“If I don't know where I'm comin' from, where will I go?”

What up hip hop heads!!! Sooooooo in the middle of my last blog, my sister Affry (short for Afriika) raised an interesting question - “Where are hip-hop's John Lennon, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, John Coltrane, Janis Joplin, etc??”......I had to let that one marinate for a bit....then a little bit longer...

At first I didn't understand where she was coming from. To me, this question was no different than the cliche statement “hip-hop ain't what it used to be”, which makes me cringe inside. While I am someone who cherishes everything about the past, I feel that what was done in the past is...well...in the past. What about now? I mean, the past was great, but I always like to see what can we do in the present to improve our future.

Why do we study our past? In hopes to learn something from it so we don't make the same mistakes, right? After thinking about her question more, I still felt unsettled because deep down I knew there was, in fact, something special about the artists she mentioned that was missing in many of today's artists. Something bigger than talent. Bigger than the music itself. I decided to listen to the artists she mentioned with her question in mind. I listened to these artists with a fresh ear and thought about exactly what was going on during the time in which that music was released, and how was the art reflecting that? After all, art is supposed to imitate life, right? I realized the art is just one part of the bigger picture. The same way we look to our athletes to be role models on and off the field – we look to our musicians to do the same thing, for the greater good of the world and our future. This made me wonder, what legacy will our current artists leave once their time is up? How will we remember them?

John Lennon is someone who represented peace and nonviolence, the same way Martin Luther King did. During the time when our country was at war in Vietnam, John Lennon was one of the biggest voices in entertainment to speak out against it. He was so influential, former Senator Strom Thurmond sent a secret memo to deport Lennon from America by taking away his visa, because he was seen as a danger to Richard Nixon's reelection in 1972.

Janis Joplin was that rebellious spirit who played a key role, artistically, in the Women's Liberation Movement. Prior to this period of time, women were denied rights and discriminated against – in addition to being looked at as simply sexual objects who should just “cook and clean” around the house. Janis Joplin represented the free and liberated women.

I look at these artists and compare them to today's. How will we remember today's popular artists? What is their overall message? While it's not fair to to compare today's artists to yesterday's based on their specific actions because we are living in a different era, something can be said about the rebellious nature these artists had. There will always be something to fight for: in the 1960s and 70s there was racism and sexism so that brought about the Black Power Movement and the Women's Liberation Movement. In the 2000's we still have racism and sexism in addition to prominent issues like political corruption, freedom of religion and gay rights. 

Right now, most artists are afraid. Afraid to speak out. Afraid to be different. Afraid of criticism. Afraid to do what's unpopular. Afraid of gossip and rumors about us. Afraid of what people think about us. And most of all - afraid of the consequences if they act out against opposing forces. It's easier to play it safe. Think about it like having a best friend that see's you getting bullied and beat up for no reason, but instead of jumping in the fight to help out or break it up, he (or she) runs the opposite direction, in fear of getting hurt themselves. It's easier to run. But like the old saying goes, you gotta stand up for something or else you will fall for anything. Afraid should never be in an artist's vocabulary.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying every artist has the responsibility to be a martyr – everyone isn't that strong. What I am saying is that every artist has the responsibility to be creative, innovative and thought-provoking in their own right. Every artist has the responsibility to push the envelope just a little. Whether with your words, with your message, or with your image – every artist should have their legacy in mind every time they touch the mic or put an album out. If not, then why do it?

To answer Affry's question – Where are hip-hop's John Lennon, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, John Coltrane, Janis Joplin (among others)? I can't tell you because only time will. We're talking about musicians who have made an impact and spoke for an entire culture and generation. We're talking about musicians who were fearless and spoke their minds regardless of the consequences. Musicians who are passionate about their craft – with or without money and fame. NWA. Public Enemy. 2 Live Crew (freedom of speech!). Rakim. A Tribe Called Quest. I feel like 2Pac and B.I.G were probably the last artists of that caliber. We have many artists who have made an impact on our culture in the 2000's and have the potential of being legendary in that right: Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, Lil Wayne and Kanye West. I think the problem we're having nowadays is that we've seen everything, so no one is impressed by much anymore – or we're automatically skeptical. So when Kanye West says on national television “George Bush doesn't care about black people.”, we brush it off as a publicity stunt. When Jay-Z, who was once known as a party rapper, writes a song called “Minority Report”, it's overlooked because people say “he's trying too hard to be taken seriously.” When Young Jeezy makes “My President is Black”, all people hear is “...my Lambo's blue...” and miss the entire point of the song. When Nas names his album Nigger, we look at it as a publicity stunt even though that was the exact same title of Dick Gregory's autobiography written in 1964. When Eminem writes a song like “K.I.M.”, we think it's simply for shock value.

My point is maybe it's too soon to tell who our legends will be because we're still in the moment. Yes, we have our opinions on our popular artists right now, but when you're able to step back after all is said and done, you can give a more accurate view on who were the most influential. The same way Berry Gordy and Motown were looked at as “too commercial” and “crossover” during their time – now their legacy speaks for itself.

I think we'll be able to answer that question in 10 or 15 years when we look back at the 2000's and see what was going on in the world – and how did the music reflect it.