Remember when Hip Hop songs taught us how to Respect and Protect Our Black (and Brown) Women aka Mothers Of Civilization? When did Queens become Bitches ONLY to be used as sex objects/tools to hold our drugs & guns/Never to be trusted Thots?? But somehow we fail to connect the dots between the corporate takeover of Hip Hop, the changing soundscape of Hip Hop, the decline of The Black Family Structure, and The School-To-Prison Pipeline. For those too young, or too forgetful to know what I'm talking about, the songs below represent the standard for any time prior to 1996. There was always a Too Short & 2 Live Crew, among others; but the vast majority of the music followed a pattern that went a lot closer to themes of Black on Black Love. Think about that next time you listen that artist that some Corporate Entity told you was the hottest artist around. Soak it up & enjoy...
Keepin' me calm when it's gettin' higher. Sweet like sugar and hot like wine-Always keepin' ya on my mind. You're givin' my life a new light to reach for-Giving me so much how could I ask for more-Keepin' us tight when we're gettin' loose-The darker the berry the sweeter the juice."
I be your knower, you be my Wiz..."
Like mother, like daughter, I would also like to mention-I wish for you to bring me to, bring me to the rhythm-Of which is now systematically given-Desperately stressing I'm the daughter of a sister-Who's the mother of a brother who's the brother of another
Plus one more; all four Have a job to do, we doing it-Respect due, to the mother who's the root of it..."
To get it right, makin' up at night-It's all worth the aggrivation, black woman through you
I'mma build me a nation, nation... Gods and Earths"
BONUS CUT: KENDRICK LAMAR feat RAPSODY - "COMPLEXION"
You blew me away, you think more beauty in blue, green and grey. All my solemn men up north, 12 years a slave-12 years of age, thinkin’ my shade too dark-I love myself, I no longer need Cupid-Enforcin’ my dark side like a young George Lucas.
Light don’t mean you smart, bein’ dark don’t make you stupid-And frame of mind for them bustas, ain’t talkin’ “Woohah!” Need a paradox for the pair of doc's they tutored
Like two Todd's, L-L, you lose two times If you don’t see you beautiful in your complexion.
It ain’t complex to put it in context-Find the air beneath the kite, that’s the context-Yeah, baby, I’m conscious, ain’t no contest. If you like it, I love it, all your earth tones been blessed-Ain’t no stress, jigga boos wanna be-I ain’t talkin’ Jay, I ain’t talkin’ Bey-
I’m talkin’ days we got school watchin’ movie screens And spike your self esteem-The new James Bond gon’ be black as me. Black as brown, hazelnut, cinnamon, black tea
And it’s all beautiful to me. Call your brothers magnificent, call all the sisters queens-
We all on the same team, blues and pirus, no colors ain’t a thing."