Official Blog of Hip Hop Scriptures - Virtual Hip Hop Museum
Last night in Paris, celebrities gathered for a major fashion event hosted by H&M and Isabel Marant. Audrey Tautou, January Jones, Freida Pinto, Alek Wek, Olga Kurylenko, Isabel Marant and other celebrities entered the red carpet. The Sugarhill Gang did a live performance of Rapper's Delight.
Welcome to our first installment of the Top 10 Hip Hop Songs about Hip Hop!
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LL Cool J is a force in the entertainment biz. The Grammy-winning artist has not only tackled the music world, he has also won over audiences with his starring role on the CBS hit drama, NCIS: Los Angeles.
Now, the father of four is taking on a new challenge — the ACE Brand “A” Game Challenge, a contest that asks sports fans and aspiring young athletes to submit video entries showcasing their skills in sports for a chance to win $10,000. The campaign also benefits the non-profit organization, After-School All-Stars.
“My after-school experience was trying to keep my bus pass and hoping I could get home with my new sneakers on,” the star told Parade.com. “So anytime I can do something that benefits kids and gives them an opportunity to have an after-school experience, I’m 100 percent in.”
LL Cool J, 45, talked to Parade.com about going back to his New York roots, the upcoming 100th episode of NCIS: LA, the evolution of hip-hop, and more...read the rest of the interview here
Hip Hop Scriptures had the honor and pleasure of sitting in the audience for an in-depth interview with Dres from Black Sheep (courtesy of the NYC Hudson Union Society)
The room was packed with every demographic that comes to mind, yet Dres was clearly eager to share and seemed to be in a comfort zone. Enjoy his take on several different topics below:
On the meaning behind the album title 'Wolf in Sheep's Clothing': We were a lil' different, the Black Sheep of the Native Tongues [collective]. They were very Afrocentric...we had all of that in our hearts, but you couldn't see it by looking at us.
Being the 1st hip hop group on Jay Leno: Leno was a very cool dude whose head was much larger than all of ours (laughter) - I was thinking he had to be massively intelligent.
Hip hop used to be something you only heard late at night or on the weekends [on television].
Incredible Bass from The Choice is Yours: We got the loop from Hamilton; Lawnge found it. It was actually for Chi (chee). Back then, artists took snippets & embellished them; made it able to rock the party. We just wanted to prove that we belonged, that we fit in & that there were options. Trying to introduce ourselves as an option. Options are what is missing today - everything is monotonous, cookie-cutter.
On the The Choice is Yours (Revisited): In the early 90's, everything was remixed. I wrote three new verses. Mercury records really liked the third verse, but wanted to keep the first two verses from the original. I wanted it to have this really high energy that really didn't exist on records at the time.
How long did it take to compose choice is yours? I write all day. As a lyricist, I always have music in my head...that leads to lyrics. I'm constantly jotting. I pull from so many different sources. I expound on a combination of prolific statements. That's my process & I like it a lot. I have people tell me years later "I just got that [line]" & I love it!
Inspiration for Strobe Light Honey: It was actually from a true life experience. I had met this girl & mind you - I was VERY drunk. On the dance floor, one of the most beautiful girls that ever walked on the face of the earth. She lives deep in New Jersey & invited me to dinner the next day. It was an hour train ride. I remember walking past shacks & tin roofs. That's what her house looked like. The sweater she was wearing looked like a curtain. She looked NOTHING like a woman, let alone the one I was dancing with. A vermin ran across the floor. I told her I was leaving to go buy some ginger ale, and walked back to the train station instead. On the ride home, I thought I" should NEVER drink again". I actually ran into her 3-4 years later. She said "Do I know you?" I knew exactly who she was, & I said "No"
Lessons Learned: We did some things really well, & some things really poorly. We were kids. I got to see the world in the transition of becoming a man. Donald Trump can't buy the lessons that I've learned. I was part of a group that introduced hip hop to middle America. We formed this bridge for others to walk over.
