Hip Hop Saved My Life

Alright, the title is a bit of exaggeration, but hip hop has been a major factor in my life. I'm not talking about what you hear on the radio or the latest "jam" from T-Pain, no I mean true hip hop music. Music that inspires you, makes you think, or takes all your problems away, even if it is just for three or four minutes. I couldn't tell you what I learned in the fourth grade as just a chocolate cub, but I can tell you that once the Puma heard "Do You Want More" by the Roots and it changed my life. I had never heard anything that amazing and like a young kid I thought this was as good as it got. As I got older I listened to more and more from artists such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli and DJ- Hi-Tek(in fact I consider their Reflection Eternal album to be one of the greatest albums of all-time), Outkast, Eric B. and Rakim, and of course being from the south I listened to Outkast. When my family, teachers, and church have all tried to reach me, sometimes just listening to a track off of Reasonable Doubt can do the trick. When I am a little stifled creatively I put in Stankonia by Outkast and just watch the juices flow. I get a little tired of hearing people just bash what they hear on the radio and immediately assume that all hip hop is the same. I urge those people to try and find more creative artists to listen to. Real hip hop is able to move you, make you feel good, and makes you think. Believe me, it's a good listen.