When Rick Ross was performing in the 2012 BET awards with his shirt off showing his ass crack....it really showed the current maturity level of todays mainstream Hip Hop. Ross is a couple of years older then me and I dont do the 'show my ass crack' thing...Thats what the kids do. I let the kids have they fun. But Hip Hop is entertainment, not a culture as some have been fooled to believe, and Ross is only catering to age level of his audience even if that means reducing what is supposed to be his age level to that of a teenager.
Ross = not a father figure...He's more like that older cousin whos to old to be focused on street nonsense.
Jay z = Not a father figure...He's more like a 'styling on you uncle' whos focused on telling u street nonsense over real issues.
Nas = Not a father figure...More like that uncle who's flaws have been magnified by the public but in the end he still gets the respect.
Lil Wayne = Not a father figure....He's a rich 17 year old in a near 30 year olds body.
TI = Not a father figure...The family man gimmick would have worked had it not been for that Crimestoppers PSA. Its sent the message of "i'm only doing the family man thing cuz all that trap work got me negotiating with the FEDS." TI's more like that slick talking cousin whos caught a lot of good luck.
Jeezy = Not a father figure....What father really wants to motivate thugs? Prison is thug motivation...a real father wants to motivate young minds to grow up and be self reliant men and women. Like Ross he's more like that older cousin whos to old to be focused on street nonsense but he's cool to hang around with every now and then.
Kanye = Not a father figure....Kanye's more like that smart aleck cousin thats cool to hang around even tho in the back of our minds he might be bisexual.
Drake = Not father figure....Drake is more like that privelaged cousin who is kinda cool even tho he has the aura of a herb.
50 Cent = Not a father figure....50 is that older cousin who is very succesful and your happy thats he's succesful but after a while you notice he's an instigating attention whore. Sometimes its entertaining...sometimes its annoying. He's also the cousin that only wants to be around you to tell you how sucessful he is in life yet he doesnt really care where you are in life he just wants you to listen to his story.
2Pac = Not a father figure......Pac was that older cousin who was killed and we honor his memory so greatly that we overlook the reckless example he left behind.
Fat Joe, Snoop, Bun B and Scarface = See Ross
so who are the father figures??
Chuck D - In the 80's this man stood on stage and screamed "Black power" in front of a sea of white people and they cheered him on. Did you read Chuck D's Book? If not, why Not? He was dropping some real jewels...Like how Hip Hop sends the wrong message stressing street hustling as a means of financial support when there are numerous ways of getting money legaly. Chuck didnt care about Biggie and Preemo making a classic song...he just didnt want his voice associated with the selling of drugs on the song Ten Crack Commandments....Thats what you call standing up for something. When Flava Flav was out there c00ning on reality TV, Chuck D called it for what it was with strong love without throwing Flav under the bus like a real friend is supposed to do. Till this day when the man opens his mouth he's saying something informative. His speech is clear, articulate and well thought out. He'a s Muslim but he doesnt beat you over the head about it. Married man and political activist. This is a father figure.
Rev Run - Remember how the Osbournes show was ratchet before the word ratchet became popular, leaving the impression of what a successful white family looks like when the dad is a rock legend. And then this Black man, who can also be considered a rock legend being that he is in the rock and roll hall of fame, comes behind The Osbournes and shows that not only families but a "Black family" can be civilized and entertaining as well. As a Black man in America, with all the negative stereotypes towards Black folks in entertainment, at some point you had to stop and acknowledge that Run House the show was a good look for Black folks. Definatly a more positive note in the Hip Hop 2000's..The family unity, the positivity, the spirituality....and Run doesnt use profanity. Mind you Run is from Run DMC so the street cred is certified based on that alone yet Run became a man of the cloth so you are left with the impression that this reverand isn't a square and has some "down to earth" in him. This is a father figure.
KRS One - Yes KRS has been caught being contradictory. But thats just being human. This is a man who in the 80's saw Black on Black crime as problem in the urban community, gathered all the popular rappers in the east coast and made a hot song about self destruction within the urban community. This would influence the west coast rappers to do the same with a song called "All In The Same Gang." That was Black unity at its finest in the late 80's and it was started by KRS One. In the 90's KRS would do things to distort his messages....Forget the PM Dawn thing, on the award worthy album Edutainment KRS breaks down the cons of eating meat yet years later he would co sign a song about smoking marijuana with the group Channel Live. The song was called "Mad Izm" and it was real hot when it dropped. So meat is bad but smoking marijuan is cool. Like I said "distorted messeges." Like Nas we have watched KRS flaws unfold in front of us. But philosphies change with times. Didnt Jesus eat from the vine on the sabbath? Yes KRS went from saying he's not a christian to dedicating a whole album to a Christian like theme. But look at what we are pointing at. KRS's philosophies. The same man who was holding a gun on his debut album rapping about shooting a crack dealer named Peter turned into the self appointed teacher. How many thugs out there switched their game up to force you to look at them as some sort of intelllectual to the point you forget they came in the game as a thug?? Most thugs (or wannabes for that) want you to see them as thugs and not the later. Wanting the world to see you as a philosopher or teacher over having the world see you as some sort of street product aimed for prison is a great example of a father figure. Denouncing your criminal mind for a spiritual and intellectual mind is the example KRS gave to the world......and KRS showed that you may stumble with contradictions piecing your philosopy together along the way. This is a father figure.
Russel Simmons - Def Jam has promoted a lot of reckless music while hiding behind the name 'Entrepreneurship' all for the sake of financial profit. Thats called capitalism. There's no moral base in capitalism and thats why Def Jam can go from supporting a conscious group like Public Enemy one decade to promoting Jay Z the ex drug dealer who's all about money, cash and hoes the next decade. Redman taught the kids how to roll a blunt and Foxy Brown named her debut album after her puss. Remember all that hilarious filth from Def Comedy Jam? Yes Russel has made his earnings from things that one could say lacked moral fiber all in the name of 'Entrepreneurship." Russel is a business man. But with all that said Russel has successfully made a reputatation of balancing his capitalistic behavior with spirituality and political consciousness. And thats where the father image kicks in. "Yes I did what a dog had to do in a dog eat dog world but thats just how it is.......I did it the best and now I will enlighten you about my journey and spread my knowledge and wisdom to others every chance I can......let me also add, hard work has made me succesful" This is a father figure.
Sadly there are no mother figures in Hip Hop as well. Queen Latifah held that torch for a minute that is until she took the head wrap off and traded her "mother Earth aura" to be a gun totting weed smoking lesbian gangster in the movie Set It Off. Lauryn tried to revive what Latifah had but she would soon fall in the "crazy auntie" category......After that Foxy and Kim would teach the generations...followed by Eve and Trina....Then Remy and now Nicki.
