An ode to Hip Hop... well not really an "ode" just a cool comment :-)

As the the second edition to the "Hip Hop generation" (being that the true starters of the hip hop movement are probably about 5-6 years older than me) we like to credit people who have a good flow and good content and even some people that don't. But, I think we truly forget people who engineered the way rappers rap today. The style is SO different. Most of us remember Kid N Play right, the go-go rhythm and simple one two rap style... "Say Heyyyy, now say Hoooooooo! Now say Hey-Ho...." and so on. There was a time when a flow like Jay Z's or Nas' or Rakim or Keith Murry (also a SICK MC) wasn't even on the map; because it hadn't been invented yet. Crazy rapid fire styles like Bone Thugs' or even creative stop and start types like Kanye or Wayne weren't even in consideration. So, with that said, I'd like to pay homage to this Harlem native and a favorite rapper of mine from the days of way back. I mean like sitting in the house with a cassette tape in the Hi-Fi trying to catch his songs on the radio cause my mother wouldn't let me buy the tape... the FIRST RAP BATTLE EVER! More importantly though, a clip of time where hip hop went from being a entertaining musical style to a validated competitive arena where oratory stamina and mental power were necessity for credibility. Here's to you Kool-Moe Dee.

Sincerely,

~H. Herald~