K.Dot & The Warning Shot - Chris 'Preach' Smith

Last night, notice was served.

It came in the form of a guest verse from Compton’s own Kendrick Lamar, on ‘Control’, a Big Sean track that didn’t make his upcoming album due to sample clearance issues. So Sean goes to Funkmaster Flex and debuts this single on-air with him, Kendrick and Jay Electronica.
And the Internet imploded. That’s the best way to capture it. As of now, Kendrick’s verse has become hip-hop legend. The savagery. The outright boastful tone. The fact that he named many of the current big-name rappers out and told them he’ll take them all on. He even got East Coast heads doing double takes with the bars saying he’s the ‘King of New York’. That is how you murder someone on their own track. This does bring up a lot to chew on though.

For one, I dig the verse. I’m a fan of Kendrick. And as great as this verse is, I truly believe there will be better. This verse is crucial not because he threw shots as a West Coast MC towards East Coast MC’s. (And truth be told, do we really want to rehash a whole coastal battle again given that the last one got out of control and cost hip-hop not one, but two vital figures?) What Kendrick’s verse has done is, it RAISED the bar for the fickle ass rap fans. One or two of whom may be reading this article. It might have shattered complacency by those who have grown indifferent to hip-hop all because of the diluted talent that exists out there. Weedcarriers with bodega minds and gutter water talent. The standards have been low, been that way arguably since D4L and ‘Laffy Taffy’. And please note again that I’m not throwing regional shots. Because those that complain about too much trap influencing New York rappers have a point, but then some can’t answer the question as to why they don’t fully support real Southern MC’s like Bun B, Killer Mike & others over Trinidad James and Gucci Mane. The rap game and its corporate trappings have helped lower the standard for what we NEED from MCs because radio play, sponsored blogs and sites and cross-promotions rule.

Think about Big Sean for a sec; he knew this track would never make the album. Why put it out there? Because he a) knew it was fire cause of Kendrick and b) it would help his sales because his HOF album is on pre-order now. Every little bit helps when your album is saturated with features. As much as K.Dot MURDERED this track, let’s not ever forget that he did so in a space and time where hip-hop has been sorely lacking for this. And that the masses are in part responsible. It’s the choice of supporting rap that’s equivalent to a sack of Crown Fried Chicken and washing it down with Boone’s Farm that has brought the game to this point. Supporting it at the expense of other deserving MCs and groups. And we’ve done it far too much.

I won’t sit here and go absolutely bonkers because this year has seen a slew of great music. Music that some of the public may not check for because a big name isn’t attached or it’s not
posted up in Helvetica on a website. Doing so would prolong the disservice done to some of these MCs and give more fuel to the fickle. Consider this: J.Cole’s own fan-based Twitter account told him DIRECTLY that ‘he lost’. You’ve got cats comparing Kendrick’s verse to Drake’s ‘5 AM in Toronto’ verse. Laughable. Kendrick joins venerable vets like Black Thought (who is underrated as someone who eats rappers on their own tracks - check the resume), Pharoahe Monch who have earned their stripes doing what he did to Big Sean and Jay Electronica. Any MC worth his salt is supposed to do this.What this guest turn by K.Dot is, is like a Zen Buddhist monk shouting ‘KATSU’ as a way to awaken acolytes to truth. Doesn’t matter if he was from Compton, California or from Crown Heights, Brooklyn. It was needed. For fans and other MCs. Challenge and competition lie at the heart of this culture. That got lost in chasing paper, reality shows and Twitter love. MCs shouldn’t be statisticians. Even now, there’s MCs who are prepping to rise to the challenge. And the energy is akin to the time Nas and Jay Z went at each other for a whole summer. 

Kendrick Lamar sent off that warning shot. Who’ll fire back?

The hip-hop world waits for the answer.

Hip-Hop Turns 40 - Chris "Preach" Smith

Where it all began, 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, The Bronx, NY.


Hip Hop turns 40 years of age. Today.

