hip hop – Page 5 – Street Line Video

Hip Hop and…… Me

I fell in Love with Hip Hop in 1985. I was only six years old. My mother took me and my brother to see the movie Krush Groove. The person who has inspired me the most in Hip Hop is Mr. Shawn Corey Carter better known as Jay Z. Jay Z makes music that I as well as others that live in urban communities can relate to. I hear verses and be like oh hell yeah. He’s talking to or about me. Jay Z raps about the struggle, about loyalty, family, hurt, pain and fears and those are things that all human beings can identify with. Hov raps about hustling but kept it real about the negative aspect of the game. He didn’t glorify it. He admitted that he did it. He also made it clear to the world that this was something that he felt he had to do. He proved to society how poverty is directly correlated with crime. He also proved given the right opportunity that anyone can change. Jay Z encourages through his music. He advises his listeners to educate themselves and stay informed. Jay Z really is dope. He brought Michael Jackson out in Summer Jam. He had Oprah Winfrey come to Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, New York. He also has a close personal relationship with former president Barak Obama. He is a musical genius. He fused Hip Hop and Broadway with his hit Hard Knock Life. Today Hip Hop is changing. These mumble rappers are popping mollys, perks and Xanz. They’re drinking lean and partying like rock stars. Everybody is wearing designer clothes, chasing bags, hustling and bagging hotties and thotties. It’s sad because I think about how young and impressionable I was at six years old and fell in love with Hip Hop. I pray for Hip Hop every single day. I ask God to send some really dope artist that will bring substance back to Hip Hop. Bring back artist that are active in the communities. Give us artist that will give back by helping others. Let there be more teachers, leaders, advocates, and activist in Hip Hop. Let all of Hip Hop unite and become a mighty driving force in the world. People tend to forget that Hip Hop is the biggest and strongest culture in the world. It us the only culture the units every race, color and religion. I thank my mom for introducing me to hip hop. I love hip hop and I always will.

Written by Regina Alston

Bobby: The 25th Anniversary

After the release of his breakout hit smash second album “Don’t Be Cruel”, Bobby comes back four years later with an album that’s on another level of uptempo, dance and new jack swing tracks that can definitely get a party started. 25 years ago on August 25th, 1992, Bobby Brown released his third self titled album “Bobby.” With six singles released from this fourteen track album, the songs are all topics mostly about relationships and love but with a groove that keeps you on the dance floor nonstop. A much older and wiser Bobby musically and shows a much more softer, emotional and a lover boy side mixed with that same hype and crazy energy that has a bit of a hip hop influenced attitude with backup dancers in alleys and basketball courts. Snapbacks with gore tex boots and baggy jeans, this was the image that was far from his shiny suits and gumby days as the young rockstar from Boston and breaking away from his group New Edition. This album is my personal favorite from Bobby. This album gives you that nonstop fun and good feeling with an even longer track listing than “Don’t Be Cruel” and the success of the album is continues with a remix album that was released a year later with a heavier hip hop sound than new jack swing. It was more raw, more street, more dancing and more grittier than the original tracks but it’s also a great body of work. This album is also Bobby’s most underrated. It’s his best work to date. No doubt. After all these years, there is no denying that Bobby was the Chris Brown, the Usher, he is what we see in these recent R&B cats before they came along. His impact and influence is like no other.

Release Some Tension: The 20th Anniversary

After two successful albums, SWV returns right away with a third album that was completely different. Their 1992 debut album “It’s About Time” showcased them as the “around the way” girls with the golden voices bopping their heads and dancing in baggy clothes with long nails from The Bronx and Brooklyn. Their sound was new jack swing and heavy New York hip hop boombap with a combination of their soothing and beautiful voices on a love song with a little bit of rapping and playfulness that represented how strong their bond was as sisters who have finally made it out the hood. Four years later, their 1996 sophomore album “New Beginning” was a more softer side of the group. Way more ballads and left their home girl looks for the more feminine look in high heels and fur coats and then a year later, right after, on August 13th, 1997, the group released their third album “Release Some Tension.” This album was more of a combination of the two previous albums before because there are both hip hop vibes and love ballads at the same time. The only difference is that this album had way more collaborations and features than the other two. All of the guest appearances were hip hop. Diddy, Foxy Brown, Redman, Lil’ Cease, Missy Elliott, Lil’ Kim, E-40 and Snoop Dogg all appeared on the album. All of the singles released were a hit and definitely a banger, the entire album is a masterpiece to me personally. “Can We” originally appears on the soundtrack to the “Booty Call” movie starring Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, Tamala Jones and Vivica Fox. “Someone” features a small rap from Diddy and is sampled from Biggie’s “10 Crack Commandments.” “Lose My Cool” is a very cool song featuring Redman. It’s funny because he sings along towards the end of the song which gave it a more “homey” feel to the track and of course Redman is being himself and could do no wrong and the final single “Rain” balances the album’s singles out with a slow ballad. The music video guest stars Tyrese. Besides the singles, the title track song and “When U Cry” are my top favorites on the album. It’s a classic that’s under appreciated to me. It holds a special place to me when it comes to girl group albums because I grew up on it so I know the album very well. It’s an album I grew up hearing all the time. 20 years later, I still appreciate this album like I did as a kid. Very nostalgic, takes me back to when I was 3. Happy to be here to see this joint turn 20 and to see Coko, Lelee and Taj still doing their thing. They’re a legendary girl group, a top 5 girl group for me personally.

