The Hip Hop Congress put on a highly successful event on Feb. 22, hosting Hip hop legend KRS-One, who was welcomed by a full house in Humanities Instructional Building 100. The rapper outlined the history of Hip hop as a culture and its philosophies in a lecture that kept everyone engaged and hanging onto his every word.
KRS-One (born Kris Parker) is a legend in the Hip hop community. His politically and socially conscious rap put him on the map as one of the most influential rappers of the late 1980s. He is often credited for paving the way for hardcore gangster and socially aware rap music.
The social consciousness for which KRS-One is famous made its way into his lecture, making it apparent to everyone just how powerful his philosophies and musings on the world are. KRS-One spoke passionately and with great eloquence, incorporating comic relief and causing the audience to break out into laughter and cheers on several occasions. While the lecture ran well over the anticipated time, KRS-One’s energy, interesting anecdotes and commanding presence made the hours seem like a matter of minutes.
KRS-One, whose pseudonym stands for “Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone,” began the evening with what he called a “Hip hop orientation.” The audience was introduced to the four elements of Hip hop that KRS-One explained were agreed upon by everyone within the Hip hop community. “We equate Hip hop with breaking, emceeing, graffiti-writing and deejaying,” KRS-One said.
The makeup of Hip hop has been “multicultural, multiracial … from day one,” KRS-One said. He delved into the role that people from different cultures and races played in the creation of Hip hop, claiming that the real history of Hip hop “begins with civil rights.” KRS-One repeatedly stressed the importance of understanding the history and the roots behind the music and the culture.
He weaved his own philosophies and words of wisdom for UC Irvine students into each of his lessons, and commented on the efforts of people to bring about change. “We keep thinking our struggle is only seen by us. Anything you do is seen by the whole world. Somebody is looking and judging your actions,” KRS-One said.
The lecture then transitioned into the origins of Hip hop. According to KRS-One, the foundation was laid by DJ Kool Herc. Like a master storyteller, KRS-One described in detail the culture that DJ Kool Herc started in Cedar Park in the Bronx of New York. Herc would play James Brown, and the group of people gathering in the park started to study and practice martial arts, along with James Brown’s dance moves and the footwork from double-dutch jump rope, the three elements forming what we now call “freestyle.” KRS-One would watch all of these goings-on through his window—he was 7 at the time. At this point, the term Hip hop did not yet exist. Instead, it was called “the Jam.”
“It was music that made you feel good about yourself, made you feel more than you were, gave you direction,” KRS-One said. “The real world was the Jam—our little community, where you went to get the real story.”
So we know where Hip hop was started. Now, what exactly is it? “Hip hop has nothing to do with rap. Rap is an element. There is a consciousness that makes you rap, graffiti or break, for example.”
KRS-One talked a great deal about the importance of being one’s own self, the most essential part of Hip hop culture. “Hip hop begins with the courage to be yourself. Being you has consequences,” KRS-One said.
Want to find out if you’re Hip hop? You know you are if “you gravitate toward it. You see graffiti art and you try to make out the words, you see breaking and you say, ‘Man, I could do that,’” KRS-One said.
And, of course, one should know the proper way to actually identify the culture. Hip hop is a culture; therefore, it should function as a proper noun. Hip hop is the music, and referring to the culture in the hyphenated form, KRS-One claimed, is degrading. The rapper’s explanations of the technicalities of the Hip hop world could have left audience member confused; if Hip hop is not the music, what is?
Listeners were enlightened about the differences between Hip hop and rap. “Hip hop is not rap music,” KRS-One said. “Rap is controlled by corporations. A rapper rhymes for corporations, and an emcee rhymes for culture. A rapper talks about himself, what he has. An emcee talks about what’s already on your mind. An emcee raps about what you need, not about fantasy.” Ultimately, a point stressed heavily throughout the night, Hip hop is something that is lived, a consciousness of the world around us.
When asked during the Q-and-A portion of the evening what one piece of information a UCI student should take away from the evening, KRS-One said, “No one recognizes where they are when they’re there. It’s always in hindsight. Be conscious of your space and your time. Know that every day that you wake up is important to the rest of your life. ... The path to peace and prosperity begins with taking responsibility for yourself today.”
KRS-One also expressed a true interest in UCI and the efforts of its students. He pledged his full support of the students. The rapper said he would meet with the students after the lecture to discuss the issue further, to see in what ways he could get behind them and to potentially organize something to help their cause.
“I’m really glad someone asked him about the labor struggle,” said fourth-year sociology major Heidi Khaled, who served as one of the co-chairs for the event. “He really cares about engaging with our school.”
He also really cares about the Hip Hop Congress; in fact, the Temple of Hip Hop (a group with which KRS-One works to promote Hip hop culture) contacted Hip Hop Congress because they were impressed by the work the club was doing on a national level. “He was particularly intrigued by our name, the fact that we are a congress—a voice in the community, that has a recommendation for what is going on,” Khaled said.
“We’re really pleased, [the event] was completely packed,” Khaled added. “People seemed really responsive and it was relevant to everyone who showed up, regardless of how much they know about Hip hop. [KRS-One is] someone who can shed some light on how [Hip hop] is a means for people to express themselves. It’s about community, and this is what Hip Hop Congress is about.” |
