#kool mo dee

Amanda's Infinite Nostalgia Playlist

Wild Wild West -- Will Smith, Dru Hill, Kool Mo Dee, and Sisqó

I love Hip-Hop heads always complain how bad rap has gotten. How rap has warped the minds of our youth to be destructive. So what is the solution? Or fostering the youth into becoming the next KRS-ONE? Zion I? Mos Def?

A couple of months ago I had an opportunity to talk with a rapper/poet friend of mine who is deep in the conscious movement. I ask him how come there isn't a network of conscious rappers handling business and making sure they build a movement against the Big Media weapon. But in  a laughter he says they not on his level. I think that too these conscious rapper have massive ass ego, kind of like a rapper.

But gangsta support each other when they not beefing each other. On Lil Wayne new mixtape he got a rapper named Lil Mouse. Lil Mouse is 13, and looks 9, and raps about killing people, selling drugs, fucking women. Basically being a younger version of Lil Wayne, whom I can't remember being a nice person on wax. The Block is Hot was crazy and his first video was crazy. 

Lil Wayne and other rappers have a network where they try to work with younger artists. That is where its at. The young people control Hip-Hop. Its been that way since the beginning of time. Kinda like Nelly's diss of KRS-ONE which made sense because there is no rapper pension. This is a young man game and I fully understand that now.

So what should Bow Wow talk about? Bow Wow was sheltered rapper. He can't talk about shooting people? Or can he? He got to get paid. Or people who rap in those social justice rap group popping up all over the bay? Are they going to get respect if they spit conscious music? Are we going to be in their music video? The conscious people expect things to happen but the work must be put in. And that work must be validated. They need record sales, support from the community, etc. Without that they just another rapper. 

The moment that sunked in was when I was watching Kool Mo Dee was on Unsung and he was dissing LL Cool J. Saying that smart people liked Kool Mo Dee and dumb people like him. And then I saw what he was wearing. He was rocking his old ass glasses and some yellow jacket like it was 1988. Then I looked at LL: young, hip, and in tune with the culture. Sure LL isn't making money as a rapper but he used that as a springboard to get money. Much like Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Snoop Lion, and other Busta Rhymes. They understand that this a youth-oriented culture. Alot of the old Hip-Hop heads try to say that their Hip-Hop is better because its older. And old Hip-Hop is fine wine because it gets better on your ears.

It doesn't. Actually its the opposite. Entertainment is about moving forward and creating something new. If LL was still talking about Momma said Knock You Out in 1995 then I wouldn't have listened to him. But Doing It is still my song. One of my first videos I remember vividly. But he had to changed throughout the years so he could keep up. Unfortunately the music has somewhat passed him but he used his other skills to get other jobs like movie, TV, and hosting awards show. Jay-Z is a stapled as a "businessman" even though I seriously doubt that. But the rappers with the longevity understand that they must switch it up. Snoop Dogg with drop it like its Hot.

Hip-Hop started being opposite from the Soul Music of 1970's. It was full of tight jeans and Adidas. B-Boy stance and pop locking. Yes some of the fashion has been brought back and rappers sampled songs, but the music has always and will move forward. I didn't know who Lord Finesse was until he sued Mike Miller. Its sad for Lord Finesse because it took for him to sued somebody for us to know who he is.