Tag Archive for: hip hop

14 years ago today, Tupac Amaru Shakur died. He is still missed.

In the event of my Demise
when my heart can beat no more
I Hope I Die For A Principle
or A Belief that I had Lived 4
I will die Before My Time
Because I feel the shadow’s Depth
so much I wanted 2 accomplish
before I reached my Death
I have come 2 grips with the possibility
and wiped the last tear from My eyes
I Loved All who were Positive
In the event of my Demise

Tupac Amaru Shakur
June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996

Happy Birthday, ‘Pac. Gone but never forgotten.

I give hipsters a lot of shit for, well, being hipsters, but there’s another group of people who were around before the hipster fad. They dress a certain way, listen to music “you’ve never heard of,” and are generally people in their 20’s and early 30’s. Some could even say they directly contributed to the hipster fad. I’m talking about hip hop’s very own hipsters, the backpackers.

So what is a backpacker? Well, here is the definition that Wikipedia has for the minority group of hip hop heads.

“Backpacker” was originally a slang term from the 1980s for a graffiti artist who always wore a backpack containing his music collection and, more importantly, his spraypaint cans, markers, and spray tips. Typically, the music collection would consist of local underground rap/hip-hop music artists. The term gradually came to refer to someone with this musical taste, and now has almost nothing to do with graffiti (although certain “backpackers” may participate in graffiti “tagging.”)

It has come full circle now and is sometimes used as a derogatory term by the mainstream to describe underground hip hop fans.

One thing the Wikipedia entry left out is the typical dress of a backpacker. Yeah, the backpack is an essential item, just like white belts or aviator sunglasses are for hipsters. What else might a backpacker wear? They are not rocking hipster flannel. Backpackers don’t wear the typical clothing associated with the urban youth: baggy jeans and XXXXXXL t-shirts. Since backpackers tend to be more educated, or want to appear so, they would wear more “preppy” clothing. Remember when Kanye West hit the mainstream and you saw him wearing polos and sweater vests? That’s what a lot of backbackers wore or still wear. Perhaps you can think of the style as urban prep.

The biggest thing that hipsters and backpackers have in common is their love of music. Hipsters are always on the cutting edge of music and like obscure bands you’ve never heard of. I’m sure you’ve probably heard the joke “How many hipsters does it take to screw in a light bulb? Some obscure number you’ve probably never heard of.” Backpackers are the exact same way. They want you to know who they listen to and that what they listen to is the best. Aesop Rock, CunninLynguists, Blue Scholars, Tonedeff, Binary Star, Atmosphere, and Little Brother might all be in the playlist of these hip hop hipsters. Their love for these artists might not last long though. Like a lot of hipsters, backpackers will lose interest in a musician as soon as they hit the mainstream, uttering phrases like, “I liked him before he went mainstream.” The same backpackers that rallied around Kanye when he released College Dropout are the same ones that are saying how much he sucks on 808’s and Heartbreaks.

So, am I a backpacker? Well, I am and I’m not. I don’t carry around a backpack and I don’t wear sweater vests. That being said, I do think the music I listen to is better than what is played on mainstream radio. That has less to do with me liking an artist just because they are underground than it has to do with anything played on the radio is so broken down and formulaic that it just sucks. Most of the artists I listen to are “underground,” but I would love to see them hit the mainstream. These artist deserve a wider audience and I would celebrate that fact. So there you have it. Hip hop has hipsters too.

In my constant quest for new hip hop music I’ve seen one name come across my screen several times: Blue Scholars. Even though I’ve seen them mentioned by various underground hip hop fanboys, I’ve never given them a shot. I don’t exactly know why. Perhaps they were even on my todo list, I’m not sure. One of the members even appeared on CunninLynguists’ latest album, Strange Journey Vol. 2. The past few days I’ve decided to give them a listen and I have to say, I love what I hear. If you are as unfamiliar with the group as I was, let me give you a brief introduction. From their website:

Blue Scholars have emerged out of the erupting Northwest hip-hop scene with soulful beats, poetic yet political rhymes and a reputation for dynamic live performances. With two full length albums and 3 EPs, the group has become one of the top West Coast independent hip hop acts, known for their energetic and always entertaining live shows and a world view that blends the personal and the political, but unafraid to party in the process.

One of the problems with a lot of underground acts I come across is that they may have rhyming talent but have terrible beats. Or vice versa. This is not the case with Blue Scholars. Their beats are some of the best that I’ve heard in a while. Geologic’s flow matches perfectly with the fantastic sounds orchestrated by Sabzi. It’s a shame that there aren’t more acts like Blue Scholars hitting the mainstream. This is what hip hop on the radio needs to be. It’s also a shame that these guys have been around for a while and I’m just now hearing about them. I hope that I will see and hear much more from them in the future.

Two of my favorite songs come from their Oof! EP. Make sure you go buy their albums. You can buy then from their website or download them from Amazon or iTunes.

Blue Scholars – New People
[audio:04-New-People.mp3]

Blue Scholars – Cruz
[audio:06-Cruz.mp3]

You can also catch their video for HI-808 from the Oof! EP

Blue Scholars – HI-808 (Official Music Video) from Blue Scholars on Vimeo.

I’m very passionate when it comes to hip hop. At times I’m its biggest advocate, and others the biggest apologist. Most of the hip hop that is played on the radio embarrasses me. That isn’t true hip hop in my opinion, it is no different than Britney Spears or Miley Cyrus. It’s pop music. Lost in the shuffle of throw-away singles and one-hit wonders are some of the most creative artists, songs, and albums of any genre. I want to discuss some of the most creative hip hop albums of all time. On top of having great production and lyrics, all of them tell a story from beginning to end.

Deltron 3030 – Deltron 3030

Deltron

Deltron 3030 was a hip hop supergroup composed of Del the Funkee Homosapien, Dan the Automator, and DJ Kid Koala. The album takes place in a dystopian future, the year 3030 to be exact. The story follows Deltron Zero, the hero, fighting against an oppressive government and gigantic corporations that control everything. The production by Dan the Automator is operatic, while still maintaining the rhythm that makes hip hop great. Del’s rhyming over the eerie, futuristic beats flows like water. Rumors have long circulated of a sequel to this album with updates coming every so often, but it has yet to surface. [Buy Now] Read more