“We write…about wrong ’cause it’s hard to see right” - Common

When was the last time you read an article heralding MC’s that have improved their skills lately? Have you ever seen a rap page entitled “Congrats! You’ve Stepped Up Your Rap Game”? From Vibe to Murder Dog, to the so-called leading rap mags, XXL & The Source, controversy and shock new have become the crux of urban journalism. Why? Controversy sells, duh? Truthfully, a small portion of it would help maintain the balance in the good vs evil setting of modern day society. But, when such negative ramblings become our only available information, then it spells comic like the WWF they’ve compared rappers to. No wonder NaS set music magazines ablaze(literally) early last year.
The outlets that claim to be preserving our culture turn out to be a huge part of the blaxploitation process. The Source affirmed this point in the most recent issue of the diminishing Rap magazine. The Hip Hop writers bashed Chuck Taylor aka The Game and 50 Cent comparing their alleged ‘beef’ to the fake acts of the WWF. It’s not the bashing that I find disturbing. It’s the fact that Rap magazines have stopped reporting issues from the observer viewpoint, gradually immersing entire publications in political subtleties. The art of reporting should always be upheld with impersonal perspectives. Even the underground Hip Hop community’s last hope for ‘realness’ XXL lies on the polar end of these destructive publications, indulging in ‘dick-riding’ and aiding publicity stunt by average pop-rappers who blindly chase after SoundScan.
I’m still looking forward to the day atop 5 lyricist like Canibus(referred to as “that little fucker” by XXL), Talib Kweli, or a living legend like DJ Premier or The Roots will grace the cover of a leading Hip Hop journal. Instead of paying attention to aesthetics and those that pour their hearts into the skillet of near-perfection, all I’ve seen is recycled covers and lop-sided features in today’s magazines.
Let’s go back to the basics. Let’s return to the backbone of craft that is Rap. If all we see is dollar signs everytime we fill a blank paper with ink, then that’s all we live for. Truth is the real nurturer of conscience.