I’m not one for grand announcements or showmanship, and this is not what this post is…This is about how I tried to stay away from a culture I love, with my whole heart, because I felt it didn’t need me, I felt Hip Hop is really for the younger generation now, it’s taken its course outside the realm I felt comfortable in. Hip Hop has evolved so much in the last few years, it’s almost unrecognizable. From the business side of it and how indies and majors work, to how artists promote their music, even down to the very nature to how we get and listen to our music, it’s all changed drastically. For us Hip Hop Purists(Ole’heads), it’s now moved away from the many things we fell in love with this genre in the first place. Listen, I’m never against change, change for the most part is good, in anything we do or enjoy, at first it’s hard to accept, and that’s human nature, but in time we see that it was for the better…That being said, I guess I wasn’t there yet, and it was very hard to accept.
In 2009, I started the Hip Hop Head with one focus, one objective….to get the music of great unknown emcees out to the masses, out to whoever would click on my links and hopefully discover something new, something to prove that Hip Hop is not dead. The internet is a powerful tool, besides meme and free porn, the internet connects us with so many dope emcees, artists, people who if back in the golden era wouldn’t have a chance to get their music out to a wide audience due to how the Majors played the game 25 plus years ago. Along with that though, came shady practices of pay for play, buying views, pay for post…I guess that’s where it hit me, that’s when I wanted out. When I started the blog in Chicago, I wanted to do something positive..in the five years it was up, I got to interact and meet alot of cool people who had the same passion as I did and believed in what I was doing. The internet is flooding with blogs..thousands of em…but I felt The Hip Hop Head was different…it wasn’t gonna sell it’s soul for a few bucks..I wanted to expose great Hip Hop to whomever would listen. In my absence, there’s so much great music I’ve missed the last year, so many offerings that the team made sure was available on the site, and to them I’m most greatful. These folks here are some of the most true Hip Hop Heads you’ll ever meet. I don’t exaggerate when I say, Hip Hop runs in their blood, so I salute them.
I shut down the Hip Hop Head in 2015. It was hard, because it was my baby. I put alot of countless hours into that site…I had a great team behind me, but I lost it. I lost the passion…I didnt want to listen anymore. My good friend Stroy, owner of this fine site, a high school friend and fellow diehard Hip Hop Head started 7thboro.com, so naturally, it felt right to team up with him and bring the team over…He has the same mission and passion I possessed when I started the site 7 yrs ago. I’m happy I found a new flame in me to want to bring new music and give exposure to those emcees and producers who are so talented but just need to get the music out to ears so they can listen. That’s all I want to do. I want to forget all the negativity of “the behind the scenes” of the business, and solely focus on the music. I want to work on editorials, reviews, and as well just post great music….it’s gonna be a rebirth for me..it’s going to take time…but to whoever is reading this…if you love Hip Hop, I hope you’ll join me in bringing light and positivity to such a beautiful culture, that’s all I ask for. Continue supporting us and the artist you love…this is how we keep those wanting to destroy our beautiful culture, from being successful. Like the great LL said, “Don’t call it a comeback….”
Salute,
Dee
