Chuck D once famously called hip-hop the CNN of the Black community, the way people got the news. Is it still? If so, what is the news coming across, who is telling it most profoundly?
I believe hip-hop has been replaced with social media as far as being the way people get news. It’s not like the old days before social media. We grew up in the Great Depression. [Laughs.] We had to wait for the bottle to float ashore with the note.
Fifty years ago, hip-hop started a revolution, not just in music but in fashion, film, TV, art. Is another revolution possible now?
Another revolution is always possible.
Fifty years from now, in 2073, who will people still be talking about from hip-hop 2023? Who will have a lasting impact?
I believe the forefathers will live forever, kinda like George Washington on the dollar bill. All good rappers will have a lasting impact, no matter how young or old. People love Garth Brooks, but they love Hank Williams—Senior, also.
Interview by Kyle Eustice