The Love of My Life: An Ode to Hip Hop

Dear Hip Hop,

I was 17 years old, it was the beginning of my senior year in high school. At that time I was young, naive, afraid, a coward, very insecure, I had no sense of direction or understanding, I was in the darkest place of my life and I was going through a lot of shit, fighting every single day to get to a new place, trying to figure out who I was. The only thing that got me through those tough times was music. I grew up on music, I breathed, walked, talked, ate, and slept music, that’s all I know more than anything else. I was a heavy music fan and lover, especially hip hop and R&B. During the beginning of my senior year, a very close friend of mine introduced me to a place I never knew existed. This place was a place filled with MC’s, not rappers, MC’s/poets, DJ’s, breakdancers, producers and graffiti artists, this was a place that had the perfect hip hop scene. Noticed how I said MC’s and not “rappers” is because they actually tore the place down with their incredible talent and had so much control and respect on the mic. At this time, I started getting to know everyone and everyone was cool and amazingly talented. I had been exposed to hip hop growing up but this was it for me, this sealed the deal for me. That’s when I finally understood what hip hop culture was all about. It was about unity, having fun, being peaceful, conscious, expressing your experiences and stories through art in order to reach a certain audience that reflected our environment and it definitely started to leave a huge influence on me and it showed in my attitude and my appearance. I can’t forget to mention that this place I was introduced to was an underground, low key spot here in the South Bronx on East 149th Street right around the corner from White Castle before they got rid of it. Ever since then, hip hop took a huge effect and toll on me. I started to dress differently, my mindset is different, my outlook on life is different and slowly but surely my life is beginning to change and get better, I was seeing the light. I went from the R&B Ne-Yo and Bruno Mars look in argyle sweater vests and Prada shoes to the Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Run-D.M.C., Kid N’ Play, Wu-Tang Clan look with the high top fade, Doc Marten boots, overalls, gold rope chain, baggy jeans and hoodies and Timberland boots. Everything about me was different, my look, my walk, talk, style, attitude and I was getting stopped in the middle of the street getting complimented and respected for it. Fast forward to now in 2017, I’m 23 years old, I know exactly who I am and where I’m going and I definitely can’t forget where I come from. Being from the South Bronx, I feel it is my responsibility to keep this culture alive but that sounds “old”, “not relevant”, “corny” and “stuck in the old days” to those who don’t care about this culture or understand it. Thank you DJ Kool Herc for creating the greatest soundtrack of my life. Thank you Run-D.M.C. for teaching me how to rock a fresh pair of Adidas, thank you Big Daddy Kane for teaching me how not to be a half stepper and to have a high top whose rule, thank you LL for teaching me how to appreciate our “around-the-way” girls and not to call them out their names for having long nails, extensions in their hair, and bamboo earrings with at least 2 pair, thank you A Tribe Called Quest for teaching me self righteousness and teaching me that I can definitely “kick it” too, thank you Kid N’ Play for teaching me what a real house party looks like, and thank you Mary J. Blige for giving us R&B singers a place in the hip hop community. We may not have a dope rhyme to spit but we are just as down too. Hip hop may not be the same and it’s always gonna evolve and Black music is Black music and it’s all good but everyday I try not to get too salty about her hanging out with the Trappers……. *Shrugs* Thank you hip hop for being the love of my life. Peace and One Love.

