When Chuck D Speaks the true voice of Hip Hop it's time we all listen!
Rappers are making their voices heard in song and on the ground in
Ferguson, Missouri, in the wake of Michael Brown's shooting death,
channeling hip-hop's earlier roots when the genre worked as a voice for
the oppressed and spoke out against injustice.
"It's really
important to see hip-hop's role of being some grown-ups and doing some
really stand-up, grown-up stuff," Public Enemy's Chuck D, one of rap's
most powerful voices, said in a recent interview. "These people have
actually stood up ... and that has to be saluted."
The Rock and
Roll Hall of Famer said he's impressed with rappers such as J. Cole, who
released a heartaching, tearful song called "Be Free" inspired by
Brown, the unarmed 18-year-old who was shot to death by a Ferguson
officer on Aug. 9.
Others in rap also have lifted their voices:
Talib Kweli, like J. Cole, marched in Ferguson and spoke out about
injustice; David Banner appeared on CNN; Nelly started a scholarship for
teens in honor of Brown; and Lauryn Hill dedicated her song "Black
Rage" — which uses some of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "My Favorite
Things" — to the Ferguson community.
"When the dogs bite, when the
beatings, when I'm feeling sad I simply remember all these kinds of
things and then I don't feel so bad," she sings.
The largest
hip-hop gesture for Brown, who was an aspiring rapper, came Wednesday
when the Game released the song "Don't Shoot," in which he's joined by
all-stars like Diddy, Rick Ross and 2 Chainz, among others. Sales from
the song will benefit the Mike Brown Memorial Fund on GoFundMe, which
has raised nearly $300,000 in two weeks.
"I wanted to do my part
in bringing awareness to it, so that at the end of the day that I can
sleep well knowing that I used my voice correctly," the Game said in an
interview Thursday.
Other black entertainers have spoken out
including Kerry Washington, Jesse Williams and Spike Lee, who attended
Brown's funeral on Monday. At a concert last week where he performed
Marvin Gaye's seminal "What's Going On?" at the Hollywood Bowl, John
Legend wore a shirt that said "don't shoot."
While a number of
members of the rap community have come out in support of Ferguson —
including Russell Simmons, Killer Mike, Young Jeezy and Wiz Khalifa —
others have wondered if hip-hop's most prolific and popular stars will
chime in, from Jay Z to Pharrell to Kanye West to Lil Wayne.
"I
don't believe everyone has a role for this, and I also don't believe
quantity takes over as quality. I think we have a quality combination in
there," Chuck D said.
Though hip-hop has been criticized for
glorifying sex and violence, its musicians have a history of standing up
against perceived injustice, especially in the genre's early years,
with songs like "Fight the Power" and "The Message." A more recent
example came after Trayvon Martin's death in 2012.
Last week, T.I.
released the song "New National Anthem," which he wrote after the July
2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of 17-year-old Martin.
He says he hopes to start a dialogue between the community, city
leaders and police.
"This is not to divide race, color,
generation, region. This is not to incite or encourage people to go
against to the police. This is to bring about change by way of creating
awareness of the current status in America in these inner city areas for
our young black men and young black people," the rapper said in a
recent interview.
T.I. said songs like his and J. Cole's can serve as a voice for those who don't have a platform like famous rappers.
"We
are the voice for those without a voice," he said. "Our messages reach
the ears of people that most common men in America can't reach, and I
think that has to be used to the advantage and the greater good of the
masses."
___
AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson contributed to this report.
Great article! Thanks for writing & posting it Belinda Trotter-James, Ryan Pearson & B SHAW ENTERTAINMENT! Real actual genuine heart feeling change happens when we all play well together. From little increments to giant exponential leaps! ~ :D
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