A coming of age? Hip Hop at 40

                  

trayvon_gat-tuner_08-13-2013.jpg

 

 

J.Cole’s latest offering  “Born Sinner” which recently reached the top of the charts also has been called by some critics a sort of coming of age truth-telling album. On one song, the 28-year-old rapper discusses how he felt when he learned his rap idol Nas was disappointed in what he heard on the first track released on his debut CD. Undoubtedly with prodding from his label, in an effort to make music that could compete with the popular songs being played on the radio, he departed from the style that caused many to anticipate his work.

On the upside, Ms. Selah says these sparks of consciousness and expressions of frustration from well-known artists could ultimately produce something positive that can be used build upon. The same way Jay Z popularized the “dope boy” Hip-Hop ethic, parlaying it into a lucrative career, and even an entire movie soundtrack (American Gangster) perhaps some may be inspired to learn about Cuba after seeing him visit, or learn more about the Five Percenters as a result of seeing him wear the necklace.

“He has such a tremendous generation of youth following him, they are going to now ask the question about that necklace. They’re going to say: ‘What do you mean? What are you talking about? What do you mean the Black man is a god what does that mean?’ So hopefully that can infuse and spark a relevant conversation.” said Ms. Selah.

Independent Hip-Hop activist Jasiri X agreed. He said many artists are coming to the realization that even though they are highly visible,  and  achieving a level of material wealth, they have no real power with their labels, creative and othewise.   

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *