Helping with Hip-Hop

Big ups to AIM emcee Perseverance who helped raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association by performing Hip-Hop for Charity with other sick emcees at The Berkeley Cafe last Friday. Hip-Hop can not only raise awareness but it can also raise money for campaigns, charities and causes so AIM emcees should try to contribute to such events as much as possible because first and foremost we are activists who are here to establish positive global change.

Thank you Perseverance for setting a great example to other emcees because for the most part Hip-Hop has been made about competition, wealth and fame as opposed to co-operation, altruism and change. The AIM has proven yet again that we will only commit to utilizing Hip-Hop positively not negatively, as we see exploitation and ethical bankruptcy both within the mainstream and the underground. Let's take Hip-Hop out of the hands of the oppressors and put it back into the hands of the oppressed. Moreover don't assume that all 'conscious' or 'underground' emcees are commited to positive change because many of them parrot the same individualism, violence, sexism, racial sterotyping, blind religious fanaticism, homophobia and consumer greed that we see in mainstream rap music. Read between the lyricism because Hip-Hop like everything else needs to be critically analyzed or it will be a problem not a solution. The AIM are the solution and Political Hip-Hop like Street Poetry and Guerrilla Graffiti are just some of our tools for raising awareness. Neverthless Hip-Hop should always be utilized in cohesion with activism because once one has raised awareness about injustice one has to take direct action against it. Essence is revealed through praxis so take AIM if you're hard enough!

Stay Defiant!

~AK47~