Hip Hop Quotable: A Re-Visit

One of my homies posted this interview with Killer Mike on his blog the other day. I watched the video and concluded that this is some of the REALEST words ever delivered by a Hip Hop artist. I'm no stranger to Mike as I've read his interviews before. I've even ran into him upon occasion at video shoots and what not. Anyway, I've been a supporter/fan for a minute. His point of view on a lot of things coincide with mine and that may be the reason why I gravitate to his music. Kinda like how Kanye's music really meant SO much more on the first album as oppose to the third. Not knocking Mr. West, but the relatability (if that's a word) just isn't as present.

Anyway, here's the video I referenced followed by a blog I wrote on my Myspace page from September 5, 2006. Enjoy!!




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Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Hip Hop Quotable
Current mood: Encouraged, Confused, Energetic, AWARE!!
Category: Encouraged, Confused, Energetic, AWARE!! Music

I came across this song while perusing through the pages of MySpace. The song is called "That's Life" by Killer Mike. If you haven't heard it, you are TRULY missing out on something special. The song is VERY thought-provoking while at the same time backs up many beliefs that some of us have had for a LONG time now.

Just beware, he takes jabs at some of our so-called heros but I feel that it's TOTALLY justified. Here are some excerpts from the lyrics:

"They say I dissed Oprah, I'm like "So What!" / I'll never get to jump up and down on a sofa / Now watch me as I Cruise like Tom through the slum / Where the education's poor and the children's going dumb / In the section of the city where siddities don't come / Where Mr. Cosby and Ms. Winfrey won't come / Unless it's a hurricane and FEMA don't come / Comin' live from the city where the dreamer came from..."

It does make me think, Oprah has a whole lot of cheese and by right, she can do whatever she feels with it. Hell, she EARNED it. However, I would like to understand the mindframe of the individual that can send a LOT of money and support overseas to Africa and other places while her own backyard (Chicago) is in shambles. Bill Cosby has been making some very pertinent speeches in public forums about the state of Black folks, but when was the last time he was amongst the people he's referring to??...Sat down and talked to them like human beings, had dinner with them, gave them something other than rhetoric that seems to always fall on deaf ears and the people who NEEDS to hear it, never does.

Here's another excerpt from "That's Life":

"Call me a dumb rapper, girl stop, pardon me / You'll be hard pressed to find another rapper smart as me / Maybe Jay-Z, 2Pac, or C-U-B-E / But Oprah rather put Superhead on TV / Now what your white audience gonna think about we? / The SAME white audience that watch Bill O'Reilly / I saw the smirk on they face when you came at Luda / Them SAME nice ladies that forgave Marth Stewart / So I can be a crook, take money off the books / Just as long as I'm liked by a rich man's wife???"

This is pretty much self-explanatory. For those not in the light, when Ludacris was a part of the cast of "Crash", she condemned him for the vulgarness of his lyrics and the show was pretty much edited not to include him. Mind you, he was there with his fellow ACTORS and ACTRESSES to talk about what ended up being the "Movie Of The Year"...Not his rap lyrics. He wasn't there with DTP or anyone else associated with his music. He was there as Chris Bridges. Why attack his lyrics?? Once again, I just DON'T understand.

At the SAME time though, Oprah put Karrine "Super Head" Stephens on her show to talk about her book and her numerous affairs with rappers and others in the Hip Hop community. WTF!?! We ALL know how powerful Oprah is when it comes to her influence on her demographic. Out of ALL the other young, positive, black women out there with stories and books just as compelling, you give HER the spotlight!! WoW!! How do you think THEY are gonna look at us now? Who's side are you on anyway??

Here's another excerpt...

"The comment Kanye made was damn near right / But Bush Hate Poor People be it Black or White / Hell yeah, I said it, cause Oprah won't say it / And Bill won't say it..and they STILL won't say it / If you really bout intelligence, you really know I'm right / If you lookin' for some leadership, look for Killer Mike"

I'm not saying that Killer Mike is the next-coming of MLK although, as he points out in the song, he's "Comin' live from the same city where the Dreamer came from / Standin' on the same corners that he stood upon". I just think we should re-evaluate who we cal our leaders. Shouldn't the leaders be in the community (not neccessarily saying 'Live There'), trying to help the people as oppose to being behind a podium chastising folks???? Shouldn't they be there at OTHER times, NOT just when it's a tragedy????

I encourage ALL to please check out this song and the others on the page. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED...THAT'S A PROMISE!!

www.myspace.com/grindtimeonline

Special Shout to the homie Grind Time Misses at:
www.myspace.com/bankhead_goddess


That is all.

For Now....

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What's ironic to me NOW is that Oprah and other popular news outlets have been pawns to Barbara Walters promoting her memoirs (book that tells of the unethical behavior patterns), but hip hop artists are CONSTANTLY being held to the fire.

I applaud Ms. Walters for coming out about fucking a married senator. Kudos to her. But where is the media backlash??

That's right, they're too busy attacking rap artists. Most of the rap artists that the media attack nowadays will be OUTTA HERE in 3-5 years. That's just being real. However, a media legion, icon, ground-breaking entity as Barbara Walters will NEVER be repremanded or even asked to apologize for what she's done.

Double standard?

I say, "Hell Yes!!"

What's Your Thoughts??