chin check
HIP-HOP’s 10 COMMANDMENTS by Charlamagne Tha God www.CThaGod.com
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o, 2007 is finally here. The Bush administration has less than two years left to start World War III and send us all to an early death, but that’s another story. A lot of people – mostly up North cats – were not pleased with hip-hop in 2006. No disrespect to Nas, because he’s my second favorite emcee of all time, but Hip Hop is dead, my ass. But I can understand why people would think that, especially when you saw all the snapping of the fingers, the chicken noodle souping, and all the other bullshit songs that I refused to dance to. I did find myself shoulder leaning, and leaning with it and rocking with it minus the snapping. That snapping shit is gay. I can’t help but think of them homosexuals on In Living Color when I see people doing that shit. Other than that, I thought it was a great year for the hip-hop community: T.I.’s King, Ghostface’s Fishscale joint, Nas’ Hip-Hop Is Dead, The Game’s Doctors Advocate, and Jim Jones had everybody “Ballinnnnnn’!” Young Jeezy put out a bangin’ mixtape and it was just a good year for music overall. I just pray that in 2007 we see more artists being socially responsible and trying to make a difference in the culture. I feel like there needs to be rules to this game called Hip Hop. In the words of Biggie Smalls: “I been in this game for years, it’s made me an animal / It’s rules to this shit, I made me a manual / A step-by-step booklet for you to get your game on track, not your wig pushed back.” The manual is called “The Ten Commandments of Hip Hop.” If these whores like Superhead and Carmen Bryan can get a book deal, you think I can’t? Watch my dirtroad magic salute to Robert Green (author of the “48 Laws of Power”). Let’s get money, homie! In the meantime, here are “The Ten Commandments of Hip Hop.” 10. Thou Must Not Promote All Things Ghetto Your lyrics should not celebrate the ghetto life by reminiscing about your days in poverty, your mother on welfare, and your father not being there. Instead of celebrating and embracing the poverty, crime, and ignorance of the ghetto, we should be encouraging our people to move on up out of the ghetto like the Jeffersons. 09. Thou Must Advocate Anything Of Social Redeeming Value Your lyrics should show that you are aware of the social, political, and economic reality of your community. The consumer should be able to tell that you read more than The Source or XXL. 08. Thou Shalt Have A Sense of History Emcees should refer to historical events that may cause the listener to think about his/her relation to history. Your role is to entertain and educate. Instead of mentioning names like Jacob the Jeweler and Versace, mention names like W.E.B. Dubois and Louis Farrakhan. 07. Thou Must Not Worship Money And The “Bling Bling” You must not talk about money and “bling bling” as if it were a living, breathing thing. Your lyrics should not put money and “bling bling” over love, family, or religion (see next commandment). 06. Thou Must Talk About God And Spirituality Emcees should not condone atheism and a false belief system that does not acknowledge the existence of a higher being. You should promote the spiritual beliefs that may have been instilled in you by your family – especially since the first thing rappers say when they win an award is, “I want to thank God.” 05. Thou Must Not Celebrate The Drug Culture Drugs are destroying the black community. There isn’t a dope boy in the 22
country who actually wants to be a dope boy. The “trap” is just that: a trap. You’ll either end up in jail or dead. It’s like playing Russian roulette with your life. Trap or die? You might as well die, because in the trap you’re killing yourself and your community, slowly but surely. 04. Thou Must Not Promote Promiscuity Emcees should promote a deep sense of love and marriage. You should talk about commitment, bonding, and intimacy. Rappers talk about having lots of sex, but not about the fact that blacks represent 57% of all AIDS cases in the United States even though we only make up 13% of the population. 03. Thou Must Not Lust After Things That Don’t Belong To You This law does not advocate emcees going after the material possessions of someone else in the community. By keeping this commitment, you promise to promote a strong work ethic in your music and speak out against greed, lust, and impulsive behavior. Besides, robbery and rape charges carry a lot of time. 02. Thou Must Not Kill Emcees should not lyrically take the life of another black person in order to secure a hit CD. If the artist doesn’t value the life of someone else on a record, then the consumer he (or she) influences won’t value the life of someone else in the street. 01. Thou Must Not Disrespect Black Women Rap music today is psychologically breeding a generation of bitches, whores, and sluts. Women are not our sexual playtoys, they are the greatest natural resource on the planet. Without them, we can’t create life, and I know you don’t want a nation of bitches, whores, and sluts raising your babies. Instead of disrespecting black women, empower them by letting them know they are queens, mothers of the planet earth, and their purpose is not to be shaking their asses in music videos.