Hip Hop is a direct reflection of our people in the hood

"I just read a magazine article that f*cked up my day" Jay-Z (Renegade)

I look at hip hop sites daily and I noticed something that is running rampant through the hip hop community -BEEF! How many of you noticed that everybody and their mother have been taking shots at Jay-Z? Yeah some of the beef was his own doing, but I'm talking about the other rappers that take shots at him daily. Before I get into my reason for what I am writing I want everybody to realize that I am a big Jay fan but I am not a fanatic. That being said, here we go…

I look at some of the rappers and other haters of him and it's not because of his lyrics, as much as it is his fame and continued success. 50 Cent has had a huge impact in hip hop as well as DMX, but what those two have in common is their styles haven't evolved with the times. They stay gritty, gutter, and street. That is why so many of us hip hop lovers feel 50 and X’s best albums were their first albums. There’s nothing new being said in their other albums. My question is, why does 50 and X have beef with Jay Z all of a sudden? They have even worked with each other at some point in their careers. My conclusion is the reason they hate on Hov is nothing less than JEALOUSY. They hate the fact that he is still relevant and they aren't. Jay Z has evolved with the times, ventured out into new areas, and has grown up in his music. DMX says "Jay Z has no heart" since when??? Since he continues to sell and X no longer sells. If 50 was still selling would he have beef with Jay Z???? The answer is an emphatic, NO!!!

If you look at the brothers in the hood today, they hate on anyone who is doing well for themselves. Anybody who has a job, in school, or dresses in a suit sometimes, a sellout. If you're not slinging crack, cocaine, dro, or any kind of drugs you're corny. If you don’t smoke or drink you're whack. If you have your own mind you're weak. I understand this thought process when you are a teenager in high school but these are grown 30-40 year old men and women who still think like this. Are you kidding me? 50 and DMX are high profile, highly paid people who still think this way. This mentality is what keeps that regular person in the hood in the hood. The refusal to grow up, because they have to "keep it real".

Keeping it real should be defined as making the necessary sacrifices to better yourself and your family. So many of us say "the white man is the problem" but how many of us are the problem? We refuse to look at ourselves in the mirror and realize this. Don't get me wrong, I definitely understand that racism is out there alive and well, but we can be our own worst enemy when we don't evolve. Jay is a cultural icon because of his evolution. I have plenty of friends who made it out the hood because they evolved. There are a whole lot of other people out there besides President Obama as the role model for our people. There are people all around us who make it out the hood to be successful men and women. We need to stop hating on them and follow their lead. ~ J Mel