Its such a dirty word in the ears of many yet, it is the culture that has managed to permeate itself from small beginnings on the corner of Sedgewick and Cedar in the Bronx, NYC to every street corner across the planet.  Growth.  Many of you have probably been wondering why I have been spending my recent time highlighting people like Bambaataa and Crazy Legs.  The tone of their careers is what I wanted to highlight.  The idea of using creativity and expression as an outlet was something both of those men did and continue to do to this day.

As you read in the Bambaataa and Legs pieces; violence, drugs, and gangs were rampant in the 80’s New York City, I grew up about 45 minutes west of NYC and we all heard the stories, saw the ills when we would travel to the South Bronx for Yankees games, and knew that things were simply wrong.  In fact it was during that time that Time magazine did the infamous cover “THE ROTTEN APPLE”.  Hip Hop spawned from this fester, Hip Hop is what saved a lot of kids lives, it saved mine.   

So, naturally I love Hip Hop, as you would figure anyone who has been saved by someone or something is going to have a certain lifelong obligation you might say.  Now when I hear people talk about Hip Hop they say and their faces curl up like the guy who drank the skunked beer in the Keystone Beer ads.  Honestly though, they have good reason, Hip Hop for the eyes of many has been the soundtrack to the current state many poor neighborhoods are in, that MTV played out “sell drugs and flip it into the music game attitude”, is all the curled faces know…notice a moment I didn’t say inner city.  Hip Hop is bigger than the inner cities, who saw “Blood Diamonds” what were the kids watching when they were being brainwashed?  Hip Hop, Mack 10 to be precise. 

 Hip Hop though has been given a bad name.  The Hip Hop most are identifying with nowadays is not Hip Hop, it is pop culture, it is a reflection of what is going on in the ‘hood but, more so of what is being fantasized by the youth of suburbia.  Couple these two and major record companies will throw as much as they can against the wall because something is going to stick.   There has been a lot of bad music pushed to the airwaves and there has been a LOT of money spent to do it, not all the legal spending either. 

People in the industry often say “well its no different then Rock N Roll”.  To a degree they are correct, lyrically it is similar, same as it was sex, drugs, and rock n roll, it is sex, drugs, and rap nowadays.  The difference between then and now is the overwhelming amount of ways kids are exposed to these images.  Sex sells everywhere.  I don’t need to get into examples do I?  What I will give examples of is TV, Web, Radio, Videogames, and Print.  There are so many ways to get your fix SHOVED DOWN YOUR THROAT.  Can I get an Amen? 

The culture of Hip Hop is caught with the black eye.  You see its so much more than wearing a hat to the side or having your pants dragging slightly, or using expressions like “word”, “chillin”, and “bet”.  It is a culture, a way of representing oneself, a way of expressing.  There are four elements to the Hip Hop culture: Breakdance, Grafitti, MC’ing, and DJ’ing.  Growing up, I practiced all four. 

What Yung Joc does is not MC’ing, what Mos Def does is MC’ing.  Scribbled illegible “tags” is not grafitti, murals or multi colored “burners” is grafitti, you know the type you see “bombed” up on the sides of train cars.  Breakdancing has made an amazing comeback and has really resurfaced in recent years.  DJ’ing is the most important element of them all it is what holds the party together the blend of music from one record to the next to keep things moving, the director of the orchestra if you will.  One major exception this orchestra doesn’t rehearse together, they just show up and play, you follow me?   

Suggested Listening for Rap the music of Hip Hop:
Public Enemy “It Takes a Nation of Millions” THE WHOLE ALBUM
KRS One  “Loves Gonna Getcha”, “Black Cop”, “The Sound of the Police”
Dead Presidents “Its Bigger than Hip Hop”
Outkast “Get up, Get out, and Get something”
Immortal Technique “Dance with the Devil”  (DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS IN FRONT OF YOUR KIDS)
Common “I Used To Love H.E.R.”

