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It's time to bring Hip-Hop to another level. It's time for people involved in our culture to become more involved in its direction. I have been Hip-Hop since my days as a child. I was there when Hip-Hop grew as a voice of the youth of the streets. I was there when it was on the subway walls. I was there cutting up the card board (old school heads know what I'm saying). I was there when the music was jammin' on the blocks in the hood. I was there when it first played on the radio.
Hip-Hop is headed for its own self destruction. You don't have to be a veteran to be Hip-Hop, but you do need to know the culture and what it's all about. Back in the 60's people were dedicated to a Hippy culture that did not last. It did not last because people became sidetracked form its initial meaning to commercialism. That was cool for them at the time, though after a while, being a Hippy became something of the past. It faded away as the disco lights illuminated the philosophy that those people shared. How many of them stayed true to their convictions? Protests that were 10,000 now only grasp a few hundred people, if at all that. It isn't hard to tell that with culture comes responsibility, and in our culture, that is something most of us lack.
In our culture it is especially hard to know who's true, and who is simply looking for a paycheck. No, I'm not one of those people who believe that money is only for the corrupt; however, money corrupts weak minds. What we need in Hip-Hop is a shift in our thinking patterns. Money is something we should earn doing what we love, not something we should love while we do what we can to earn. To me, Hip-Hop has always been more than a fad. To me, Hip-Hop is a culture, a universal language.
We don't see the true artists we admire; all we can see is the front they put on. We need to drastically change the way we approach matters involving our culture. Hip-Hop is growing. We as an organization plan on growing with it. To ICU, Hip-Hop is more then a mere form of music or dress style. It is about life. It is history; stories of individuals growing up and dealing with real world problems. It is our diary. Hip-Hop is where we tell our thoughts and share our values with each other. Hip-Hop is a feeling and a way of being. Our culture gives us hope. To many of us, it is our religion, our dreams, our thoughts and life.
Hip-Hop is a rich and fantastic art form. It is expression of thought through diversity. It is a message and a feeling. Hip-Hop is a way of life. We must realize that we are the poets of the next generation. If you venture to read classic poetry, you will see that those poets were revolutionaries; the great poets of Africa and abroad fought injustices with their wisdom. Hip-Hop is the most powerful art form there is today. If you question that, think of this point: What other art form has as much diversity as Hip-Hop?
Hip-Hop frightens so many because it is so powerful. What other type of music can mix Jazz, Blues, Rock, Punk, Pop, Metal, R&B, Spoken Word, African, Brazilian, Ska, Reggae, Japanese, and many other types of music into one culture? No other music or culture is as tightly packed as Hip-Hop. What type of music, other than Hip-Hop, has reached as much of the population as Hip-Hop has? There is none. As we head into the next millennium, Hip-Hop continues to grow and gain notoriety throughout the world.
When people of all aspects of life have one common interest, there are many who frown. There are many who wish to destroy this unity. That is why the media attacks the Hip-Hop culture as much as it does. That is why Graffiti is so heavily attacked on the news; that is why our music is made to look so negative. People are angry that whites, blacks, and all members of the human race are all listening to one music and sharing one common culture. The way they distract us is by isolating Hip-Hop as a careless and destructive culture.
Many affluent and middle class people perceive Hip-Hop to be out of the "norm." Thus, they raise their children with negative messages about Hip-Hop. As you can see, it does not work many times, but it does grasp most from involving themselves with the Hip-Hop culture. We must not let this continue if we truly want to keep this culture alive. We must continue to bring forth our talents to produce the most original songs, graffiti and dance. We must not separate and isolate the culture. We need to take the holistic approach to Hip-Hop by appreciating the culture as a whole so aspects of the culture will live on. If parts die, the whole will surely follow.
We need to continue to strive for perfection of the culture. We need to appreciate Hip-Hop now. Let's do what we can to make the culture grow. Talk about it with your friends. Speak about it. Teach your parents and siblings what Hip-Hop is all about. Communication is the greatest of all gifts that we have. Eating produces life, but not happiness. Communication is what produces happiness. That is why when you listen to Hip-Hop you feel so strongly about the words, sounds, and the vibe. It is because Hip-Hop is able to easily communicate its message to you. We must communicate this same message to others.
Will it pass us by? Will we let another "fake Rapper" take our culture? Will we let Graffiti and Breakin' die? Will we let the DJ be forgotten? We can do what we want if we do what we can. If you want to be a bigger part of Hip-Hop, do it. What happens when we as a nation come together and share our experiences to create unified nation? What happens when we multiply? We build a nation, a strong nation.
Then what? We get recognized, we become seen and heard. What are a few kids gonna do? Nothing, probably. But, what happens if that few become 20, 30, or 300 or even 3000 deep. What happens then? They take part in the culture of Hip-Hop. Votes are in numbers. Mathematics is greater than we can imagine. It is all about us. We need to become a positive, not a fraction. We need to add, not divide. You can be part of this great ICU Nation.
We must not forget that if we truly are Hip-Hop, we must focus our energies to make Hip-Hop progress. Without each individual style of ICU, we would be no more than the average crew. However, we are not! We have become the largest, and most focused when it comes to Hip-Hop. ICU is the only crew that has members from all over the globe, contributing to compilation tapes, graffiti portfolios, and DJ mix tapes. This can only happen with each of us; each person, each organization, each other.
This is your chance to join ICU (ILL CREW UNIVERSAL) to strengthen the Hip-Hop culture. We need to take what is ours. Hip-Hop is our voice, our hope, our past. Even if you're not an Emcee. Wouldn't you like to be a part of something big? ICU is that outlet for all to plug into. With ICU's rapid growth, we have quickly become the largest Hip-Hop crews in history. We have over 50,000 members since our start.
We in ICU support each others business, skills, and most importantly, we support Hip-Hop culture. We all need to work together in order to become the strongest force in Hip-Hop. We all need to put aside our petty differences and work as one nation. All people are welcome to be part of ICU. No matter where you are from or what crew you represent. ICU builds itself with people of action. Whether you want to be a major force in ICU or you just want to help support the artists and work of ICU members, you can join; as long as you help us make Hip-Hop what it has the potential to become; a major force that breaks all other boundaries. A force that attracts all people of the human race. If you feel you can help keep Hip-Hop culture alive, then join ICU and let's work together and build this unstoppable force.
Dabri
Founder of ICU
Ill Crew Universal
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