Dear Kerry Campbell, and others | Hip Hop Vs. Music

Firstly, thank you to all those that stood up. Really.

I acknowledge your expression on this thread regarding your disdain with “rap” but let me point something out. You mentioned the word “evolve” during discourse. You may want to consider evolving the way you communicate in ways that are less confrontational; otherwise you will always be met with defensive attitudes, and reactions about as biased, poorly researched, and irrational as yours were. You should respect most of the people in this conversation for their patient, and educated responses to your comments. Surely you must know that when somebody makes commentary as impulsive, and poorly thought out as yours, people usually respond as equally as impulsive. Fortunately, my comrades seemed logical enough to have approached this conversation with a little more reserve than the average.

Personally, when I finally read this, I couldn’t take your argument seriously for several reasons, and I wouldn’t expect any other rational person to do so either. Mostly, my issue with your comments revolves around your condemning attitude, and the spite that you utilized to drive your argument.

The aggressive nature in which you chose to express yourself made you seem unfit to be a teacher, or a person who claims to have started a music school. A teacher doesn’t teach with hate and spite. A teacher shouldn’t be condescending, or take a self-righteous stance; at least an effective teacher shouldn’t. Finally, any person with the intent to spread knowledge or establish a school should be able to recognize these flawed qualities through self-reflection before ever setting foot in the direction of enlightening others. Your comments show a great deal of intolerance, and lack of patience, and poor pedagogic methods for someone who allegedly started a music school.

Please try another approach. An approach that is no longer riddled with assumptions and arrogance. Try a more sensitive approach that will make you sound less bitter. Exercise empathy, and contribute to the art form that you criticize openly as opposed to just watching it die with your arms crossed. Maybe this way more people will enthusiastically listen to you. Then perhaps you can avoid alienating yourself like you did here.

At one point you mentioned “higher forms of expression.” It doesn’t take a genius to understand the innuendo I’m making by quoting your words.

It is awful that you chose my interview clip to base your gripes on, as opposed to the vast majority of popular entertainers today; entertainers that have shown far less concern about excellence and moral responsibility than I. Had you done research on me, read a little bit, listened to the progress and growth in my catalog of music then perhaps it would have occurred to you that I am an evolutionary. I advocate excellence, and quality whilst relating to as many people as I can, but primarily those who are suffering. I focus my music to reach out to those whose standards in all things have been diluted by an onslaught of miseducation and propaganda. Furthermore, corporations and conglomerates have had a detrimental effect on music over the span of decades, many of which include periods where the music you praise was popular. Surely you must realize that the loss of our art forms included the lack of fight during your generations as well.

Despite your experience in the industry, you seem disconnected and under-read in the area of Hip Hop history. You were definitely unaware of my stance on anything. Don’t you see that you contradicted yourself when you made a suggestion that rap is not real music, but then boasted about working alongside famous Hip Hop artists that obviously rap in their music? You even went as far as to defend your argument of quality in music with record sales… I don’t wish to be offensive, but you don’t really sound like you know what you’re talking about. There are countless Hip Hop songs that are timeless, and will continue to speak to generations to come. Naturally, you can’t always relate to new forms of art that every new generation embraces because those art forms can be esoteric, but it’s not rational to be upset with something you don’t understand. There are countless Hip Hop songs that push the limits of excellence. Hip Hop is evolutionary because it consolidates music from all cultures and eons and introduces it to new generations on a global scale. But you omit those facts from your argument. You were being narrow by comparing rappers with other forms of music, failing to consider the many variables that naturally come with the territory of such a comparison. And while comparing me to a “bed bug” while putting me on a pedestal with music legends may seem plausible at first, in reality it exposes you to be shortsighted, and lackadaisical in regards to doing research. The same kind of research you adamantly urged everyone involved on the thread to do. As an older gentleman, how can you explain yourself for your terrible grammar, lack of research, and outright bigotry? I refuse to give you examples of timeless, quality driven Hip Hop because you can simply Google it these days, and it’s beyond the point I’m trying to make.

The point isn’t about music, its about compassion, sensitivity, and consideration when communicating. Those are the kind of qualities necessary towards communicative evolution. Music is many things, including communication. I realize that in some parts of what I have written, I may not seem compassionate, but I did take my time out to write you, didn’t I? Unlike what you said towards the end of the thread, I feel that it is my personal responsibility to address those who need to be addressed, even if I was too busy to do so at first. I do have the time for this sort of thing if I simply choose to. Confrontation doesn’t mean altercation…

I apologize if in your heart you feel offended by this, and I mean that. It was not my intention to do so. Furthermore, I don’t mind if you choose not to read this, because others will. They took the time to debate you, so now I offer my time as well.

I often share similar resentment towards Hip Hop for the samboism, caricatures, and stereotypes that artists often fulfill, so I halfway agree with you. However, I empathetically understand the circumstances that have driven our people into this pathetic state, and I’m doing something about it everyday… and I have faith that somehow you are too… Even if it is just an obscure letter in the vast ocean of the Internet.

Stay alive.
Hip Hop 4ever.

~Final Outlaw

Original link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1545343067723&set=t.623671314&type=3&theater

February 2, 2012 | Categories: Press/News | Tags: argue, debate, defend, Final Outlaw, hip hop vs music, Kerry Campbell, letter | Leave A Comment »