There is quite a bit more that I could get you but, this will be enough to get things moving in the right direction.  To use the phrase made popular by a group called Dead Presidents, its “Bigger Than Hip Hop”.  Earlier in one of my blogs I referenced the movie “NEW JACK CITY”, in the film Wesley Snipes plays the gangster supreme and when he is finally brought to justice to take the stand he relays some very potent comments summed up with;  “There’s no poppyfields in Harlem, there’s no one making Uzi’s back here”.  To think of it, I have never seen a gun manufacturing plant nor have I seen a poppy field.  In fact, Heroin now that we are speaking on it, the number one cheif sellable product of our neighborhood entreprenuers for its “keep em coming back” qualities, is imported predominantly from Afghanistan.  Hmmm…I’m just saying. 

It’s not a Democrat thing, they can’t figure themselves out, its not a Republican thing, they can’t get out of their own way, its an everybody thing.  We all are part of the problem, we all have to be part of the solution.  STOP READING THE TARGET CIRCULAR.  We all got to give a bit, but that doesn’t mean that those with less just take what’s being given, there has got to be responsibility and prior to that, education so one understands what responsibility is…

Society is changing, that will always occur, change is constant in nature.  Things live, things multiply, things change colors, things change temperatures, things change locations, things go from solid, to liquid, to gas, things die, things CHANGE. 

Its the desired outcome that we have to worry about.  The United States is at very pivotal point in its history, we have had favored nation, top dog status for over a century now.  That shine is diminishing, its not over though.  There is still time to flip the provebial script. 

When next we speak, we get deep.   

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Crazy Legs (born Richard Colon on January 1, 1966) is a breakdancer and graffiti artist.  As one of the original members of the Rock Steady Crew and its current president, Crazy Legs grew up poor in the projects of the Bronx, NYC.  He saw tremendous levels of gang activity that many of his fellow Puerto Ricans were choosing.  Opting to make something of himself, rather than getting sucked into gang life, he turned to what was then a very new phenomenon, “breakdancing” or “uprocking”.   In the 30 years that has ensued Crazy Legs has become the dominant face of the breakdance element of Hip Hop culture to the world.He has been featured in films like Flashdance and Beat Street,  he has produced films like “the Freshest Kids” .  He has appeared in commericals and print ads with major companies like Coke and Verizon, this demonstrated the intial signs of the economic power of Hip Hop.   

He has been honored by VH1 during its ”Hip Hop Honors” segments, he was one of the original inductees to the Hip Hop Hall of Fame. 

If you ask him though, what’s been most important to him is the contributions he has made to community and the rewards he has received for doing so.   He has been noted by the Source Youth Foundation and the AARTS Bay Shore Schools Arts Foundation.  He has also been honored as the Godfather for the Puerto Rican Day Parade in Jersey City, New Jersey. 

As president of Rock Steady Crew, Crazy Legs hosts and organizes the annual Rock Steady Anniversary, a community event that honors deceased members of the crew and celebrates hip-hop culture both past and present. These anniversary parties unite DJs, breakdancers, MCs, graffiti artists, and thousands of hip hop supporters from all around the world. Under his leadership the group also holds an annual Celebrity Basketball Tournament during the yearly Anniversary Celebrations that raise money for the Greenwich Village Youth Council in

New York. In 2003, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg proclaimed July 26 to be “Rock Steady Crew Day” in

New York City during their 26th Anniversary Celebration at Pier 54.

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Photo for reference only

During a time in New York City where gang life was 5 times as populated as the city’s police department, Hip Hop culture was emerging in an attempt to stop the violence. Bambaataa was a founding member of the Bronx River Projects-area street gang, The Savage Seven. Due to the explosive growth of the gang, it later became known as the Black Spades, and he rose to the position of Division Leader. After a life-changing visit to Africa, he changed his name to Afrika Bambaataa Aasim. Bambaataa was influenced by the courage and strategic brilliance of Shaka Zulu seen in the movie and TV series “Shaka Zulu”.

Bambaataa decided to use his leadership to turn those involved in the gang life into something more positive to the community. This began the development of which soon later became known as the Universal Zulu Nation, a group of socially & politically aware rappers, B-boys, graffiti artists and other people involved in hip hop culture. By 1977, inspired by DJ Kool Herc and after getting his first equipment loaned to him from Disco King Mario, Bambaataa had begun organizing block parties all around the South Bronx. He even faced his mentor, Disco King Mario in a DJ battle.