This culture, this art form we call hip hop celebrates its
birthday today with the first ever jam by the legendary
architect of the culture, DJ Kool Herc. It was held in the
rec room of 150 Sedgwick Avenue up in Morris Heights,
found in the Boogie Down Bronx. A simple back to school
jam for his sister became the origin point for a culture
that has seen tremendous heights on a global scale. It
is entirely surreal, and yet makes a whole lot of sense
to me and others in my generation that hip-hop turns
40 for a variety of reasons. Some more personal than
you would think.



I’ve been turning over and over in my mind exactly 
what it means for hip-hop to be 40. One of the first
things that stands out is just how ingrained it is within
our daily lives. Think about it: hip-hop is probably the
last true American musical art form since jazz. Born
from a melting pot of ingenuity and influences. It 
took inspiration and was shaped by many thanks to
Afrika Bambatta and the Universal Zulu Nation.
DJ’ing, the MC, breaking and writing. Four distinct
columns of a culture that at the outset was consigned
to the remnants of the South Bronx. Yet it survived.
Not without sacrifice, and not without love and care.
And perhaps that is why there is a bittersweet feeling
that lingers in the spirit. For a lot of us, there is a
vastly distinct difference between hip-hop and what
is peddled as hip-hop that we call ‘rap’. And it is sad,
but necessary to do. Because as the culture turns 40,
we realize that there is maturity, but not nearly enough
of it.

Take into account that most of the top MC’s and groups
in the culture are above 40 years of age. Hip-hop, as
I have stated before in earlier pieces, is a culture that
is vibrant and driven with the spirit of youth. And while
there are a slew of younger MC’s out there with quality
releases, it remains to be seen if they’ll have the staying
power of the older MC’s we’re all used to. And that is an
issue with many facets to it. Some of the older MC’s are
not supported by major labels who have eschewed art
for profit by any means. They’ve had to go the indie
route to keep releasing albums. There’s constant tours
and shows because this is their living. And not every
tour is like the recent Kings Of The Mic Tour put on by
LL Cool J. In most cases, they have to go overseas to
get substantial love and the paper to match. (More on
that in a bit.) The corporations behind these labels have
a LOT to do with that. They’ve pushed rappers with little
to no talent and a lot of crafted style to the forefront.
It almost becomes a musical dog and pony show, bling
optional. These rappers get crossover appeal and it brings
in the bucks. You’ll hear a Nicki Minaj or a Drake on pop
music stations all the time over someone like Eve or 
Nas. Superficiality over substance. The messages that 
would inform and empower get pushed aside for those
that say, ‘eat, drink, drug, spend, party’. This adds to the
negative imagery some have always had against hip-hop
since its inception. Much like jazz - when it began its rise,
it was referred to as ‘jungle music’ that spurred high
cannabis use. Now labels have exploited hip-hop to a
degree where private prison companies get in on the
action. (Looking at you, Interscope.)

Another issue as hip-hop gets older is, the accepted 
degradation of women. Misogyny and the mic go hand
in hand it seems more than ever, to the point where
rape is now being seen as clever thanks to Rick Ross
and others. If hip-hop is viewed by some as a religion
of sorts, then like those other major religions it seems
to have made the role of women a second-class one.
This despite the contributions of Sha Rock, Angie B,
Roxanne Shante and countless other women who
have commanded respect on the mic since day one.
The corporate influences are to blame, but so is the
peer pressure and lack of strutured education within
the culture. It’s issues like this and others that have
made a number in my age group who grew up with
the culture turn away from it in some degree.

DJ Kool Herc, today.

Afrika Bambatta.

