Journey Back to Hip-Hop

Big Daddy Kane, “Ain’t no half Steppin”. That was my first vinyl record. The one that I went into the little record store on St. Johns Place and purchased on my own. That was the beginning of my musical independence and my public declaration of a new found love. A love for Hip-Hop. Every Friday night I would wait for that one Hip-Hop show that would come on the radio around 10 PM, just so I could hear the new rap songs. My boom box was ready with a blank cassette, to record the show. Then it was time to play it back and write down the lyrics. I was dedicated. I’d memorize the lyrics and when those late night songs made it mainstream I was ready, reciting the lyrics as if they were my own. I was in love with the beats and lyrics of Big Daddy Kane, Ice T, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, X-Clan, Poor Righteous Teachers, KRS-One, Special Ed, Nice & Smooth, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, LL Cool J, De La Soul, Onyx, Heavy D, Question Mark Asylum, Tupac... to name a few. I loved the energy of Hip-Hop, the release that it provided. Growing up in a neighborhood where your neighbor was the neighborhood drug queen, crack heads were the norm on the Ave. So if you walked down the street alone at night, you could easily get your bamboo earrings snatched. Cops weren't there to protect you, they were either there chasing some thief up the block, guns in hand, bullets flying or they were regular customers helping the queen pin's business thrive. In that place, Hip-Hop was something I could relate to. I wrapped the whole culture around me, absorbed it and it came out through my pores. I ate, drank & slept Hip-Hop. I wore baggy jeans, gold fronts & two finger rings to show how fresh & hard I was. I was light as a rock personified. Hip-Hop kept me safe when no one else could. Then it was time for college, books, boys and Hip-Hop was fading away. There were less & less quality artists coming into the mainstream and Hip-Hop was getting more shinny & less gritty. And I too was changing, becoming less Hip-Hop and more R & B. Fast forward a decade… After having a beautiful daughter, moving out of NYC and back, I find myself in a position to do some volunteer work. A friend of a friend sends me an email about a company called Brooklyn Bodega that was looking for volunteers and I decide to check them out. Just like that, I’m immersed in the world of Hip-Hop. Black Thought said it perfectly in Brown Sugar, ‘like a forced marriage, it was predetermined. I was gonna be dealing with Hip-Hop whether I wanted to or not.’ I went from MIA in Hip-Hop to regularly attending underground shows, meeting talented up and coming MC’s and blasting a variety of new artists in my car. Nowadays I might find myself at a Kalae AllDay video shoot, catching YC the Cynic, Ciph Diggy, Khalil Kash performing or WordSpit in a cipher outside of the Bowery Poetry Club. No need to turn on the radio. I have a new arsenal of music I rock to, including (but not limited to) Homeboy Sandman, Those Chosen, Freddie Gibbs, SleepWalkas, Eric Sosa, Children of the Night and Gypsy Flesh. As I await the culmination of many sleepless nights, excitement begins to take over. I prepare to be part of a monumental Hip-Hop event: the 2010 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. I awake with excitement & anticipation the dawn before the main event. I was prepared for the shit storm because ‘everything that can go wrong, will go wrong,’ my professor used to say. Fortunately, everything went relatively smoothly while being hectic at the same time. Not even the pouring rain could compel the growing crowd of Hip-Hop lovers in attendance. The best moments for me were watching Dres of Black Sheep, Nice & Smooth, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and finally De La Soul perform. Watching them took me back to the days when I first fell so deeply in love with Hip-Hop. When De La Soul took over the stage I was that 12 year old kid again, watching in complete delight and awe. They delivered an energetic performance that captivated the crowd and did not release them until the show was completely over. I still pop my Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Slick Rick, De La Soul and Nice & Smooth, cassettes in my cars’ tape deck every now and again. On those occasions I reminisce about those early days when Hip-Hop was a brand new art form. It’s been such an exciting journey watching Hip-Hop grow, change, become more widespread and diverse. I love being part of something much larger than me. I love being part of Hip-Hop! FOLLOW EBONY PEACE ON TWITTER @EBONYPEACE READ DE LA SOUL INTERVIEW READ PETE ROCK INTERVIEW READ DJ SPINNA INTERVIEW READ BHF10 RECAP READ BHF FAMILY DAY RECAP

