bigted Posted October 7, 2006 Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 Afrika Bambaataa Issues A Statement To Rap Artists Of All Regions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The legendary Afrika Bambaataa and his organization The Zulu Nation recently sent this statement to our brother and good friend Jazzy D for all of the rappers from every coast or region to read: I, Afrika Bambaataa, have heard it all, read it all, in many magazines throughout the world, and seen almost all in this continuing bull**** about which rappers are better, east coast v west coast, Miami bass hip-hop is bull****, British Rappers sound funny rapping, electro funk, techno rappers are soft, I like hardcore rap and beats, this one group is like that, old school vs new school, Rap wouldn't be rap if it wasn't for the battles, I'm the quickest, baddest rapper, deejay around, Go Go music in Washington D. C. is dead. It's all about hip-house or house music all night long. I dis you, you dis me, my crew will take you out or kick your ass, **** this or that, Nigger, Bitch, Nigguz, Nigguh, Hoe, Hooker, Bitches with Problems, Hoes with Attitudes. Just look at yourselves, sounding like a bunch of fools, who really don't have any true knowledge of self and knowledge of hip-hop culture and what it's all about. First of all, let me tell you that the music (beats) that makes up hip-hop, comes from different nationalities and races, especially from black people, and if you think I am a brother who don't know what he is talking about, just check out many of the music, beats, grooves and sounds that many of your rappers use to make their records or rap over. Hip-hop music in general is colorless and not racist. It comes from many categories in music, for example: Hip-hop music is made up from other forms of music like funk, soul, rhythm & blues, jazz, rock heavy l, salsa, soca (calypso), TV shows, kiddie shows, horror movies, techno, pop, disco, african, arabic, reggae -etc. . . . and if you use any records from these categories, you will see that the music is made by people from different races or nationalities from all over the planet, but it's roots start with black people. I have read many interviews by different rap groups throughout the world, just to see where their heads are at, whether they are really knowledgeable about hip-hop music/culture or whether they are just plain assholes. Many of the rappers will down(dis) another rapper because he or she wanted to experiment with hip-hop by singing or adding a different sound in hip-hop to create something new. When are all of you in the hip-hop world going to 'wake up'? You love to keep dissing each other for nothing and if you were wise in your disrespect of each other, you would know how to make money with respecting your disrespect of each other, if you truly understand what I am saying. Many who are into hip-hop or part of hip-hop culture throughout the world need a check up from the neck up. In fact, and in truth, the whole human family needs one. Everyone needs to check up on their own roots and culture and seek the real truths on life on this so-called planet Earth. Knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, facts and truths about black, brown, red, yellow and white people and not that brainwash white supremacy **** that white people in power have taught all over the world and to their own people of the so called planet Earth. Yes there are many wrongs in the worldwide hip-hop community, but there are also many aspects of positivity within the hip-hop community that the media or trade magazines rarely focus upon. Many of you in hip-hop culture don't even listen to the rappers who are trying hard to wake your asses up to what is going on in the bigger scale than of what you see in your neighborhoods, their message goes in one ear and out the other. The media does play a big role in destroying the hip-hop culture movement, but many of you in the hip-hop community are the biggest enemies of hip-hop and you will be the ones who will help the enemies of hip-hop to destroy it, or to bring it back underground, because of your ignorance of knowledge of hip-hop. This has started the difference between 'old school' and 'new school'. To myself (Afrika Bambaataa) there is only one school and that's the learning, evolving, going through the different phases or cycles school of hip-hop. That is the real hip-hop school. A lot of you in the world of hip-hop better start looking at the problems in your own backyard as well as the world, because while you are enjoying yourselves etc. there are many plots being sprung to destroy hip-hop in the world. Because many people in government look at hip-hop music and its culture as a radical music that gets straight to the point and music that will wake up the youth and young adults throughout the world. They can also use hip-hop to backfire and destroy itself. You can believe what I'm saying. But time will tell and I see what you see not. Peace be unto you, Your brother In music and faith, Afrika Bambaataa. Peace from Jazzy D... http://www.westcoastrydaz.com/news/10051/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damian Posted October 7, 2006 Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 Good reading, what y'all think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic1988 Posted October 7, 2006 Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 (edited) That last