There’s a passage from notable British-Indian author Salman
Rushdie’s Haroun and The Sea of Stories that sticks in the mind
whenever I discuss hip-hop and what it has been and some of
what has happened to it. “The oldest stories ever made, and
look at them now. We let them rot,we abandoned them, long
before this poisoning.” We have been part of the problems that
plague this culture. But what gives me hope, what gives many
of us who haven’t given up on hip-hop all this time hope is the
absolute LOVE that still lies at the heart of the culture. Head 
overseas and you’ll see that in full force. Check the documentary
‘Estilo Hip Hop’ and see how MCs and DJ’s in Peru make concerts
happen with equipment and an extension cord much like the park
jams of old around NYC back in the day. I’ve caught b-boy battles
in Amsterdam. Seen footage from shows in Tokyo. I’ve caught
a glimpse of graf pieces from all over the planet. That love is
there. And quiet as it’s kept, there are many hard at work here
to keep the culture relevant and present for all. There’s a good
number of educators now using hip-hop as a vital part of their
curriculum. There’s others who are using hip-hop music as ways
to teach about being entrepreneurs. And many others who still
continue to use hip-hop as a tool to educate and mobilize against
injustice here and abroad. Those people, as much as the pioneers,
need our attention. They need our love and respect.

Hip-hop turning 40 today is a moment not unlike that where
you realize that not only are you getting older, but those that
love and have guided you are as well. And you begin to truly
understand what it means to carry on the weight of their
lives and experiences in you. And you realize that it is your
duty to do so being that you love them. The same goes for
hip-hop. If the culture is to keep on, those of us who call
ourselves fans have to appreciate the contributions of those
who brought us to this point. Appreciate the new, but revere
the old with respect due to both. Rail against anything that’s
deleterious to hip-hop. And pass all that wisdom on to the 
babies. Because no culture can thrive if the knowledge isn’t
taken care of and passed on dutifully. Hip Hop is saving lives
daily, despite the negativity. Think about how many people
from its outset it saved. Think about how many have gotten
a purpose from this culture. Think about how, in 40 years,
Hip Hop permeates EVERYTHING on this planet. Can’t do
that without sacrifice, dedication and love.

Happy birthday to hip-hop. May you have 40 more years
and beyond.

Stealing Home? - Chris "Preach" Smith

A-Rod won.

I know there’s some of you who don’t want to hear or read this
simple truth that lies at the base of your emnity for the New York
Yankees third baseman. But it has to be recognized, and said. In
the wake of the outright Keystone Kops-like debacle that this past
Monday was for Major League Baseball in issuing suspensions for
the 12 players linked to the Biogenesis lab in Miami, Florida, Alex
Rodriguez won out. Think about it - we’ve long left behind any talk
of the other notable names like Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers
or Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers. A-Rod dominates the press,
as usual. And in his mind, as it should be. But you shouldn’t get
any more irate than you would if your wireless company was trying
to jack up your bill with hidden fees.

What, and who Alex Rodriguez is, is baseball’s embodiment of the
lesser known traits this country nurtures and covets. That is, how
to get over no matter the circumstances. Or as P.T. Barnum would
say, ‘There’s a sucker born every minute.’ Think of it: he gets to 
play for the Yankees until the end of this season while on appeal.
He would’ve been gone for 211 games, or until the beginning of 
the 2015 season. Trying to make a comeback like that has only
been done by Roy Hobbs in Bernard Malamud’s ‘The Natural’. He’d
be at the end of his career. So A-Rod gets paid, and can even snag
a bonus if he hits 12 more home runs to catch up to the great 
Willie Mays. He gets a huge amount of publicity, and since he 
welcomes any kind of press, he’ll run with it. Rodriguez is playing
his hand with cool, even if he’s looking like a stumblebum with
sloppy evasions of questions about his steroid usage with Biogenesis.
He makes a sucker out of the Yankees once again, and baseball.

It’s almost laughable how Bud Selig and Major League Baseball
has handled this affair. We knew A-Rod was on the hot seat since
January. It’s another example of baseball’s bad judgement when
it comes to steroids in the game. This was their growing problem
since the late 1990’s when they ignored the growth of performance
enhancing drugs, seeing only dollar signs after the strike year of
1994. But can you really be surprised? You have a sport that 
has dropped the ball on issues of player exploitation in Latin 
American nations & the decline in Black players as a result of the
aforementioned problem and other factors. A league that has 
had to resort to changing the integrity of the All-Star Game in
order to boost ratings and relevancy. Selig and other execs got
taken. Again. But A-Rod needs to send Ryan Braun some bubbly
because Braun’s previous steroid case that saw him beat the
system and make a scapegoat of the lab that collected his sample
helped this whole debacle to come about.


