When one thinks of revolution, many things come to mind. The Black Panthers, The Young Lords Movement, Malcolm X and The Nation of Islam, etc. Many of these young revolutionaries of the 60's felt compelled to act on behalf of the people. They felt that if they did not act, by any means necessary, they would continue to be the object of hate and violence brought on by their oppressors.
As we move into the 70's, and the heavy gang influence in New York City, we can see that the gangs were a way to help defend and protect from the violence that was coming to many a community by way of racist police officers. Also, we cant ignore the fact that many joined gangs to get a sense of family that they were not getting at home. According to many of the pioneers of Hip-Hop culture, revolution is just a form of expression that is used in order to be heard.
From the gangs, we now move into the early crews. For instance, The Black Spades, being the largest gang in New York City, as they began to die out, many took the divisions of the gang and turned them into crews. Within these crews were Dancers, Artist, Emcees, D.J.'s, the very elements that would make up Hip-Hop Culture. Afrikka Bammbatta and his division in Bronx River, started the Zulu Kings, and would later form the Almighty Universal Zulu Nation.
In order for many of these former gang members to express themselves by way of dance, art, music, etc, they would have to use the elements around them. It is important to understand that these poor youth from the inner city, could never afford to go to the clubs in Manhattan, so they would have to create the club right on the block. Taking the turntables, hooking them up to the light post for electricity, they would set up the party for free in the parks. Just doing that would be considered very revolutionary. What ever they had to do to get there expression heard, they were willing to do. True Hip-Hop culture, not what we see today, is in it's essence, revolution. In other words using what we have to create something great. For years, the streets would dictate the culture to the media, now, the media dictates the culture to the streets. It is also important to understand that we created style and fashion, we set the trends in the city, we created our own style.
In order to reach true Hip-Hop culture, we as the church need to become revolutionary. On a side note, there are some who feel that in order to reach the Culture we have to follow the new trends. In a way that might be true, but to say that the original culture of Hip-Hop is dead is not accurate. There is still a very big underground movement alive and well. One pioneer has said that Hip-Hop should have never gone mainstream because it stripped the very real essence from the movement. They have taken it back to the underground, where they say it belongs. So reaching Hip-Hop culture, and the elements is still a vital ministry for those who are called to do so.
Lets us get revolutionary and hit the parks, and set up jams in the streets, and close off blocks to have block parties, and host B.Boy competitions, all for the purpose of letting our message of Hope and Freedom be heard. Keep this in mind, early Hip-Hop was never concerned with the spotlight, they just wanted to let the world know they were there. We as the Church should also not be concerned with getting the shine, but we should be concerned with getting the message of the cross to the streets, by any means necessary.
God Bless
Dee
"Till the Culture knows."
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