The Black Sheep Breakup: As men, we grew to be in different places. Maybe he was walking, & I took a train. Sometimes you arrive at different times. Once I understood that Philips light owned Polygram who owned Mercury, I realized that it was all about the bottom line. Sometimes you need to look at things from the "roof" & step back. I was missing some shots that I should've made.
Moving Forward: It's so important to discover yourself. I'm still discovering myself & enjoying the ride.
Where did Black Pool of Genius come from? Stevie Wonder is my muse. He is the reason why I started writing songs. Key of Life. That's when I understood the importance of words. "From the black pool of genius" (how Donny referred to Stevie's vast collection) was from a Donny Hathaway cover of Stevie Wonder song. When I heard him say that in the intro, I thought "Wow I want to be in that pool".
On the current state of Hip Hop: I've grown to feel that much how there are subdivisions in jazz & rock, there is the same in hip hop. Most of today's music is rap, not hip hop. Rap music is corporate - how can I sell something? Hip hop is cultural, something you can grow from. It's become a corporate liaison. I look at the program directors, they are the "parents". I look at the artists as ditch diggers; they don't realize the ditch is for them. They'd rather be broken than broke. Hip hop is still growing. I think it will correct itself. It's starting to happen a lil bit now. It's happened time & time again with jazz & rock.
** From the Audience Questions**
Future projects? I feel like my best days are still ahead of me. There's so much good music that I have yet to share. I speak to anyone that speaks to me & I'm "elated" if you ask to take a picture with me.
On writer's block: You just have to not care - to not care is to write anyway. Write about having a problem writing. If you just keep trying, good will come. I promise you you'll get past it. Don't be afraid to fail. Don't be afraid to fall. Embrace it.
Words of advice: Everyday is the opportunity for greatness. I earn a lot that has nothing to do with a dollar.
Family Life: His oldest son Honor is in a band called Cerebral Ballzy. They are the first group signed to adult swim. Honor rounded out the top 3 of NME's 2011 Cool List. He's one of those Skateboard kids that are brilliant. He taught himself to play guitar in 3 months. Dres is an avid golfer, has even won a few tournaments. "I've always been down to learn".
From The Black Pool of Genius Album:
Kanye sat down with BBC's Zane Lowe -
From Part 2 of the interview:
"When someone comes up & says 'I Am A God', everyone says who does he think he is? I just told you who I thought I was...a god! Would it have been better if I had a song called 'I am a N*GGER?! Or if I had a song that says 'I'm a Gangsta'!Or if I had a song that said 'I am a PIMP! All of those colors and patinas fit better, on a person like me, right? But to say you are a god - especially when you got shipped over to the country that you're in & your last name is a slave owner's. How could you say that - how could you have that MENTALITY?"
"People are slowed down by their perceptions of themselves. If you're taught you can't do anything you won't do anything. I was taught I could do everything."
So we all know know Drake lit Twitter on fire last night after releasing the 'Wu-Tang Forever' track from his upcoming NWTS album. Even Inspectah Deck weighed in, expressing what most of us felt. There was so much anticipation and excitement that a Grammy award winning artist such as none other than Drizzy would be paying homage to the Wu in song. There are many who prefer Drake kill the singing on his records, and stick to rapping, so to say expectations were high would be a HUGE understatement.
