Thursday, March 13, 2008

Hip-Hop was once great

This may not be the last post of this nature. Every now and then the demise of hip-hop genuinely gets me down. 'Tis far from ferraris and crystal champagne most of the fuckers were reared. So from time to time I may take a trip down memory lane in an attempt to remind us all of the good old days when hip-hop genuinely had a statement to make. To a time when lyricists were prophets and the music had real meaning for an African-American community that has for too long been in the shadows in the U.S. Kinda like the way the Wolfe Tones represent us. Kinda. Ish. Actually no.

First up is Biggie, probably one of the last of his kind. The era of political overtones and angry messages personified by Public Enemy, NWA et al was coming to an end as he began his oh-too short career, but Biggie was one of the last greats to portray the "Everyday Struggle" of life in black urban America. Here he is aged 17 battling with some dufus outside a grocery shop. You can sense the energy that would lead to a blistering solo debut, and quite possibly the best hip-hop album ever, Ready to Die.
Posted by Ferg at 10:04 PM
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