About Me
BORN ON JANUARY 1, 1988 IN THE ALREADY CONTROVERSIAL STATE OF ALABAMA, TERRELL LESHAWN HOUSTON WAS DESTINED TO BE ANOTHER POSSESSION OF THE SYSTEM. COMING UP IN THE ROCKET CITY HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, WAS NOT EASY BY ANY MEANS. HE WAS A WITNESS TO HARDSHIP, POVERTY, SEX, DRUGS, VIOLENCE, AND EVEN THE CORRUPTED SYSTEM AT AN EARLY AGE. FROM HIS PRESCHOOL YEARS THROUGH ELEMENTARY, HE ALWAYS HAD AN EAR FOR MUSIC AND SPORTS, WITH A LIFE GUIDED BY HIS TEENAGE UNCLE,IT SEEMED AS IF HE WAS DESTINED FOR SUCCESS. ON THE DAY OF OCTOBER 30, 1996, HIS LIFE WOULD BE CHANGED FOREVER, AS HE LEARNED THAT HIS UNCLE'S LIFE WAS TAKEN BY A SINGLE GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEAD. DEVASTATED BY THE TRAGEDY, HE BEGAN TO SHUN EVERYONE AND LIVE A LIFE OF FULL FOCUS. HE WAS TAKEN IN BY HIS SECOND CHILDHOOD MENTOR WHO WAS KNOWN IN EVERY CLUB IN THE CITY. HE WOULD TAKE THE LITTLE MAN INTO THE CLUBS, MOSTLY STRIP CLUBS, AND SIT HIM AT THE END OF THE BAR BY HIMSELF WITH A GLASS OF COFFEE MIXED WIT A LITTLE HEN. CRAZY TIMES FOR A YOUNG CHILD...ONE NIGHT IN THE CLUB NAMED JIMMYS, HE WAS GIVEN A LITTLE BOX WITH A TAPE PLAYER, AND A SMALL MICROPHONE WAS ATTACHED TO IT. HE WOULD SIT UP FOR HOURS RECORDING HIMSELF TALKING AND SINGING AND JUST PLAIN ACTING A FOOL. HE RECORDED HIMSELF SPITTIN TUPACS LYRICS ON A BLANK TAPE, THEN PLAYED IT BACK FOR HIS MENTOR. HE THEN FOUND HIMSELF RAPPING AND DANCING AT GROWN UP PARTIES AND AT THE CLUBS FOR THE STRIPPERS AFTER IT CLOSED. TIME WENT BY AND HE GREW UP AND MOVED FROM HIS MOTHERS HOME TO HIS GRANDMOTHERS AND BACK AND FORTH SEVERAL TIMES, CHANGING SCHOOLS 4 OR FIVE TIMES DURING HIS TEENAGE YEARS. HE OFTEN DONE SONGS WITH HIS FRIENDS JUST FOR FUN DURING THOSE TIMES BUT NEVER ANYTHING SERIOUS. FINALLY, HE DECIDED TO JOIN THE MARINE CORPS AT THE AGE OF 18 AND MOVE TO CALIFORNIA. NOW, CALIFORNIA IS WHERE HE RESIDES, OVER 2100 MILES FROM HOME. HE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON SEVERAL PROJECTS SOON TO DROP AND SAN DIEGO THE SURROUNDING CITIES IN 2009. YOU CAN ALSO SEE SOME OF HIS WORK ON WWW.WAKEYAGAMEUP.COM.Real Hip-Hop... What is it?TUESDAY MAY 5, 2009Believe it or not, hip-hop roots have been dated back to as early as 1925. Earl Tucker aka Snake Hips invented a style of dancing that is similar to today's hip-hop dance moves. Similar moves he did would later inspire one element of hip-hop culture, break dancing. In 1950 the Soundclash contest between Coxsone Dodd's "Downbeat" and Duke Reid's "Trojan" started the DJ battling. DJ battling would soon morph into MC battling. Fast forward a few years and before you know it you have DJ Herc hired as a DJ at the Hevalo Club. About that same time DJ Grand Wizard Theodore accidentally invents 'the scratch.'Hip-hop at this point in time had nothing to do with lyrics. It was all about DJ's either battling or throwing a party on the block for people to dance, or both. (There was the graffiti around this time as well, another elements of the hip-hop culture).It wasn't too long after the element of emceeing appeared. DJ's would find it too difficult to say things to keep the crowd into it while DJ battling. Which brings me to this... most people say they want old school hip-hop back when there was lyrical ability, and the lyrics meant something, etc. Well I got news for you, old school hip-hop is technically rhyming words such as "cat" with "hat." MC's would basically rap about simple things, for parties and for people to dance to while having a good time. Sounds eerily similar to what is criticized nowadays, doesn't it? Here's another little fun fact: hip-hop got its name from dancing. Rappers or emcees in this time never get brought up when people talk about new school hip-hop