Introduction

When Mother Hip Hop sent her Spirit into the world, many of us felt her first.

And her calling was a yearning, an inexplicable URGE for Artistic Expression.

Some heard the call.

Some heeded the call.

Some ignored the call.

Others bypassed the call.

And finally, there are those of us who “embraced the call.”

And we all were thrust into this new world.

The world of Hip Hop.

And the inner circle paused and asked the same question, what is this?

The First Time

The first time I did a backspin, I was amazed at the feeling that she gave me.

The way she whispered and urged me to keep going.

Every day, I ran to the cardboard and turned up the boombox and she whispered again.

Have you figured out what this is?

And I paused, I have no clue.

So, I began asking my friends, what is this?

They responded, this new thang is getting girls, so who cares?

I went to another crew.

They responded, this new thang is helping me blow backs out, so who cares?

I went to another crew.

They responded, this new thang is paying my bills, so who cares?

And I had an Epiphany for the first time.

The truth isn’t for everyone because they never asked, what is this?

They never asked

As I started battling at the Rainbow Arcade, I spent a lot of time with Breakdancers.

We spent our days practicing on cardboard and our nights soaking in green alcohol.

We were dedicated to this new art form and we never cared about slowing down.

I realized that it was only during breaks that I asked the question, what is this?

One day, I turned to my crew and asked them, what is this?

They responded, it’s Hip Hop.

I asked, but beneath that, what is this REALLY?

There was silence and Peemooney responded, “So now you’re a Scholar?”

That’s when I realized the truth was a simple thing.

In our world, the truth revealed itself to the Seekers.

I spent my free time asking the same question, what is this?

And now in 2024, I am the Hip Hop Evangelist and I know the truth and the answer.

But my colleagues are stuck in the past, in their old glory days, because they never asked.

And so it goes.

The truth is reserved for the Seekers, not the Believers.

Closing Statement

There are only four paths to reach the bosom of Mother Hip Hop:

• If you are indigenous, you will ask the question, what is this?
• If you love Hip Hop, you will ask the question, what is this?
• If you trust Mother Hip Hop, you will ask the question, what is this?
• If you seek the truth, you will ask the question, what is this?

For those outside her bosom, here’s what happened to them.

Some heard the call and Mother divorced them immediately.

Some heeded the call and Mother stopped speaking to them.

Some ignored the call and Mother disappeared from their reality.

Others bypassed the call and Mother blocked their phone calls.

And for the Indigenous and the beloved of Mother, she opens her arms and shares “eternal” gifts with us.

We escalated from a feeling to a calling to a State of Being.