Words

I reflect a lot about the impact of words on our lives. The bible states "Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit". Proverbs 18:21

Words are more than a mere process of communication; as they are uttered or written, they have the ability to manipulate consciousness and influence perception. And those that use communication in any form are conveying a message, and whether that message is positive or negative is the responsibility of the conveyor. And since I love rap, I think a lot about its impact and how it has evolved since its inception.

I love hip-hop and I very clearly remember the first rap song to hit the scene. It was Sugar Hill's "Rapper's Delight". Although some would argue that a very blonde, very white chick uttered the first rap lyrics with Blondie's release "Rapture", while others would argue that my father, James Brown, was the first rapper with his song "Payback". But I digress...

Rap and Hip-Hop as we know it originated in New York, but the face of rap has changed and instead of being fun and innocent, it is often misogynisitic, criminal and ultimately sends a message of self-destruction. Rap is an art and I appreciate it but since as I initially asserted words have power and I am seeing a lot of damage to young minds who indulge.

Priorities that are celebrated in rap are of questionable repute such as the accumulation of flashy apparel, flashy cars with totally tight rims, gangland agendas and substance abuse. In my current set of living conditions I am coming across a lot of young men of different ethnicities andn they all kind of resemble each other, as in they have the same type of gangsta type characteristics. I AM NOT LAMBASTING HIP-HOP because I am not the "Uncle Tom" type, however, I think an effort should be exerted to show the negative impact of rap on our community and it seems, the generations to come.

This is difficult to think about and state because I know Rap/Hip Hop is here to stay and it really started in the Black community and I love it, too. But I am torn. I have seen its effects on the minds of the generations to come. So please heed these words of someone who embraces rap, "Please proceed with caution".

Drafted September 9th, 2007