Jay-Z: Hip-Hop's Saviour?

‘Not only N.Y.C, I’m Hip-Hop’s Saviour, so after this flow you might owe me a favour’ so Jay-Z triumphantly proclaimed on the title track from his 2006 [return] album Kingdom Come. Back then these words may not have meant much; they could simply have been considered to be the braggadocious thoughts of one of hip-hop’s heavyweights, everyone did it, even newcomers claimed to be ‘Kings’ and ‘Mayors’ of cities or regions, so Jay-Z claiming to be hip-hop’s saviour wasn’t something to quibble over.

However with the music industry in decline and new rappers coming with a one album expiry date it is safe to say hip-hop music has being in a bad state, there is a still a debate whether it has declined artistically, but it beyond doubt that financially it is not what it used to be. Rappers used to have big budgets to shoot music videos, now studios are strapped for cash, and music video staples i.e. “shiny cars, jewellery and objectified women” are recycled to a point that it almost becomes embarrassing to watch a rapper talking about his diamonds and money in a video you know was shot by a two man team at most, probably the rappers friends or film students in university.

With declining budgets also came declining respect for hip-hop, a genre once hailed as revolutionary- as a mouthpiece for the underprivileged, and a platform for the creation of a new black popular culture soon became even more synonymous with excess, gaudiness and ignorance. Comments made by popular new rapper Soulja Boy praising the slave masters because “Without them we'd still be in Africa. We wouldn't be here to get this ice and tattoos” show how little intelligence was needed in order to become a best selling hip-hop artist.

I would argue that it is this seeming allergy to intelligence that prevents hip-hop and its artists from getting the sort of respect other genres get. It’s this perception that led to calls for an artist like Jay-Z to be prevented from performing at Glastonbury. While hip-hop was and is very popular, it is still considered ‘stupid music’, and its listeners are perceived to be as stupid as its artists.

Enter Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter. Since Kingdom Come Jay-Z has been on a mission to change the perception of hip-hop. Sure, there are many rappers who don’t fit the stereotype of blinged out, tattoed up with ridiculous slogans and from the money they always seem to be carrying either don’t know what a bank is or don’t have ATM cards, but by and large, popular hip-hop was dominated by these stereotypical figures.

By never compromising lyrically, and by refusing to be a caricature of what a ‘rapper’ was supposed to look like, Jay-Z gained admirers and ‘haters’ There were calls for him to retire for being too old, yet there didn’t seem to be anyone ‘young’ who could consistently produce lyrically and sonically astute albums.

By moving away from the gangsterism and lewdness that characterized popular hip-hop, Jay-Z began to earn the respect of musicians in other genres, actors and even politicians. Here was a rapper who could outrap the best of them but was neither vulgar nor ostentatious, he didn’t subscribe to the ‘nouveau riche’ attitudes that characterized his peers, and yes it is true that his marriage to popular songstress Beyonce Knowles did help.

For the first time in recent hip-hop we began to see a separation of art from artist as is common in other genres. A folk artist or R&B singer can take many forms and personas on their records and in real life would not be expected to be a replica of a personality on one of their songs.

Jay-Z could then rap on Say Hello ‘they sayin’ I’m a bad guy, why is that? Coz when my back’s against the wall, n**ga I react’ and still be considered safe enough for the Obama campaign team to allow him appear on their website in support of the then candidate.

The last three Jay-Z albums are the best examples of this split between Jay-Z the man, and Jay-Z the rapper, it meant that Jay-Z could do what very few other rappers couldn’t - he could be himself in interviews, he did not have to put on an act, or play up the persona he projected on wax. With Jay-Z, hip-hop was an art form, and while personal truth and honesty were still pillars of the art form to him, he did not feel imprisoned by lyrics. And it is this personal liberation and self assuredness that allowed him to appear on the Oprah Winfrey show, once a no-go area for any rap artist, Jay-Z sat on that couch laughing and cavorting with the talk show host.

Even British journalist Andrew Marr, better known for grilling Gordon Brown or David Cameron conducted a widely watched interview with Jay-Z, it became the most viewed clip on Marr’s website.

Jay-Z took himself, and by extension hip-hop to areas where it had been derided or misunderstood, and thus his personal conduct reflected on the genre- he went on tour with Coldplay, he played Glastonbury, performed at Obama’s inaugural ball, produced successful Broadway shows- it seems with everything he does he breaks down a preconception about what hip-hop is or should be.

For me, perhaps his greatest effort in the rebranding of hip-hop is his collaboration with U2’s Bono and the Edge and Rihanna- on ‘Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)’ a song produced by Swizz Beatz in response to the earthquake in Haiti. The four performed the song in London on the telethon on January 22, and helped raise $61 million dollars for the relief effort.

The strangest thing was considering the fact that while rap music is popular on both sides of the Atlantic, Jay-Z was the only rapper (apart from Haitian Wyclef Jean) who performed at the fundraiser. It goes to show that while rappers can entertain on the dance floor, when it comes to serious issues, it is best to leave out the genre. It is idiotic comments like that from Soulja Boy, and an aversion to education and intellectual improvement from many rappers that perpetuates this prejudice. Jay-Z’s music and work show that hip-hop can go far beyond the material; hip-hop is an art form as much as rock, country and soul music are. As he goes on promoting his latest album ‘The Blueprint 3’ he also promotes greater respect for hip-hop music. So yes, those words he uttered in 2006 ring true today; Jay-Z is ‘Hip-Hop’s Saviour’.

