Man! This video was super powerful back in the day. I don't know if you were old enough to remember how influential this joint was, but it had a profound impact on my world view. Especially growing up in a city that was being torn apart by gang violence.

Songs like this and "Self Destruction" highlighted the unity that has always been possible in the hip-hop community. A lot of these groups didn't f*ck with each other, but they still came together to drop a verse. Powerful!


But I don't know if a song like this could come out today and have the same impact. First, I think that a lot of MCs would be doing it for publicity. Second, I am not sure that it would strike audiences the same way. Hip-hop has become so ubiquitous that it doesn't have the same influence that it once had, simply because it is everywhere. Not to mention that there just doesn't seem to be any money in peace these days.