paragraph doesn't exactly make sense. Hip-hop isn't being destroyed? People are making millions off of rap records. Why would someone want to destroy that? If rap lyrics were more along the lines of Rage Against the Machine's lyrics, I'd understand that, but in the state its in now, that doesn't make sense. Also, where does that white supremacy thing come from? That really threw me off. Edited October 7, 2006 by sonic1988 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigted Posted October 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 Afrika Bambataa's saying what needs to be said, many of these so called hip-hop heads really don't open their minds up to check for the quality that's out there, they just complain complain and complain some more, that's not really that much different than what a lot of rappers do when they go around and diss each other, a lot of artists that try to push the envelope to not sound like what's popular end up getting dissed and that's wack, you shouldn't only think about what's weak, you should focus on what's strong, focusing on only weaknesses will only keep it weak, focusing on strength will bring more strength, much respect to Afrika Bambataa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic1988 Posted October 7, 2006 Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 yeah that's true, but: how is the media trying to destroy hip hop? and where does that white supremacy thing come from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigted Posted October 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 (edited) That last paragraph doesn't exactly make sense. Hip-hop isn't being destroyed? People are making millions off of rap records. Why would someone want to destroy that? If rap lyrics were more along the lines of Rage Against the Machine's lyrics, I'd understand that, but in the state its in now, that doesn't make sense. Also, where does that white supremacy thing come from? That really threw me off. He's saying that hip-hop's image is being destroyed, think deeply about what he's saying and you'll see that, record labels only promote artists that promote negativity, they make it seem that to be a rapper you have to have to drink 40's, smoke blunts, have gats, and smack women all day, but in reality to be a rapper or just be down with hip-hop it's about being yourself, you don't have to fit in with what others are doing, you have to be yourself... A lot of the kids grow up have no idea that hip-hop is meant to be peaceful, they don't let the rappers with a message get a lot of airplay 'cause they're scared that the public will gain that knowledge and that they'll end up getting challenged for what they're doing, there are racist people out there still in this 2006 that don't want to see black people in the hip-hop community have a strong voice in society, they want us to look weak, hip-hop was known have a really strong message when it started and it challenged the mainstream of a lot of the stuff that was going on but it ain't that way anymore, the tables turned, now the mainstream's out to destroy hip-hop and shut down that voice so that way we could stay down so they could stay rich and dictating, hip-hop is meant to be peaceful not hateful, it don't promote white supremecy, it's open to everybody, he's also saying that a lot of rap artists will sell their soul to make hip-hop look bad and I agree with that, I mean look at what BET does, they get rid of BET News to inform the youth and replace it with a series on "Beef", it's teaching them that to be famous you have to go around and fight with each other instead of thinking things through, like Ice Cube says in "Child Support": "All y'all rappers should kiss and make up/take your bull**** jewlry back to Jacob/get your mind right nigga and start to wake up/cause the whole rap industry needs to shake up/you got million dollar niggaz killin' million dollar niggaz/bustin' outta Bentleys wearin' chinchillasssthere you go again rollin' in your limo/ comin' from the Grammy's shootin' out the window//I know the scripture/but there's something wrong with this picture/what you mad about/diamonds all in your mouth/no car, no niggaz house paid off/I never heard of a rapper gettin' laid off", artists don't realise how blessed they are to be in the position that they're in, they could use their position and talents to bring a bigger influence rather than goin' around dissin' all the time... Edited October 7, 2006 by bigted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members derrickbrock14 Posted October 7, 2006 Members Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 i don't understand what he meant about making money off dissrespecting other rappers that sounds foolish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic1988 Posted October 7, 2006 Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 okay, yeah that does make sense. Bambaataa's statement is scattered a little bit, so I had a few "Wtf?" moments while reading that. But I have to say that if the times change and become more liberal, possibly to the point they were back in the 60s, then rap will become a driving force for the people. The problem is that the times right now are very conservative and people don't want to protest and rally. Rap can be a driving force for protest, in the same manner of Joan Baez, Peter Paul & Mary, and Bob Dylan. With the internet, and the rap culture thinking "protest is