Jadakiss takes over the Bronx

“SummerStage”? Well, over 7,000 park goers and residents from the Bronx can. Sunday, August 6th, 2017 in Tremont park in the Bronx, the weather was mellow, the people was eager. Originally, the concert was suppose to take place in Crotona park at the Amphitheatre in the Bronx, but was moved to a bigger stage a few blocks down the street. Signs were posted “Jadakiss concert moved to Tremont west Crotona park.” People scurried and packed up their chairs and ran over to the other side of the park.

It was old timers day and everybody was there – old, young, family and friends. This was the day every year when people got together from different states or different boroughs. They came from everywhere just to see one another. Crotona park was packed. At 4pm, park goers got the word that the Jadakiss concert was being moved to the Tremont. Why? The Amphitheatre that was going to hold the concert wasn’t big enough to handle the massive crowd. It was already 4pm on the west side of Tremont of Crotona park – a packed crowd of about 5,000 was already there. Jadakiss was not even on stage so it made sense that they moved the concert to the other side of the park especially with all the cookouts and parties that was happening on the other side of Crotona Park. The crowd was still gathering, the DJ spun music for the crowd to dance and cheer to the music. The concert started a little after 6pm. A 14 year old rapper from the Bronx took the stage and turned the crowd on. He was the opening act. Now, the crowd needed some exercise – a local workout group call Bartendaz came on stage to explain how important physical fitness was.

Jadakiss got on stage and the crowd went wild. The rapper brung out his special guest to perform BlackJunior M.A.F.I.A performed some of his greatest hits. The mini concert was like being at Madison Square Garden. Jadakiss began performing his top hits. The crowd rapped along with him. This was a great day for the Bronx Thanks to SummerStage.

SUMMERSTAGE 2017: Jadakiss

Summerstage had yet another incredible and dope show. Jadakiss with guests Lil’ Cease, Black Thought and Tek from Smif-N-Wessun. A scattered crowd that quickly turned into a frenzy with hip hop and hardcore Jadakiss fans bum rush to the front with excitement and their phones in their hands as Jadakiss approaches the stage and his raspy voice is clear and loud on the mic. DJ Technician on the 1’s and 2’s, gives us a medley of old school hip hop classics back to back as he spins, reminisces on the glory days of hip hop. Lots of energy and excitement, everyone has their phones out, going live for Facebook, recording for the Gram and getting as many pics as possible. Jada gives us a lineup of his hits including “Why” and “We Gon’ Make It.” Lil’ Cease then comes out and does his version of “Crush On You”, Black Rob comes out and does his classic “Whoa!” and Tek comes out to do gives us a classic or two as well. Can’t forget about the over excitement after the show of the people hopping over fences and banging on the car windows as the legends make their exit. Another incredible and exciting show for the people. The Bronx always knows how to represent. After all, Jada did say that The Bronx and Yonkers are cousins, well Yesterday let us know that Jada is definitely that cool cousin who when he comes to town, it’s a frenzy.

SUMMERSTAGE 2017: Kid Capri Block Party

Today in Crotona Park, Summerstage returns with another incredible event. The one and only Kid Capri does his thing as he spins and keeps the crowd rocking and gives us a brief history of his past where the idea of “Block Parties” come from and how it all started. Classic hip hop and R&B joints and dope joints only from both the old school and a little bit of what’s current. Can’t forget to mention how beautiful and dope his daughter Vina Love is too. She had a summer hit back a year or two ago when she redid Jay-Z and Mya’s remix of “Best of Me.” She gave the crowd an incredible medley of her music with a line of backup dancers behind her as she struts across the stage singing and pointing, connecting with the audience with such grace. After the event, I was glad to finally meet the man himself. Another dope memory for the books.

Meet Director/Producer Rich McKeown

Meet Director Rich McKeown, a film producer from the Bronx. Mr. McKeown was selected to show his film,“American BeatBoxer“, at the 2017 Hip Hop Film Festival in Harlem. The movie is mainly about the art of beat boxing and its importance in Hip Hop. Mr. McKeown explains shooting and creating content has always been his passion. He recorded the movie on a budget of none – guerrilla style was the way to shoot his film. It help capture the true essence of Hip Hop and its creativity that has impacted people all over the world. Using two video cameras and the rest DSLR, McKeown managed to get the 88 minute movie accomplished with the help of local rappers with guest appearances by Legendary Hip Hop Icon MC Jarobi White from “A Tribe Called Quest“ with other guest appearances from other Hip Hop icons help make the movie become authentic. McKeown, also being a musician, created the soundtrack by using royalty free music and, of course, his own personal talent.