Terrific_@mickey-knox-monroe: well for 1.. "It's Yourz" is a song from Wu that they made in the 90's.. "Machine gun raps for all my n-ggas in the back is a reference from the song and the first line from Wu's song. He switches up his flow to Raekwon flow when his verse drops like half way through the song. There is so much in this song that has to do with Wu-Tang you just a dumb ass n-gga that don't know shit
MySoundVince: some of the worst music drake has put out this year this album would probably suck but it will still be considered "solid"
My_Purpo$e_97: i just realized that the girl he's talking about is HIPHOP, when he says "your man don't do you right", he means that other rappers aren't real "hiphop". and when he says "if we only f*ckin out of spite", he means that he might only be doing some songs for the money. look here if you don't think i'm right: zumic.com/music-videos/wu-tang…dcloud-audio-lyrics/
Aqua'man Ed: nothing to do with Wu Tang but the beat a sample lol
kaizilla: WHAT THE F*CK THIS SUCKS SO MUCH
Pedro Andres Freire: This dude is gay
trebor17: The World Is Yours by Nas reference? References rappers way better than you is not a good idea
worieL: i hear the raekwon flow and snip of the hook from the original "it's yourz" but other than that, i don't get it .. o_O
Check out the original below:
Later, Cookin Soul released a remix (not even gonna lie, I downloaded this one), with the following statement
"When Drake dropped the song last night we felt it needed more bounce & more Wu-Tang...So we throw in a new deep 808 bass, claps, snares, hats, kicks and the most important... Raekwon, Meth & replayed interpolations of C.R.E.A.M. Enjoy! "
So what do you think...which one is worthy? Post your thoughts below in the comments section.
Nas & Tupac both cared about people, and about the community at large -- about our sons & our daughters; the less fortunate; pregnant teens; convicts with no future, etc. Those that we [society] would rather forget about.
As we reflect this weekend on the life of Tupac Amaru Shakur, while celebrating Nasir Jones’ 40th birthday, let us not forget their message and what they have contributed to not only rap music, but also to the culture known as Hip Hop.
Rap music is essentially stories set to rhyme. But the best stories have a message. The essence of HIP HOP lies in the MESSAGE.
There was a time when that message was to uplift the urban black community. There was a time when that message was used to inspire our youth (whether the song's message was pain, activism, heartache or love).
Those voices became drowned out with the over-promotion of gangsta rap in the 1990’s. Yes, the stories of the “Hustla” goes back even to the 1970’s; especially the Blaxploitation film era. But that story has evolved in so many ways.
Queen Latifah and Will ‘The Fresh Prince’ Smith, for example, are both movie stars now. Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter is a business-man by his own admission. VIBE magazine and BET are more powerful media outlets than ever before with the explosion of social media.Yet, what do we amplify? What do we glorify? Beef. Gossip. Sex tapes. Twerking videos. If Tupac were alive today, think of how he would use the internet and social media to rally his “soldiers”! It would NOT be to direct your attention to the latest twerk video. Yes, World Star Hip Hop -- I’m talking to you.
Our beloved Nas continues the legacy of the message. He used Twitter to bring aid to a homeless family in need of help. He carries on the tradition of hip hop’s true roots – we are one. We are united.
And what of Mr. Shakur’s current fanbase? It continues to grow – and unlike a lot of aging rappers, Tupacs fans almost seem to be getting younger. Yet, we mark his death today, 17 years ago. When I listen to Cinos' Teenage Crime, I hear frustration and anguish similar to that of 2Pac. I also see a generation of young people who still feel like no one cares. As we brace ourselves to intervene in the Syrian rebellion, we do so with the full knowledge that the war in Chicago has spanned decades. Our youth are also still reeling from the unnecessary murder of one Trayvon Martin.
But do we see the stories of Anala Beevers, Carson Huey-You, James Martin, or Zuriel Oduwole pushed through these so-called urban media outlets? Does 106th and Park share inspiring stories such as Misty Copeland or Jaylen Bledsoe? The old saying goes, "The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book. Well, undoubtedly Tupac and Nas are two of the most well-read emcees in history.
