Blasts and Beats From the Past

     Rap seems to be the only genre of music where the past isn’t idolized. Of course, it’s done among certain older groups of people, but it seems if you were to ask a youth, the rap industries main target audience, who KRS-One or Slick Rick is, you’d perhaps notice a bewildered face. The same people who claim rap to be their favorite genre of music, and can recite lines from all the popular tracks, don’t fully understand the history, relative newness, and cultural significance of their favorite genre outside of what has been pushed by mainstream music outlets (Rap is sooooooo much more than a beef between Bigge Smalls and Tupac). In asking the question, “why don’t you listen to such and such artist?” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received the reply, “well he’s too old.” It’s really a weird, and frustrating, reason if you stop to think about it. I can’t see a similar thing happening in any other genre of music. A fan of Rock N’ Roll, Heavy Metal, Country etc, is more than likely listening to the old stuff.
     There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a rapper embrace the history of his art, as was the case in 2005 when Common released the music video The Corner. What made the track and video special was not just the crazy beat or Common’s great lyricism. It wasn’t even Kanye West’s great directorial touch. It was the inclusion of The Last Poets. The origins of rap can be traced back to New York City. However, specifically speaking on those individuals who have influenced the earliest rappers, you’d have a hard time finding a better place to start than The Last Poets. The Last Poets were a group of spoken word artist/political activist in the 60s during the Civil Rights movement. They were extremely political in their message, and it was them, among others including Gil Scot Heron, who paved the way for a lot of the socially/politically conscious rappers we enjoy today. The song itself from Common is great, but it’s not outside the usual greatness you’d expect from him. The parts that were really striking were the lines in between Common’s verses. These lines are from one member of The Last Poets, and I absolutely loved what he had to say. Take their last line for instance,

The corner was our Rock of Gibraltar, our Stonehenge
Our Taj Mahal, our monumentOur Taj Mahal, our monumentOur testimonial to freedom, to peace, and to loveDown on the corner

     This line is amazing. It reveals a grandeur that’s not usually associated with “the Hood.” There’s a beauty in a taking something, that’s not supposed to be good, and making the best out of it. The corner (as in the corner you stand on before crossing the street), will never be confused with some of the world’s greatest wonders. But the corner was “ours,” and that’s what made it great. The corner was culturally significant. This becomes pretty clear in their second to last line.

The corner was our magic, our music, our politicsFires raised as tribal dances and war criesBroke out on different cornersPower to the peopleBlack powerBlack is beautiful

     This line is great because it’s connecting several generations of people. You have The Last Poets, who are of a certain generation, describing a time in the music video of a rapper, who is of a later generation, which is then being played for a mostly younger audience, who is of an even later generation. In fact, “Fire raised as tribal dances and war cries,” can be taken as an allusion to Africa. If so, then that’s another connection that can be added.
          -Shayne McGregor