Mister Cee and Hip Hop as its Own Worst Enemy

A few words about the air of childish idiocy that New York hip hop radio stations have vomited onto today’s hip hop landscape:

If you are a hip hop radio show, or a hip hop media outlet, and you are “reporting on,” speaking on, or otherwise using Mr. Cee’s situation to add to your own ratings/pageviews/etc., you are an enemy of hip hop.

Yes. Enemy. And yes, that includes his own station.

On last night’s episode of The NY Hip Hop Report, I interviewed a mentor from Urban Art Beat, a group that’s working to set up an arts/music summer camp for NYC kids.

Today, our local hip hop stations spent all morning talking about Mister Cee’s situation. Using it as ammunition for cross-dial rivalry. Using it as a ratings booster.

Which is an example of an entity who cares about hip hop and the community?

This isn’t just today, and this is by far not the only example. This kind of thing is a daily operation.

I’m not sure when people are going to wake up and realize that the majority of our hip hop media, radio stations, websites, DJs, on-air personalities are not actually helping hip hop music and culture. They are hurting it. Continuing to turn it into a circus.

It’s what outsider media used to do to us. Now we proudly do it to ourselves.

I know the younger folks don’t care. They like the drama and they will get suckered into it as long as it’s being fed to them.

But I would like to think that hip hop is old enough, and has enough responsible individuals who understand that it doesn’t have to be this way, and there are those in positions to make positive changes, or at least present positive alternatives, and who will take on that responsibility.

Unlike folks like Mona Scott, for example, who had the power and resources to bring new things to the public, and chose to introduce programs that make hip hop, and woman, look like fools.

There may be a lot of money to be made bringing in ratings to discuss Mister Cee’s situation, or starting reality shows that epitomize “ratchet,” and for those who do, good for them. But those who do, as evidenced by the type of blatant disregard pouring from the Hot 97s, Power 105s, VH1s & Source Magazines of the world, solidify their place, to me at least, as enemies of the culture.

Look, I’m all for doses of guilty pleasure. Unlike some of our hip hop elder statesmen who simply rail against ANYTHING new school, I play a mean game of devil’s advocate. I’m cool with a LOT of what is considered hip hop mainstream.

What I want is balance.

I don’t find much balance at all from our major outlets. In fact, the majority of what I see is the pure entertainment factor of hip hop, completely ignoring the cultural aspects.

They leave it to someone else.

We’re that someone else.

So please. Reach out to us if you can help. Spread the word about us. Support us. Support others like us.

Hip hop needs organizations like us. Hip hop needs people like you.

It has enough enemies.

Birthplace Magazine | The NY Hip Hop Report

Editor’s Note: Due to a problem with our recent redesign and the Facebook commenting system, old comments on our stories were not appearing. We have fixed the issue, but now NEW comments that had been posted, have been lost. For this particular posting, it was important to preserve the comments (and reply) with Crazy Legs from the legendary Rock Stead Crew, and so I have made sure those comments are still visible via a screenshot.)