I’m sure plenty of our parents and grand-parents have prattled off this timeless cliché a time or two: Shoot for the moon because even if you miss, you will be amongst the stars. It is common elder speak. They want their brood to be more successful and happier than they were and they know unless you strike oil in your backyard that success comes from one thing and one thing only; hard work. The x-factor in all of this, of course, is your personal definition of the moon.

I know there are folks who have these massively sincere and generous ideas of what that means to them. They want to engender world peace, end hunger, save the woodchucks. However, if you listen to Hip Hop, it would appear the majority of this nation has a more selfish agenda. The rap proletariat’s moon isn’t made of cheese. It’s made of money, power and respect.

The world according to Tony Montana dictates that the money comes first. If that’s the case then the penniless wield no power. It also means no one will respect you if you are broke. So how much money is money? What does your fiscal bottom line have to be before somebody respects you? Does it matter where that money came from? Selling your soul to Satan for a tricked out ride and a shiny chain is common and I would assume totally respectable if it doesn’t. Our ass backwards view of wealth also comes into play as we see folks with the so-called accoutrements of success.

When I see some brand spanking new rapper with $100,000 worth of ice on their body as they drive by in a car worth just as much, I don’t see someone who has money. I see someone who had money and then chose to give it away. Or worse yet, someone who is being paid with things instead of cash. The only power that provides is magnetizing you to every gold-digger (male or female) who decided they would rather rape and pillage your moon than shoot for their own. There isn’t a damn thing respectable about that.

Then there is power. The only kind of power I pray for is of a personal nature; being able to hold my tongue or fists when people around me get out of pocket, being able to say no when grandma offers me that second slice of cake and being able to let bullshit walk regardless of how much I want to be vengeful. Now that’s power. These industry dudes see it in a whole different light though.

Tastemaking and agenda setting in Hip Hop aren’t physical control. They are mental control. The sheep are generally herded to whatever pin the powers that be see fit and most go with the flow, bobbing their heads to the piped in beat. If you see it that way, then power for most of us is a fallacy. It can even be worse for the artists. Do as you are told by the suits or catch a one way ticket back to whatever it was you were doing before you started rhyming. I guess the only power you have at that point is picking a window or an aisle seat and that too is totally based on whether or not you have those extra $15 that afford you that choice. Honestly, I think that’s more power than that artist would have ever had if they stayed.

Then, there is respect. The promise of anonymity and the lack of physical confrontation have made the internet a very disrespectful place. Many writers and their readers have made disrespect their shtick. Artists as well spend more time disrespecting the Hip Hop brethren than they give to their latest projects and in their beef downtime lament how little respect they receive.

You want to be respected? Then act like it. Youtube videos with 28 dudes pointing guns at the camera do not command respect. They command pity in most cases; fear in others (very few others). Spending months, sometimes years bitchin about what some other rapper said about you when you are standing on the brink of obscurity does not command respect. It commands a head tilt and a question mark because you didn’t try to make the most of that golden opportunity. Sometimes doing everything right doesn’t command respect because whether you like it or not, there are some people who will never respect you.

The bottom line?

Money in itself will never bring you happiness. Power is wielded by the educated and respect is something you have to give to receive. Recognize that the labels sell you fantasy and your favorite artist rarely tells you their truth. Understand that allowing your dreams to be handed to you through a music video is as far from powerful as one can get. And realize how incredibly impressionable the Hip Hop Nation has become. It’s up to you to determine what your moon is, not some suit at Sony. I don’t give a damn what Lil Kim says.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.