I've been spending some time in the Bay Area lately and have been seeing folks take it back to the streets. It is the closest thing I have seen to going back in time (I'm talking about the Hyphy Movement and the power of the REACTION to the music). Back to the 80s when it was fun and about the response to the music, not about business, first week sales, branding, and imaging (not to dis any of that because I love the business side of the industry as well as the creative musical side). I get just as much of a hard-on from seeing 50 hawk Vitamin water as I do hearing the uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh of "Stay Fly," or the hot new 16 bars that Ras Kass drops on my cell phone voicemail to let me know he's still got it (and does he!).

The Hyphy Movement reminds me of what it's all about and why we are all here. To celebrate the musical art form called rap (one of hip hop's elements). The current Bay Area artists haven't been jaded by the industry yet and have their own issues and drama with the police in Oakland and Fairfield who show up to stop the block parties that pop up just anywhere there is a group of people, and a loud stereo. Sound familiar to anyone over 35?

the more i read you blog...the more i think that rap, hip-hop, the culture is doomed. thank you for making it clear for me.

first and last comment

> the more i read you blog...the more i think that rap, hip-hop, the culture is doomed. thank you for making it clear for me.

Why do you say that? I think more explanation is needed than just dropping an inflammatory comment like that without facts to back it up then bouncing.

I've been out to the Bay a couple times this year myslef and will 100% co-sign Wendy's comments that the spirit of what hip hop was and can still be is alive and well out there within the hyphy scene and complete contradicts clunscene's comments above.

Chris, I'm a lady under 30 (not that far away though)and I remember jamming to the UMCs, Digable Planets, Janay, my girl Sweet T, Nikki D., Tribe Called Quest, Leaders Of The New School and on and on. But there is truly a disconnection between our youth of today and the old school..and I don't mean any of the above. I mean the Sparky Dees, the Prince Whizzers, The Grandmaster Cazs..which I have been bringing out to my events so we can rekindle those relations because right now all we have are carbon copies.
Everyday I bring a new artist that just creates good music to the labels and they shut us down.."we're feeling the music Precise, no really we are but will the consumers feel it, we don't want to take the risk" How the hell do you know what the consumers are feeling? I'm out in the streets and you are in the boardrooms hiding from your artists. I work for a label as well and even then they know how I feel..we spoon feed our audience shit everyday.
Now I gotta be real Chris..there's a lot of our fellow managers such as yourself who have not reached out to upcoming management cos like myself to help to continue to cultivate this new breed of artists..we are their biggest support systems and we also need the tools to properly guide and nurture the new breed. It is a trinkle down effect. We need to know where we came from to know where we are going. I'm all for reinstating this relationship but I can not do it alone..I'm about old school artist development when it meant making sure your artist knew how to bless the stage and talk in public..are you?

Out of the Dialogue, Comes Ideas -

Just like Chappelle did w/Block Party and as Chris relayed to us about what he witnessed @ Radio City Music Hall last night, maybe artists can negotiate and flip it (giving back and experiencing great moments in hip hop) by also going to different neighborhoods, smaller venues for shows as mentioned above instead of making the corrupt clear channels and ticketmasters even richer.

I truly believe that hip hop/rap is NOT doomed...As with anything and everything..it is not a Utopia but a Journey....

Hip hop has spread from neighborhoods of the usa to pop music played in every second home in a hill billy country as Australia, where I am and have been involved in the art for 10 yrs. I have seen it grow from nothing to lifestyle out here, there are stuggles but there are great things to come yet from this art and culture. If you want a sample of what is happening out here Chris, holla@ your boy!

I agree with Lysa. Hip Hop is not doomed just because it may not exactly what you want it to be...

Folks that whine about what hip hop has "become" crack me up. The day a complainer has contributed to the culture or the art form and tried to make it what he or she wants it to be, is the day one has the right to complain. It's easy to sit back and be a Monday morning Quarterback, but what are YOU doing to make change if you don't like what it is?

I read Chris' blogs from time to time and the responses (usually when I feel like getting angry). I can not believe how many people attack Chris complaining that he is what's "wrong" with hip hop. What a load of crap. First of all, I WISH Chris was as powerful and some people here think he is--that he can single handedly save or destroy an entire culture that's been growing for over 30 years. If Chris was that powerful, I'd have asked him to change the real estate market everywhere I want to invest, so I would make a killing. If he can change hip hop, he can change real estate.

Then, after years of people griping about rappers repping malt liquor and alcohol which destroys the Black community, folks actually have the gaul to complain that Chris hooked up a deal for a rapper to rep Vitamin Water. Yes, healthy water that we'd WANT our kids to drink instead of soda, but somehow he's the anti-Christ because the water deal has destroyed hip hop. Are you all nuts?

The deal he did for the water, and for 50's shoe, are backend deals. He did not structure a deal for a quick check to pimp his artist, he negotiated a deal where his artist receives a percentage of sales or profits from the product. So, he sets up a deal where a non-African-American company is NOT able to pimp an African-American artist. Check me if I'm wrong, but isn't this what we wished for in the past?

