The Death of the Female MC

Ok, ok I just finished listening to some new CD’s and checked out a few blogs about some very promising MC’s coming up in the game. Wale (hot, hot, hot CD), Kid Cudi and Drake are all on a path of success in the music industry. Then it hit me, other than Nicki Minaj, I can’t really speak on any other hot females coming out. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very talented female MC’s in the game right now. My favorites include Jean Grae, Rah Digga, MC Lyte (from back in the day) and a few others. But damn, where are all the female rappers now? I know I might date myself a bit but growing up there were female MC’s left and right. I remember female trailblazers such as Roxanne Shante, Sweet T, Monie Love and the one and only Queen Latifah. Yes I know the game changes and these guys move on to bigger and better things, such as acting or running production companies or labels, but still where is the breeding ground for new female MC’s? Is it because the industry does not accept or help groom female rappers as easily they do their male counterparts? Are too many women rappers trying to use sex appeal to break into the industry. Do female rappers not sell? Do we as the listening audience think that they are not credible? Are we truly seeing the death of the female MC!

I am even seeing true veterans of hip hop starting to recognize that lack of women in Hip Hop. Public Enemy rapper Chuck D fears the hip-hop scene is dying because there's a lack of good female rappers. The performer-turned-label boss insists the industry needs new talent, and promises to spend 2009 pushing the careers of young wannabe women MCs. He will start with up-and-comers Creww Grrl Order, who are signed to his label SLAMjamz. Chuck D says, "In 09, my fighting the power is for women in hip-hop, especially groups, producers, songwriters, and label heads. "There are very, very few all women rap groups. Less than we had 25 years ago."

Too many questions and not enough answers for me to even cover right now. I just wanted to plant the seed so that we as hip hop fans, consumers and supporters recognize a problem within the genre.

Below is a video from Nicki Minaj and her take on the situation:

He's the King, I'm the DJ! JAZZY JEFF and MICHAEL JACKSON mixtape

From the mind of possibly the best DJ ever to touch the turntables, and we already know Mike was and will always be the BEST! ENJOY!



CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop – M.K. Asante Jr. [Review]

Originally posted on: The Hip Hop Democrat (http://thehiphopdemocrat.com)


Reviews by Sana Arshad on October 28, 2009

M.K. Asante, Jr.’s “It’s Bigger than Hip Hop: The Rise of the Post-Hip-Hop Generation” 259 pages © 2008 is a successful attempt to remind hip hoppers that hip hop has been and should be more than just entertainment. He more eloquently compared the book to “snatching the mattresses from beneath our slumbering selves” and opting instead to sleep on the hard floor of a prison cell avoiding the danger of getting comfortable with the status quo.

Asante, an award winning filmmaker, author and professor before the age of 30, explains why so many may be upset with the direction of hip hop today.

Hip hop artists are predominately black males and since it became clear that hip hop was profitable record executives have not been black or hip hop for that matter. Asante likens this disconnect as colonial-like and one of the many ills of hip hop.

The “big four music companies (aptly called parent companies), Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, EMI Group and Warner Music Group account for 81.87% of the U.S. music market and supply retailers with 90% of the music according to Nielsen SoundScan music business likened to colonialism.”

Contrary to what it looks like there are no black males in executive positions at any of the parent labels. The subsidiary companies P. Diddy’s Bad Boy (owned by Warner), Lil’ Wayne’s Yung Money (owned by Universal), Russell Simmon’s Def Jam (sold to Universal in 1999) and Jay-Z’s Roc-a-Fella (another sub of Universal) are the colonies of the Big Four parent/mother companies.

“The mother countries go to the colonies and extract the raw materials like rubber, cocoa or gold to be finished and made saleable for the marketplaces of the mother country and back to the same colonies from which the raw materials were extracted in the first place.”

“So the inner city with its poverty, poor schools, drugs, police terrorism, etc. provides the raw materials needed to produce rap.” The result, the successful commercialism of hip hop benefits the parent companies and hurts those that are instrumental in producing it.

Beyond the colonial comparison Asante’s book contains discussions with Assata Shakur, dead prez, quotes from a number of hip hop artists, a nice historical lesson on the life of hip hop and the ghetto, an insightful discussion of the disconnect between hip hoppers and the Civil Rights leaders who focus on content rather than the sponsors of rap (parent record companies) as well as the incestuous connection between the prison system and the lobbyist that push laws to keep those prisons filled.

By midway through the book you can feel Asante calling you to act, encouraging artists to be artivists, listeners to be conscious of the badman box consumerism of hip hop has created, which they do not have to live in (and shouldn’t since it often leads to jail and the continuation of ghetto life) and separate the “real” from the “reel” daring to unlock their imaginations.

Quotes of author and quoted by author:

“When you make an observation, you have an obligation.”

