Dr. Cornell West – The New Face of Hip-Hop?
AMWie. Talent: Andrea M. White
April 7, 2007
Every now and then in the hip-hop grave of poppin, snappin, and lip-gloss, a breath of fresh air eases its way into the corpse of our cd players, and respires life into an industry that desperately needs reviving. Well, one of the most intellectual and inspirational scholars of this century has joined the hip-hop community to introduce what is sure to be one of the most talked-about projects this year.
Dr. Cornell West, Harvard University Professor of African-American studies, along with his brother, have teamed up with a group of hip-hop and R&B heavy hitters, including Nas, Prince, Dead Prez, the late Gerald Levert, Krs-One, Talib Kweli and others to present a collaboration entitled, “Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations“, scheduled to be released this June during Black Music Month.
When asked why he decided to create this critical collabo, Dr. West stated:
"I believe he (Nas) wanted to spark a substantive discussion about which way Hip-Hop was going. It is such a complicated genre with so many tendencies and I think he was saying the dominant stream is betraying the origins of Hip-Hop. So, in a sense, it's dead, but he (Nas) is not part of the worst of Hip-Hop. In fact he represents the very best of Hip-Hop in his mind and in my mind. So, to the degree that he is still going and to the extent that KRS-One and many others are still going it is still alive. But there is a dulling and deadening that has set in and he's very much right about that. Because in the end it's not just about the music. It has always been a way of life for young folks. So if you're talking about Hip-Hop is dead then you're really talking about the dead souls of Black folks. Hopelessness, self-violation, self-destruction, self-flagellation. Is that what we're saying? That's a much stronger claim. Much more is at stake here."
Dr. West believes that we should not let “lazy artists” off the hook because black music is too important, and he feels like this project will evoke some life into the hip-hop community. West hopes that this awakening will continue to influence other artist to release music in the near future that discuss these issues and provides a positive note for music and the industry.
Man!! I wish I could get into all of the issues that Dr. West addressed about the poor, healing, and examining yourself, because this man is truly outstanding. He is not only one of the most unbelievable speakers ever, but he just seems like he’s too cool. Either way, I encourage everyone to support this album when it drops next month, I am excited that someone this influential is supporting the culture and not bashing it; and taking the initiative to make a change and do something – and not simply talk about it. This thing is going to be fire.
