From: ter5424@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Newsgroups: alt.rap
Subject: An Open Letter From Afrika Bambaataa
Date: 11 Oct 92 06:16:18 GMT
Reply-To: ter5424@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology

In the lastest issue of The Rap Sheet, Afrika Bambaataa wrote an open
letter to all hip hop fans.  With the discussions on New School/Old School rap
and the ever so fustrating misunderstanding of the terminolgy of rap and hip
hop, I figured this would be a good article to read and perhaps may start some
more intelligent discussions on these topics, while also clearing up a few myths
and misunderstood things, explained from the mouth of a pioneer!  So here it is,
A Open Letter To The Rap Sheet From Afrika Bambaataa:

(the following article is reprinted without permission)
===============================================================================

         Hip Hop is not separate from rap.  Rap is a part of the hip hop
    culture.  Hip Hop - the word is the whole culture, meaning the rappers,
    the language, the lyrics, etc.

         I have heard it all, read it all in many magazines throughout the
    world, and I've seen almost everything on this bullshit argument about
    which rappers are better - East Coast vs. West Coast; Miami Bass is
    bullshit; British rappers sound funny; Electro-funk-techno rappers are
    soft.  I've heard that rap wouldn't be rap without battling, and that
    go-go music is dead.  I've heard people say: "If I think you said
    something in your rap dissing me, then my crew will wipe your ass out."

         Just look at yourselves, sounding like a bunch of little kids who
    really don't have any knowledge of what hip hop is all about.  Most of
    you don't even know the whole spectrum of the history of rap and its
    pioneers.

         Many of you don't know that rap is a part of hip hop and that hip
    hop is a whole culture which started in the Black community.  When I
    say Black, I include all my Latino brothers and sisters, who are a part
    of the same race.

         Only Black people can truly define what hip hop/rap is, even
    though it has become a part of the international community.

         Rappers coming out of Europe have always tried to be like the
    American rappers, instead of being themselves.  There is nothing wrong
    with copying or borrowing the culture here and there, but some
    originality should be added.

         My point of mentioning this is that hip hop is a powerful movement
    and culture in the world today.  To have such influence, we must
    organize ourselves with a united hip hop nation to address our problems
    in the music industry.

         But there are those of you in the nation who talk about each other
    terribly, fighting over who has the right message for the people or
    whose ideas are best, or whose city or town or crew can kick the
    other's ass.

         Yes, the media plays a role in the destruction of hip hop, but
    some of hip hop's biggest enemies are within the nation.  Those enemies
    will bring hip hop underground again, because of their ignorance of the
    power of hip hop culture.

         I've heard tht hip hop is bullshit, and I've witnessed the
    struggles between so-called Old School vs. so-called New School rap. 
    To me, Afrika Bambaataa there is only one school.  That'S the
    "Learning, Evolving Through Different Phases" School.  That's the real
    hip hop school.

         Hip Hop began with the Almighty Zulu Nation, now called the
    Universal Zulu Nation, which includes pioneers like Kool Herc,
    Grandmaster Flash, Grand Wizard Theodore, The Furious Five, The
    Fantastic Five, The Treacherous Three, DJ Breakout, The Funky Four Plus
    One, and many others who struggled hard to take hip hop all over the
    world.

         Some people look at hip hop culture and music as radical and see
    rappers as a threat.  The hip hop nation had better look at the
    problems that are happening around us, because while some of you are
    partying and taking drugs or arguing amongst yourselves, there are
    plots to destroy hip hop.

         Believe what I am saying or not.  Time will tell, and I see what
    you see not.

                     Peace be unto you,
                         Your brother in music and faith,

                             Afrika Bambaataa
==============================================================================

    Any opinions??

                                      T-Dub
                                      SHYGUY productions