To the Yankees fans who are supremely outraged to the point of
hysterics? I say this as a fellow fan: you get what you pay for.
I still remember being in Los Angeles in 2004 for the NBA All
Star Weekend and getting the news that A-Rod was coming to
town. As much as it was exciting, it was also a bit ominous. The
former golden boy savior of baseball has brought one title to the
Bronx in 2009. Outside of gaudy season numbers, one has to ask
if if was worth it. This isn’t unfamiliar territory; former pinstriped
PED users Roger Clemens and Jason Giambi had their moments
of infamy. Yet they’ve managed to relatively move on. A-Rod
won’t be so lucky. Because I do believe him when he says that
baseball is his life. For someone who has slid in and out of relatable
personas like he has in romantic relationships (hi Cameron), this
game and his Hall of Fame numbers is what matters most. The
hubris attached to it though makes the cost that much more
agonizing to pay. He won’t see that yet. Maybe he’ll never see it.
Maybe he’ll wind up like Mark McGwire, still in baseball but off to
the side with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Still beloved, but tainted.
He could be like ol’ Charlie Hustle himself, shut out of the game
that gave him so much. Or he could wind up like Sammy Sosa,
a fellow Dominican slugger who’s gotten more press for bleaching
his skin in past years than anything else. The dog days left in 
this summer will show us if A-Rod can take any more heat.
For now, we have to accept that A-Rod didn’t steal home all
by himself.

He won, but his losses will come sooner than expected. Even for
him. 

When Presence Meets Charity - Chris 'Preach' Smith

To riff off of one of Harry Belafonte’s songs, tomorrow is 
a long time, but for some the past is further away than
it should be from their memory. The recent tiff between
the octogenarian singer/actor/activist and hip-hop MC/
mogul Jay-Z is far more than a mere bit of miscommunication
and slights. It’s a timely situation that illustrates a gap
between generations and their respective struggles.

To begin with, Mr.Belafonte may have erred when he
named Jay and his wife, Beyonce in his missive decrying
the lack of Black celebrities publicly working for change.
It’s not an error that is a total blunder either. Belafonte
echoed the frustrations of a great many people across
the board. He may have felt, in his own way, that calling
them out specifically could lead to them being more
involved. Jay however, got entirely too riled up. Which
led to his lyrics on MCHG calling Mr. Belafonte a ‘boy’ and
then in a recent interview with Elliott Wilson, claiming
that his ‘presence was charity’. Since then, Belafonte
has slightly walked back his statements and invited both
of the Carters to come join him in Florida to aid the
Dream Defenders in their protest over the Zimmerman
verdict.

Let’s be clear. Jay Z has handled this badly. Never mind
how it started, there is no real justification for an MC
who is intelligent as he is to call a major civil rights figure
‘boy’. It’s as if he learned nothing from Lil Wayne’s horrific
lyric referencing Emmitt Till. But that’s part of the issue
here. There seems to be this real disconnect between 
the generations as to what they fought for and who it
would benefit. It’s as if the Civil Rights Era is this piece
of memorabilia on the mantlepiece in a lot of minds.
Loved, cherished but sometimes neglected and perhaps
too often unappreciated. 1965 was long ago but not
THAT long. And for Jay to call a man who essentially
was responsible for his very livelihood in some respects
‘boy’, a term Belafonte probably heard and saw applied
to him in various poisonous tones reeks of ignorance.
Ignorance that he doubled down on by claiming his 
presence was charity. There’s quite a few people that
call the area now claimed by Barclays Center home
that would disagree with you. It smacks of arrogance,
one that is needed for the stage but not in a situation
like this. 