vs. old school hip-hop. I personally believe they are excluded because those ignorant fools (I'll elaborate more in a second) know it will ruin their entire argument.By ignorant fools, I mean (this may become more clear when this is over) those people who believe what they say is right and if you disagree you are wrong. Like so and so is real hip-hop, but Soulja Boy is not. Etc. But they fail to realize, here's the entire point in this blog, REAL HIP-HOP IS A MATTER OF OPINION!!I cannot stress enough at how many people do not understand that. I never knew that opinions/facts were so vastly complex; some people could not fully grasp and comprehend them. I believe some of these same people need to pay more attention in school and/or go back to school.Every one has a personal preference and opinion when it comes to hip-hop. Some say Biggie was the greatest of all-time, some say 2Pac is. Some say Lil' Wayne is the best rapper alive; some like pliesgoat(and his other names) are infatuated with Plies. (But with him, he just makes idiotic statements doing so) But the fact is, whoever you believe is the greatest of all-time or best rapper alive is just your opinion. And you are not wrong, just like nobody else is wrong for their opinion. That goes the same for "real hip-hop".If you chose to believe Rakim, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Tupac, Big L, etc. (some of my favorite rappers) are real hip-hop and Soulja Boy, Gucci Mane, Hurricane Chris, Weezy F. Baby, etc. are not. (I like all of them to a certain extent as well, I hate Weezy now though but that is a different story for a different time). That is all fine and dandy, but don't go around and say someone who believes Soulja Boy is real hip-hop is wrong and call them idiots. And then go as far as to say you don't know anything about hip-hop and you don't listen to real hip-hop. You are an ignorant cretin if you do this. This isn't 100% related, but to an extent it is.Soulja Boy said on, I believe it was DJ Skee show, "That some people listen to a certain type of hip-hop which consider real hip-hop and that Soulja Boy doesn't fit that." He did not say he isn't real hip-hop, he said by their definition of real hip-hop, he is not that. But there is no set answer to what real hip-hop. Who comes up with what is real hip-hop and what isn't? YOU DO! Each person decides for themselves. This isn't some shit like "2+2 = 4". That is a set answer that you cannot argue. But hip-hop does not have that.Nas said himself he likes some radio shit and club music, like Soulja Boy. But people who are real hip-hop ignorant fools like to, basically not acknowledge it. Some may even get upset with Nas for his opinion. I'd also like to add how it is funny that these ignorant fools consider KRS-One hip-hop, but never seem to acknowledge the fact KRS welcomed Soulja Boy to hip-hop. Some will even go as far as saying, "well what gives him the right to say what is hip-hop and what isn't." If you do not see the connection I have been trying to make this entire time and with that last part, slap yourself. None of this should have gone over any single person's head.I hope after reading this some people will begin to open their minds and realize the difference between opinions and facts. You can truly see the world from a different place if you look at it with an open mind. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."P.S. Again to clarify, real hip-hop ignorant fools are people who don't understand opinions and facts. I'm not calling people who say Soulja Boy isn't real hip-hop but Rakim is ignorant fools. I'd also like to mention there are a growing number of people who do realize the difference, but there are still an ample amount of people who stay ignorant.
