Dear Media: Hip Hop’s Response to Ferguson Is More Than Just Celebrities and Songs

I came across a bunch of articles in the wake of the uproar in Ferguson over the killing of Michael Brown at the hands of local police. Many are attempting to sum up all of “hip hop’s” response to the incident, in one neat, little, incomplete package.

Even though the coverage is meant to cast hip hop in a positive light, something we clearly don’t see too often and can always use more of, I still see a problem with this type of easy, cookie-cutter, on-the-surface coverage of “hip hop’s” response.

Here’s why.

The incident in Missouri has affected many of us on personal, political and moral levels, myself included. We dedicated an episode of The NY Hip Hop Report to the role of hip hop in addressing these sorts of situations (Episode 101: Hip Hop Activism – Is Hip Hop Doing Enough?), and spoke about how some of our local groups and organizations have taken action.

We talked with Chesney Snow, who along with others like filmmaker Lisa Russell and singer/songwriter Maya Azucena, organized a town hall meeting on the subject at the National Black Theatre in Harlem. As I mentioned in that meeting, the scourge of police brutality, particularly against people of color in America, is an affront to civilized society, and it is much bigger than hip hop. Yet, to see the inane argument continue to be bandied about on mainstream news that sagging pants somehow paints a picture of, or a target on, the wearer (an idiocy as we thankfully saw deftly defended by Marc Lamont Hill on CNN), just goes to show how those who are loosely associated with ‘hip hop’ are perceived.

Of course, we in hip hop, particularly those who consider ourselves advocates, or at the very least, ACTUAL hip hop journalists (we are few and far in-between, unfortunately), know that there is much more to hip hop than a few lyrical soundbites and questionable fashion sense.

The problem is, we don’t have enough Marc Lamont Hills out there. Well, we do, but the media only knows who they know. As such, for every Hill, we get several half-assed attempts at defending hip hop by often self-appointed blowhards who don’t necessarily represent or even understand the wider spectrum of hip hop on a current sociological level.

Even when mainstream media get the general premise right, as I’ve seen in these recent attempts to show “hip hop’s response,” they still don’t quite get it right.

As nearly every one of these articles will tell you, J. Cole, Nelly and Talib Kweli have made their presence felt in and around Ferguson and the Michael Brown saga. For that, sure, hip hop heads can be proud.

Game, Diddy and several others, as well as countless lesser-known rap artists, also attempted at expressing themselves in song, not to mention several local artists, much more connected to the reality on the ground.

All noble acts of expression. All good.

But this does not equal “hip hop” as a whole raising their voice for Ferguson.

A huge amount of hip hop support for Ferguson and Mike Brown, perhaps the (pardon the over-used expression) “real hip hop” response, is happening with folks like artist/activists Rebel Diaz and Jasiri X, as well as organizations who may not be “hip hop” per se, but encompass those traditional hip hop ideals and are made up of many hip hoppers, like Black Lives Matter, The Peace Poets, and certainly people like Rosa Clemente, to name a few.

They are out there, risking it all, sacrificing their time, energy and expense, traveling, dedicating shows, raising funds, raising awareness, talking to the family, talking to the alternative media.

But a lot or media are only reporting the big names.

This is not to take anything away from the Talib Kwelis and J. Coles, but these other people and organizations are very much what needs to be included when media speak about “hip hop’s” response. Failing to do so is yet another example of the lack of true understanding media has, or cares to have, about hip hop music and culture.

I spoke on this during the August 31 episode of The NY Hip Hop Report. My thoughts are below. Please feel free to comment and give feedback.

You can catch the entire episode 102 of The NY Hip Hop Report, as well as past show archives, mailing list and more info at www.NYHipHopReport.com