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It's a been a busy couple of weeks, but I wanted to circle back with you. Enjoy the content below. I'd love your comments on the article.

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Johnnie

🗒️ Not to Pile On, But DaBaby’s Recent Comments About HIV Were Not Just Anti-Black, They Were Anti Hip-Hop

Three years before his birth, rappers in the industry that he’s now a part of were watching HIV and crack cocaine take hold, and used hip-hop to spread knowledge and send messages of hope. Following Grandmaster Melle Mel’s lyrics on “The Message” in 1982, rappers embraced their role as griots who shared the truth about what was happening in their communities. Boogie Down Productions (B.D.P.), led by KRS-One and co-founded by D-Nice and Scott La Rock, were aware of what was happening in the Black community in 1988, and knew they had to say something. 

New York City was one of the epicenters of the HIV epidemic in 1988 with reported cases of people living with the disease over 17,000 in the city. Los Angeles was a distant second with over 6,000 cases, followed by San Francisco. The language wasn’t as refined then, but B.D.P. released their second album By All Means Necessary in May of that year, which included the song “Jimmy.”

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📺 "Does hip-hop promote wellness?" on Queue Points

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