I understand every man's got a story to tell, well screw it I got a story as well.
Real Hip Hop
Real Hip Hop
Hip Hop has been under so much scrutiny lately, from political leaders blaming Hip Hop for misguiding our youth to the legend NAS calling Hip Hop "dead". The 9th track called "Hip Hop Saved My Life" off of Lupe Fiasco's second album“The Cool”, is a song aimed at illustrating how Hip Hop has left behind more positive side effects than negative ones to its listeners. The beauty of Hip Hop is that it has the ability transform the saddest of life stories into tools of empowerment. Like in the case of the rapper who Lupe is depicting in this verse, the young man whose family had been marginalized by the prison system, whose mother is the sole provider, whose life is consumed by the responsibly to take care of a seed better than he was ever taken care of. This often way too common of a story is frequently playing itself out in the under-served communities across this country. This becomes a story of triumph instead of a story of destruction, a story of love instead of a story of hate and bitterness. Think about it: Where else do we get a chance to share our story with the masses of people across this country? Congrats to Lupe for telling the world that our story is based on much more than 20 inch rims, large gun collections, and a plethora of women. Our story is beautiful and Lupe captures this beauty in this wonderful song. Check out the second verse of the song and go out and buy the album if you like what you read.
Free Your Mind & The Rest Will Follow, Big Bob
Reps Northside so he rocks them braids
Eleven hundred friends on his myspace page
Stack that cheese got seven hundred plays
Producer made him take it down
Said he had to pay
Open mic champ 2 weeks in a row
Ex dboy with a bboy flow
Glow like Leroy you should see boy go
Got a daddy serving life and a brother on The Row
Best homie in the grave
Tatted up while in the cage
Minutemaid got his momma work like a slave
Down baby momma who he really had to honor
'cause she was his biggest fan
Even let him use the Honda
Drive up to Dallas went to open up for amateurs
Let him keep her debit card
So he could put gas in it
Told her when he get on
He's gonna take her to the gallery
Buy up everything but the mannequins your dig
Open Mic Comments
Thank you for writing this. It's refreshing for someone to discern the real hip hop and it's purpose from the entertainment based commercialized versions we hear on mainstream radio. This is my favorite Lupe Fiasco song because it's so honest about how hip hop can and is changing lives.