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We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.

Dr. March MacLeod Bethune

Hip-Hop: Mainstream for the Millennium

By Trey D aka Mr Destiny

Back to the Roots:

Rhythm and Blues music or R & B represents a large variety of popular music types that are derived primarily from the African American Culture. The beginning of R & B in the early 1940s was both produced and supported primarily by Black Americans and now, over six decades later, it boasts prevalent roots to it's predecessors.

Hip-Hop has victoriously undergone changes over time, much like the evolution of R & B from jump blues, club blues, black rock and roll, doo wop, soul, motown, funk, disco, and dance. Evolving from the late 1970s, Hip-Hop was viewed by many as a threat to the mainstream Rock and Roll music industry. Despite the hostilities met throughout the decades, Hip-Hop managed to blaze atop the charts of the "pop-culture". Hip-Hop / R & B has provided the single greatest influence on popular music world wide throughout the 20th century.

Rap, which originated as a genre of folk music in New York City's south Bronx in the mid and late 1970's, soon made headlines for redefining and challenging musical compositions, copyright protection, and intellectual property. Rap's roots lie in African and African American verbalistic games known as "lyrical metaphors" or as Hip-Hop fanatics call it, "Ebonics". Ebonics plays a crucial role throughout the Industry coining both Urban Sub-culture vocabulary as well as innovating a style of lyrical expression throughout much of today's Hip-Hop music. Hip-Hop music is largely responsible for creating the multi-billion dollar industry that's an integral part of a much larger sub-culture embracing language, fashion, demeanor, and attitudes throughout mainstream American culture today.

Hip-Hop; Fashion, Language, And Mainstream Culture

Yo kidd, what's the dilly for the next millennium? From Willie Esco to Wu Wear; Puffy Daddy's breakin' arms with his new line of gear self titled "Sean John". We are now aware that there's "No Limit" to what dat' down south playa Master P brings to da' Industry. Surprise, surprise Hip-Hop is mainstream for the Y2K.

The latest trend in Hip-Hop is Independent Labels and young entrepreneurs capitalizing on business opportunities that were formerly controlled by the larger, more renowned corporate companies. The Hip-Hop Industry, with it's young entrepreneurs, is revolutionizing an ailing Free Enterprise System by showing the youth of America that, with hard work and dedication, it's possible to become successful without resorting to illicit or illegal activities. Hip-Hop has become a means by which the youth of today circumvents and communicates about such worldly topics as politics, religion, race, inner-city trials and tribulations, and various prophecies of what's perceived to be transpiring around the world in which we live.

Inevitably, Hip-Hop is here to stay. Hip-Hop has molded a sub-culture from the way fashion is portrayed to the way by which people express themselves individualistically. Hip-Hop is increasingly becoming the single most popular form of mass media for the youth of tomorrow and the ways by which they live today.

What's the deal ? Can you feel what I Feel ?

What's hot and what's not? Are you looking for fashion accessories to spice up your gear? Are you looking for the latest Hip-Hop & R & B joints to listen to on your CD-ROM, or are you just trying to get with the Y2K and move towards the next millennium in style, grace, and Hip-Hop composure?

Well, look no further ya'll! Trey D' has comprised a list of what's blazin' today's charts and what's on the racks that ain't waack. Turn up yo heat because this stuff is "Cool" ya'll! Remember to check back for my blazin' new articles and to get the vibe and links on what's hot and what's not......This is the dilly yo!......Can you feel what I Feel?

Trey D’s Blazin’ Hip-Hop / R & B Joints of Da’ Week

Foolish Soundtrack (No Limit/Priority) from the movie "Foolish".

Life Soundtrack (Uni/Interscope) from the movie "Life" This joint features a vast array of artists, styles, and talents.

Lauren Hill, Miseducation of Lauren Hill (Sony) Award winning album that blew up big at the Grammies... need I say more?

Prince Paul, Prince of Thieves (TommyBoy) The "Don Mecca" of Old School Returns in this blazin’ joint.

JT Money F/Sole’, Who Dat (Priority) Definitely a Phat track! watch for Sole’s Debut album coming soon!

Busta Rhymes F/Janet Jackson, What’s It Gonna Be(Elektra/Asylum) Busta Rhymes out does himself on this joint featuring Janet on a Phat track with a Blazin’ Hot video!

Eminem, My Name is (Priority) Hi my name is........Slim Shady! Yo.. This Kid is Dope. Another winning Joint produced by DR. Dre.

Slick Rick, The Art Of Story Telling (PGD/Polygram/Def Jam) This Joint is dope and will be available to the public on 5/25/99 You’ll be surprised to hear who this album features!

Snoop Dogg, Top Dog (No Limit/Priority) Another Phat No Limit Family Joint due to be released 5/11/99 to the public. Yo this is the Bomb-diggy From Da’ Top Dog, Snoop Doggie Dogg!

Naughty by Nature, Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature’s Fury (BMG/Arista) Yo, Naughty’s back after a long awaited debut of "Live or Die" featuring No Limit Family artists in a Blazin’ Hype William’s video!

I. http://www.lycos.com/Go to MP3 Search to locate over 500,000 of the freshest CD quality MP3 downloads available. Type in the name of the group or song title you are trying to locate and Lyco’s will fetch!! "That’s my Dawg"!

II. www.eurweb.com Great site for Hip-Hop Music Lovers covering a multitude of issues and genres.

III. www.msbet.com Great site for Hip-Hop and African American Culture.

IV. www.hiphop.mtv.com This one’s self explanatory ya’ll check it out!

Trey D’s Guide of the week to Phat Gear

V. www.hiphopcloset.com Check out "Mo Phat" Big and Tall Gear in larger sizes up to 8X, Get the low down on "Damani DaDa", Mecca USA, EXSTO XXIV VII (B.E.T. Clothing line as seen in the Source Magazine), and much, much more!

VI. www.fubu.com Check out the latest and greatest in Fubu Gear including Fubu N.B.A.1999.

VII. www.wu-wear.com Yo, the Wu Tang Clan ain’t nothin’ to mess with. From Hip-hop to fashion check out the latest apparel from Wu Wear. (Note from the Webmistress: W hether temporarely or not, this link doesn't seem to work, and was the only one we found)

VIII. www.ecko1972.com This is the site for the latest fashions from Ecko Unlimited a must see for the fashion consc ious.

IX. www.karlkani.com Long live designer Karl Kani who’s still doin’ it on an international level amongst the industry.