There is a beautiful yet undeniable intersection between age, wisdom and
culture. That point in your life where you become consciously conscious
about your actions and their implications and the inevitability of growth
trumps (did I just use that) whatever momentary satisfaction you may
incur. That point where no becomes yes and yes becomes no for no other
reason than it’s the right thing do.
That being said over the weekend I had the opportunity to listen to Jay
Z’s new CD. What I came away with was an artist whose artistic
contribution has evolved through thought, deeds and arguably through his
experiences. What this album did for me and many of you is put being
grown in the context of having been born and raised with hip-hop as your soundtrack.
Life
Death
Credit
Gender
Sexuality
Infidelity
Investments
Parenting are all issues that we as part of the hip-hop generation
grapple with NOW and somehow when you juxtapose your reality against all of the
aforementioned rolling to a tune that celebrates bitches and hoes, death and
destruction and all day drug usage just don’t fit. See QUALITY OF LIFE at this stage of the game
really does matter and the inability to pass on a little something to ensure a
bit of a jump off for your children can have consequences that perpetuate
generational poverty. The beauty about wisdom and time at this intersection is
you can’t un-know what you know.
What this CD further did for me is gave me another tool in my
generational tool kit, much like What’s Going on did for my mother
and father. For me and for many of my peers who grew up in hip-hop we never saw
this point coming because for many of us big swabs of our peers just vanished
through the hell hole of the criminal justice system or died tragically to the
grips of the streets. We never saw
ourselves as the OG’s or old school or the keepers of the sage wisdom because
there was never a true transfer of power or information for that matter that
said at this point you do this. Our parents and their parents are still trying
to make sense of America and discern was their cause all worth it. Thus we sort of learned on the fly and now we
are here in a place and space where real things matter and being an adult is
not an option.
I as well as many of you understand the unique power someone of Jay Z’s
magnitude has. Hell look at how many
people now have contracts with Sprint and TidaI because of him. Lord knows Tom Ford has found its way in my collection
of things because of his influence.
However, I am not looking for Jay Z, OJ, Lil Wayne, Colin Kaepernick or
Lil Baby Jesus (I mean Barack Obama) or any other icon to come and do the grimy
work of cultural and community change for me.
I understand that falls on me. I
am simply looking for them to help when and where they can and not make the
road any more laborious than it already is.
Therefore, thank you Jay for giving a grown man a grown man hip-hop
album that not only he can listen to but, most of all teach these young cats
out here in the streets too.
I AM
Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen
Hip Hop Listener since 1979
And this is my truth and I
AM sticking to it…
