I Still Love H.E.R.
August 24th, 2006 by worldaccording2freddyvegas
When did you fall in love with Hip Hop? Before the “Shoulder lean”, prior to “Bling Bling”, before Escalades with 90 degree Lamborghini doors and 24 inch wheels we loved the music, and the culture that is Hip Hop. I distinctly recall pivotal moments in my development where I felt the music speak to me. From the remarkable stories told by Slick Rick, the melodious voice of Queen Latifah (Give It to em Queen) and MC Lite, to the vivid life portraits painted by Biggie Smalls and the muddy lyrical stylings of Method Man and the Wu, it always felt like the music and the culture was my refuge.
I was the king of the “Video Mix Tape”. I video tapped music videos up until my Sophomore year of college. It was necessary. I didn’t have the luxury of a 106 & Park or a TRL to overplay videos I wanted to see. So I had to make my own countdown. I would record daily from Yo MTV Raps, Rap City, Video Music Box (NY Stand Up!), and MTV Jams, and stay up on Saturday night to watch Pump it Up. The time, effort, and PRIDE I placed into this task was unrivaled. I couldn’t help it. It was an incredible feeling to see people on television that looked like me, and spoke like me. During a time when a young person feels like no one understands them, Hip Hop understood me.
I remember sitting in front of my television with a pen and pad, and my VCR remote control so I could play, pause, and rewind the “Check the Rhyme” video. I had to know every word.
“Now here’s a funky introduction of how nice I am. Tell your mother, tell your father, send a telegram I’m like an energizer ’cause, you see, I last long. My crew is never ever wack because we stand strong”
I did the same for LL’s “Mama Said Knock You Out”, Common’s “I Used to Love H.E.R”, and so many other songs that truly stirred my core.
In the day of the leanin and rockin, I have to say that I miss where the music was; but I’m not going to utilize this current space to once again tirade on how some current Hip Hop artists are wack (even though they are), or say that the music lacks substance (even though it does). I want to use this space to remember what I call the good times. The times when you heard that song that made you get out of your seat and say, “Oh SH*T! Did you hear what he/she just said? Nah you gotta rewind that!” Not being able to point out that specific date and time I fell in love with Hip Hop like Sidney Shaw from Brown Sugar (Yeah I watched it last night.), I want to offer some key moments of when I knew that this music, this culture, this way of life was all mine…
In no particular order…
The first time I heard “It’s All About the Benjamins” in the Tunnel (Is the Tunnel still open?), I might have knocked like 8 people over trying to get to the dance floor.
When I realized “I Used to Love H.E.R.” was about Hip Hop, I straight flipped out. The level of creativity is incredible to me. I might have rewound it like 10 times in a row.
1998 Morehouse/Spelman Homecoming OutKast performed “Elevators” in the Morris Brown Stadium. Dre forgot he was supposed to be doing his last verse, but Big Boi caught him and started the right verse for him and they went back and forth and straight killed it!
Big’s first album is indescribable to me. Lyrically, and production wise it is creative genius! Then how the album told a story was just…it was just HOT! Listen to it from beginning to end to this day.
Watching Busta Ryhmes (LI’s Finest) perform “Put Yo Hands Where My Eyes Can See” for the first time in the Paladium. Yeah, I was definitely not 21. Good looking out Sike!
Begging my moms to run me to the store so I could be one of the first people to cop “Low End Theory”, which remains to be one of my favorite albums to this day.
The day my man’s brother got a copy of “Lodi Dodi”. We might have popped that tape listening to it after like a week and a half.
I could do this all day. These are only a few of my favorite moments. I look forward to hearing yours.
I Still Love H.E.R…..