cool", we can make a lot of changes, and people can get their voices heard. But it really depends on how soon the times will change. Because there is truth in that. Reaggae has been political and given political change, and So has rock. Its now rap's turn to do the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigted Posted October 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 (edited) Rappers making money off of disrespecting other rappers is simple concept to grasp onto, think about how much records the rappers over the last few years like 50, Em, Game, etc. that diss each other sell, if you start beef with another rapper you're guaranteed to go platinum it seems, and think about how much rappers like FP, Common, and Lupe sell that don't disrespect anybody on records sell, fans are falling for the rappers who go around boasting how much gangsta they are than the other rapper and they call rappers who do things beyond that beef stuff corny, instead of rappers rebelling against each other, they should be using that power to rap about important things in life and bring hip-hop back to how it was in the '80s/90s where rappers would make songs that reflected the problems of society that brought awareness, and how rock and roll was in the '60s and how reggae music was, music is a powerful voice, these rappers are rich already, they need to use that power to make other brothers rich with knowledge of self, like KRS said before: "Everybody's bad and everybody's tough/But how many are intelligent enough?",this is what it should come down to... Hip-hop was created by Afrika Bambaataa to get brothers out of gangs, he was making it cool to not be in a gang, but now a lot of rappers on TV promote gang violence, a lot of these suckas make it seem like you gotta be in a gang to be down and that's not keepin' it real to origins of hip-hop, but a lot of them lost their way and it ain't their fault since they were victims of the crack era, that **** seemed to have distorted their brains, the mainstream saw how a lot of these intelligent brothers were bringing a voice for the streets in the '80s so they made sure the niggers got cracked up so the future rap generation could be messed up, a lot of the kids growing up in the '80s like 50 Cent who were influenced about how being pushing weight is a way of life are now on top of the rap game so their plan worked out, ultimately the violence needs to stop, there are plenty of rappers out there not doing that but they ain't being heard since people don't want to hear them, people don't open their eyes to the music with a message... btw, More proof of how mainstream wants to shut down hip-hop, remember last month Mos Def got arrested for doing a rap outside the MTV building about Hurricane Katrina, that's some bull**** if I could ever say so, all these rappers who rap about how cool it is to shoot others and get high all day should be locked up instead... Edited October 8, 2006 by bigted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bart5 Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Speak on bro. Great article. A lot of truth spoken that need to be said. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpinJack AJ Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Thanx for posting that. I'm with sonic in the sense that a few of those statements came across kinda scattered...but 4 the most part, i liked what it said. However, i think some of the ideas could have been stated in a slicker and smarter way. The sad thing is, the people who need 2 read this won't cuz they have no idea who he is...ha ha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigted Posted October 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 (edited) Thanx for posting that. I'm with sonic in the sense that a few of those statements came across kinda scattered...but 4 the most part, i liked what it said. However, i think some of the ideas could have been stated in a slicker and smarter way. The sad thing is, the people who need 2 read this won't cuz they have no idea who he is...ha ha. He seemed to dumbed down a lil' bit so maybe some of these ignorant rap heads would be able to understand the point he's trying to get across, probably even a lot of the dumbass rappers probably wouldn't understand since in their interviews they can't even put a sentence together, lol, the only way things are gonna change is if maybe he could get many so called hip-hop heads to boycott watching BET until they play better artists, the problem is that corporations are screwing it up and a lot of fans keep on buying into it, something needs to be done, a lot of these so called hip-hop fans are idiots 'cause all they do is complain about hip-hop is dying, well maybe if they actually searched for quality artists and supported them then maybe hip-hop would still be strong as it ever was, just 'cause the radio don't play quality music don't mean that there's no quality music out there, you could still pick the album off the shelf and play it as much as the radio plays the garbage, it really starts with us fans 'cause it's obvious that BET ain't gonna do it for us, the more we complain, the higher their ratings go, instead of wasting time watching something that we'll end up complaining about, we need to put focus on what we enjoy... Edited October 9, 2006 by bigted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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