PATHS CROSSED
Tupac’s classic track about his gun ‘Me and My Girlfriend’ was inspired by Nas’ conceptual track ‘I Gave You Power’. According to Young Noble of the Outlawz, Tupac heard ‘I Gave You Power’ in a studio out in North Hollywood in the Summer of 1996 and was amazed at the creativity and power of the track. Which is ironic, since Tupac dissed Nas on the same album. (7 Day Theory) [source: hiphop365.com]
What happened to that element of hip hop? Where did it go? Will it ever be welcomed back? Versace, Gucci, and Prada. Most of us (myself included) - cannot afford these labels. I say we cannot afford to continue to be labeled as ignorant, unintelligent, lazy, and so on.
DEMAND A BETTER MESSAGE. Tupac would have and Nas certainly has and continues to be the messenger.
Nas famously declared Hip Hop Was Dead Years ago. Did Hip Hop's true message die along with 2Pac on September 13, 1996?
“I’m never gonna die, never heard of death, energy can never be destroyed – only the flesh. So when you try to murder me with bullets to the head, this is why you can’t kill me, n-ggas, I’m already dead.” – NAS ‘Eye 4 an Eye’
Nas performs 'You Wouldn't Understand' on The Arsenio Hall Show, lauds Arsenio "the OFFICIAL King of late night television", hears how he inspired Arsenio's return & gives thoughts on turning 40!
MCHG dropped within weeks of J. Cole’s Born Sinner, which has been lauded as classic and skillfully eluded the sophomore slump. Yet, there were no Jay features. However, the ‘Let Nas Down’ remix featured none other than The Don himself. The Cole/Nas collabo was nothing short of epic, but we have all collectively moved on. Cole will soon go on tour with Wale but the internet and general public is buzzing (and will be for quite some time) about the Yeezus tour featuring none other than Mr. Kendrick Lamar. Not even a week ago we were gushing about the fact that Hov is featured on NWTS Pound Cake outro; which begs the question – what about J. Cole? Or Big Sean for that matter?
We might not belabor the point was it not for the fact that both of these artists JUST dropped their sophomore efforts, and in what many considered a big way. I mean it’s almost laughable to call your album 'Hall of Fame' and not even be tapped to go on tour with your Hall of Fame worthy mentor / rap icon / self-acclaimed g-o-d Kanye West.
Jay-Z introduced J. Cole to the world on Blueprint III and as of late, appears to be giving him the cold shoulder. One could argue that Jay was just obliging Drake’s request, but he actually took it a step further and implied that he was passing him the torch – REALLY?
And how serious can we take Kanye’s co-sign to Big Sean’s potential when you Jennifer Aniston’ed your protégé for hip hop’s current hottie from Compton?
It just goes to show the rap game can be Heartless, make you lose Control just when you thought you were headed for the Hall of Fame or thought it was a Cole World after all.
From hushtours.com :
Hush Tours is the premiere company offering Hip Hop Tours!
Our guests are indulged in the Four Elements: DJing, MCing, B-Boy/B-Girl dance techniques, and Graffiti artistry. Since June 2002, we have been inviting our guests to join us in celebration of New York City as the birthplace of Hip Hop culture!
We have been featured on MTV, VH1, BET and The Fuse Network along with numerous other national and international press outlets. Leading Tour Operator for Vh1′s Hip Hop Honors Week.
Owned and operated by Native New Yorkers with your Legendary Hip Hop artists as your guides, we know the “ins & outs” of the area… We know the hotels, restaurants, attractions, museums, shopping, and favorite leisure-time activities to make your group event fun and memorable.
http://pitchfork.com/news/52017-watch-kendrick-lamar-schoolboy-q-ab-soul-jay-rock-in-short-documentary-about-tde/
DJ Kool Herc, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Roxanne Shante, Marley Marl and the Soulsonic Force played the SummerStage event.
Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/71955#1eAoGcC6MqKT6iCv.99
Click below for details!
http://www.missinfo.tv/index.php/did-jay-z-and-beyonce-buy-chicagos-regal-theater/
Be sure to watch Michael Rappaport's documentary detailing super group A Tribe Called Quest's rise and eventual breakdown - currently available on
