graduation album)

That's the skinny on TPain. He is not even a quarter of a century but hasn't wasted anytime making music and an international name for himself. Keep you ears auto-tuned for more great things from this artist.

Featured Song: Street Lights

Here is a song of vibrant optomism. it envokes in me a sense of awe at the vast expanse of my future lying ahead of me. At the same time there's this brievity of fleeting oppurtunites that taunt me in every turn I make. Do I still have time to grow? Every once in a while I have to stop and ask myself this too. Here, Mr West has so poetically and with his signature, raw, keen persepective put down in song this introspective question that haunts some of us still. As you read the lyrics or listen to the song, what feelings does it evoke in you? Feel free to leave them as comments here.

Streetlights by Kanye West:
"Let me know, do i still got time to grow

Things aint always set in stone, with that being, let me know

let me

Seems like streetlights glowing happen to be just like moments passing,

in front of me

so I hopped in, the cab and I paid my fair,

See I know my, destinationbut I'm just not there

all the street lights glowing happened to be just like moments

passing, in front of me

soi hopped in, the cab and i paid my fair,

seei know my, destinationbut

im just not there in the streetsin the streets

im just not there in the streets

im just no there

life's just not fair."

Featured Rapper: K'aan

"I think a lot of it has to do with marketing groups, statistics—what works and what doesn't. If peace began to sell, that would be the norm. But right now the consumer is getting really smart. Extreme exposure no longer equals selling records, which I think is a very good scenario for music. Not so much for record labels." - K'aan on why mainstream rap is often violent


"Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in the district of Wardhiigleey ("The Lake of Blood") during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most famous singers. K'naan's grandfather, Haji Mohamed, is a poet. K'naan is also a Muslim. His name, K'naan, means "traveller" in the Somali language."- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K'naan
I recently stumbled upon this up-coming rapper from Africa. His is a messege of generosity, freedom, and peace. I would love to see kindred artist to K'aan stand up and be heard in mainstream hip/hop cutlure more. K'aan is a true 'hood survivor if there ever was one. In his recent interview on www.motherjones.com he talks of regularly running with friends from gunmen at the age of nine. His early influnces include Eric B. & Rakim. He now lives in Canada after fleeing his home country with family at age 13. He now tours North America with artist like the Marely Brothers. His sophmore albuum is titled "Troubadour" and futures earthy, rythmic ecos of his motherland, Somali. Read the article by MJ @ http://www.motherjones.com/media/2009/02/straight-outta-mogadishu and snatch up some of his tracks from itunes today! Support the future leaders of hip/hop. Artist like this are true voices for their generation , speaking out tirelessly agianst the poverty, crime, and injustice his native land still struggles in today.

I'm a break it down for ya

"Hip hop is the culture from which rap emerged. Initially it consisted of four main elements; graffiti art, break dancing, dj (cuttin' and scratching) and emceeing (rapping). Hip hop is a lifestyle with its own language, style of dress, music and mind set that is continuously evolving. Nowadays because break dancing and graffiti aren't as prominent the words 'rap' and 'hip hop' have been used interchangeably. However it should be noted that all aspects of hip hop culture still exists. They've just evolved onto new levels." - http://www.funk-the-system.net/hiphopearlydays.html



So there you go. Hip/hop defined. It's a whole separate culture not a music genre. But then again, I guess it is a music genre too. Groups like The Black Eyed Peas I would consider a hip/hop group not a rap group. Anyone agree with me or am I just not feelin' it? When I donned sunglasses and muttered bits of "Ice Baby" at eight years old I was in fact part of hip/hop. I was partaking in a rapidly evolving culture that would transform pop culture, contributing to the fashion world, the art world, and the English language. Nor ever did I realize when I was dancing to beats from Dc Talk that rap would one day other throw brutal governments. (More on how rap music has been monumental in bringing down bloody regimes in Africa in later blogs) Hip/hop was so much more than I originally thought when I first became for cognitive of the beats in my box. It was not just a fun way for the American underdog to lyrically slay opponents, welfare, and gang violence. The birth of hip/hop signaled supernova of change that continues to inspire, empower, and captivate all levels of cultures the world over.

I may not can say I grew up to the beats of Biggie Smalls and the Wu-Tang Clan but I can proudly say that even as a little, Southern, rural, white girl in an extremely small town I sensed and embraced the spirit of hip/hop. I grasped that it was something big, that it was changing things

"Can you believe it? Get a break and get off the streets,

Clear my mind from the shit I see.

In a world full of smoke. Contact from the weed

Thats when it really dawned on me. I'm a be here for life.

