Saturday, October 01, 2011
When Did You Fall In Love With Hip Hop?
Music has been a huge part of my life for as long as I remember. As a child, I was all about R&B. That was the music of my parents. It flooded my house all the time. The music of the 60's, 70's & early 80's were stables. Then music began to change. I was introduced to Hip Hop. It was new and the music was hard to describe. Hip Hop was just a baby when I discovered it.
Hip Hop was making an impact in New Orleans. I could not get enough of MC Lyte, Salt 'N Pepa, Queen Latifah, Big Daddy Kane, There style was so different & unique. Their sound drew me in. Their lives were different than mine but still somewhat the same. I was very intrigued by this new sound. I would listen so intently to their words. I loved their passion and storytelling. Hip Hop was this new and amazing thing. I was enthralled.
There were a lot of artists who's music made me move and think. I was officially a fan. I couldn't get enough. This new genre was amazing to me. Then there came a rapper who caught my eye and my hear. Tupac was that guy. There was something in his voice that drew me in. "Brenda's Gotta Baby" was storytelling at its finest. Pac was the first rapper that I supported. I had to have his music in my hands. He was and will always be one bof my favorite rappers.
My marriage to R&B was being undermined by my growing love affair with Hip Hop. The more I heard, the more I needed to hear. My first semester of college introduced me to the man who would become my favorite rapper. Jay-Z's debut "Reasonable Doubt" became a staple for me. It was everything. Eve, DMX and Ruff Ryders were also favorites of mine. I was also still into New Orleans artists, such as Juvenile, BG, Mystikal, Mia X and Fiend.
As you can see my love affair with Hip Hop has been a long one. I don't see it ending anytime soon. Granted there isn't a whole lot of greatness going on in Hip Hop today. I will continue to support the artists I like. Hip Hop has been evolving since its inception. I don't see that changing anytime soon. It's no longer just about music, it's a lifestyle. I love that about it. Hip Hop is a culture. It has influenced almost everything. So tell me, when did you first fall in love with Hip Hop?
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I love this post. I was raised by a deaf parent so music does not really exist to her. I only heard what I could listen to outside of the house but when I discovered MTV and BET my mom told me we couldn't watch those channels because the videos were too explicit. She didn't think about the fact that it was the music I was glued to, not the videos. I was introduced to so many different kinds of music while growing up that I love EVERY kind of music out there, no exceptions. But my favorite music, hands down, would be neo-soul. Now (in my opinion) this includes Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Anthony Hamilton, Alicia Keys, Common, Vivian Green, Talib Kweli, Amel Larrieux/Groove Theory, etc. The beautiful groove of their music just flows through me so naturally I can't think of anything better than that.
ReplyDelete@ BlkButterfly - Yeah, I am not big on videos either. I can take them or leave them. I am all about the music. It has been ever present in my life for as far back as I can remember. I don't know what I would really do without it. I love how a specific song can describe exactly what I feel or what's going on in my life. That is amazing to me.
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