“The goal of an artist is to create the definitive work that cannot be surpased”

Hip Hop culture has inspired, and motivated a large generation of urban youth to persue greatness. Growing up I was (still am) a part of this movement. People often misunderstand Hip Hop culture due to the images that are shown via the media outlets such as television, movies, and etc. The images we see are often tainted and far from what the true “essence” of Hip Hop culture was build upon. The present images we see consist of guns, violence, sex, drugs, and money. Mix that elaborate imagery with excellent content such as hoes, weed smoking, gangs, money over bitches and poof…magically the steryotype is fulfilled. I think that somewhere along the way Hip Hop culture became tainted by the “music industry”. After a certain point and time, the suits and ties decided that sales are more important than content…furthermore, sales are more important than the Hip Hop culture. As a result of this the focus became less on Hip Hop culture, and more on making records that would generate an increase in sales/revenue. Some may argue that at the end of the day this is a business…the “music business”…and with that said the focus should be sales. Correction, Hip Hop culture is different from the “music business”. Hip Hop culture is grafitti, the DJ. Two turn tables and a mike, and freedom of speech. The music business is contractual agreements that bind, album points that don’t add up for the artist, and stipulations that shackle the creative mind. At the end of the day my goal is simple, to keep Hip Hop culture alive with every hook, every verse, and every song. When Nas said Hip Hop is dead I understood what he was saying. Hip Hop is dead in terms of the “music industry” investing in putting real Hip Hop music out. However, true Hip Hop culture will never die as long as we continue to keep it alive. Change is soon to come.

K. Sparks

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