As of now, Director McKeown is looking to pitch his movie as a reality show. His movie, “American BeatBoxer“, can be viewed on the urban movie channel.

Crotona Park Jams: Tools of War 2017

Every year for the past 15 years, a hip hop park jam called “Tools of War” have been happening all throughout the boroughs here in New York. A park jam that’s dedicated to having fun, togetherness, peace and unity and of course celebrates the early days of hip hop culture. Driven with the same energy and compassion as it did back then, Tools of War has an absolute no recording policy, just like back in the day. It’s just you and your memory. No evidence, more about having fun and creating memories without having to capture every moment for social media these days. Always and forever hosted by the legendary Grandmaster Caz of the hip hop group The Cold Crush Brothers and known as hip hop’s very first rapper/DJ. As a Bronx native myself, I’ve been living in the same area for almost the same time that Tools of War has been around but didn’t find out until 2 years ago. Of course, as a heavy hip hop fan, I was absolutely amazed and excited about it when I attended my first Tools of War event. The experience is something I thought I would never get to have but that’s why I’m extremely grateful to grow up in a place where it all started. It reminds me that I am hip hop, even before I knew I was. How dope is it do you get to normally see and meet hip hop heavyweights and legends in your own neighborhood, 2 minutes away from where your apartment building. It’s not everyday someone like me gets that experience. Most people only get that on a lucky day doing downtown shopping and walking around or actually paying money to go to a show but I’ve met most of them right here in my own hood, Crotona Park. Besides Grandmaster Caz, Popmaster Fabel and his wife Christie Z-Pabon, Jazzy Jay, Lord Finesse, Kool DJ Red Alert, Jazzy Joyce, DJ Scratch are just a couple of legends I’ve seen and/or met and then there are guest DJ’s who come out from other parts of town to spin early classic hip hop joints and samples from the 1970’s and 80’s. Sometimes the 90’s, depending on the DJ. Then there are the breakdancers who come around in a large group, the photographers, and of course, the people. We dance, laugh, take pictures, enjoy the music, and have a good time from 4 to 8 in the evening. When Tools of War comes to Crotona Park, they only have it every Thursdays in July. For four hours, it’s a non stop party from back then in the future. To see so many OG’s come together to relive their youthful days puts a smile on my face. There’s a certain level of fun and nostalgia they have, the smiles of their faces, it’s really nice for them to enjoy. It’s because of Tools of War that me and two friends of mine have decided to name ourselves The “Tools of War Brothers” because of our love for the culture. Hip hop brought us together and made us into something that we’ll remember when we’re like the OG’s. The power of hip hop does something to the community that’s amazing and it’s something in the ghetto we all need to forget about our problems in life and remember why we’re still here living and breathing. I’m glad to be an original Bronx Boy of my generation, aka B-Boy. The Bronx keeps creating it!

Panorama Music Festival 2017: A Tribe Called Quest

Yesterday, I was fortunate to have experienced yet another great show. It was the show I’ve been waiting to attend for a while now and I finally got that. For about two years now, I’ve been a heavy A Tribe Called Quest fan and I got the chance to meet them exactly two years ago at a clothing shop downtown. Then, unfortunately, Phife Dawg passed away eight months after I met them and it was very devastating and hard for me, then there was the memorial for Phife a month after that, then there was the street name dedication for Phife and the pop up shop last year in November. Attending all of these things have led up to finally seeing them live on stage, thanks a good friend of mine who had an extra wristband for me to go. I feel dumb now having doubts about going now thinking that the place was too far for me to go but I’m absolutely grateful and thankful to have one of my biggest dreams come true. At the Panorama Music Festival 2017 yesterday, there were people everywhere, food, concession stands, restrooms on wheels, loud music and of course the fans. Fans came out there, including me and my friend, representing with our gear on. A Tribe Called Quest didn’t come out until 7:30 that evening. When they finally came out, the crowd went crazy. It was Q-Tip, Jarobi, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Consequence. Song after song, classic after classic, these guys were amazing. It was a dream come true for me. I’m still numb and in shock from seeing these guys literally on stage in front of me, I just wish I was closer to the front of the stage but I still had an amazing time. Phife Dawg‘s Face was on the screen the whole time too while his verses came on on the songs. I left that show on a different kinda high I never experienced before. It was something powerful that the guys left in me. Something that may spark a new kinda motivation for me to want to be the one on that stage making and performing dope, timeless music. ATCQ forever! Rest In Peace Phife Dawg!