I realize that if you've made it this far reading my post, that I'm preaching to the converted. But the bottom line is that Chris has no control over the lyrical content of his artists' music, he isn't sitting in his office planning how to kill hip hop, and I assure you he is earning every penny he is making. I, personally, am thrilled to see a young Black male building an empire from Black music.

You don't like what Chris is doing or what he's built? Start your own damn company and do it your way. Til then, shut the f*ck up.

Disclaimer: I realize this post is NOT on a thread where most people are complaining--I'm trying to make a point, not start a war. I chose to post where tempers are a little calmer so folks would think about what I'm saying before reacting.

I agree with the commenter above that said that we should start a new movement since the people that we have entrusted to manage our art and artists have failed us while only making themselves cash-rich.

I cosign the commenter that recognizes the death knell of hip hop rings loudly from this blog. The blog's author continues to surprise me because I can't believe that the Chris Lighty could be so vapid and shallow.

You posited on your site a few weeks ago the question, "Where are the Hip-Hop Rolling Stones?" I thought that you really wanted to know the answer and I told you that the Roots make that outcome possible. One of your oldest friends/clients/? is making a record with the black head peas instead of performing his 'pedigree' of classic Hip-Hops hits at a legendary concert in honor of the producer Jay Dee.

Chris, who is more Hip-Hop? Jay Dee or the black head pea? How many hits has Jay Dee put into Tip's catalog? Aren't you supposed to be Tip's manager? At what point do I have to stop connecting the dots? Roots and friends at Radio City Music Hall is what Herc and Bambaataa never dreamed of, but here in our lifetime we get to see this moment. It was more than the jam of the week, it was everything that Hip-Hop made a promise to be - entertaining, enlightening and empowering. Too bad you couldn't stick around to be a part of it.

I am sad and disappointed in you Chris because you are a trustee of this thing that we all love and you dropped the ball by not having your New York artists like Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes represent for a producer that held them down.

Not that you have the power to do anything else with your artists but talk about marketing schemes and how much of a contact sport crap music is now. I am just sad that you counsel your artists on the idea that crap music is all about "what have you done for me lately" instead of celebrating life.

That's the real problem with crap music that I see. It's unfortunate that the vehicle that so many of us can use to make a living is being driven by those of us that only wish to make a killing.

Chris,

I dont know what is more amazing, Your level of arrogance or the fact that you've got all of these people convinced that you really give a fuck about the hip hop culture. You can put all tha pictures of you and Bam up that you want brother, but how come you ain't putting up the ones of you and Lyor?

Yeah, thass what I thought. If nothing else this blog is good for a laugh from time to time.

Brother when you and the rest of these music business clowns have your collision course with reality come to a head, I hope that I am there to see it. In the meantime, you knock yourself out with this pseudo-intellectual masturbation. Just know that you aint REALLY fooling nobody fam.

The bottom line is that you are full of shit and aint trying to do nothing other than line your pockets at the sake of your people. Write a blog on that doggie. Thass if you can be real enough with yourself.

And to Chris Allah, I understand that this is your boy, but if you really get down with this dude, and you understand the game that he is in and how he operates then you know what kinda clown he is. Defend your man to tha fullest but except tha fact that ya mans is a coward. Now are you gonna co-sign that?

Yo, who really cares about these old rappers, they cant sell records anymore, come on chris u about that GWOP. Its not a culture anymore its a business. They all had there day, even 50 will soon be in the same seat as them real soon. music is changing to fast. gotta keep up.

look out for that got gwop dvd this summer " A day in tha A".

WWW.GOTCHEDDA.COM

Yo, who really cares about these old rappers, they cant sell records anymore, come on chris u about that GWOP. Its not a culture anymore its a business. They all had there day, even 50 will soon be in the same seat as them real soon. music is changing to fast. gotta keep up.

look out for that got gwop dvd this summer " A day in tha A".

WWW.GOTCHEDDA.COM

Yo, who really cares about these old rappers, they cant sell records anymore, come on chris u about that GWOP. Its not a culture anymore its a business. They all had there day, even 50 will soon be in the same seat as them real soon. music is changing to fast. gotta keep up.

look out for that got gwop dvd this summer " A day in tha A".

WWW.GOTCHEDDA.COM

...couldn't have said it any better myself, (spoken like a TRUE'skool industry vet ChRiS!)

Good music will always make an artist successful. It is not about sales it's about expenses...$250,000- 500,000 for one or two beats. Get real. You can dobetter with a Wendy's franchise. You got too many people who contribute nothing to the bottom line...Econ 101 if you can't measure it it has no value.

Hell Ya Chris!!!

Ya peepin this Hyphy Movement we got out here in the yay area (Bay Area)..thats wassup!!! We got a style out here that has been formulatin for a minute but the whole industry has never paid any attention to us! WE HAVE BEEN SOOOO IGNORED!!! And tryna get radio play out here in the Central Valley (Stockton. Modesto, Fresno, Sacramento) is almost impossible for new artists. See, out here the stations have no compition and have all the control over the airwaves and if they dont want to take tha chance of breakin new music and taking a lead, they just do whats safe...that is why it is taking us so long for us to get out and get our music heard! Nothin but hate we have had in our city for our own artists!!!

