SOHH ATLANTA
The daily pulse of the Atlanta hip-hop scene
SOHH Gyant Radomness: Dear Hip-Hop, You Disgust Me! [SMH]
Posted on October 9, 2008 6:19 PM
It warms my heart to know that someone else is stepping up and calling out hip-hop for all the f*ckery.
Contra over at The Smoking Section posted an open letter calling out today's rappers for not stepping up to help save the birthplace of rap music. Since I know a lot of you probably don't even realize what the above picture is allow me to educate you.
1520 Sedgwick Ave is the historically documented birth place of hip-hop. Located in the Bronx it's the official birthplace of hip-hop. At the tender age of 13 DJ Kool Herc moved into the historic building, and with time Herc came to develop and cultivate the beginning steps of what is now known as the dominating and extremely profitable culture.
Each and every single rapper, from the prolific to the mediocre, owe their careers to Herc and to this building. But when news broke that the 100-unit apartment complex in Morris Heights was losing state assistance and the families on the property reached out to hip-hop to help save it - nobody reached back. And even when DJ Herc himself publicly pleaded that someone assist in saving it nobody stepped up to the plate.
In a time where rappers toss around 20k on strippers, toss around 100k on a damn video game, hand their boyfriends [yea, I said it] one million dollars in cash in an expensive Louis Vuitton bags as birthday gifts and drop songs expressing how paid they are, it's nice to know that not one rapper attempted to offer any assistance in this disparaging matter.
And y'all wonder why this culture is losing its essence and is dying a slow death.
As previously mentioned, Contra wrote an open letter to all you sellfish, and ungrateful bastards thats reaping the benefits from the culture, but is showing little to no interest in saving its birthplace. And here's what they had to say:
Dear Rapper/Producer/Promoter/Mogul/Entertainer,
You disappoint me.
Throughout history people have given their lives for symbols of their cultures. To this day, feuds on a global scale & cataclysmic proportions continue over territories significant to cultures and religions.
The above pictured is the birthplace of Hip-Hop.
People have given their lives for less. You all fight every day over chains and songs, contracts and beats. You didn't even have to fight for this. Just sign a check. Make a donation.
And yet you still failed.
This building was bought by a real estate developer who has neither notable connections to Hip-Hop culture nor made contributions to it, except maybe a Sir Mix A Lot LP he bought to help a fat friend through rough times. He quite certainly had no debt to Hip-Hop.
But you who owe your lives to what began here, you should be ashamed of yourselves.
Kool Herc joined the tenants of this building and pleaded for your empathy and support. You turned a cold shoulder proving once again that you have completely forgotten where you came from.
Let it be known that this is not addressed to those helping other causes, supporting other communities in substantial manners. This is for you who stood by, counted your money and walked away.
F*ck you very much, from the bottom of my heart. I hope you choke on your grill, get strangled by your chain or get run over by a Ferrari.
Sincerely,
Contra™[Source]
Unlike Contra I'm not dissapointed....I'm disgusted.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
