"Basically, I would just like to say that Hip-Hop started out with the DJ, man, and if it wasn’t for DJs like Cool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grand Masta Flash, Grand Wizard Theodore, there would be no Jay-Z, no Nas, no 50-Cent. And as an artist, it’s just important to be true to the art, and know your history. Peace!"
- Rob Swift of The X-Ecutioners (Interview, 2005)
As I have discussed, because rap has roots in resistance and has maintained a tradition of providing a voice for the classically disenfranchised—albeit a diminishing one in commercial manifestations of the music—many listeners have come to associate such ideas with authentic hip-hop. While resistance is an essential part of Hip-Hop culture and must never be forgotten, the ideology of Zulu Nation, as well as the majority of my primary research, suggests that being true to one’s own experience and perspective and having the requisite skills of the craft are more central to an emcee’s authenticity. But what are we to do about the potential for these roots of resistance to be gradually erased as Hip-Hop continues to expand? Perhaps a solution lies in a point that was consistently raised in my interviews – as an emcee, it is crucial to respect and pay homage to the roots of Hip-Hop in your actions as well as your lyrics:
Blockhead: What makes an emcee authentic is knowing where Hip-Hop came from. knowing its history and understanding everything that proceeded you. If you're gonna be a dope emcee, you have to have heard MC's like Rakim, KRS-One, or Kool G Rap. And even in the context of today’s MC's, you need to understand that that's partially how we got to where we are today. Ignoring that kind of history grooms an MC that doesn't respect the art form.
Ab-Original: Hip-Hop is universal in its themes, but that doesn’t mean that anybody can just sit there and think about appropriatin' Hip-Hop without respecting the fact that, yeah, this does come from years and years and years of oppression and struggling against oppression.
Aceyalone: It’s not fair sayin it’s about one race. Of course it started in the ghettos of America, but I don’t think none of that stuff plays a factor. I think that not only to the tradition, but to the groundwork that was paved, a lot of homage has to go to the down and dirty American, urban setting. People who really live it - not see it from an outside point of view, but who live it and within it, who really have the struggle to do it – and I’m not takin' nothin' away from nobody else’s struggle – I’m just sayin, that’s where the focal point should be at. Everything has focal point, everything has a nucleus, and everything has a starting point, and that should be respected… It matters how the culture is being presented to the people.
While paying homage to Hip-Hop’s pioneers is one clear step emcees can take toward preserving the culture, it is still unclear whether lip service will be enough to prevent the potential erasure of Hip-Hop’s roots.
By examining numerous aspects of the postindustrial, urban context in which Hip-Hop emerged, we have gained an understanding of how the original image of Hip-Hop authenticity was formed. We have also seen: (a) how this image has become central to debates surrounding the dissemination of Black cultural forms and (b) how it has been exploited by mass media outlets. Focusing on the emcee, I have shown that street credibility is not necessarily central to Hip-Hop authenticity. Rather, if we look beyond uninformed judgments, we see that lyrical skills, crowd control, the ability to connect to a collective rhythm, and being true to one’s own experience and perspective are what determines an emcee’s authenticity. Furthermore, although Hip-Hop’s original context must be understood, respected, and remembered, it is overwhelmingly clear that this culture provides several universal methods of expression for individuals of all walks of life, and it has the potential to bridge gaps and unite people in social contexts where racial and class tensions are present. Lastly, even if we can begin to move away from reductive social and cultural evaluations of authenticity in Hip-Hop, we must still recognize the dangers that exist when commercial entities forego respect for Hip-Hop culture in their quest for profits.
I hope that future work on Hip-Hop will not only consider many of the points made in this discussion, but also come from more writers who are close to, if not part of, Hip-Hop themselves. PEACE!
Interview Excerpt: Opio of Hieroglyphics
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Interview Excerpt: Rob Swift of The X-Ecutioners
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