Hip Hop Appreciation: Wealth Tip #1 (Fa Real Tho!)

The following tip is a response from an overwhelming request for information on Hip Hop Appreciation Week, an event sponsored by the Self-Awareness Department of the Temple of Hip Hop Kulture.

Hip Hop Kulture (spelled with a "K" to signify self-awareness) celebrated its first week of appreciation from May 18-24, 1998. While we at the Temple of Hip Hop Kulture could never reduce our appreciation of Hip Hop to one week we thought that this was the best way to introduce the concept to the mainstream. The week was an overwhelming success as well as an eye-opener. The frauds were illuminated and valuable lessons were learned. After all, appreciation is not just about how you like a thing but it speaks to the general value of the item under review. For us at the Temple, this was not only a week to appreciate Hip Hop Kulture, it was also a week in which we could expose how Hip Hoppas have raised the value of corporations. This observation will serve as a tool to bring about a more profitable balance between Hip Hop Kulture and a variety of corporate interests that have benefited from the Kulture.

These corporations range from beverage industries to fashion houses to religious institutions to government to the entertainment industry and on. Obviously, Hip Hop has raised the cash flow of all these benefactors. Actually, most of these benefactors have done better than the creators of the Kulture - the Hip Hoppas. One particular industry, the broadcasting industry, provided us with a particular jewel during this year's appreciation week. Let's see if you can guess which one we're talking about. The clues will surface in the retelling of an experience the Temple had during the Appreciation Week in the city which is thought to be the Mecca of Hip Hop Kulture.

While on a whirlwind media information tour, me and a prominent Hip Hop icon visited a radio station which claims to be the epicenter of Hip Hop culture. Our mission there was to purchase some air time to explain the Appreciation Week's goals to the station's listening audience. Take notice before we go on that the Hip Hop icon I'm with is actually the voice of this station. His voice is used day in and day out to announce the call letters of the station and thereby, along with other Hip Hoppas, add street credibility to this commercial radio station. He raises the value (appreciates) the station each time the cart of his voice is run. For this service the Hip Hoppa only charges respect. Remember that and let's move on.

So we're in this commercial radio station to record our spot and check on the payment process to see if everything was taken care of. We build with the recording engineer and everything is arranged. Then we go to the business only office to find that our credit recharge has not yet been sent over from our finance office. No problem, we figure, we'll just let the business managers at the station know that it's coming and we'll record the spot. At this point (the point of commerce) we get a reality check.

The business office tells us that in order to proceed we will have to complete a credit application. In other words, they had to check Hip Hop's credibility. To this business office, street credibility was not credit worthy. Let this simmer for a minute.

We were sitting in this office not believing what these managers were telling us. The icon with me, the voice of the station, reminded these cultural aliens that he had given and continues to give valuable service freely to this station and never imagined that his credibility would be doubted. Temperatures began to boil and these managers (who, by the way, had their office radio tuned to some other station) informed us that we should go elsewhere up the chain to voice our complaints. We knew we could do this but felt offended that we should have to. We knew a much better way to spank that ass - one more appropriate for Hip Hop Kulture.

We immediately called our finance office and canceled our intended transaction. We told the radio station they should be doing these spots for free. We were not selling anything through these spots and the intelligent thing for them to do would have been to air the spots for free. They were so use to pimping our Kulture that greed blinded their common sense and fucked them out of a few thousand dollars.

Thinking that we might be jumping to conclusions, we marched around the station to share our experience with other Hip Hoppas in the radio station's employ. They all notified us of the omnipotence of the business affairs office and shuddered to imagine that we actually had gone behind the curtain and challenged the great wizards. For us it was sad to see the commercial rape of our Kulture played out in this tragic opera. It gets deeper.

As we emerged from the station we ran into the station manager. Not knowing of our recent revelation she uttered unthinkingly to the Hip Hop icon with me, "You're here a lot. You practically live here." He responded back, "Isn't this "where Hip Hop lives?�" Puzzled, and then remembering, she said, "I guess so." She then left us to ponder the sincerity of that statement. For us it was clear. Hip Hop doesn't live there it merely rents space and it is on the verge of being kicked out on the streets from where it came!

Now, we at the Temple of Hip Hop Kulture, are well aware of the virtual power that comes from having your hit blazing on the airwaves. We are also aware of the financial benefit that accompanies that airplay. Hearing your shit come out of speakers and vibrating windows as it booms out of jeeps is orgasmic to Hip Hoppas. Radio personalities discussing your joint, positive or negative, gives the Hip Hoppa something more powerful than money. It gives her or him recognition. This is ecstasy in the inner-city where usually only cops try to clock you. Like all pimps, the corporate world is keen to the psychology of those it intends to milk. So they trade Hip Hoppas recognition for respect, opulence for opportunity, and payola for power. It's all good'well, some of it is good. It's the world we live in.

