Hip hop is not dead, it's very much alive, it lives in the streets, in the underground, it even lives on the radio/TV. People use the argument that what's popular (anything getting major spins) is not real hip hop (and I am guilty of that also), but who are we to make that assessment? As with any genre of music, hip hop has sub-genres and here in lies the problem. In the past one or two particular sub-genres becomes popular and dominates the airways i.e. Conscious Rap, Gangsta Rap, West Coast Rap, etc. (again as with other genres of music), and notice I used rap instead of hip hop because hip hop is more than just rap, it's a culture (we'll save that for another blog).

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Right now hip hop is going through a change, just like any form of music goes through every 5 – 10 years or so, remember hip hop did not start out with MCs, everything revolved around the DJ and it evolved into what it is now. Anyone remember when they first heard Kurtis Blow, Busy Bee, Run DMC how about when they first heard Rakim, BDP, Big Daddy Kane, what about the Native Tongues or NWA, Snoop Dogg, Spice 1, MC Eiht or Wu-Tang, Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie. I can sit here and throw names, but each group of names represent changes in hip hop, one can sit and listen to "I used to love h.e.r." by Common and see those early changes.

To say hip hop is dead does a disservice to MCs like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Immortal techniques and up and comers like Papoose, Chill Factor (yeah yeah yeah shameless plug) any artist that put their heart into it, it will live on. So I say hip hop is not dead, on life support or in a coma, it is very much alive.

This blog is inspired by one my friends who always have "I love Hip Hop" on their page, because I share that love. James a.k.a. Congregation Productions, the beats are sick. Chill Facter, I love the last mixtape especially the song "handled" and last but not least artists like Dead Prez (turn off the radio turn off the bull----, no truer words have been said), Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, The Roots, Little Brother and all those love hip hop (artists and fans).

One.

Why is this country divided into red states and blue states? What about the state of grey. Everything is not that cut and dry, we need to start thinking for ourselves and stop letting the media, politicians and whomever else sway us. I was watching the Clinton interview and I couldn't believe how they were trying to make this whole Bin Laden mess his fault (and I'm not saying he isn't at fault). Bush had 5 years to capture and kill Bin Laden (I think they got him, but that's another blog), about the same amount of time Clinton had when he popped up on their radar around 95. During that time the conservatives tried to persecute Clinton and make him out to be a demigod, these are the same people who if you say anything bad about Bush, label you a traitor. On the flip side we have these liberals who find an issue with anything that is not on their agenda, rather than say ok what can we do make country better and move forward, they halt progress in the interest of the American people. Don't these people know that they are both drinking the same koolaid, wake up people and start looking at the grey areas, start seeing things for what they really are "bullshit".

I was riding the subway while I was in NY this weekend and I noticed a woman reading the Watch Tower (a religious magazine) and the title of one of the articles caught my eye "Did God Use Evolution to Create Life. With all of the debate about Creation v. Evolution, I could not help but to think this is a way bring evolution under the umbrella of religion and how many people are going to feed into that.

 It's not only religion, it's 9/11, it's our enemies (the weapons that are being used to kill our soldiers, I wonder where they got them from), it's the drug trade, education, I can go on and on. When are we going to wake up and stop being apathetic (just as bad as being brainwashed)? We're being blinded and/or misled from the truth and we do nothing about it, it's time for us to wake up.

I guess I am just crazy...

Tomorrow is the official start of the new football season, and I'm ready for it. Although, I live in the area of one my least favorite teams (they shall remain nameless, because my good friend loves them, blah) and my team will suck this year (like any other year), hey they're the only team to truly rep NY, I'm still excited. I have my fantansy team all set up, I'm getting the TV schedules all lined up and NFL network is already set on favorites. I'm hoping for said nameless team to have an alright season but not make the playoffs (sorry you know who), because when they win one game they're super bowl bound (give me an f'ing break and yes I am a hater). My only regret living in this area is that I will probably have to watch either the nameless team games or the Ravens (could be worst, I could live Dallas). I'm ready to see which players are going to be the break out stars or which team will surprise me by making it all the way (can we say Seahawks), will Detroit actually do good this year or will Brett Farve finally retire (sorry man, it's time). In any case I'm ready for some football...