Edutainment Section

Notorious B.I.G: Modern Day Griot

On this day May 21^st, 1973 Christopher George Latore Wallace was born in Brooklyn N.Y. This editorial is written in celebration of one of my favorite emcees of all time, Biggie[1]. Notorious B.I.G. exploded upon on the scene with his debut solo track Party and Bullshit in 1993. For New York youth Ready to Die was THE album that told of the true story of the untamed chaotic cauldron of tension, poverty, corruption and crime New York was in the 1980’s and early 90’s. The generation Biggie was born into was that of what I dub Hip Hop’s, “Golden Age Babies” aka Generation X : click image above for article

NDT Presents – Building to Destroy, Destroying to Build: How Hip Hop Creates Non-Domesticated Thinkers by Khalif ‘Ras’ Williams

The incredible beauty of the African experience is that we have a genetic ancestral connection to our roots that now matter how hard colonizers tried to stamp out it always comes to the forefront of our cultural expressions. The same applies to Hip Hop click the image above to see why.

State of Black Hollywood by Jarred Solomon

This piece consists of the thoughts of an up and coming actor Jarred Solomon. First he gives his own personal feelings on the State of Black Hollywood. Next we get an innerview underway to delve deeper into the man and his artistry. Check NDT for more info on his reprise of his role in Black Metroplis when it arrives back in NYC. Click the link above for the article. Check this video clip of Jarred in Mellow Falls below:

Collin Drake learns the Negro league is scouting for new ball players but he doesn’t just want a chance for himself, he wants his whole team to be acquired. With little, or no money, Drake and his friends seek the assistance of a well to do store owner, Riley Hansen. To seal their deal, Collin exchanges his questionable friendship with Faye Moore for her relationship with baseball scout, Pitman Brady. Bitterly disenchanted with her husband’s meager income, lack of attention to her and his growing thirst for baseball, Radine Drake sets a path of destruction for Collin and his teammates.”

Gang Starr- Original Architects of the Underground

Editorial by Khalif ‘Ras’ Williams

On April 19^th, 2010 the Hip Hop World lost one of its greatest emcees. Keith Elam b.k.a. G.U.R.U. (Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal) passed away from complications stemming from a battle with cancer of the immune system called Multiple Myeloma. This hit me hard because Gang Starr has shaped my development as a Hip Hopper and as an artist. Click Image for Article

The Bridge Wars and Beef: The Blue Print for Hip Hop Success by Khalif ‘Ras’ Williams

The spirit of competition has been a staple in Hip Hop since the very beginning. The most intense form of competition in Hip Hop with the most potential for danger would be battles between emcees. There have been many notable and important battles from Kool Moe Dee vs Busy Bee to Common vs Ice Cube, Ruthless Records vs Deathrow, Luke vs Deathrow, Lil Kim vs Foxy Brown, MC Lyte vs Antoinette, De La Soul vs Naughty by Nature,  Biggie vs Tupac to 50 Cent vs Ja Rule or Jay-Z vs Nas. The one battle that was one of the longest running but arguably the most important battle in the history of Hip Hop, the one that set the precedent for all others that came after it in regards to the impact a battle can have on ones career is The Bridge Wars. click the link above for the article.

Hip Hop,The Descendant of the African American Liberation Struggle by Khalif ‘Ras’ Williams

Please click the link above to read this important piece of Hip Hop History.

The Nas Van Sertima Connection by Khalif ‘Ras’ Williams

While in Egypt on an educational tour with my family, I had a poignant discussion with an African scholar and historian. We discussed what impact a trip to Egypt would have on artists like 50 Cent, B.I.G. or Tupac if they had or took the opportunity to go on a tour to see the glory of their ancestral legacy. How would it impact their psyche and their artistic expression for the better? Click link above for more:

Hip Hop Music: Edutainment Through the Analysis of the Art of Rhyme by Khalif ‘Ras’ Williams

This piece I presented at the 2009 I.A.H.H.E. Hip Hop Conference. It is an outline of a curriculum of education using Hip Hop to teach the youth.

When speaking about Hip Hop and education we must touch on the some history in order to get a holistic understanding of why the use of Hip Hop in an educational sense is the way to move forward in not only legitimizing the culture, but also this allows people of color to tell our own story about how this culture we created developed. It also allows us to document its effect and influence on youth consciousness worldwide.

Click image above for more info

Do the Right Thing 20 years later by Khalif ‘Ras’ Williams

This editorial was written in the summer of 2009 in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing

This summer marks the twentieth anniversary of the Spike Lee movie classic Do the Right Thing. The movie is a landmark not only in cinema but for Hip Hop culture. I was discussing this with a friend while getting this editorial together and the question that came up was what made Do the Right Thing such an important film to not only black cinema but specifically Hip Hop culture? Click link for more

Fight the Power by Khalif ‘Ras’ Williams

Keeping in line with the anniversary of Do the Right Thing I did a review of Fight the Power. The song which was the soundtrack of the Film:

Fight the Power would widely be considered one of the most important songs in the history of Hip Hop music. Its deafening layered drum patterns and drum rolls resound like the explosions of heavy artillery fire and cluster bombs delivered with deadly accuracy to targets and strong holds of white supremacy. Click link for more