KRS-One on the State of Hip Hop
from the Santa Fe Reporter [reprinted without permission]
How do you feel about the state of hip-hop right now?
Hip-hop is doing very well, rap is struggling. Rap music is dropping 15 percent every three months yet it is 60 percent of all music sold. Gospel, jazz, rock, alternative, speed metal, house, all that is 40 percent. Rap music is…dropping. The music industry is in trouble. And you know why it's in trouble? Because when you turn on the TV, what do you see? Garbage.
People ain't stupid. They can blame it on the Internet all day but nobody wants to be called a bitch and a ho and a nigger and a thug all day and all night. Nobody is going put their money down on that. But that's all you see on the TV, that's all they're promoting. We knew in 1992 when vinyl got snatched off the market that something was going down. Don't get me wrong, we love CDs…but they tried to kill the DJ, kill the conscious lyricist, all the conscious lyrics we were doing so we can't get radio play, can't get in the stores, can't get a decent interview. They killed the market.
BIG UP KRS-ONE!!
Sunday, January 30, 2005
With the Declaration of Peace displayed prominently behind him, the Teacha, KRS-ONE, took the podium again. “Hiphop is a term that describes our independent collective consciousness. Ever growing, it is commonly expressed through such elements as Breakin, Emceein, Graffiti Art, Deejayin, Beatboxin, Street Fashion, Street Language, Street Knowledge and Street Entrepreneurialism.” To about 75 Temple Members, the Teacha asked “Who is your true family?” The Teacha explained that the beginning of one’s oppression and hardship in life begins with the level of support one receives from one’s family. That in order to create peace and prosperity family unity is a must. However, who is your family? The ones that support the real you are your true family.
http://www.templeofhiphop.org/
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