come as you are

"To me, hip-hop says, 'Come as you are'. We are a family. It ain't about security. It ain't about bling-bling. It ain't about how much your gun can shoot. It ain't about $ 200 sneakers. It is not about me being better than you or you being better than me. It's about YOU AND ME, connecting one to one. That's why it has universal appeal. It has given young people a way to understand their world, whether they are from the suburbs or the city or whatever.

[…]

'Keeping it real' has become just another fad word. It sounds cute. But it has been pimped and perverted. It ain't about keeping it real. It's about keeping it right.

For example, rappers want to be so 'bling-bling'. Are you really living a luxurious life? Don't you have other issues? What things touch you? That's what we'd like to hear rappers speak about. Start a dialogue with people".

Excerto do prefácio de Kool Herc em Can't Stop Won't Stop (2005, Ebury Press), de Jeff Chang