Since the pioneers paved the way, many have amassed substantial wealth from the blood, sweat and tears of those before them. There has been an industry shift that exploits the materialistic yearnings of young people and is used to perpetuate stereotypes and influence cultural and political patterns. Hip Hop has come along way, but who is to be held responsible for all of the negativity it espouses in the mainstream? My answer. Each of us.
Each One Teach One
This has been my personal motto, since around 1994, as a youth coming up in the blossoming Toronto Hip Hop scene. As members of the community, it is our responsibility to ensure the next generation coming up is guided in a way that maintains the essence of what the pioneers laid out before us.
In the video featured here, Run (RUN DMC) brings up some really good points, the main one that impacted me the most was when he said "Hip Hop was created to get people off the streets and out of the gangs", I'm paraphrasing, but I'm sure you get the gist of what I'm saying here.
The video is only about 10 minutes, so if you have the time to take it in now, do drop a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
One love!
