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Introducing the Hip Hop Resurrection Movement: Creating Instead of Celebrating Black History: by TRUTH Minista Paul Scott

"I don''t really care if it’s over your head Cuz the job of resurrectors is to wake up the dead” Jazz- A Tribe Called Quest

Another Black History Month has come and almost gone. So what have you done? Did you listen to the "I Have a Dream Speech" for the 100th time. Or maybe you are one of the thousands of Black folks who celebrated by watching BET's tribute to the accomplishments of African Americans, "The 25 Events that Mis-Shaped Black America." (Shouldn''t BET have been #1 ?) This year, I have a suggestion, instead of celebrating Black History, let's make Black History by snatching "Black" Hop Hop/Black Culture once and for all...It's such a crazy idea that it just might work...

On February 21, 2007 (the anniversary of the death of Malcolm X) we are kicking off the Hip Hop Resurrection Movement. Now, I know that some people are reading this and shaking their heads saying "Oh no, not another ‘we need to save Hip Hop speech’ that they''ve heard a million times since ‘ 92 !" But since the problem still exists, the struggle continues, doesn''t it ?

What makes this movement somewhat unique is that it is based on Afrocentric cultural perspectives and the empirical data of renown Afrocentric scholars invoking Afrocentric principals inside an African-centered paradigm, juxtaposed with the current global conditions of people of African decent across the African diaspora. (Translation: Black folks Only!)

Pardon the interruption but:

(A side note to those who are now whinin’ about "racism in reverse" and how we can''t even make a collective pitcher of red Kool Aid without white involvement ; ain''t nobody gonna save us but us. Until you see me outside of the Country Music Hall of Fame leading a protest to get the Disco 4's picture on the wall for recording "Country Western Rap" back in tha day, back off, buddy and let us do us!)

As part of the Hip Hop Resurrection Movement we have several complex, yet simple goals:

First, since most radio DJ's claim that they are playing the same five songs about sex, drugs, murder and mayhem over and over again because that is what the people are requesting, we will make their jobs easier by sending program directors across the country a weekly list of good, Black, positive music that we "strongly" suggest that they play.

Secondly, since some of the young rappers claim that they are remaking minstrel songs into hot, heavily rotated, Hip Hop hits because ‘no one ain’t taught them no better’ , we are establishing a Hip Hop Mentorship Program to pair Hip Hop artists with Afrocentric scholars and researchers so that ignorance of Black culture will no longer be an excuse to disrespect it.

Thirdly, we are establishing a Black Unity Initiative and a Council of Elders to squash Hip Hop beefs before they escalate into something tragic .We must have PEACE, LOVE and SOUL!!! in the Black community. (OR ELSE!!!)

Next, we will appeal to mix DJ's across the country to include some consciousness raising material in their mixtapes. After all, how many times can you hear a song about 50 ways to kill a Brotha or telling a Sista to grab this dollar bill and ...never mind.

Also, we will organize underground and Afrocentric college radio stations, online radio programs, myspace networks to spread the news about what is really going on in the global Afrikan community. You know, stuff like white supremacy, the prison industrial complex, genocide and all that other good stuff that you won''t see featured on BET's new program "Hot Ghetto Mess..."

And finally, although this is a resurrection movement, it is also an insurrection movement. Since many Hip Hop artists are modern day slaves trapped on the plantation , we are going to help free them (Harriet Tubman style). One thing that we have done is prepared a questionnaire to present to your favorite rapper that asks such thought provoking questions as “when future generations look back at your legacy ,what will they say?”

So, maybe Black History Month 2057 when future generations look back at the global impact of Feb. 21, 2007 they will say, to borrow from Jay Z's Kingdom Come... "Not only NYC, they were Hip Hop's saviors, preserving Black culture is how we return the favor..."

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