Auntie Maxine luh the kids. She's encouraging us to not only reclaim our time, but to also reclaim hip hop. At the 48th Annual CBC Legislative Conference, Congresswoman Maxine Waters moderated a panel of influential emcees. Common, Rapsody, YBN Chardae, and DC-based artist, Bomani Armah graced the panel with their empowering lyrics and freestyles.
The congresswoman asked the panel to describe their motivation when it comes to their art. Bomani Armah, who has spent time "edu-taining" youth in the nation's capital, didn't participated in the cypher but has said in the past that children inspire his teach through spoken word. v YBN Cordae reminisced on what has inspired him, such as old school rappers, Big L and Rakem. Common, commended the young artist's old-school rap inspiration as its what he believes will be a contributing factor in building a successful career and legacy. "To know the history is to know what your future is gon' be," the veteran rapper told the audience.
Common continued the conversation by explaining his thought process for the Academy-Award winning song, "Glory," which he wrote for the 2014 film, Selma. "I started thinking about Dr. King," the Chi-town rapper said, "I started thinking about the way he preached, and that's what made me start off by saying 'hands in the heavens, no man no weapon, formed against, yes, glory is destined."
He continued, "The movement is a rhythm to us, freedom is like religion to us. Justice is juxtapositing us, justice or all just ain't specific enough.”
Rapsody, the North Carolina born rapper, who so eloquently reminded us of our unrelenting power on the Black Girls Rock stage, dropped a few smooth bars on the audience, repping her hometown of Snowhill. "Not once did you hear me stutter, but you hung on every single word that I ever uttered. That's the power of music."
But the most fire bar? YBN closed out his freestyle with a line that left the audience, and Auntie Maxine smiling from ear to ear: "I'ma raise my daughter to be just like Queen Maxine."
Hip hop matters and will forever be relevant to black lives.
