You know, when I was a kid, my mom constantly questioned my love of Hip-Hop. One of her initial criticisms of the art form was that there was no singing involved; later, she was bothered by the strong language used by groups like NWA and the 2-Live Crew. (One of her favorite rap songs, however, was "The Message" by Grand Master Flash & the Furious Five.) OK, she had a point with the language thing - I mean, not many parents would willingly let their kids listen to songs like "Me So Horny" - but I didn't understand why she hated songs like "Paid In Full" or even "Rapper's Delight". I remember promising myself that no matter how old I got, I would never stop keeping up with current music. That promise is becoming more and more difficult to keep.
I still love Hip-Hop, but listing to the local Clear Channel-owned "Hip-Hop" station has become an exercise in futility. There are exceptions, but most of the songs are just unbearable. I hear almost no lyrical skill, no innovative beats, and even the song titles make me grimmace. ("Stanky Leg"? "Stanky Leg"?! Why not "Busy Leg"? "Shaky Leg"? "Restless Leg Syndrome"? But I digress.) When a friend asked me why I'm always so critical of mainstream Hip-Hop, I responded, "Because I'm tired of hearing it done wrong."
Not long after that conversation, I realized something: Bill Cosby and I have a lot in common.
I don't know what sparked it , but ever since that controversal "Pound Cake" speech, Dr. Cosby hasn't backed down from being critical of Black America when he believes it's warranted; ever since that whole "Jiggy" era, I haven't backed down from being critical of Hip-Hop when it's neccessary. Cosby often turns his listeners off with his bluntness; a friend once warned me that voicing my criticisms of Southern Hip-Hop could get me jumped. I know Cosby does what he does out of love and concern for Black people; I'm more concerned about Hip-Hop than I've never been. Cosby wants us to do right by ourselves and each other, and so do I. But I also want Hip-Hop to do right by its listeners.
But despite my criticisms, no matter how much shit I talk about it, no matter how many times I've wanted to shoot my TV like Elvis after seeing a whack-ass video, I do believe Hip-Hop will get better. It has to.
And when it does, I'll have a Coke and a smile and shut the fuck up.