O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory?

Dorothy Obubo

(Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal)

There seems to be an accepted phraseology amongst those who have lost someone very close to them, phrases like “I’m doing fine” “I’m okay” “I’ve moved on” abound when we reply to those who have expressed their condolences to us.

When people inquire about my mother and I tell them of her passing 15 years ago, they readily offer their condolences and ask about how I’m coping with it. 15 years is indeed a long time and time does heal wounds, but the words ‘I’m fine’ or ‘I’m okay’ always leave bitterly from my mouth. I feel as though I have done a great disservice to the memory of my mother to imply that her death does not affect me till this day. It still has a profound effect but it seems that for the sake of propriety and convenience I rather give people a curt reply than fully express the emotions I have about her untimely departure.

The death of a young child’s mother is a terrible tragedy, a misfortune I have sadly experienced. It is really as though a part of you dies with them, it is an abrupt cutting of a branch of your life, it is potential never developed, it is jokes never shared, celebrations never witnessed, weddings never enjoyed, grandchildren never seen, it is a promise never fulfilled, it is a dramatic shift in one’s life, a shift from what could have been to what now would be, and the ‘now’ means going on with your life without the woman who brought you into this world.

It is at milestones in one’s life that the pain is strongest, when I graduated and I saw my friends with their mothers, and saw the looks of pride on their faces knowing that I will never share that ‘look’ with my mother is a very bitter pill to swallow. I have my aunt, my grandmother and my loving father, all are people who love me greatly and have made me the person I am, but no level of familial relationship can serve as a substitute for one’s mother. It is not as though their surrogacy has not being sufficient, it has, and it is, but there is that ever present thought of "what if she were here? still present in the flesh with us", and this question remaining in my head invalidates the statement that ‘I’m fine’ or ‘I’m okay’. The memory of my mother still penetrates my mind today so I can never say I have moved on.

And they say time is a healer, and it is, a cruel healer. With each passing year I obtained new memories, I met new people, I had new experiences and each year I grow increasingly different and distant from the little six year old boy who had just lost his mother. I had moments when I was about seven or eight where I would begin crying uncontrollably in class because I missed my mother so much. And each year distanced me from these manifestations of grief and love that I showed when I was younger, and there was this sense of remorse that I seemed to be coping so well. It is as though there was no other way to show you loved and missed someone than to be in a permanent state of mourning.

But I’ve come to the realization that even though I spent six brief years with her on earth, she left an indelible mark on me, and with every good deed I do, I honour her legacy. When I look at the faces of my siblings and indeed when I look at myself in the mirror; I see her. I see her handiwork, her brief stint as a mother created such beauty. I know her short life was not a waste if her children can live diligently and God-fearing as their mother did. She left each one of us as permanent mementos- I am part of her, and she, a part of me. Therefore instead of feeling remorseful that I say ‘I’m fine’ or that I haven’t mourned her enough, I must realize that by living my life the best way I can, I honour and celebrate her life.

Two Thousand and Ten

It's a shame that we ran into double digit dates before I posted something this new year. Well, I have a post coming up this Friday, well that's if I decide it's not too personal to post. I've noticed that the last few posts have been about the inner workings of my mind and consciousness, I guess that's what it says on the tin, after all my blog tagline is 'An insight into the life of Julian E. Obubo', but my posts have become less about an account of things that go on outside me, but more of an analysis of things that are going on within. That necessarily need not be a cause for concern, but I think I can be less humorous about the thoughts, confusions and dilemmas in my head than I can be with my observations of my surroundings, and I am afraid that my next post would probably be my most personal yet, I have written it down on paper, it is quite a lengthy piece on dealing with loss and grief, and I am still not sure if I want to share the deepest parts of my psyche with the world.
Then why write it down in the first place?, you may ask...well, for me, and I guess for lots of others, writing is very cathartic, its a process whereby I can iron out the rumpled and creased barrage of emotions within me, it's a form of therapy. I can stop and pause and slowly and soberly critique my life. Of course I also have to remember that my blog is in the public sphere, and if I have chosen to share my thoughts with you all then it is my duty to entertain, whether with humour or with intelligence. It is only of late that I have begun writing deeply about myself and my beliefs, I don't want to keep a diary because I know I won't fill it out daily, but every now and then I pick up a pen and take stock of things that are going on in my life, I am a very self-aware individual, and I frequently, if not perpetually evaluate myself.
I guess the point of this particular post is just to tell my readers that my posts may become more personal in nature, but I shall try to keep them light and funny as I hope I have done successfully in the past.
My hopeful post on Friday will deal with the loss of my mother in 1995 and how I have dealt (and I'm dealing) with it, it was therapeutic to convert those emotions into words and I hope it may lead to people understanding me better.

However, it's a New Year so I'll end on a cheery note and leave you with a picture from Christmas Day with my cousins



click on photo for a larger version