Craig Robinson Hosts VH1 Hip Hop Honors

As a comedian, Craig Robinson knows how to work a crowd. But he says he isn't sure why VH1 chose him to host this year's Hip Hop Honors. "I kidnapped Tracy Morgan," the Office star joked to TVGuide.com. "I don't know how I got chosen [but] it was so much fun; one of the best experiences in my career." Meet the new host of Last Comic Standing This year's ceremony, which was taped Thursday and will air Monday at 9/8c, pays tribute to the "Dirty South." This was the first year the show focused on a specific region. Featured guests included 2 Live Crew, Master P, and Timbaland. Although he always liked "the dirty, dirty," Robinson says he now wants to learn more about the region's contribution to hip-hop. "I got to go back and do my research and get up on these cats, because it was just mad love and it was great," he said. The show, which started in 2004, has been previously hosted by Morgan, Vivica A. Fox and MC Lyte, Rev. Run and Russell Simmons, and Ice T. Robinson says viewers will definitely be entertained by this year's show. "From one act to the next, everybody came to put it down. The packages that they did gave extended time to each honoree talking about the music and influence — a lot of love and support went into it." America's Got Talent and Last Comic Standing get return dates Robinson's hosting gig will air opposite the premiere of his other new hosting gig on Last Comic Standing. Which one will he support on Monday night? From Seattlepi

Salon Stories:Focus On Relationships

Brooklyn emcee Kel Spencer partners with hair care brand for music project highlighting male/female relationships. The Salon Stories project is being launched heavily within the digital space and features in-salon listening events, college radio/campus activities and reality show snippets. For online enthusiasts, a Salon Stories microsite and Twitter page will be a destination where visitors communicate and tweet about relationships. Topping off the experience is the music and the exciting live set Kel brings forth as an entertainer. In addition to hosting duties courtesy of MC Lyte, the album includes guest stars from diverse musical backgrounds, including Jesse Boykins III, Q-Tip, Chico Benymon (UPN-Half & Half), Amanda Diva, Def Poets Shanelle Gabriel & Rivaflowz, Lydia Caesar, among others. Visit www.twitter.com/salonstories or www.twitter.com/kelspencer for more information. Kel Spencer's Salon Stories is available now on iTunes, Rhapsody, amazon.com and other online retailers.

Ladies Day Video Edition

As we get into the issue of women in Hip-Hop today on the radio and next month at Show and Prove. I wanted to drop some old school classics from Hip-Hop's elder female statesmen. Back when this issue didn't seem so difficult.

RIP to Female MC’s???

So I guess someone on Sirius said some slick shit. Eternia was not pleased. Following up on the great event for Female MC's at Sputnik over Labor Day, the Bodega will be giving the ladies some shine on Oct 20th for 'Show and Prove'

Raven’s Interview with MC Lyte

Check out the interview with the legendary MC Lyte conducted by our own Ms Raven. Outside of the Sputnik gig this past weekend.

Mc Lyte/Raven Sputnik Interview from Nightfall 914 on Vimeo.

Top 10 Things I Like and Don’t Like About The New Generation of Hip-Hop Artists

Top 10 Things I Like and Don’t Like About The New Generation of Hip-Hop Artists 1. Fashion Sense – The whole 8XL white tee thing was wack. We not on Rikers Island. You can have some diversity in your wardrobe. White T’s, Jeans and white on white 1’s can only be done but so many ways. 2. The independent spirit – Most of these dudes don’t have proper deals, as I knew them to be. Sure Cudi, Asher Roth and those guys are signed but there is so much good music being released by entrepreneurs. 3. The Kanye-fication – The Louis Viton Don has set a dangerous precedent for some. His hyper arrogance and tendencies for temper tantrums have led too many to believe that is the way things get done. Kanye’s emotional, soul-baring package obscures his dedication to the craft and years of hard work. Too many people think all you need is the attitude. Not the case. 4. Tight Jeans – If I were skinnier this would not be a problem. But I’m not, so it is. I’m just hatin. 5. Hip-Hop Elijah generation – These cats are the first real Hip-Hop babies. The only Hip-Hop they know is the ubiquitous, all powerful cultural force. They don’t know about the glass ceiling – sales wise – that Hammer, RUN DMC, The Beasties, Puff and Vanilla Ice smashed. They enter the game with the full knowledge of how powerful and profitable Hip-Hop is. 6. No more two dudes holding their nuts – Maybe it’s the integrated schools they attended which lead to their exposure to rock and punk but these kids are focused on their stage shows. No more standing on stage screaming at the soundman. This is a positive by product of #3. 7. What happened to the DJ? – Somewhere along the line two turntables and a mic were deemed inadequate. Not everyone needs a band. Hip-Hop’s roots are as a digital music. The SP-1200, the MPC and so on. Not that we can’t grow and add on but despite the success of the Roots having live instruments does automatically make you better. In fact it can make you worse, much worse. Depending on who you are DJ Scratch can serve you better than Questlove (is anybody watching that Jimmy Fallon show, btw). 8. Where is MC Lyte – The women are grossly under-represented in this new generation. Outside of Kid Sister (whose 15 minutes are seemingly up already) where are the ladies? They are in the crowd but not on stage. 9. The women are here – I feel like these cats attract more female fans than the days of The Arsonists and Company Flow. That is a good thing 10. Serato – If you have ever had to pack, carry, or ship crates of records you feel me on this.