The Corner

The Corner by Common

My knowledge of hip-hop is limited. I appreciate it, but I don't think I've ever gone out and bought a hip-hop album, usually I'll just download a song or two or rip a CD that someone else already owns. No matter, white America, and specifically the media, seems not to understand hip-hop. I'm not sure if this because of ignorance, racism, or some sort of social-economic gap. But it seems to me that a lot of hip-hop has a message, and the best has a powerful message. Hip-hop isn't all about violence, degrading women, and lack of respect - this song, for example, is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what the media frames hip-hop as. This song is about the past, respect, and how life used to be - life on the corner. This misrepresentation is problematic.

Don Imus comments a few weeks go, brought hip-hop culture front and center. Most of it was negative, saying what I said above, that hip-hop is about disrespect, degrading women, and violence. But that would be like saying that every song written between 1966-1978 was about sex, drugs, and more sex. Is there truth to that? Yes, but it's completely wrong to say it as fact. The same holds true for hip-hop... when Jay-Z says "I've got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one" is he really degrading women? No, and one is missing the point to think otherwise. Yes, bitch ain't the greatest word in the English language, but you know what... white males use this word all the time (and buy/bought the song as it is). And Jay-Z isn't talking about women, he's talking about police injustice (among other things). But people see the title and flip out. How sad. Maybe if white America started listening to what hip-hop was saying (as an extension of part of black America), then maybe we'd have a better understanding of everyone.

Anyway, this song has a nice beat and good flow... and I love the Lost Prophets' "rap" in the song.

Listen to the mp3