Although the genre may have seemingly lost sight of the concept, rap is all about "keeping it real." The origin of Hip-hop revolved around self-expression and an authentic form of it at that. Even though the corporate forces tried to invade rap for a couple of decades, they were largely unsuccessful until the early 2000s.
I can already sense the pushback from that last sentence. What do I mean by "rap was able to stave off corporate America until the 2000s?" Simply put, the 2000s became the first era where corporations could anoint a superstar as successfully as the streets. In the late 90s, rap labels could profit off Hip-hop artists, but they struggled to generate them consistently. By the time the 2000s rolled around, record companies had become too skilled at conjuring rap "sensations" like Nelly from thin air.
Flash forward to today, and it's even worse. There are only a handful of artists that keep it real. At the top of that shortlist is one Kendrick Lamar. Lamar has erected a whole career on being one of the few conscious MCs left in the game by talking about Black issues unapologetically.
In the video above, we get to see Lamar perform one of the most real acts a Black celebrity can engage in: we get to watch him hang out in Africa. Watching a powerful Black-figure touch down in the homeland will consistently produce positive vibes in my heart as long as I'm alive. I hope you guys dig the clip as much as I do.
