"Who's world is this?...."

My boy K.T. was unable to deliver his usual incredible entry so he asked me to step in. Because I can’t fill his shoes, I’ll try in the 11th hour to put my own spin on his Lyrical Exercise. See it as a nice set of push-ups and crunches instead of the full-body workout that he normally provides (lol). This week, I’m going to break down three of my favorite lines in Hip-Hop.

“…Odds against, Nas’ll slaughter/ Thinking of words best describing my life, to name my daughter/ My strength, my son, the star, will be my resurrection/ Born in correction, all the wrong s**t I did, he’ll lead a right direction.” – Nas, The World is Yours

They say that history often repeats itself however, when it comes to fatherhood, many rappers tend to disprove this theory. Despite growing up without a father or a positive male role model, many emcees make it a point to give their kids everything that they didn’t have. Nas, Ja Rule, Eminem, Ludacris, 50 Cent and Lil’ Wayne are just a few who have either dedicated songs to or publicly showed their love for their children. Even rappers who have yet to become fathers (i.e. Jay-Z and 2Pac) have sent word to their unborn kids that they plan to give them the world. Outside of the commitment towards being a good parent, this rhyme also highlights another interesting idea about fatherhood in Hip-Hop – the child represents a second chance. For rappers who feel like they’ve made many mistakes, their children will give them the opportunity to repent and live a righteous life. His children symbolize a “rebirth” for the emcee as he will get to experience the happiness and positive childhood that he didn’t have vicariously through them. There is no doubt that there is a problem with men being fathers and it plagues the black community, so it is refreshing to see so many rappers making an effort to break this vicious cycle. Fatherhood needs to be promoted more in Hip-Hop and rappers deserve more credit for working hard to provide their family with a better life. (How beautiful was it to see Biggie kissing his daughter on the cheek in the “Juicy” video?)

Another thing I love about this rhyme is the direct connection to Nas’ own life. When naming his daughter, he said that the thought of words that best described his life. So what is his daughter’s name you might ask? … Destiny

“You can’t complain you were dealt this/ Helluva hand without a man feeling helpless/ Because there’s too many things for you to deal with/ Dying inside, but outside, you looking fearless” – 2Pac, Keep Ya Head Up

Next to their children, rappers love their mothers. Oftentimes being a single parent, mothers have had to work twice as hard to raise their kids in impossible environments. This sacrifice does not go unnoticed. For years, rappers have been paying homage to their mothers through lyrics. They understand that they would not be in the position that they are in if it wasn’t for their efforts. In this particular song, 2Pac gives credit to all black women for remaining strong despite facing incredible odds. Throughout all of the hardships and obstacles, these women must remain strong for the entire family. They have to shed their tears behind closed doors and conceal any signs of weakness for they know the children look to them for strength and support. This unbelievable burden becomes even more difficult to bear when you don’t have anyone or thing to help vent your frustration. It can literally eat you up from the inside. Also understanding the cross that single mothers are forced to bear within, 2Pac shed light on this reality and offered sympathy and support for his “sisters”. Because it would be completely understandable if a woman folded under the pressure of being a single parent, it makes it even more remarkable when they not only stand tall but also allow their children to lead successful lives. Keep your heads up.



“Cuz the streets are a short stop/ Either you slingin’ crack rock, or you got a wicked jump shot” – Notorious B.I.G., Things Done Changed

Perhaps the most significant line in the history of Hip-Hop, Biggie managed to describe the broken psyche of the young black male in two lines. Many critics of Hip-Hop quickly dismiss the quality of its lyrics at the first sign of a curse word or the mention of guns or drugs but if they ever truly listened, they would hear the cries of an entire generation. Without a strong family structure and an educational system that actually educates, millions of youth are given an extremely jaded perspective on life. They don’t understand the value of graduating and getting a career because there are no examples of this in their communities. Instead they gravitate to the only two people who seem to enjoy any level of success, the drug dealer and the athlete. The destructive path of selling drugs is obvious where ending up dead or in jai is almost inevitable. Aspiring athletes who are depending on achieving something that has the same chance of happening as winning the lottery can lead to just as much trouble when reality sets in and dreams are crushed. These kids need role models and deserve to have more career options than standing on the corner with crack in their pockets or feeling it necessary to spend hours practicing their jump shot. Biggie did not write this line to sell records, this was his truth in 1994 and it is the truth for so many more today. You can denounce Hip-Hop and criticize it for its flaws but it will not change the harsh reality that rappers and their peers face everyday. If you want rappers to stop talking about drugs and violence, fix these problems in their community, then they’ll have something else to talk about.



- JusHH