As humans, we hold pre-conceived notions based on our past experiences which influence the lens or perspective in which we look through. As a result, objectivity is rare in the world despite public opinion. This was true at the height of colonization in which European colonizers did not acknowledge the humanity of the indigenous populations of African countries. “Savages,” “barbarians” and “uncivilized” are common words the colonizers used to described indigenous communities in Africa. Ironically, European colonizers are the true savages based on the precise brutal methods used to “civilize” the indigenous people.
KRS-One describes colonization as the invasion of cultures where the focus is the goods of the people, not the people themselves. Based on this extreme lack of interest in the people, the colonizers carry out a genocide or establish a system of enslavement, both horrific actions. Thinking of colonization in the context of Hip-Hop, the colonizers are the consumers, so to speak, who are solely concerned with “hip-hop” or the products of the genre, namely rap music. These consumers make no attempt to understand the collective consciousness of “Hiphop” or the culture of “Hip Hop.”