Hyphy Thoughts Pt. 2
Posted August 10, 2006 10:01 pm (about 748 days ago)
Random thoughtsSo, a few things stood out for me.
One, while I don’t think any clear cut answers came about, I think that these types of discussion are great to have to get people to THINK. The obvious next step is action, but many people don’t have a chance to have these types of discussions so sometimes talking is progress in of itself. I do think that these types of panels need to happen in the community itself. The chances of people from places such as Richmond, Hunter’s Point, or East Oakland coming to a place like the Commonwealth Club is pretty low. You have to go to them! Adisa and I talked about doing a panel last year that fell through, but maybe this’ll spark one next school year. Also, I think it would be a good idea to get some youth on future panels.
Two, I have a new appreciation for Mistah F.A.B. as a person. I’ve seen him freestyle, 
including his battle with Jin, and have plenty of his songs on my playlist, but this panel definitely showed me another side. I was curious enough to check out his album and his show. While it’s obvious that he’s still trying to forge his identity (like about 97% of us), his efforts and potential are obvious. He honestly makes me think of Tupac. Not necessarily as an artist or person, but more in the way that he has the ear of young folks that most adults ignore, yet he still has some sense of social consciousness. I don’t even remember any of the songs played on his show but I was impressed with this emphasis on positivity and unity. Yeah, there are some things to critique (one of his sites implores visitors to hit him up if they need some professional Pimp Advice) and I don’t think anyone deserves a pass just because they make some money, but I think F.A.B. has the potential to be a strong leader in the community, particularly among young people who society has mostly demonized and given up on. For that reason alone he has my support.
Finally, I gained a new appreciation for people who honestly believe that hyphy is a movement. Many of the young people I know who would definitely be considered hyphy due to their dress, language, dance, attitude, and neighborhood don’t consider themselves as a movement, but maybe that’s because no one put a name to it. Many of their peers from these same neighborhoods, dealing with many of the same problems aren’t really that deep into the “lifestyle, ” even if they know the music. In fact, many of my girls don’t date guys who wear grills (Black, Mexican, or otherwise) because “grills are ugly” and think “that crowd” is too wild.
Yet I think it could be considered a movement in the sense that it’s
giving people an identity and something positive to be part of. Whether it’s gangs, being a sports fan, or going to church, we’re all looking for something to be a part of. Anything that can help bring people together in a positive way needs to be supported.
The cynical part of me thinks that the movement idea is being twisted into a marketing ploy, especially if the creators don’t take control of it. This will require many “non-Hyphy” skills such as knowledge about intellectual property, distribution, marketing skills, and being tech savy. If hyphy can move youngsters to take interest in these types of areas, I say dance away. Yet I think even defining what it means to be hyphy and its role in society is complicated, because like any other form of expression, it reflects us.
It may be youth driven, but all of us have a say in where it’s going to go and its influence, whether that be positive or negative. Like the youth, hyphyness doesn’t exist in a vacuum and due to its power we have harness it so the most hyphy of them all reap the benefits. Unless there's some serious thought on how to capitlize on the momentum right now, this whole hyphy thing could end up as just another fad that makes millions for outsiders. You can only rap about thizzin' and going stewey for so long....
Thank you for reporting back from this event with your thoughts. I would have loved to have gone to something like this or taken my youth. I teach video production at an afterschool program to middle school students and in order to get them excited I let them express themselves however they want which includes making videos about hyphy. I am always trying to figure out ways to make them question and critique while letting them express themselves and learn the technology but its hard for me because even as a hip hop fan and probably because of my generation I can't get into much of the music they listen to. Im not sure how much I succeed at the getting critical part with them. I often times think I should get more into their music because its important to figure out how to open it up to larger discussions. Its a struggle with this age group and it being an afterschool program with the requisite lack of support. I often ask myself "I'm trying to do what? With all this equipment? Im crazy."