We got our own culture out here! We ahve our own lingo, style of dress, and man we are SUper Stoopid Hyphy..wild as hell!!! Its funny cause when I moved to LA to get my career going, I was so surprised to find that EVERYONE down there did not know any of our lingo, our hottest music, artists like E-40, Keak Da Sneak, C-Bo, Federation, Rick Rock, etc...they had no clue!!! The lines that have divided Nor-Cal and Southern Cali is crazy..we are almost like 2 states! If you listen and compare our styles we are nothing alike! And LA has not supported us Nor-CAl artists at all, with now the exception of E-40 who after 14 years has finally kicked open the doors for us...hopefully now we can get some ears out this way lookin at our talent!!
Like I said in my new track "Get StoopiD"...

YOU CAN'T HELP BUT LIKE ME
ONCE THEY GET INTO THE PHYCHE
TELL SOMEONE TO CALL CHRIS LIGHTLY
THE WEST IS BACK COME CHECK OUR HYPHY

Chris man, we need your help for real! Please send some A&R's our way to peep our mixtapes..look for The Team, Frontline, Keak, Mistah F.A.B. and ME..THE FIRST WHITE GIRL TO RIDE THE YELLOW BUS...and tell That Lady Sovereign chick she better watch out for me..TAM'KIDD got way more swag..Jay-Z shoulda HOlla'D at me..but its cool...You guys will see soon enough! Love u Chris MAn...thanks for being up on game!!! Keep doin it BIG!!! Hey where's ya myspace page??? LOL :)

One Million!
TAM'KIDD
www.TAMKIDDonline.com
www.MYSPACE.com/TAMKIDD

Did someone actually post asking if one artist was "more hip hop" than another? Could you please be a little bit MORE judgemental? While this poster has some valid criticisms, it comes off as a "hip hop elitist and purist" bitching about someone who has made a living (read: money) off the back of commercial hip hop. I feel this person is more of a hater than a valid scholar of hip hop. Perhaps I am being judgemental myself, but far be it from me to EVER knock someone inside of hip hop making a decent living from hip hop, just because I am not (and I am not--I make more money in real estate than I do in the music business).

It's funny to me, those of us in hip hop. We complain when outsiders co-opt the art form and we complain when our insiders step up and control it. We are never fucking happy in hip hop. We're a bunch of whiney little fucks who sit in judgement of anyone doing anything that we deem "wrong." The problem is, there is no right and wrong, just "is" and "isn't." Folks need to stop bitching. If one doesn't like the way hip hop is going, one needs to step up and change it. Complaining on a blog is for folks with too much damn time on their hands (which I apparently have since I am complaining on this blog). LOL.

Nice blog, I am a fan of 50 cents, I never realized that he was amanged by your record company until I watched this MSN link for Santalina http://exposure.msn.com/?id=9501>1=8328

Have you also heard of Premier ( Honey Love )http://www.myspace.com/honeyluv408 and GI
http://www.myspace.com/gimusic

Jose :-)

Now is a great time to reinvest in what to me is the essence of good HIP HOP..
listening.
what made hip hop great to me... years ago.. was the fact that all I had was something to listen to.. and an occassional album cover to peep the style of my favorite artist.
then.. it just got more image oriented..
and then.. it just got marketed

now... the shit is a big commercial..

for nothing.

I don't dig the elitst view of things nor the industry dickrider view of things..
primariy because i figure.. the shit all sound the same if u REALLY study hip hop. these d4ls and yung jokes and such sound just like caz and spoony g to me..
listen to that joint.. "p is the king of making that green.. people always say what the hell does that mean.." that shit sound like everything that is out right now.

this music is doing it's own thing.. and we gotta learn to roll with it.. like tai chi.. instead of resisting.. and fighting and shitting on the youth and thier movement.

ah i feel like i am ranting and probably off topic too.. so i'll be out..

but uh by the way..

UMC's IS A NEW WAY OF BEING
and we still have a better stage show than anyone on your roster.

As rap and Hip-Hop grows and matures we will see changes and growth. Rap's first ten years was a "Learning period" so you seen more types of rap than ever before as we tried on new types of material to see which ones fit the american people. Rap's next ten years have been the "Earning Period" where we began to profit from the hard work of a stll developing art. We are now coming to the end of our "Yearning Years" where we have celebrated our success and tasted the fruits of our labor. Next are the "Burning Years" where we begin to question what we have and have no accomplished in all of these periods. I think this time will be filled with those looking to make lasting contributions to Hip Hop to come forward a build monuments to this culture that will span generations.

"If you don't see how far this music has come,
you won't see how far we still have to go. We
Stll gotta a long f**kin' way to go with this music."

Big Black from the short film "One Love"
The Whodini Story

check out the trailer here

www.urbaniamges-online.com/promo_room
click > trailers > One Love