The discussion about the origins of Hip-Hop has reached a level of tribalism that honestly makes me 🤮. We need to stop talking about Hip-Hop from the context of racial and ethnic pride and start discussing our culture through the lens of economics (the struggle doesn’t GAF if you’re Black, Latino or White), politics (the haves and the have-nots), and geography (Hip-Hop originated in the Bronx-NY for a reason).
The race you identify with or the group you're part of are the least interesting aspects about a person. I am more motivated to learn about someone based on their character and what they do for a living.
Letting someone else's criticism derail your ambitions is one of the easiest ways to fall short (excuse the pun) of your potential. Jalen Brunson may be small, but he played big enough to prove Becky Hammon wrong.
This is the best @nyknicks team in franchise history!
And Jalen Brunson is the greatest Knick ever. Brunson is better than Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Bernard King, Carmelo Anthony, and, and, and…
Go New York Go New York Go!
If you’re American-born but of Latino heritage and about to watch the USA vs. Paraguay match, tune in to Spanish-language networks like Telemundo. It’s a better viewing experience. The passion and energy are next level, plus you can brush up on your Spanish.
Now social media aims to divide Black and Asian communities. But the truth is that both groups have a long history of solidarity, dating back to the 1970s grindhouse Kung Fu and Black exploitation films on the Forty Deuce. We are not enemies.
People often say the founding pillars of Hip-Hop are the Rapper and the DJ, but I disagree. Everything about Hip-Hop music was built on the symbiotic relationship between the DJ and the Breaker.
Podcasters and content creators are diluting Hip-Hop. These social media “hosts” promote guests who don’t know 💩 about the culture in exchange for virality, and because social media lets anyone build a following, genuine expertise is being undermined by self-promotion.
True Hip-Hop is about art, not just content, and it troubles me to see people (FBA and Puerto Rican) who aren’t actively practicing or participating in Hip-Hop sit in front of their screens and monetize the culture.
Being a DJ no longer requires traditional talent b/c social media creates an easy platform for people to appear skilled. I’d say 90% of DJ profiles on apps like these act as digital masks, with frauds hiding behind them to fake curate an idealized DJ image of who they wish to be.
There are 2 ways to DJ. Let the music play, or play the music. In the hands of a standard DJ, "Walk This Way" (Aerosmith) is a Rock record being played. But when Jam Master Jay touched it, the song was transmuted into Hip-Hop by the way he handled it (scratching, juggling, etc.).