In honor of the Roots' 9th studio album and single "It Don't Feel Right", I want to discuss what "don’t feel right" about hip-hop. But first, let me just say go and buy that Roots Album. Unless, as the album cover suggests, you don't have any paper, then steal it. With that said:

It don't feel right...that cats refer to hip-hop as the "game" Are you guys crazy! This is serious business, man. Is that why you guys take this for a joke? How can you make all this garbage with a straight face? My God!!! I don't want to come off as some b&*&^y critic here...You know what, I do want to come off that way. I criticized hip-hop because I love it and want to make it the best I can possibly be. And what you guys are doing to it is sickening. You think it’s funny to spend five minutes writing your verse. Hey man, if you got the skills to write a verse in five minutes (i.e. Jigga), more power to you. But sheesh, do most of you guys even proofread? You think its funny to "shuck and jive" in your videos. I like dancing as much as the next man, but there is a time and place for everything. Like say, a club, for instance. You "mc's" need to make contact with reality and take making music for what it is, a higher calling to do something with your life. Bill Gates has Microsoft, Michael Jordan has his Jumper. All MCs have are their words and integrity. Neither of which seems to be necessary for an MC nowadays.

It don't feel right...that the South isn't really trying anymore. Don't get me wrong, I loves my southern rap. It’s just that we have fallen into the trap that New York rap had fallen into. We are making carbon copy music, same s**t, different laxative (big ups to Canibus for that one. Listen to 2000 BC by the way, its got some tracks). I mean seriously guys, don’t you think we have enough "snap" songs now? If we had half as many instructions in school as we do in snap songs, we'd all have straight A's. Let’s take a look at the young crop of southern rappers right now. Hmm, there's D4L ("wondering how did yall n&*^%s get past me"-Ghostface), Dem Franchise boys, Jeezy, Dro,( I refuse to refer to them as "Young" anything), the list can go on and on. While I LOVE the fact we are seeing southern rap in the mainstream, this has got to stop. Mainstream society already sees us as some slack jawed yocals that carry corn-cob pipes and whittle underwear for our kids. Don't perpetuate the stereotypes, gentleman. I speak to you MC's because I see promise and hope. You guys as well as a few choice MC'S are going to carry the torch into a new era of southern hip-hop. While Luda, Outkast, and others are still making dope music, we just can't ride on their backs forever. The load is heavy especially if you consider everything from Texas through Virginia is considered southern rap. All I ask is that you take a little more time and give us some concepts, some words to live by(ie David Banner), some hope for that poor little kid down in the bowels of Alabama and Mississippi to want to make something out of himself and get of out of the bottom(ie.Cunninglynguists). The choice is yours, gentleman. You can either revel in your 15 minutes of fame or you can leave us with something for when you are gone. With that said:

It don't feel right...that "A Piece of Strange" by the Cunninglynguists, is not getting any burn. This is arguably the best album of 2006 and no one is even recognizing it.

It don't feel right…that Esoteric isn't mentioned as a top ten MC. Don’t know who Esoteric is? My point exactly. Poetic justice is a mutha, huh?

It don’t feel right…that most hip-hop heads don't know the meaning of esoteric. Not to come off as uppity or anything, but our culture seriously lacks a thirst for knowledge. "Wanna hide something from a n*&^% put it in a book"--Jadakiss

It don't feel right…that White boys (and I don't mean that in any negative way) seem to respect the hip-hop roots more than we do. Hip-hop is for everyone, but let's take care of our own. I went to a De La Soul concert in Central Park a few years back (a FREE concert, mind you) and it appeared that there were more white people than black people there. YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!!! I mean its DE LA for Christ's sake. We can't even show love for one of the pioneer groups of hip-hop. (I’m going to pause for a cigarette break because that really irks the hell out me....) Ok, I'm back. To take from an old adage, you don't know where you going until you know where you've been. All you cats list the greats as your inspiration, but you must just say that to be PC. You can't possibly be inspired by the Greats: Rakim, De La Soul, Grandmaster Flash, Marley Marl because if you were, YOU wouldn't feel right about the music that you are putting out. Maybe, that's the reason for why rap doesn't seem to have any direction because we do not truly respect or appreciate our pioneers.

It don't feel right…that cats front on Will Smith. Can you honestly say you didn't bop to his records? This man made all types of music. He made you dance, he made you laugh and, at the same time, he made you put the guns down and bob your head. Seriously, "Parents Just Don't Understand" was the anthem for all the misunderstood youth out there. "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble" was another anthem for all the guys that have been burnt, literally and figuratively, by the girly girls out there. And he did all this without killing cats every track and cussing like a kid who just learn the words. His story is one for all the inner-city kids out there. He went from kid on the streets of Philly to rapper to actor seamlessly and did not sell out on the way. He kept true to his roots on his show; he stuck to his character when picking movie scripts, by not picking stereotypical roles. Kids stop idolizing spoiled athletes and posturing rappers and take a look at a man that did it the right way. Front on him if you want, you are just playing yourself.

It don't feel right…that hip-hop, and music in general, gets a lot of blame for violence in America. My girlfriend’s father, in response to the recent violence in my hometown, responded by saying, “I told these n%$#&s what this rap music is gonna do to these kids 30 years ago.” While he is probably my future father-in-law, I just wanted to slug him (music didn’t make me wanna do that, ignorance did). Let's see, this nation was FOUNDED on violence, KEPT TOGETHER by violence, and PROTECTED by violence. Hmm, I wonder what was the "hot track" back when they were lynching black folks like a sport (Willie Lynch, batting 5.5 lynchings a week, 17 NBI'S(n*&^^s battered in)). I wonder what cats were bumping when they were fighting the civil war ("Calvary's a Calling" by the little drummer boy?). I admit music is powerful. It can change your mood, uplift your spirits, give hope, or make you wanna smack a brother. But, Is this the REAL reason for violence in America? Music should not be listened to by ignorant people(read: people who don’t know any better.) How about if parents (remember them, they are the vessels that feed and clothe children) see their children looking at scandalous videos or listening to hard-core rap, take the time to educate THEIR kids on what's right and what's wrong about what they are seeing and hearing. They need to tell them that this is for entertainment purposes only. Even Dr. Dre said in the movie "The Show", "This is entertainment, people, Just because I say ima shoot someone doesn't mean I'm going to go on a murder spree" Or God forbid, they cut off the TV or the radio once and a while and just sit down and spend time with the kids. How are these kids getting the time to shoot up the place, huh? Parents, I understand you have the hardest and most thankless job in the world, and I do sympathize. I know some parents have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. My parents did too and I ain't shot or robbed or raped anyone, yet. Am I an anomaly? No. You know what they did? They taught me how to act so when they weren't around I wouldn't turn into Timothy McVeigh. There are still going to be bad seeds in the world that's just how it is, but let's just see if we can raise some worthwhile children. Some children that have someone to look up to, that don't need to learn the way of the world from rappers and actors, that don't get their image of worth from a video. Let's stop blaming music, God's gift to us lowly mortals, for the ills of society and take a look inward. Dr. Dre can't look after your kid. He can't tell them that he doesn't necessarily LIKE to shoot people. Stop using those fingers to point and use it to hold your child's hand.

It don't feel right…that the cats I want to read this the most probably will not. And, on the off chance they do read it, probably won't feel me.

Quote of the day:
"Lately I ain’t been seeing you clear"—The Roots