Growing up, I listened to hip hop music and its effect on my mental development is still felt today. I remember being introduced to rap music and R&B by my older brother, who made me feel the rhythm of black art and who explained the metaphors behind their catchy lines and tropes. I am talking about early 90's up till late in the decade. I loved the sound of Boyz II Men, R.kelly, TLC, Tupac, KRS 1, Heavy D, Nas, Wu Tang and other purveyors of the art.
Decades on, I still enjoy hip hop music and R& B but only that the art has become somewhat diluted. Now the sound is watery and commercialized and the rap itself is not as metaphorical as it used to be. What will bring back the sound of yester years when Biggie Smalls 'lived for the funk' or 2pac wanted us to 'picture him rolling'. Such fabulous masterpieces we never seem to hear again in this age of auto tune and codeine high rappers.
Consolation today comes from the fact that Hip Hop is still alive in new age artists like Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, and other up coming artists with flair for the spoken word. Perhaps with them and the legacy laid down by the fathers of rap and R&B, the soul of the Negro, once reposed in the art form later accepted all over the world will live on for the coming generations to enjoy and appreciate.
Black History lives on in urban music. Enjoy it.
Aluta continua
Wale Owoeye Esq.
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