My Response to KSR-one Movie

My Response to KSR-one Movie

KSR one’s ideas surrounding hip hop and the culture of african americans is extremely polarizing. KSR-one has a beautiful way of redefining hip hop. He redefines it as an idea, a force, and something that one can love. He spoke of the literal defintion of hip hop, defining hip as to know and hop as action or activity, the two terms combined mean conscious movement. KSR-one begins with the idea that hip hop defines every urban area of the earth. He separates the definition of hip hop from a type of music or one person. By making the point that hip hop makes all urban areas, it can be concluded that african americans are hip hop, because african american’s reside in all urban areas. This expanding of the definition of hip hop is completely different from the general thought surrounding it. KSR-one’s definition of a hip hop scholar is one who is hip hop all of the time, consequently meaning that one who is hip hop has the courage to be black all of the time. Being in the culture at all times is not acceptable in this world because we as people often times are forced to assimilate to the eurocentric ideas and practices that were forced onto us by the colonizers. This is because of public education. KSR-one blames public education for the tragedy of black people learning the history of our colonizers before learning our own history. We are damaged by the public education that we have been taught, it is what keeps us enslaved. I agree wholeheartedly with KSR-one’s ideas surrounding hip hop. The way that he redefines hip hop and connects it with all aspects of a black person’s life is a work of art. The idea that a scholar of hip hop separates him/herself from the colonizer is a recipe for freedom of the mind, and from the false reality that has been forced on us since birth. KSR-one’s idea that “to study hip hop, you need to study yourself, yourself is another version of hip hop that we need” is indicative of other black thinkers writings. Audre Lorde writes alot about looking within oneself for freedom, for inspiration, for art, and for the truth, and defines poetry as a necessity of this journey of self realization. KSR-ones ideas of hip hop are similar. Even his literal definition uses hip hop as a tool of deliberately gaining consciousness, thinking, moving into higher places of intelligence, and being aware of this movement. 

Consequently, KRS-one speaks of the love of hip hop by people who embody it. He proposes a situation in which one knew what they had to lose to become famous. He asked the audience if they knew that they were going to get hit by a car, then break their leg to become famous, would they still do it? Or, if they knew they were going to lose their mother or father to become famous, would they still do it? He asserts that the study of hip hop shows you who you love the most. That is why artists who are often famous are sellouts, often losing their morals and values in order to become known. He spoke that some of the best DJ’s or artists in the world will choose not to be heard because they embody what hip hop is about. 

My Response to KSR-one Movie

My Response to KSR-one Movie KSR one’s ideas surrounding hip hop and the culture of african americans is extremely polarizing. KSR-one has a beautiful way

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