Hip Hoppas live in a world dominated by commercial interests. Not a problem. The problem is unprotected intercourse with these shysters of commerce. You can't trust a big deal and a smile (sing to the tune of "Jimmy hats"). Use your Kulture as a condom when you interact with commerce! It's the only way to keep your common sense and gain collective consciousness. It's the only way to keep your backbone intact. It is also the only way that you can judge your true value. To clarify this point let's look at the success story of a corporation that amassed its loot from Hip Hop. The corporation in mind is Emmis Broadcasting.

Emmis Broadcasting has existed since 1981 (its publishing arm was formed in 1988). By 1997, Emmis announced its plan to purchase six television stations (five of them affiliates of FOX) to add to its inventory of seven radio stations and two magazines. By 1998, it was reported that Emmis owned 13 radio stations (including the largest radio network in Hungary) and 4 regional magazines. Emmis was able to do this because of its financial credibility which, some argue, was built on its appearance of street credibility. It banked a significant amount of loot from its relationship with the Rap industry and Hip Hop culture. And looking at its TV station choices, it plans to continue to get paid off of urban youth vibe!

Credibility came to Emmis through its lust affair (more appropriate term than the caring implication of a love affair) with Hip Hop's culture. In fact, Emmis" main money makers have been urban format stations in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. In New York, Emmis owns both Hot 97 (WQHT) and KISS FM (WRKS). In Los Angeles, Emmis owns the most popular Hip Hop formatted station, WKQX-FM. In Chicago, Emmis owns KSHE-FM.

So let's check this out. Emmis' relationship with Hip Hop culture leads to its street creditability. This street creditability increases market share (percentage of the population tuning in to the station). This market share increases the financial status of the corporation by allowing it to raise its advertising prices. This improved financial status leads to increased financial credit. This financial credit increases the purchase power of the corporation so that it can expand its power. Hip Hop sings about "Money, Power and Respect" but it seems like only the corporations get money, power and respect. Why is that??

Emmis was always in this relationship for the dividends. They never denied that. The problem is that Hip Hop culture has not become "SELF-conscious" enough to appreciate itself in this relationship. In every business endeavor the most conscious players and playettes collect the most ends. The corporations operate off a slogan that is kinda corny but deadly effective. It goes like this: "sell dear and buy cheap." That means when possible overcharge your customers and cheat your suppliers. In the case of radio companies the advertisers are the customers and the entertainers are the suppliers. But wait a minute.

There is an ecology that Emmis should pay close attention to. The condition of the communities that produce Hip Hoppas and consume radio air time must be improved. The condition of Hip Hoppas themselves must become the concern of this commercial enterprise. Like it or not, Hip Hop is going to have a relationship with Emmis for the next few years. The condition of Hip Hop will be shared with the businesses involved with Hip Hop. That's probably a scary thought for any industry who's home base is in Indianapolis, Indiana. In the final analysis, if Hip Hoppas can increase their health, wealth and self-awareness so can Emmis.

The Temple of Hip Hop Kulture recommends that Emmis begin assuring its own future by promoting the self-awareness of Hip Hop Kulture. This could easily begin with launching Kultural Service Announcements during annual Hip Hop Appreciation weeks on its relevant radio and television programs. During these spots the concepts of Self, Intelligence, Love, Vision, Evolution and Revolution could be addressed by influential personalities in Hip Hop Kulture. Contests could be sponsored to encourage life-affirming lyrics and documentaries about Hip Hop Kulture could be co-sponsored.

In the areas of Health and Wealth, Emmis could sponsor public service shows, in Hip Hop style, that would elevate common sense survival techniques for inner-city residents. If these things that we mentioned here were done as a start, a part of Emmis would actually become Hip Hop. Hip Hop would be ever so grateful and would speak up for Emmis contribution to the Kulture. Other commercial industries deserved mention in this article but space did not provide. We promise you that they will be the subject of upcoming exposes. Today's case in point was Emmis Broadcasting. But that's enough thought on Emmis'What about the Hip Hoppa's responsibility? That will be presented in our next post!

The more we understand OURSELF the more we will seek to improve OUR status as a Kulture. We will seek our health, wealth and self-awareness in an organized way and with balance. This is an intelligent Kultural approach advanced by the Temple of Hip Hop Kulture.