Just a little history from a historian! Watch and listen to whatever speaks to you! But as a historian, I can give you the history!
But this is a history done out of love! My Black brothers and sisters deserve better than this! And at least deserve to be informed!
Do you think that Gangsta Rap culture is real 'Black' culture?
Wanna know where it comes from?
From all those Blaxploitation movies like Shaft!
Know what those Blaxploitation movies were?
They were the 'white' Imperial establishment trying to convince 'Black' people that they could never be anything but criminals!
Now, I love Tupac.
I love Biggie.
But Tupac and Biggie are only Gangsta on the surface.
Tupac is really from the tradition of Bob Dylan, Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye's What's Going On.
Biggie is from the tradition of 70's funk and 60's psychedelic soul, updated for the 90's.
Both are creating updated forms of 'Black' traditions far older then Gangsta Rap, and then covering it with a Gangsta image to try to convert Gangsta Rap to their values.
Wanna know what Real 'Black' culture is?
Miles Davis.
A thousand years ago, there were great kingdoms across Africa.
Every one of them had musicians like Miles Davis.
The sophistocated polyrhythms of modern jazz, the ethos of the indivitual artist and the communal experience, the incredible variety of tone colors in In A Silent Way-
All of them are from traditional African music.
The side of Tupac that is Real 'Black' culture is the side that is carrying on the tradition of Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, and, before that, the Griots of west Africa from a thousand years ago to the living Griot tradition of today!
It is the Gangsta side of Tupac and Biggie that is a concession to corperate America and the mass media!
It is the side of Biggie that is like the psychedlic soul of the Temptations and the funk of George Clinton that is the real thing!
Listen to whatever you want!
Binge on Blaxploitation movies if you like them!
I'm just here to give you a historical background!
I can't really claim what speaks to your heart and life experience!
But I am a historian!
I can give a historical background!
God loves you! He really does!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson