Happy Tuesday everyone !
I just wanted to share another Black History Month Feature. This time it's another documentary. It's a little different, in the sense that it doesn't focus on the Civil Rights Movement, but nonetheless it is an important part of Black History.
Now I know this is kind of left field from the other documentaries that I've posted, but I find it to be relevant because I LOVE music.
It's definitely an eye-opener, and really focuses on urban street culture. It also explores the crack epidemic of the 80's. To put it lightly, it's very REAL, so it might not be your cup of tea, but I found it to be interesting.
Planet Rock : The Story of Hip-Hop and the Crack Generation.
HipHop Wired posted the documentary in its entirety on their website. Here's the
link . I don't think that people realize what an impact this had on that generation and the music produced. When you look at the music and artists of today, you see a lot of "fake-ness" ...people doing and or saying things for show, notoriety, or for money. Your money.
I don't think some of these artists realize when they talk about selling and or doing drugs, whether they really are or aren't, that's how it used to be. Up and coming rappers who came out of that era really either did that, or grew up around it, and now you just have people rapping about it who aren't really living it. This in turn effects their listeners because they are completely sold off of what this new school rapper is saying. The Hip-Hop culture has such a large effect on this world. Maybe some don't see it, but I know for a fact the people signing those artists checks BANK on it. Back then, folks didn't rap about certain things for kicks, or album sales, they rapped about those things because that's what they knew, that's what or how they lived.
Let me give you a few examples; let's take jersey dresses, how many of you just HAD to have a jersey dress when you saw Mya in one ? Or how many of you now drink Moscato after that one verse of Drakes, or Ciroc, Diddys drink. How many of you rocked throwback jerseys and air force ones because Hov, Fab and whoever else was wearing them ? How many of your are now screaming out Y.O.L.O whenever it fits in context ? Where did you get that all from ? Music... Hip-Hop Music, it effects lives more than one realizes. Remember when McDonalds had all those commercials with black people, singing, speaking poetry, rapping, or dancing ? Hip-Hop sells and McDonalds wants to sell you nasty food. We are Hip-Hop and thats exactly who Mcdonalds was targeting, so how would they reach that audience ? Through Hip-Hop. I bet it worked didn't it ?
Everything is flashy because that's how its done in the videos. Wondering why being a "hipster is in ? Check your music folks. See those guys rocking the high top fades( for someone like me, I was actually a kid when that was in and I have no idea why it's back in style) and bright colors ? Music.. its what they see, its what they hear, so they emulate it.
Anywho back to Planet Rock...
Duane of
The Book of Hov states
"It’s must-see for those of us who truly respect the game because it
wasn’t a game, it was real life for so many. It’s important to make and
understand the connection between 80′s street economy (crack cocaine
trade) and street culture (what we now know as Hip-Hop). I do think this
connection, and, explicitly, the impact it has had on a generation and
the world, has been underexplored at least in certain forms of media
such as print and film. Of course, the connection has been explored in
great detail in some of the greatest Hip-Hop albums ever made such as
Big’s Life After Death, Nas’s Illmatic, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt.
He also states
" From an intellectual perspective, I hope that Planet Rock
serves as a historical visual document of a defining period of a culture
a couple of generations removed from the Civil Rights era. Our
generation has been the target of very harsh criticism (some of it
justified) from those who came before us but a significant part of what
defines us is a direct result of a dynamic that we didn’t control-the
80′s crack epidemic-a period of time that began when most of us were
kids or teens being the products of single-parent households, attending
under-performing schools and living in war zones.
And still we rise… "
Finally, I feel that
HipHopDiaries summed this documentary up best,
" Planet Rock presents a documentary called “The Story of Hip-Hop and The
Crack Generation”. This takes a look at the in depth struggle of the
times in the 1980s mainly in New York and Los Angeles. Thoughts from
people actually living through those times, from the biggest drug
dealers to the addicts they sold to, all are included in this
documentary. In addition to those people, rappers such as Snoop Dogg,
Chuck D, and Ice T, who is the narrator, provides insight as well as to
how this hard time reflected the hip-hop genre. Towards the end of the
documentary, they take a look at the rappers in the present and how it’s
a clear change in regards to lyrical content in correlation to their
lifestyle."
There you have it.
I hope that you go and take a look at this documentary !
I also hope you enjoy it as much as I did !
Sources:
The Book of Hov
HipHop Wired
HipHop Diaries
