In my formative years I was a real big hip hop head. I loved the beats, the flow, the rivalries, the poetic skill that was passed through the mic to the people. My boys and I would sit for hours on end just listening to the bass boom through the 15" speakers.
We would bump Tupac, Biggie, the Wu Tang Clan, MC Eight, DJ Quick, Spice 1, Nas, AZ, Snoop, Dre, NWA, Cube, Bone Thugs, 8 Ball and MJG, UGK, Digital Underground, and on and on. I was caught up in it all. We used to mix tapes, make beats, and even write rhymes. We were in the hood and they were telling our stories.
I stopped listening to Hip Hop post salvation. I had come to the point in my spiritual walk where I was convicted by the foul lyrics, sexualized content, and violence. It was killing my mood and feeding the "flesh" as it is referred to. In light of my new found faith I sold all my music. Nothing of a secular nature would be left. It was of great benefit to me at that time. Now things have changed.
When my heart was broken by my wife I just couldn't listen to inspiring Gospel messages. It only made me more mad. Mad at God, mad at my wife, and mad at myself for being foolish. I felt weak. I couldn't see my way out. Please keep in mind that I am not knocking Gospel music or it's power. It just wasn't speaking to me at the time. So, mad as hell and looking for an outlet I turned back to my hip hop roots.
I started off with Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, Kanye, and Red and Meth. I would later add Weezy, Drake, and Fabo to my collection. The raw gritty nature of the music was right where I was at. They spoke of struggle and triumph, overcoming impossible odds, the need to believe in self, and at times having a fuck the world mentality so you can handle your business. I felt that message. I fed off of it.
I looked at my own situation. I was heartbroke. Jay's "Make this Song Cry" spoke to that. I was feeling down about myself. Kanye's "Touch the Sky" addressed that. Ye' spoke about how he questioned his own skill, "...these niggas that much better than me?" I had lost half my household income and didn't know if I was going to be able to keep my home. The message of the struggle and doing what's necessary fueled me to push ahead.
It is the struggle and the triumph of men that is the core message of Hip Hop. Listen closely and you will hear the full story. You will hear the broken homes, poor living conditions, and crime ridden neighborhoods. But, listen closer still and you will hear the triumph of the human spirit as they "go against all odds" and end up on top. If you listen you will see the progression of the artist. You will see the maturity as they come to a place where they know what matters in life and how to fight for it. The plight of the human condition is all there...one track after another.
With that being said, Hip Hop is my power source for pressing on right now. When I'm tired it pushes me on. When I'm down it pumps me up. When I want to get lose and let off some steam it gives me an outlet. I don't agree with all of the messages of Hip Hop, but there is value in the Message. You just have to listen.
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