Editorial by Pullmag.com: Outgrowing Hip-Hop? August 16, 2010

(Cracks Knuckles) Here we go! My first blog. After writing for an hour and loosing 3 paragraphs due to an accidental power down. I’m back to in the right mode. But what to write about, what insight to give people who might read my occasional “drive by enlightenment?” I was thinking about going in on the whole Charles Hamilton issue with him checking into the mental institution but decided against it. Maybe I need to come up with something more insightful or personal? So what then? Let’s see, the newly released Rick Ross album? Nah! How about the new Drake jump off? Nah! Too easy for the first blog! Hmmmm.. I got it!

WHEN DO YOU OUTGROW HIP HOP?

If you’re a man or woman over 25 and you still hit the club on occasion or you still have an Ipod or CD changer full of hip hop albums, it seems as if people are always trying to make it seem like you’re too old to still be interested in any of that. Somewhere along the line, we’re all supposed to stop texting, switch over to the oldies station, close down our Twitter accounts, stay at home 24/7 and welcome in the idea of growing older and “slowing down” completely void any hip hop influenced avenues!! This idea seems mainly founded by individuals who think hip hop is strictly music based and at a certain point we should outgrow it for some other genre of music because we can no longer relate to the artist dispositions or understand they’re lingo. Like for some reason, after 20 years of being blanketed in the hip hop culture you suddenly should become totally uninterested.

But here in lies the beauty of the hip hop culture, it does NOT follow rules! It has no limitations of style and creativity, it has no boundaries which dictate that a 40 year old cant enjoy the newer clothing lines, a 35- year- old cant relate to the latest hip hop album or modern day art shows can only be understood by peers of a similar age or younger! The hip hop culture was birthed in change, punching thru ceilings and telling the world to “kiss our ass!” So it seems almost foolish that a force built by my generation and the one before would become irrelevant in a persons life after a certain age? Are you saying now I can only attend 30 and up events? Now if I see a shirt by the latest designer in the mall, I have to go see what’s on sale at the store where they sell “what the people my age” are wearing? Nah, no thank you. Understand this, my generation is the one who opened the worlds eyes to the culture. We bought the risqué 2 Live Crew and NWA albums, we started spending the top dollars on fits ($100 Jordans, $80 Karl Kani jeans), we took the graffiti from just bothersome writing on buildings to an art form that STILL has its own following and has opened several outlets for new age art!

I will agree that at a certain age, you have to adapt to a certain set of conditions that the younger hip hoppers may not yet be dealing with in their adolescence or early adulthood. Sure, as your responsibilities increase ten fold, your viewpoints on particular things may change. But none of which include abandoning the hip hop culture. I take my hip hop upbringing and I mold it to fit my lifestyle as well as teach my daughter the same valuable lessons that I’ve been rooted in. Hip hop is about embracing the community, it teaches us that it takes both positive and negative to build a well rounded individual. At the same time it teaches us that no matter what circumstances you are surrounded by (urban or suburban), expanding your horizons and achieving your goals is a matter of dedication and knowing that if you believe in yourself, you can make the world believe in you too! It teaches us that change is inevitable in all aspects of life, and that we must change with those times in order to stay aware and influential in life period! Those are lessons of life you don’t outgrow and are more than happy to teach future generations!

Hip hop is timeless and if your focus is that of a narrow minded nature you may not understand why a man or woman could have grown up on Run DMC, Whoudini and LL Cool J but can still relate to Curren$y ,Wiz Khalifa and Joell Ortiz. A person who had worn Levis the 1st time they were popular and find it slightly amusing that they’re back in style AGAIN, or know that we’ve come so far in some aspects (having a black president) but haven’t budged an inch in others (police brutality, urban genocide, racial profiling, etc..)

Aiight, aiight, I’ll wrap it up..Bottomline is I will NEVER outgrow the hip hop culture. I’ve done my fair share of adapting to fit my lifestyle but my foundation is built in the very same culture that I helped to create and have been embracing ever since. What people need to do is broaden their tunnel vision perspective of the culture and understand that it spans beyond the clothes you wear, the music you listen to or the newest technology you use.

Try telling Russel Simmons he shouldn’t be making a fortune on the hip hop culture or telling Barack Obama that he could of grasped the presidency without the support of the hip hop generation who went out and voted for him. This is evident by realizing, the hip hop advertising of our day is built towards capturing the eye of the younger generation but it’s the semi seasoned 30- somethings who fuel and support it by understanding why our children are so attracted to it and support the culture in various way.

The culture spans several age groups so before you tell someone they’re too old to be listening to something or wearing certain styles or attending certain events, know that it must pass from one generation to another to keep the lifestyle thriving and relevant!

I AM HIP HOP…

Written by Last Virgo

Source:http://blogs.pullmag.com/2010/07/30/outgrowing-hip-hop/

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