Bam began Performing at Stevenson High School and forming a group calling it the Bronx River organization, then Later the Organization. Bam had deejayed with his own sound system at the Bronx River Community Center, with Mr. Biggs, Queen Kenya, and Cowboy, who accompanied him in performances in the community. Because of his prior status in the Black Spades, Bam already had an established party crowd drawn from former members of the gang. He became known as one of the best in the Bronx.

About a year later he reformed a group, calling it the Zulu Nation (inspired by his wide studies on African history at the time). Five b-boys (break dancers) joined him who he called the Shaka ZULU Kings, a.k.a. ZULU Kings; there were also the Shaka Zulu Queens. As Bam continued deejaying, more DJs, rappers, break dancers, graffiti writers, and artists followed his parties, and he took them under his wing and made them members of his Zulu Nation.

To learn more go to… http://www.zulunation.com/afrika.html

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You know Fox News came thru the crib (house) today and wanted to talk to me about the “power of one” and it really got me thinking.  See when I was first investigating buying a home back here, I attended a lot of the meetings that go on over at the Stanton Center and I realized just how involved so many people were in making a difference in the neighborhood.  I felt compelled to do what I could do because there were already so many engaged in the process.  There is “Power in One Community” back here.  So, with that I thought that I should run down a list of those that have been putting in mad (a lot) work for the community. 

Stanton Center:
Jim Turner…actually attended school at the center 40 years ago, now the executive director
Archie Trader…organizes school after school programs at the Center
Ricky Deion…heavy volunteer works with the kids at the Center has even organized sleep overs at his home

1st Baptist Church
Reverand Boston…has been a stabilzing force in the neighborhood for years, is constantly trying to find new ways for outreach

 City of Annapolis
Teresa Wellman…has been fighting for and has gotten a Legacy Grant for the neighborhood, she is the go to person for getting things done for Clay on a City level

Homes For America
Kathy Ebner…helped me get my home and have done the same for a few other residents back here, they are a non profit that buys and restores homes and helps lower to middle income people buy their first home…Thank you again Kathy

Clay Street Business
NT Sharps…owns the neighborhood laundromat and is always trying to find new and innovative ways to create more jobs back here

This all comes on the back of Ms. Bertina Nick who has recently passed but, who was a champion for all things positive on Clay Street.  May she rest in peace knowing that her legacy of goodwill is being carried forward by many of those I just mentioned and many others who are putting in work for the Clay Street community. 

Peace goes out. 

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I want to congratulate my people “GYM CLASS HEROES” they were named the best new band on the MTV VMA’s last weekend.  Did you see that?  They are everything that is right about music, these guys came from touring in a beat up caravan with not a prayer for air conditioning, sleeping on the floors of many a temporary friends, to get to where they are now…hard work, 10 years of grinding, more on that term in a bit. 

 Over the course of the last few days I realize that I should have been hitting you with more updates and I received a few emails and private comments from people slightly concerned for my well being.  Not to fear, I am okay.  Exhausted but, okay.  The last two nights I have come home attempted to get the laptop open but, have instead passed out on my couch once and the other on my floor still in my suit and shoes!   I am “grinding” or working overtime.   I am grinding like when you fall asleep in your car in your own driveway. 

You can see the site is not done but, it is up and we are making progress so, please log your comments about what you like and don’t like.   I am working on the pictures, those will take a few more days but, we are getting closer and closer.  There are quite a few people who have reached out and told me that they have some or others in their circles do, so figure me a few more days maybe, by Monday of next week to have some real pics in the mix. 

Disregard the video down there, it is a placeholder, the web designer, Jen Puzio, who helped me on the site just propped a few things up there to make sure we were working okay.  WOW did you follow all the pauses and commas in that last sentence?  I think I am probably too tired to be typing now!  

Join the forum, post up events, goings on, opinions, articles, etc…in the words of Clinton Sparks “GET FAMILIAR”.  

Peace,
Timm

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