Black Or White, It’s The Same Ole’ Song
Words: Mario 2Tyme Hankton

Let me lay some light conversation on you.

In June of 1954 during a bleak audition, a fella named Elvis was free styling a song by a black musician named Arthur Drudup, which eventually earned Elvis a place in music history forever. Twenty years ago a punk rock band called The Young Aborigines who later signed with Rick Rubin (white Original Def Jam founder and original rock and rap fusion prophet), formed The Beastie Boys who released Paul’s Boutique to international critical acclaim. Everyone knows about the Missouri born white thrash rapper named Eminem who sold 75 million records worldwide and to the day, begs the question “Is he the best rapper alive?” Even among his well schooled, certainly established urban peers (and “pahtnas”), Marshall Mathers, a “white boy,” is readily considered the best lyricist in the industry.

Race is unique in hip-hop because it matters and does not matter simultaneously. It once was the unifying source of the culture until ultimately it was realized racial issues had to be discounted in order for the genre to expand.

Twenty years after the jokes on the simplicity of their (Beastie Boys) rhyming styles, their commercial appeal, and silliness has been digested, we still rest on our laurels… our mouths open as we watch our contemporary artists lap the stage, booze and blunts in hand, to the latest one-syllable-five-word hook, which bears absolutely no cultural substance. And I LOVE IT (with brew and blunts or without!), just like I loved the Beastie Boys hit “Brass Monkey,” one of my top 10 rap songs of all time!

Today, more and more white rappers and DJ’S are emerging with a new cerebral lyrical and musical style. Just check for Oakland’s The Grouch, Philly’s Jedi Mind Tricks, DJ Green Lantern or even Em… In them you will find a lot of what true “hip hop” is missing: lyrical dexterity and unadulterated skill. I believe they are in a way taking notes from DJ Premier and emcees’ like Guru and KRS; mind you, I’m not about to get into the pointless “hip hop was this and now it’s that” debate. In my opinion, it’s the lowest form of musical conversation.

My point is, musicians of European descent are responsible for many classic funk and R&B productions (Anyone still bump Stevie Wonder’s “Talking Book” or remember the reference to Jimi Hendrix’s rhythm section in White Men Can’t Jump? White dudes…)

Let’s just say that at some point, all artists pay homage to their forefathers of Black and African descent. Yet maybe the way to get the ball rolling on giving some capitol credit to some of our destitute old school legends, is to finally acknowledge our white “brothers” musically – beginning with hip hop… which started out in the park…we used to do it till way past dark.