KJAKLIVE

Today’s hip-hop music has been degraded into basically dance music. It is made for people to listen to when they go out to the club or to a dance. The songs that are not made for dancing still lack sustenance. There is no meaning or reason behind their lyrics outside of promoting good times, booze, girls, guys, cars and jewelry.

This isn’t to say that music from the last generation contained a lot more, but it is more of a rare occasion in today’s world to find a hip-hop song that contains a valuable message.

Why do people appreciate Tu Pac’s music so much? Why is he an icon in the hip-hop industry? It’s not because he had beautiful ladies, ran around shooting people, or didn’t give a hoot. It’s was because he brought with him a message that was felt by all who cared to listen. Tu Pac shared stories of poverty and living on the streets. He represented his message by relating his own life experiences with the hardships people experience in certain areas of our country.

The premise behind these points is the topic of a great swag item I received in the mail a couple days ago. Kool cigarettes recently sent out a DVD containing the music video for “AYAY AYA” by F.I.L.T.H.E.E., Ice T. and Grandmaster Caz. The packaging for the DVD is very nice. It comes in a soft cardboard covering that mimics the hard magnetized case inside. The DVD fits snugly inside the beautiful black case. The DVD also contains an exclusive interview with the artists and an art gallery featuring photos from the making of the music video.

AYAY AYA is a fairly good song about traveling the world and that wonderful feeling you get when you finally return to the city you’re from. Of course the song isn’t the best part of this package, although it’s still nice to have.

I really appreciated the interviews. My wife watches a lot of Law and Order, so I have seen Ice T as a police office for the past few years. During my younger years I would listen to Ice T bust out raps on his “O.G. Original Gangster” and “Rhyme Pays” albums. It was really cool to listen to him speak about his opinion of hip-hop today.

It is clear that these three guys really feel like the hip-hop industry needs a change. There is always room for the type of hip-hop that is out on the radio now, but there needs to be more opinionated hip-hop artists out there who are willing to talk about all the issues we, as Americans, are facing today. We should no longer need to suffer through CD after CD waiting for someone to display some sort of emotion towards something other than parties, dancing and jewelry. Hopefully other artists will listen to these interviews and take a look at their strategy and move towards more meaningful music.

Overall I really enjoyed this little package. I was a bit surprised to receive it, though. I haven’t smoked a cigarette in 7 years. I guess I just got the luck of the draw when I received this. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see these interviews, I suggest checking them out. There have been a few Craig’s List posts where people are selling or giving the package away. The case is nice enough that it’s worth saving as a collectible. I really think that the case is the most attractive part of the entire package.

Thanks Kool for this awesome freebie!

kolobear

Watch The Music Video (YouTube)