Gyant Unplugged

You know how we operate on Gyantunplugged.com by now. Once a champion for a culture I held near and dear to my heart, has now been replaced with ambivalence and disdain. Rappers have been a major disappointment in general since the mid to late 90′s. And If I can keep it real for a moment, a culture that was designed to tell the stories of “the struggle,” striving for to social change and the end of injustice has been traded in for the root of all evil. Money. From “Fight The Power,” to “U.N.I.T.Y.,” hip-hop used to have a responsibility to the world, and most importantly the hood.

But we’re all too familiar with MC’s exchanging their god given talent to move a nation forward for a simple clothing line, opportunity, the limelight and the club. It’s a god damn shame if you really think about it. Days of me listening to hip-hop, searching for the perfect verse over a tight beat are over! I’ve grown tired of yelling from the mountaintop that n*ccas have to change. Not black men. N*ccas! It’s clear our community chooses to support the career-criminals over those who try to uplift change and promo unity all to shake their ass at night. And in a time when the nation is on the edge of a proverbial sharp knife, I find the lack of leadership to be even more appalling.

The shocking and outrageous murder of Trayvon Martin is still very fresh on everybody’s mind, especially those of color. Yet the faux support from today’s hip-hop I have find to be even more offensive. I pondered posting something about it earlier this week. But now it seems I can check that off my list as Co-Founder of the internet’s most popular hip-hop website, All Hip-Hop.com, has called out today’s “rappers” in a way that would be hard for anybody to ignore.

In an open letter posted this morning, Creekmur politely addresses prominent people in hip-hop over their sincerity (or lack their of) over the brutal killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The letter is both poignant and truthful. And I just knew I had to share a little bit of it with you all.

Per Mr. Creekmur:

First of all, do you really care? Seriously, do you really care about Trayvon and the countless, nameless, and faceless “Trayvons” that never make the headlines? I was just wondering, because there are lots of people like myself who don’t know. Honestly, I’m not sure how Trayvon managed to rise above the apathy, but he did.

There are countless other “Trayvons” who could have used your voice as a tool to raise awareness about the violence issue as a escalating national crisis. Sadly, most of them didn’t rank high enough in the news to warrant a tribute track.

As you know – or should know – Hip-Hop has traditionally served as the voice of the voiceless. And at its inception, rappers were the ones with the loudest voices. Legends like Chuck D, KRS-One, X-Clan, and even so-called gangsta rappers like Ice Cube, The Geto Boys, and Ice-T were telling everyone how it was going down. America was forced to pay attention.

A one-off dedication to Trayvon Martin, a hoodie avatar, or a tweet with a trending hashtag just isn’t going to get it in 2012, buddy boy. That is assuming you care. Wait. I’m sure you do, because you made some positive moves in light of this tragic moment. No way would you create an ode to Trayvon simply to get some hits or views, right? Nah. No way.

In closing, I think you we should all make some changes. Forget what’s going on in the radio and television. Stand out and stand up for something substantial on a more consistent basis, not for something silly just to make the headlines.

You’re still connected to the ‘hood right? No, not the so-called “thuggish” clothing that made Trayvon suspicious to George Zimmerman. I mean, the neighbor’HOOD that inspired the music you create. That made you who you are. Since you’re established in the ‘hood and with the people in it, let’s make some music that inspires them. Times are hard, and they need hope. You don’t have to be corny because of it. We’ll still support you, and you can still do the degenerate or opulent rap that gets you played by the programmers and the clubs, but let’s mix it up. BALANCE. Capicé? [Read More]

Chuck hit the nail on the head, and I don’t think that I could have said it better myself!! Unfortunately I don’t subscribe to the anger and outrage of others outside the black community. My outrage is directed directly at the people who are put in powerful positions who simply don’t give a f*ck about their fans, their community, or their people. So until we clean-up our act — both in art and in life– I will reserve my hatred for Trayvon’s killer George Zimmerman and the corrupt police and judicial system.

Its beyond time we all wake up, but most importantly those who were blessed by god to have a voice and extend that voice amongst a large group of people.

Like Chuck said, “Hip-Hop has traditionally served as the voice of the voiceless.” it’s time to bring that tradition back DAMMIT! While I don’t know Mr. Creekmur personally, I’ve come to have a profound respect for him and his opinions on matters such as these. It’s time to cut the crap and hold today’s “rappers” to a higher standard. Because where we’re headed now terrifies the living daylights out of me. So should it you.

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