Futures Blazing Bright (posted by Kama)

            “Ladies and gentlemen, there it is- The Bronx is burning”. Although it isn’t quite clear to what extent Howard Cosell meant this statement both literally or metaphorically, the themes of fire and re-birth from ashes are ones that are prevalent, reoccurring, and relevant throughout hip-hop’s existence. From the culture’s beginnings in the ska and reggae of Jamaica, to its fostering of the four “pillars”, hip-hop has always been about revolution as well as revolution—the kindling that sets consciousness alight and blazes the way towards brighter futures. In all of this movement, the youth are the primary fire-starters: demolishing, cleansing, bringing heat and attention, daring society to extinguish their collective voice…it just takes the right fuel for them to realize it.  

Logo for the "Youth, Roots, & Justice" collaborative project between 808 Urban, Youth Speaks Hawai'i, and the HSCADV

Local ska band, Black Square 

       First and foremost, hip-hop finds itself rooted in reggae, which was birthed from ska music—which, in turn, possesses a rich history which seems to stem from the very origins of Jamaica. The definition of “ska” and is widely debated among many musicians and locations. However, the most largely-agreed upon characteristic/biggest distinguisher of ska music lies in its beat. The ska sound is characterized by “…a drum accent on the ‘2’ and ‘4’ of a measure, and has either guitar, keys, or horns hitting the ‘and’ (also called the offbeat) and features a climbing bass line”. Today, ska is often thought of as “party music”, consisting of fast progressions, a prominent horn section, and head-nodding/skank (ska’s trademark dance style)-worthy beats; but it is often forgotten that ska came into being during slavery and class segregation’s rise in Jamaica—it was an answer back, a showing of blatantly-indirect dissatisfaction with poor living conditions, strict class and race divisions, poverty, crime, and the increasing influx of tourism—ska was the people’s music. Its development came in three, distinct time period-specific “waves”, which swept different parts of the globe like wildfire, with lyrics tailored to the adversities and problematic natures unique to the era. As such, regardless of time passage, it was the youth that would be drawn to the adaptive characteristic of the sound—flocking to Jamaica’s dance halls to momentarily forget the harsh, gang-ridden environments they lived in, starting the subsequent anarchist and punk movements, and in recent times, pondering the growing apathy and selfishness that surround nationalism, militarization, and digitalization.

Ska circle at"Less Than Jake"- The Republik

Although the two are often considered different genres with separate cultures and exclusive styles, many aspects of ska were, and are still present in hip-hop: the creation of a dance form (ska’s skank to hip-hop’s break), experimentation with beats,  the use of a sound system as a community hub, the often conscientious and charged (and consequently sometimes angry) lyrics…but at their base, this genealogy’s flaming story has not flickered: whether ska or hip-hop, horns or turntables, this is music by the people, for the people. It is timelessness, an educational device towards the literal/metaphorical release the human condition is continually seeking…it is liberation music, freedom sound.  From nearly identical starts in low-income, gang-influenced catalysts, to the multiple movements each genre has inspired along the way, it might be argued that there is no better predecessor to hip-hop than ska.

B-Boy circle at "Trilogy"- Fresh Cafe

That said, it all comes back to the fireballs of power and intuition that the next generation hold in their palms, and what it is the youth choose to do with the potential and strength they naturally embody…and it’s been proven time and time again, that all the youth really want is to make their mark, to be heard, to show the world that we are here and we want to make a difference. In the words of the late Maya Angelou, “I think a number of the leaders are, whether you like it or not, in the hip-hop generation. And when they understand enough, they'll do wonders. I count on them.”

DJs Jimmy Taco, Shift, and Packo

Jamaican sound system

Local hip-hip group, the Super Groupers