I ain't never gonna leave. The ghetto is all that I know

It's just another day in the hood my nigga playing back trying get this dough

Yellin out ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

All up in the club and you know how we roll

Squad deep like ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Bad little bitches with their booty on score trying to beat likeOhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Know your ass feel it cause its outta control.

Let me hear you say ohhhhhhhhhhhhh

Let me hear you say ohhhhhhhh ohhhhh

Can you believe it?"....................

Introduce you to the street life.

Watch you fall in love after just one night Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh

All up in the club And you know how we roll, squad deep like ohhhhhhhhhhh.................

Can you believe it?"

- Akon "Can You Believe It?"

White Girl on Rap

As a suburban (rural, actually) American white female who has a fetish for all things Rap I have taken it upon myself to put down for my light-skinned sista's and bro's what's what in the rockin' world of Hip/Hop. I'm not expert but I have my taste and a nose for sniffin' out good beats. I pledge to share them here with you, first.
Let me start out with a little bit of my listening background:


Back in the late 1980's and early 1990's when rap was still more of a concept than a genre still being shaped by artist like the Beastie Boys, Jay -Z, Notorious Big, and Mc Hammer my older brother would play their tracks non-stop. So I would walk around with snippets of their lyrics stuck in my head. I didn't understand what was being said ( I was between the ages of 6-9) but it solidified in me one thing: I liked rap. When I saw a pair of sunglasses I would put them on and try to remember all the lyrics I could so I could "rap" and be cool. The first hip/hop song I learned was Dc Talk's "I love Rap music" and can still recite the lyrics from heart.
Fast forward many years to the earlier 2000's when Black-Eyed Peas (Loved "My Humps"), Kanye West (I blasted "Gold Digger"), and Usher were the cruisin' music of choice. I was still a huge dork. But that's beside the point.
Hip/Hop had come into it's own and all the haters had to recognize that it wasn't going anywhere. These artist where about the only hip/hop I knew anything at all about but still I bumped them in my little '02 Saturn whilst cruisin suburbia just as serious as I'm sure my rap fan counterparts bumped their beats in the mean streets of real 'hoods.
Soon I found myself in urban San Diego where I learned of Latino rap, Shakira, and the song "Ridin' Dirty". There's something about the rythym of city life that my pulse syncs with. I soon found myself drawn to places that eminated Akon, Fergie, and Biggie.
Now lets return to the present. We're nearing the end of the first decade of a new millennium and Rap and Hip/Hop continue to morph and jive the whole damn universe. I spent last summer cruising the dirty streets of Memphis, TN back and forth to my crappy coffee shop job and bumped, now louder than ever, nothing but pure, nasty, raunchy gangsta rap and I knew one thing more than ever: I still loved rap music.
I've finally become acquainted with some of the greatest lyricist of all time via 97.1, 107.5, and 107.7 on the Memphis FM bandwidth. I grown familiar with sounds of Lil' Wayne, TPain, T.I., Three-six Mafia, and M.I.A.
The brother I mentioned earlier has always been a conduit for Rap in my life. He always keeps me stocked with the latest Kanye album and is a wealth of obscure hip/hop knowledge. I credit him with fostering in me from such an early time in our lives, a genuine love for music, particularly Rap music. To this day, when I hear a name that's new to me and I want to know the skinny I call my bro and say "What's this Timbaland guy about? "
Yeah, yeah. I know I have a long way to go before I reach ghetto guru status but I know enough to get started.

By naming this blog "Rap Made Easy for White People" I'm in no way trying to promote or exclude one race over another . I chose the title simply because it just happens that most of the people I run into that say they don't like or don't understand it are often of the lighter skinned persuasion.

I understand that there are those who may not listen to rap simply due to the chasm of cultures between those who live, breath, listen to, and create rap and those who just don't get it- yet. I'm here to help change that. I know not everyone who is unfamiliar with rap and hip/hop culture is white. I love ALL kinds of people (and music for that matter). In this blog I choose to focus on things relating to rap and hip/hop because it's been a huge source of inspiration to me through out my life. From the innovative production techniques of Jay Z and Kanye West to the political rebel rappers of the harshest civil conflicts in Africa I see the genre constantly changing and leaving an indelible mark on the world. In this blog I will attempt to share some of this inspiration with you. Whoever you are and whatever type of music you favor- WELCOME TO RAP MADE EASY!


"I luv rap music. I always have, and I always will.

There ain't no other kinda music in all the world,

that makes me feel quite as chill"

("I Love Rap Music"- DC Talk)