|
|
| |||
|
When I initially heard about the Online Hip-Hop Awards, the pairing of hard-core rap music and internet geekdom conjured up images of that Urkel kid
From drum machines to looping and sampling to the robot dance, rappers and DJs have used science to open up a whole new world in music. One that does not require living musicians to make a record, but rather demands a perfect symbiosis between man and machine. A cyborg from the streets, cooking down beats in his home laboratory. Someone who knows as much about MIDI sequencing as rhymin' and stealin' and as skilled with a machine's hardware as with a lady's sweet software. Yes, the link between rap and computers is a long one and a strong one. That said, the 1999 Online Hip-Hop Awards didn't kick off without a few minor "technical" glitches. Namely, getting into Tramps (where it was held on March 30th) was harder than trying to buy a hot dog in a synagogue and it took a full hour before we could get in and be treated to a full bag search and thorough frisking from security. Once inside, things went smoother and a pre-awards rap showcase was already underway, featuring known and unknown MCs from across the country. It was a kind of hip-hop pu-pu platter, serving up a variety of styles and flavors that ran the gamut from hardcore 10-percenters to a 10-year-old white kid (or very convincing midget) who performed an impressive set in front of a packed crowd. In today's world of cheesy, nutra-sweet rap, this warm-up show provided a glimpse into hip-hop's illustrious past, the old school rap hoedowns of yore. I grew up in the Bronx, but was too young to witness rap's rise from the primordial grooves laid down by DJs playing at block parties to its maturity as MCs hit the stage, braggin' and battlin' it out in smoky night clubs. I have a feeling, though, that this must have been what it was like. The only exception being that the rappers at Tramps weren't dissing each other because it was all about being real and increasing the peace, love and all that new age, "hippie"-hop stuff. I personally think most mainstream rap nowadays is pretty pitiful. It's all style and no substance and much like the awful heavy metal groups of the late '80s, it is dominated by pinheads yammering on and on about their virility, sexual potency and tales of high livin' on MTV. I've been working on a link between your Puff Daddies and your Poisons for quite sometime now and the parallels are truly frightening. From the absence of lyrical content to the ridiculous, cartoon fashions to the fact that more money winds up being spent on marketing their image and their over-"Hyped" videos than in actually making a quality record. It's all quite telling. When I spotted my main man Chuck D wandering through the crowd, greeting fans and friends alike with equal gusto, I jumped at the chance to bounce my rap/hair metal conspiracy theory off him. I was drunk and my mini-recorder didn't work, so I am paraphrasing when he said, "Of course, nobody wants hip-hop turning into groups like Poison or Motley Crue or nothin', but hopefully with events like this we can bring new and more interesting acts to people's attention." Man was he right. This show was like a breath of fresh air in a fart-filled world of Top-40 rap, and it renewed my faith in rapkind. Shortly after the last band left the stage, the actual awards ceremony began, and like many an awards show before it, it was plagued with pointless delays and ridiculously dull acceptance speeches. Since the event was to recognize achievements by rap web designers, content providers and such, the show was more impressive for the presenters than the actual winners. People like Grand Master Flash, Prince Paul and Fab Five Freddie (who I still give props to despite being responsible for convincing Debbie Harry she could rap) were on hand to MC the event and dole out awards for Best Web Site Dedicated to the Art of Graffiti, Turntablism, Breakdancing and just about every other category you'd associate with hip-hop except Best Web Site Dedicated to the Art of Mackin'. Though the actual ceremony was sorely lacking in production values and direction, you needed only to reminded yourself that it was all for charity. A portion of the ticket proceeds were to benefit MOUSE (Making Opportunities for Upgrading Schools and Education) who provide volunteer manpower and funds to wire inner-city public schools for the internet. Seeing as how I got my tickets for free, though, I consumed more beer than usual in the hopes that a portion of my bar tab would also be donated to the inner school foundation. All in all, it was an OK awards show, with some great music for a really worthy cause and you can't beat that with a jeep full of block-rockin' beats. The Winners:
More Rap/R&B on NY Rock:
April 1999 
 |
