For my New Year’s resolution, I promised myself I would rediscover my passions and focus more energy into enjoying those aspects of my life. One thing that has always been a constant in my life is Hip-Hop. My first introduction to the culture was through my mother. She loved Hip Hop and R&B. Some of her favorite artists were The Fugees, LL Cool J, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, En Vogue, TLC, and so many more. Every Saturday my three younger brothers and I would wake up to whatever songs were playing on the radio during the 90s (She would also discuss certain topics with us and guide us through our exploration of the craft). She was determined about spending the weekends away from the TV as much as possible. The songs I can vividly remember listening to for the first time were Mo Money Mo Problems, Po Pimp, One In a Million, and Un-Break my Heart. At 7 years old, I knew with all my heart I wanted to be an artist. My perspective about my life changed two years later when my mom lost her battle against cancer. Death was a concept that was familiar because of the media I consumed & asked my mother about, but grief was a whole new territory nobody warned me about. My brothers and I moved to the south side of Chicago to live with my grandmother. During elementary school, I spent my spare time writing and playing video games. I wasn’t allowed to hang out with friends during my adolescence. My grandmother was very protective of my three brothers and I because of the trauma she experienced throughout her life (of course this realization is due to retrospective). I didn’t understand it but I learned to accept the fact that after school I was to come straight home, complete homework, stay on the porch until the street lights came on, eat dinner, help get my brothers ready for bed, and repeat everything the next day. My perspective on life changed again when I started high school and my brothers and I were separated because the court adjusted who had custody of us (along with some other experiences I went through but I can spare the details for now). I coped with my isolation by playing more video games, writing more poems, and consuming as much music as I could. By this time, I also abandoned the idea of becoming an artist because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to travel that much. I started looking at more academically driven careers like a doctor or engineer.
Anyways… (presses fast forward to get to the point of why I’m writing this piece) music has always grounded me. Some of my favorite artists now include Beyonce, SZA, Victoria Monet, Brent Faiyaz, J.Cole, And Nicki Minaj. I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Rolling Loud this past weekend. Without any hesitation, I can say it intensely reignited my desire to explore more artists and unapologetically proclaim my love for the art.
I enjoyed watching Summer Walker, Big Sean, and Sukihana perform. Summer Walker surprised me the most because she has been candid about her social anxiety and how that affects her on stage. I’ve also seen videos of her previous performances, so I wasn’t expecting too much. During her set she was so comfortable, I could tell she put in the work to overcome those challenges. Not only did I find her performance entertaining, it also changed my perspective about her artistry. I was always a fan of Big Sean so when he hit the stage, I screamed at the top of my lungs. I barely recorded any videos because I couldn’t believe I was finally getting the chance to see him live. The positive energy he radiated into the crowd was unexplainable. He loved performing and we enjoyed watching him. When my girlfriend explained how excited she was to see Sukihana, I’m not going to say I matched her energy. I knew some of her songs but I wasn’t a fan per say. Once Sukihana appeared on stage, my feelings took a 180 degree turn. The crowd must have attended their zoom meeting because the hype was explosive. Sukihana escalated the experience by coming off the stage and performing along the barricade with the crowd. I don’t know she might have gained a new fan.
I saw J. Cole at Rolling Loud back in 2021 and just like him, Nicki Minaj’s performance on that stage was nothing less than phenomenal. I went to her show the week before in Las Vegas, so I knew she had to make some adjustments but honestly besides the stage being smaller and the time being shorter, there were no major differences. The way she kept the crowd engaged, her execution of the choreography, and the way she allows her personality to shine through contributed to proving how authentic and dedicated she is about her craft. Her organic love for Hip Hop automatically sets her apart from the competition. I’m not here to convert anybody into believing that at this point in time she is the Queen of Rap. However, to deny that she doesn’t have a place at the table is ignorance. If we want Hip Hop to survive this climate of creative chaos, we have to give flowers to those who deserve it while they are still here to actively preserve what is left of the culture.
