I decided I wanted to be a rapper in 1994. I was sitting in a prison
cell in Upstate New York and made the decision that upon my release I
would try my hand at it as a career. Not because I thought I was the
best rapper at the time; but because I knew this was one thing where you
could make a living and it didn't require any qualifications. You
didn't have to be educated. You didn't have to have a background check
or be screened for your criminal history. Having a criminal history is
not a good thing to have when applying for a job so I said 'Hey, why
not' let's go for it. While crafting my first few songs, I noticed
everything that I was writing about were the exact same things that had
gotten me in the ugly harsh realities I was facing in my life. It was my
life, so I had every right to speak on it but I noticed I was
glorifying something that wasn't so glorious. I remember talking to a
fellow inmate and close friend and he said to me, "Have you ever thought
about rapping about something that might be beneficial to a young mind
as well and entertaining?" I didn't quite understand at the moment but
he started to give me books and the more I read, the more of what I was
reading would come out in my raps. I remember making the decision that
if I ever got a chance to obtain a record deal, I would always make
songs that would be beneficial to the growth and development of a young
person. What I didn't understand is this would be a decision that would
severely stunt my growth as an artist in many ways.
My earliest memories of hip hop, I think of a time when everything I
heard in a rap song, I could look out my window and actually visualize
the lyrics so clearly. Whether it was Melle Mell rapping about 'broken
glass everywhere' in his song "The Message" or hearing emcees rhyming
about the graffiti stricken trains and buildings that filled the streets
of New York City. Hip hop was a reflection of the impoverished
neighborhoods we were being raised in and we loved it. We didn't realize
it at the time, but we actually needed it. The music was clearly a
reflection of where we were being raised. It was Our CNN or Huffington
Post. We would go across town to have break dance and MC battles against
other crews who rapped and danced. While being across town or even
sometimes in other boroughs, we would find out who were the top people
in their neighborhoods. The commonality we had was hip hop it brought us
all together. It was the beginning of a culture that would influence
America like no other before it.
I got a major record deal and signed to Atlantic Records, home of
many great legendary artists like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and many
others. My first single, "Pain In My Life" with rising star Trey Songz.
The song detailed a young promiscuous teen who was intrigued by the
things that are praised in popular hip hop songs and eventually sleeps
with the wrong player and contracts H.I.V. With black women being the #1
leader or new cases of H.I.V. and AIDS, I felt the need to showcase
this in my music. My decision to lead with this song was met with
resistance from my record label. I was encouraged by them to make more
songs that were sex infused and exploitive. When I refused, my project
shelved for six years and eventually released from the label. I made the
decision that I would continue to make music independently and not only
would I NOT switch over to rapping about things I believed to be
detrimental to our youth; but I would go even harder at speaking about
things to combat it.
Listening to today's music, I hear a variety of songs with the
content that sounds like an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and
Famous. Songs with titles like "Money To Blow," Rich Forever etc, you
wouldn't begin to fathom that we're in some of the worse economic times.
Songs that speak of buying Bugatti's and Bentley's like they were
Honda's and Mazda's. If I'm correct, a Bugatti retails at over a million
dollars and a new Bentley cost roughly around $300,000. I know there is
a group of artists who have reached the level where they can obtain
this caliber of vehicles but it seems this has become the norm in hip
hop music. In 1996, Nas rapped on his hit record
If I Ruled The World,
"If I ruled the world and everything in it, sky's the limit, I'd push a
Q45 infint... An Infiniti Q45 retailed at about 45k at the time and
that was major for even the biggest rapper in the game at the time.
I wonder when and how did the art form stop reflecting the realities
of the place where it was born? It's become the opposite of what is
taking place in its birthplace. We are in some of the worst economic
times in modern history but you wouldn't believe this if you listened to
a rap song. There is a disconnect with hip hop and the community where
it was started, but it has become somewhat of a detriment. The imagery
in popular hip hop is either extremely sexual or extremely violent.
These artists have become vessels for corporate America to exploit to
sell commerce. Whether it's Mercedes Benzes or the latest flavored
Vodka. Hip hop culture has become a big advertising tool and nothing
more. When you see the sales of Timbaland rise and fall depending on the
popularity it yields in rap songs is proof. When you see the sales of
Vodka go through the roof because its hip hop's drink of choice is
proof. When you see multiple artists who have taken the moniker after
clothing designers, clothing brands, car brands etc is proof. The
language we created to combat oppression and to tell the stories of our
trials and tribulations of being young black descendants of ex-slaves;
is now being used to sell sex, cars, drugs and other things that have
and still plague the same community in which it was born. Who caused the
disconnect?
My new album came out on November 6, which was Election Day 2012. The title of my new album is
The Greatest Story Never Told 2: Bread And Circuses.
The album is filled with songs like "Brownsville Girl" that details the
senseless killing amongst young black people in inner cities like
Chicago and Philadelphia. I penned songs like "Best Thing That I Found"
featuring gospel rapper LeCrae that attempts to encourage people to keep
faith in GOD when times seem to get rough and life seems hopeless.
"Game Changer" featuring Marsha Ambrosious details my situation and my
struggles in the music industry for trying to make what I call 'think
rap.' These and a lot of the other songs are just an example of the
power of music when its done right. You can be entertaining and still
have a powerful message in music as Marvin Gaye once proved. As Bob
Marley and Peter Tosh did. As Tupac did before he was assassinated. I
sacrificed potential millions of dollars as well as endorsements to make
music I thought could save lives. I was very cognizant of sex and
violence being what sells in hip hop. I continue to stand firm in my
beliefs today. I would rather touch the lives of 100 people in positive
way and make less money, than lead 1,000,000 people down the wrong path
for monetary gain. This music is shaping the minds of our children and
whoever controls the mind of our children, controls our future. If
America wants our future to be in good hands, we have to do better as a
generation leading the way. Bread and Circuses... Let's take back our
future.
Told by Saigon.