That’s not to say Jay Z has not lent his time and fame
to support causes. He has been and was a main backer
of the 2008 and 2012 elections of Barack Obama as
President of The United States. He’s helped found a
group that aims to bring clean water to villages in
Africa. He probably feels that he is doing his bit. But in
an age where we are seeing other forces literally
trying to turn back the clock in this country, that may
not be enough. And his way of thinking (I’m a business,
man) does reflect both the best and worst of American
society. Some see it as a ‘I got mine, get yours’ approach
that clutters the minds of men on Wall Street. (Not
something Hov wants to be fully tied to given his
attempts at co-opting Occupy Wall Street via clothing.)
Perhaps that lies at the root of it all. Belafonte sees
a lot in Jay. More than what Jay is putting out. And
in the process of pulling his coat to things, Jay reacted
in a highly sensitive way. It’s no different than the
older heads on the block schooling the young, something
I and many others of my time grew up with. It was a
conversation probably best had face to face. Think of
what Belafonte has done just in activism alone. This
is a man who bailed Martin Luther King out of jail and
funded the Freedom Riders out of his own pocket. He
also escaped being blacklisted during the country’s
Communist-hunting years. Hell, he invigorated the
rise of hip-hop in Cuba when he met with hip-hop artists
there BEFORE meeting Fidel Castro on a visit in 1999.
So to the critics claming he has no right to criticize 
Jay, he’s earned that right ten times over.

What Harry and Hov need to do is have a face to
face meeting. Two lions greeting each other. Air
out their grievances and their own egos in full.  I’m 
not going to be so optimistic as to say that it could
spark further collaboration and alliances like we saw
among athletes and entertainers in the 1960’s.
There isn’t enough of that spirit in some of these
artists held up as greats. Their protests go as far
as 140 characters that may be the limit of their
own on such matters. And if Jay doesn’t take this
opportunity to meet Mr. Belafonte, maybe artists
like Jasiri X, Yaasin Bey and others would be better
suited to do so. Those young lions are roaring just
like he does still. Because what this situation has
shown us is, tomorrow is a long time. And it is far
too long to not appreciate the hell others endured
to get us to a point where we could even look at
tomorrow in this country with hope. Far too long
to get caught up in small squabbles when the real
fight hangs over our heads. 

True Thieves In The Night - Chris "Preach" Smith

There is a higher law than the law of government. That’s the law of
conscience. - Kwame Ture/Stokely Carmichael 

Not guilty.

That was the verdict returned by six jurors in the trial of George 
Zimmerman this past Saturday night after a little more than 24
hours of deliberation. And like many others, I have been juggling
anger and numbness like bombs with slow moving fuses. I got 
the news while walking Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn looking to get
a cab with two friends to a spot. I saw how a summer night got
filled with nervous, electric tension as people checked the alerts
on their smartphones. As we went to this bar in the cab, my own
phone kept buzzing with text messages. But once we got to this
next spot, and even to the next one on Atlantic Avenue, it was
as if nothing happened. But that feeling of dread still sat in the
pit of my stomach like a cold, obtuse stone. And it reverberated
with every mention of the verdict.

In truth, this verdict had to be expected. Consider that Angela
Corey and the state of Florida along with the Sanford police only
began this process after relentless protesting and scrutiny aided
by late-to-the-party media outlets. The same Angela Corey who
oversaw the conviction and sentencing of Marissa Alexander who
sought protection under the same ‘Stand Your Ground’ law that
Zimmerman’s defense team for firing a handgun AT A WALL to
ward off her ex-husband. She got 20 years for that. Yet she and
the state as prosecutors botched this case from jump. Consider
that a ‘jury of your peers’ was made up mostly of white women
from a conservative county. A county that breaks down to 80%
white and 11% African-American at last tally. A prosecution team
led by an attorney known for overcharging in cases, something
that was brought up last year. The defense team did their job
as contemptible as it was. And as they acted, Don West being
exhibit A. When you look at these instances and the fact that
racial profiling was completely ignored, this was the verdict to be
expected. Doesn’t make it any more easy to swallow. A child died.
Not a wanna-be thug. Not a hoodie-wearing menace hopped up
on mary jane. A teen trying to get home with snacks in the rain.
And the person that killed him gets away with no legal consequences.
It sets a dangerous tone, one that has a familiar ring.

