Max Roberts
TheMinaretOnline.com
Reeves Theater was the latest stop for hip-hop legend Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, who tours the country giving his insight on the past, present and future of hip-hop culture and rap music.
McDaniels began by talking about his childhood, growing up in Queens amidst the burgeoning hip-hop culture. He described the impromptu parties DJs had in the city, breaking open streetlights and stealing city electricity to power their amps and turntables in the local parks.
“It was always creative, creative progression,” McDaniels said. “That’s why it was exciting.”
He then moved on to discuss the way in which hip-hop changed; artists began securing record deals and the medium changed from individuals doing it for the love of music to doing it for money and fame.
When McDaniels and his companions in Run-DMC hit it big, they vowed not to go down the same path.
“Run-DMC didn’t do nothing. We took the beat from the street and we put it on TV,” McDaniels said.
True to their beginnings, McDaniels and the others wore their regular clothes and sang about things that mattered to them, not just things that would sell records.
McDaniels described the old school music as “inspirational, motivational and educational.” His words for the new school hip-hop, of which 50 Cent, Lil’ Wayne and Kayne West are alumni, were somewhat less kind.
“You know what hip-hop is today?” McDaniels asked. “Hip-hop today is disco. It’s all glitter balls, pool parties, champagne everywhere, Rolls Royces, fur coats, gettin’ high and havin’ sex.”
He went on to describe modern rap music as “one long music video and one long record,” citing the small number of producers making all of the records as the problem, creating a monotony and lack of maturity. He closed with some hope for the future of hip-hop, anticipating that it would return to its roots of “inspiration, motivation and education.”
That phrase was his mantra, repeated throughout the night. “Inspiration, motivation and education.” His final thoughts were inspirational, speaking out to all the members of the audience in a profound way: “When you stay yourself, you win.”
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