A couple of years back, when news broke that The Office star Ellie Kemper was crowned at the Veiled Prophet debutante ball, which critics likened to a Klan’s ball, I simply rolled over and went back to sleep. Just last week, when TikTok praised Donald Trump and thanked him for preserving its presence in the US, I blew out my lamp and slipped back under the covers. But it was the sight of 90s hip-hop stars lining up to pay homage at Trump’s inaugural balls that still haunts me. For many Black millennials like myself, hip-hop was the soundtrack of our childhood, reflecting our lives in a way that no one else could. It was more than just music; it was a source of inspiration and empowerment.
We used hip-hop to navigate the challenges of our working-class neighborhoods, finding solace and strength in the lyrics of our favorite artists. But now, to see those same artists bowing down to a system that oppresses us is heartbreaking. It feels like a betrayal of the culture that shaped us and gave us hope for a better future. It’s disheartening to see our heroes compromise their values for a paycheck, turning a blind eye to the injustices that continue to plague our communities.
But perhaps this is a necessary wake-up call. As Nas once said, hip-hop may be dead, at least in its current form. It’s time for us to look towards a new generation of artists who are unafraid to speak truth to power, who refuse to be co-opted by a system that seeks to silence us. The slums that birthed hip-hop will have their day once again, creating a new wave of music that reflects the struggles and triumphs of the marginalized.
As we witness the rise of globalized apartheid and the daily public lynching of Black innocents, it’s clear that we need a new kind of hip-hop, one that is unapologetically revolutionary and unafraid to challenge the status quo. The younger generation, like Gen Z, is already leading the way, using their music to confront the injustices of our time head-on. It’s time for us to embrace this new wave of artists and support their efforts to create a hip-hop that truly speaks to the struggles of our communities.