GetAtMe

The Emergence of Hip Pop

Miley Cyrus, Eminem, Jay Z, Justin Timberlake, Macklemore & Lewis, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J Cole.  What do all of these artist have in common?  They have emerged as the leaders HIP POP.  What is Hip Pop but the true growth of hip hop into another genre.  At times hip hop ranted that it was an insular community where only the truly hip hop heads belonged.  That’s cool, the revenge of the backpackers.  But while hip hop was building a wall from the world mass market, hip pop was building a ladder for new music buyers to come over the wall and take a look.  And boy now those new buyers are coming over the wall in droves.

It was easy to invalidate hip pop before.  Vanilla Ice, WTF, was the usual response from the hip hop heads.  Eminem broke barriers.  I mean no one could deny his presence or talent.  The Beastie Boys hip hop embraced because they were in the stable of hip hops founding institution Def Jam.  Limp Bizket was the wall developing foundation but they were really looked at as a rock group (the ultimate penetration tool).   Then along came a little girl who had web savvy and was bored and she decided that she and her friends would rap and shoot videos of themselves hanging with their crew (which happened to have kids of all cultures.  You just had to be cool.)  That was Kreayshawn with her cut “Gucci”.  Hip Hop roared that this abomination called Kreayshawn must be burned at the stake (actually the hip hop artist were mad that Sony gave Kreayshawn a million dollars advance.  Talk about hating.)  Rick Ross and other rappers lined up to tell all who would hear “This is some bullshit”, and then it was at that moment HIP POP was born.  Certain artist realized that hip hop wanted their money but not their participation (That’s fucked up).  So they set off to create their own genre and thus the birth of HIP POP was conceived.  Macklemore & Lewis raped the online sales a now Ms Cyrus will not only feed off of the new market (over 50,000 online buys in one week on “Wrecking Ball” and over 180 million views (overall) on youtube.  Numbers that will make any corporate old guy salivate  #YesYesYes.)

Now Rhianna and Nicki Minaj say whoa, we set all this up.  Yes ladies you did (the explorers get the arrows but the settlers get the land), but these artist claimed it because hip hop said they didn’t want these guys in their neighborhood ( Juicy J said “shiiiit, I’ll rap for whoevers winning.”  Wise choice MR J.

I’m ReggieRedd and this was #RealTalk 

GetAtMe RealTalk: “You gotta get up get out  and do something”

When Outkast first dropped this cut, this became a street anthem in Atlanta.  You know Atlanta parents have always been different (to me) than other parents from other cities.  Don’t get me wrong you had the parents that told you to go get a job, but in Atlanta, it felt sort of different.  I mean for some reason Atlanta and entrepreneurship in the urban community have always walked hand in hand.  Parents in Atlanta didn’t just tell you to get out and get a job.  They said do something with yourself (some of this was because they were tired of looking at you). 

To do something mean’s get something together.  If you have a dream make it tangible.  If you’re a photographer, take pictures.  If you do hair, then go get client.  These parents didn’t care if you babysat, now you have a daycare.  Atlantans (for some reason) always had a hustle.  Maybe it was because a lot of folks relocated to Atlanta to recreate themselves.  Many wanted to be music mougals, top chefs, dancers and performers.  Some would leave their jobs at the Post Office and go to Uptown Comedy Corner and try to do standup (Chris Tucker).  Some kept rapping in the streets and clubs until they were heard (OutKast).  My point is they all got out and did something.

So if you ever feel stagnant, look around at what you have to work with and see who needs what you have (be honest with yourself).  People will only pay you for what they don’t want to do (remember this) or what they can’t do (really remember this).  Make sure when you go out in the world, the world knows you as that person that got them thangz or them moves.  Don’t get mad at takers for trying to get your goods for free, that’s their job (you’re job is to recognize them and disarm them) because usually they lack the talent or work receipts to get their own bread.  So they have to feed off others (their first giveaway is that “Man I’m just out here getting this paper”  always listen for that phrase.  Only takers say things like that.  People who make money say “how are you doing and what’s up with you?”  Why, because they already have made money, they’re not pressed. They didn’t get so far in the hole that when they got money it was on it’s way somewhere else.  Takers have to take because they owe everyone because usually they’re renting their lifestyle.  That’s another blog though.)

I’m Reggieredd and #ThatsRealTalk

Man it was really hard for me to put these words down today because I had so many mixed emotions about yesterday’s events (I really had to pray on this).

Yesterday’s verdict was stunning.  But what’s more stunning is the polarization of our citizen on this topic and the lack of real empathy for this mother and father.  That we turned this foolish killing into this media circus entitled “I’m Right and You’re Wrong” is crazy.  I mean there is a mother today who has no answers as to why her son is dead and there seems to be people in the media (on both sides of this issue) that have lost focus that a mother has lost her fucking son with no answers.  How dare you shit on her son’s legacy in this senseless madness and turn around and say “I’m sorry for your loss, but I gotta get these ratings.” 

In your zest to cover this story (and to be right), somewhere along the way we really set aside the human aspect of this story.  A mother lost her fucking child over foolishness.

To make Zimmerman out to be more than what he is, an idiot with a gun out of control and a coward, is stupid.  So Zimmerman a grown ass man couldn’t take an ass whooping from a teenager.  “Oh I have to protect myself from a teenager with a bag of skittles. Oh I know what I’ll do, I’ll use deadly force because it now seems I might get my ass whooped for stalking this young man”  Do you realize how stupid and cowardly that sounds?  To people who justify this madness cloaked in legal madness, I shake my head.  You’re cowards to support this guy in any sense and you’re more cowards to patronize this mother with your apologies.  She lost her son.

In film and television there are points in a show where the characters in the show have a turning point.  This madness may be hip hop’s turning point.  Hip hop has to now try to understand that it cannot be a motivator for cowardly fools to say “I saw this image and now I will use this image to justify my bias and bigoted prejudgments of a culture’s youth.   Hip Hop has to understand with growth comes maturity and responsibility to make sure that we give a “Fair and Balance” perception of our culture through our music and media.

My heart goes out to Mr & Ms. Martin for the loss of their child.  For real.  My words cannot express my true feelings in that you had to participate in this madness.  I know no words can return your child to you. I’m sorry and  my heart truly goes out to you.

Hip Hop, we got work to do…… and that’s #RealTalk 

“ When you get knocked down you

        (you gotta get back up) .”

Don’t stay down.  Realize that if it’s yours then you damn well better go get it.  No one told you your dreams were going to be easy (well maybe Disney did, the whole “you’re dream will come true” thing).  No one told you, you wouldn’t be challenged.  So getting knocked down is normal  (you gotta get back up).

The key is understanding why you got knocked down so you won’t make the same mistake again.  Some people feel that their situation is destined and if they stay positive it will all work itself out.  Their situation might have value but it will never come to fruit if your process is flawed.

You see all projects have potential, it’s their process that will determine their success.  So while you’re picking yourself up from a recent knockdown (you gotta get back up), go over your steps and make sure that you have the best process to achieve your goal  (you gotta get back up).  Remember, only a fool would keep trying the same process hoping for a new result.  If what you’re doing is the truth, then it deserves (you gotta get back up) the right delivery system.

I’m  ReggieRedd and that’s #RealTalk  (you gotta get back up)