“Each generation,out of relative obscurity, must discover their destiny and either fulfill or betray it.” Frantz Fanon

“The present was an egg laid by the past that had the future inside its shell.” Zora Neale Hurston

“American golden rule: those with the gold make the rules.”

“By focusing on the content, they unskillfully avoid the tough questions: Who sponsors rap? Who buys the most rap? Who backs ignorance? Who owns radio stations?”

“In the end, we conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” Baba Dioum

For more info: READ the book! Peep the filmography (by any medium necessary) and bibliography for additional reading. Visit www.colapublib.org/ and www.lapl.org

Independent Artist Hustle: So Supreme

This is the first of many independent artist articles I will be adding to my blog. Now I am not going to spotlight every independent artist I run across and and do a posting, but I will review many artist and and post an article based off of a few factors. These factors include current exposure, radio spins, are they creating a buzz etc. So first up is an artist named So Supreme out of the ATL.



Click Here to Listen and Download >>>>>>> CLICK HERE

Finally! A street rapper with African roots has arrived. Born of Nigerian blood, raised in the streets of America, So Supreme is an international superstar representing the millions and millions of Nigerians worldwide and now stakes his claim in the music industry.

In an industry filled with so many artist trying to push ahead, So Supreme not only is the name of one of the hottest MC's in the business, but it is also an attitude that is set to take him and his music to the next level. Currently based in Atlanta, GA he is poised to create a buzz and establish himself in the Hip Hop music scene. Influenced by the likes of Nas, Jay Z and Outkast, So Supreme creates a vivid image of street life in his music and words. So Supreme’s latest single currently heating up the clubs in Atlanta “I’m a Problem”, features one of the industry’s hottest rappers Lil Wayne! Hot tracks, mix tapes or live performances, So Supreme’s motivation and definition of success is being on top of the game. He believes the best way to succeed in today’s music industry is to offer the people something new in the music game, blaze your own trails and let your music do the talking.

As C.E.O of Against the Wall records, So Supreme is crafted in both the business and entertainment side of Hip Hop. With two street albums already dropped independently he has fans waiting for the third. The experience, determination and drive that fuels his work ethic can only mean one thing to the industry, that So Supreme is a problem.

VH1 Hip Hop Honors 2009

The 6th annual “VH1 Hip Hop Honors” show will commemorate the 25th anniversary of Def Jam Records, as talents from across all artistic genres come together to celebrate this significant milestone in American hip-hop music.

“VH1 Hip Hop Honors 2009″ will be taped from the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn, New York. “30 Rock’s” Tracy Morgan returns as host for the 3rd year, as he will be joined many of hip-hop’s biggest luminaries. The “VH1 Hip Hop Honors 2009″ broadcast will premiere on VH1 on Tuesday, October 13 at 9PM ET/PT.

Def Jam has launched the careers of some of the biggest names in music history and has inspired other emerging labels and artists. Special homage will be paid to the architects of the label, Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, Kevin Liles, Lyor Cohen, Julie Greenwald, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Antonio “L.A.” Reid (Chairman Island Def Jam Music Group). Presenters and performers honor the history and the legacy of Def Jam Records through never-seen-before interviews, archival footage and special musical performances of some of Def Jam’s greatest hits. It promises to be a night that will showcase how Def Jam came and remains to be one of the premier record labels of hip-hop music.

www.oldschoolscholar.com

Ran across this site today and I thought I should pass it on to my readers. The site is called www.oldschoolscholar.com

Check it out, Old School Scholar: The University of Hip Hop Culture, has created a global symposium providing the highest order of education, inspiration, editorial, media, news and resources in all major aspects of Hip Hop Culture. The Old School Scholar Vision is to establish a foundation for life-long growth in the Hip Hop culture beginning with the roots of our Old School pioneers, and to offer opportunities for contributors and members that are tradition based and socially oriented.

In pursuing this vision, Oldschoolscholar.com reaffirm their commitment to diversity within The University of Hip Hop Culture. Their faculty members and contributors strive to be inspiring scholars as well as social, artistic, professional, and intellectual leaders. Furthermore, we endeavor to educate, expand, and amplify authentic Hip Hop culture throughout the world, and to enhance the quality of the community’s cultural, aesthetic life.

"Two Turntables and a Microphone", The Jam Master Jay Story

The late Jam Master Jay lives on thanks to family, friends and fans in a documentary that called, “Two Turntables and a Microphone”. We all know about the famous group RUN DMC and there DJ, Jam Master Jay. The famed DJ was gunned down on October 30, 2002 in his Queens recording studio. Police officials have yet to identify a suspect in Jay's murder.

This documentary not only recalls the rise of Jam Master Jay, but it also digs into the mystery surrounding his violent death. Interesting enough the trailer states that people were present when Jam Master Jay was killed, which also amplifies the calls to why this murder has not been solved?

The documentary features interviews with Run-D.M.C. emcee Rev. Run, Russell Simmons, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Ja Rule, 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Method Man and Swizz Beatz.