Afrika in Focus Special: Hip-Hip @50 - The Good, Bad and The Ugly

This week's edition of Afrika in Focus celebrates the 50th anniversary of  a genre of music that has become a global phenomenon.

We detail the origins of Hip hop/Rap by giving a different take on the narrative given.

We then explain how Hip-hop in contemporary times started in the urban areas of Black America as an art form of music that had as its core message about the harsh realities of life in America post Martin Luther King.

We cite when this genre first entered the mainstream and  it is here that the genre lost its authenticity and that mainstream record companies saw the genre as an avenue to make huge bucks!

We highight the effect the conscious hip-hop was beginning to have on African American youth with artistes like Afrika Bambaata, KRS One and Public Enemy.

We analyse how these record companies began manipulating the genre by countering the conscious hip hop with the vile , foul mouthed so called Gangsta Rap by signing artistes who would only rap about disrespecting Black women, use foul language , rapping about gangsta life and killing and using the term Ni$$$r.

We detail how this genre of rap was beginning to destroy elements of the Black community especially in America and slowly finding its way to elements of the Black community in the UK.

We state how the genre has been lost to the Black community and is now in the control of an unholy cabal whose sole interest is to make billions of US Dollars and at the same time destroying the Black community.

We end by stating that Hip hop needs to come home and be the revolutionary music it once was.

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Sources:

Hip Hop Destroyed The Black Community? | A Breakdown of Hip Hop Music & Culture – AltBlackNews | We don't all think alike

Hip-Hop Classics:

(3) Whats your Name "Kunta Kinte" - YouTube - origin of the use of the word NIGGR during slavery!!

(6) Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message (Official Video) - YouTube

(6) Gary Byrd & The GB Experience - The Crown [HQ Audio] - YouTube

(6) Afrika Bambaataa & James Brown - 01 Unity PART 1 ( The hTird Coming ) - YouTube

(6) Aerosmith ft. Run DMC - Walk This Way - YouTube

(6) Public Enemy - Fight The Power (Offi