Continued from page 21
years, the core members of the musical
collective known as the Native Tongues
produced several gold albums and a lot
widely acknowledged as one of the greatest of critical acclaim. But, by the early ‘90s
hip-hop albums
of all time. The
Low End Theory
Tribe discussed controversial
was perhaps the
perfect crystal-
subjects like racism, date
lization of the
rape and the corrupt music
jazz-rap style pio-
neered by Tribe
industry with guile and
and De La, reso-
humor, while remaining firmly
nating with boo-
min’ basslines
cemented in reality.
and
abstract lyrics. But, maybe they added more members, some of which
more importantly, Tribe would become future hip-hop superstars.
discussed controversial Among the new groups were Black Sheep
AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams subjects like racism, date and Leaders of the New School. Both
Afrika Bambaataa, founder of the Native Tongue Movement, rape and the corrupt
groups would have success as part of the
speaking at a news conference to launch “Hip-Hop Won’t
music industry with guile collective, but Leaders produced one of the
Stop: The Beat, The Rhymes, The Life,” the first ever hip-
and humor, while remain- most talented and prolific MCs of the last
hop initiative at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of
ing firmly cemented in
American History in New York, Feb. 28, 2006. The multi-year
15 years, Busta Rhymes. Later in the ‘90s,
project traces hip-hop from its origins in the 1970’s to its
reality. Black Star would also join the Tongues
status today.
In just a few short along with a Chicago MC then known
as Common Sense, now known simply
as Common. Black Star was comprised
of Brooklyn MCs Talib Kweli and Mos
% 2 ' , ( 6 2 1 / , 1 (
Def. All three were giants of the hip-hop
underground for years. But, like Latifah
3 H U V R Q D O 7 U D L Q L Q J I R U O D G L H V R Q O \
before them, Common and Mos have both
become movie stars (Mos was actually
7 L U H G R I W U \ L Q J
nominated for a Tony award for his role in
the play, Top Dog, Underdog) and racked
W R D F K L H Y H I L W Q H V V
up several endorsement deals along the
U H V X O W V R Q \ R X U R Z Q "
way.
The reality is, even before Kweli, Mos
and Common hit the underground scene,
the Native Tongues had pretty much
/ H W X V K H O S \ R X + , 5 ( $ 7 5 $ , 1 ( 5
formally dissolved and the original mem-
bers had long gone their separate ways.
& $ / /
The mission of reaching the mainstream
6 K H U L W K D 0 F N H Q ] L H % R G L H V R Q O L Q H F R P
masses was clearly a success with several of
2 Z Q H U 3 U H V L G H Q W
the members including Latifah, Mos and
R Y H U \ H D U V R I V K H E R G L H V # D R O F R P
I L W Q H V V H [ S H U L H Q F H
Common reaching international superstar
status.
2 X U S U R J U D P
But, perhaps the most important legacy
J X D U D Q W H H V U H V X O W V of the Native Tongues collective is still
/ R F D W L R Q V
being felt today and that is the ability of
J H W V \ R X H D W L Q J U L J K W
% H O $ L U 0 D U \ O D Q G
the “conscious” hip-hop artist to have his
F K D Q J H V \ R X U O L I H V W \ O H
& K D U O H V 6 W U H H W
or her voice still be heard despite hip-hop’s
I R F X V H V R Q E H K D Y R L U
all consuming din of ignorance. Kweli, one
L V S H U V R Q D O
of the most respected and talented MCs in
K D V J U H D W Z R U N R X W V R Q H U R R P
the world may be the embodiment of that
legacy in many ways.
L V D E R X W Z H L J K W W U D L Q L Q J
R Q H K R X U
W H D F K H V S U R S H U I R U P
R Q H F O L H Q W
If skills sold
K D V S D \ P H Q W S O D Q V
R Q H W U D L Q H U
Truth be told
L V W K H E H V W D U R X Q G
I’d probably be
J H W V U H V X O W V
Lyrically
Talib Kweli
³ $ Z R P D Q O R V H V E R Q H D Q G P X V F O H P D V V Z L W K
Truthfully
D J H D Q G Q H H G V W R Z R U N R X W Z L W K Z H L J K W V ´
Continued on page 23
22 Trends A publication of the Afro-American Newspapers
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