The anger and hurt has compelled many to write articles, start
petitions, and march from coast to coast. Mostly peaceful protests,
despite the fears of some commentators and the secret hopes
of others. (By the way, Alex Jones? Get bent for trying to purport
the same racial stereotypes in the guise of ‘awakening’.) But 
that doesn’t stop a network like CNN from playing one clip of an
unruly demonstrator on loop to stand as an example for all of the
protests. Part of this anger I, and others feel is that a teenager is
dead. Trayvon Martin has been besmirched since that bullet took
his life. The way they have treated him in death is how they view
us in life. It’s like how it used to be 50 years ago; be you eight 
years old or eighty, a white person could still call a Black man ‘boy’.
It is the outright exercise of white privliege that has made people
view Trayvon as yet another ‘thug’. A code word for ‘darkie’ or
‘nigger’. Words some don’t want to utter in a supposed ‘post-racial’
America. It is that same privilege that led to the Sanford P.D. only
drug testing Trayvon during the autopsy while letting Zimmerman
get away clean, violating state law. The same privilege that led to
Don West berating Rachel Jeantel on the witness stand as if she
hadn’t fetched his mint julep with the right amount of leaves as
he sat on the veranda. The same privilege that has led Mark O’Mara
to call for the disbarring of Benjamin Crump and Daryl Parks. To
them, and the Zimmerman family, Trayvon ‘deserved it’. And so
they heaped it on. Look at his brother’s first interview afterwards,
claiming that the 17 year old would’ve set up a drug factory. That’s
selling it to the Fox News Nation with mustard on top.



What stood out to me is that the diverse mass of people are angry
that this ‘justice’ system has again been set up to fail people of color
at the expense of a murdered child. A child who is being exploited,
even after death like so many others out here. And yet, there’s a
good many people who have accepted that the ‘justice’ system was
never for our fairness. When you have a defense witness get busted
advertising that he trained Zimmerman in mixed martial arts during
the trial, it is exploitation. When you have a juror in this case announce
a book deal less than 48 hours after the verdict was handed down, it
is yet another example that the life of a person of color is cheap in the
United States. Trayvon was a threat, one that George felt he couldn’t
let ‘get away’. Ponder that. He couldn’t let another one get away. And 
so, he stole his life. That’s right. STOLE it. By getting out of that car,
he began a process that made him a thief in the night. And he was
aided in his theft by a law that has been highly controversial. The 
theivery even extended to his mother claiming Trayvon’s screams on
the 9-11 call were her son’s. Even the media at large is at fault, evidenced
by HLN’s coverage and the fact that they showed photos of Martin’s
body at the crime scene.


As it stands now, the Department of Justice has begun looking into
the matter, spurred on by peitions by the NAACP and other groups.
More protests are being arranged. Stevie Wonder has publicly stated
that he won’t play any more dates in Florida until Stand Your Ground
is abolished. Juror B37 has had her book deal yanked thanks to a
swarm of outrage via Twitter and Facebook. The people are letting
their voices be heard. Yes, it is because of Trayvon, but it is a larger fight.
This may be that point, SHOULD be that point where things change
through action. Trayvon’s case has led to more light on the Alexander
case, the Jordan Davis case and many other travesties including a
Black police officer shot 20+ times by fellow cops about to go to trial
for assault. On the cops who shot him. It’s not about being alarmist.
It’s about folks beginning to take their stand. It has happened with
generations before us, and it can happen again. We’re at a point 
where clocks are being turned back via legislation to match mindstates.
Complacency cannot aid immorality’s abuse of decency.


As I watched the coverage of the march in Manhattan Sunday night,
I thought about how only a few decades ago, terror and loathing
came after Black folks at night. How it came after Emmitt, Medgar
and others. It wore hoods, sneers and other accesories of bigotry.
Perhaps, all of the outcry and protest sure to rise is right on time.
Right on time to shatter perceptions, add more flames to show this
country the fire next time is real and not just a simple heat wave.
Right on time to take back the night from the thieves wearing their
privilege and fears like ski masks. I hope and pray that folks keep on
fighting. Keep on protesting, passing out petitions, talking. Address
the system that feasts on men, women & children because they
are ‘threats’ for actually going against divisive perceptions. Shine
a light on the true thieves in the night.