Monday, September 26, 2005

Sunshine Monologue 45

Yes Yes Ya'll To The Beat Ya'll

I don't know about the rest of you - but I have already moved my cocktail table out of the way in anticipation of the Hip Hop Honors tonite on Vh1 @ 9pm est. Talk about a goodtime coming up. If you saw it last year you know that Vh-1 outdid themselves (and that OTHER channel I won't mention) with this one. I was hoarse after it went off and I think I dislocated my hip from all the wopping I was doing, lol.

In tribute - I am reposting my "When did I fall in love with hip hop" moment from a previous entry and rolling out the honorees. I'll be back post show, with my comments.

I Used to love H.E.R.
Today I got to thinking about Hip Hop and when I met 'her' and if she's had any influence on me. I grew up in Atlanta in a world that was black - I rarely interacted with the rest of the world. Black hoods, black people, black schools. Uptopia in a manner of speaking. I have memories of 'her' in passing - we met but it was nothing that made me want to meet 'her' again. The Sugar Hill Gang was catchy but it was seen more as this quirky 'song' that came from some place called New York. At least to my friends. My girlfriends and I couldn't figure out why? NOBODY was cute! She was that girl that stood on the wall and maybe one person asked her to dance..but Mike, Prince, El Debarge were the frivolities of choice.

Then I met my math teacher. He was from 'up north' as we liked to say and one day while we were acting a plum fool - he brought out a cassette player and popped in this tape and "She" came out sat down in front of the class and commanded our attention - 'she' had brought Grand Master Flash and they were telling us they were 'close to the edge'. We looked around at our trees and grass and southern charm and were blown away. Where is this place of urban decay and what is this form of talk/singing? 'She' had passed out party favors and alot of us kept them on our dresser - in sight but not touched.

I moved to Philadelphia and when I stepped out the car and my $10.00 sneakers hit that concrete I was....appalled. So this is urban squalor. Where are the trees, what is this 'accent', how come the homes are...connected?! I just couldn't get it. Then one day up in my older brothers room (and excuse if my chronological order is out of wack) he pulled out an LP and these three guys were on the front with these funny hats and huge glasses. He told us this was RUN DMC and listen to this. When he put the needle to that piece of plastic - 'She' was Carrie at the prom! We sat mesmerized by this music...but unlike Carrie 'she' won prom queen and went on to graduate w/honors.

So many memories of the beginning of the commercialization of rap. We were like the stepford kids - this music was making us act strange, we were moving with jerky movements and the music replaced our former passtime..the television. The first time we heard "Eric B for president" and then.....Public Enemy. We would sit in my brothers little car and I mean little; 2 doors put 5-6 of us in that car as he blasted this music and our heads bobbed in unison. For a voracious reader like myself - this was prose put to music and I could get with that. Hours and Hours on end we were instrumental in making Def Jam rich.

I moved to New York in 1989 - so I lived in the mecca and took part in the pilgrimage! My husband grew up in New York and used to be part of the Wrecking Crew a very popular breakdancin group. "She" had introduced me to her friends :) 'her' consciousness was mind boggling - KRS ONE etc. taught and preached and made us be so proud to be black...Ralph McDaniel became my second cousin, lol and slowly some 'cuteness' began to emerge as well as a reshaping of my personal choice landscape in the form of Big Daddy Kane...oooo la la.

Then one day - a shot rang out from far away..a place called Compton...there were black people in California?! It was intoxicating..mesmerizing...and addictive. Our cousin who we didn't speak about had come home and he was UPSET! Your psyche didn't want to embrace the violence, but it did and in doing so...we slowly self imploded.

Throughout the years 'she' has planted herself firmly in my life. The Chronic, Parents Just Don't Understand Doggie Style Hammer Don't Hurt Em - all parties I have joined in with 'her'.

At 39 however, she has alienated me for the most part. She's now naked, hungry and out of doors. She has lost her own respect and whored out so many of her bretheren. She sits at the grown folks table but the grown folks don't really respect her..anymore. We want to see her cousins from back in the day - sit back, play a little spades and remember when.....

The Honoree's


Biggie


Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five


LL COOL J


Ice T


Salt and Pepa


Big Daddy Kane


Also Honoring Boyz N The Hood by John Singleton
Posted by Pamalicious :: 7:30 AM :: 1 comments

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