The Hip-Hop Dishonors

When I heard that this years VH1 Hip Hop honorees were the founders of Def Jam, Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin I was more than excited, I could not wait until the show aired. All I could do was sit and think about the things that Def Jam as a company has stood for and the many acts that it has produced. No doubt this is going to be one of the hottest shows ever right? Being that Def Jam has been the foundation for so many hip hop artists and business ventures, from LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and Foxy Brown just to name a few, and the fact that it has allowed an array of artist to share their vision through music, I just knew this was going to be a hot show. As a label Def Jam has also allowed a lot of young minorities to become entrepreneurs and have their own branch off labels such as Roc A Fella Records and Murder Inc. So to me Def Jam is hip hop or at least the home of two founding fathers of hip-hop and hip-hop culture but also self expression through the hip-hop as a culture. With my mind running wild with all the possibilities of what was going to make this a great show I could not wait.
I was seated front and center of my television because the moment had finally arrived.

I'm waiting for that first MC to take the stage and rock the mic, but it was Tracy Morgan doing some sort or parody, I'm not really sure if people think he is funny or not but I was simply bored with his antics and quiet frankly he took away that grand entrance I had been anticipating. Upset at the fact that the climatic moment I had been waiting for was ruined I had secretly wished that the show was a DVR recording so I could fast forward his part. Throughout the show there were many more of these moments where I just wanted to fast forward some performers.

As I look back I'm not really sure what I expected. A lot of the performers had not rocked a mic in a long time but I guess I was searching for that place that music had taken me when I was a little younger. Don't get me wrong the whole show was not a waste, there were some strong acts that really did come out and repped for Def Jam. Public Enemy came out hard and had lots of energy. Method Man and Redman always do their thing and kept the crowd rocking and there is never a dull moment when those two are performing, even if you don't know the words to the song their energy in itself gets your attention and I can't forget Ludacris he is always a show man and blows the roof off. But it seemed just as you got lifted up you were let down again the

grand finale was not all it was hyped up to be, many artist came out from EMPD to Fabolous and Foxy Brown but they were only on the stage for a meir second or two which felt like you were being robbed as a fan. I guess the two greatest disappointments of the night though were DMX and the missing LL Cool J. While it was good seeing Earl on the stage it was just not the DMX of old and the whole time I could not help but to think where are Ruff Ryders? That would have been so dope. And I would love to know why LL didn't preform? He is practically the face of Def Jam, he really should have shut down the show like the true G.O.A.T. is suppose to.

Maybe I just expect too much. Maybe the visualization of Hip-Hop that I love, the company that has brought so many artist into the game that I grew up listening to was just not worth an extra hour or so to allow each artist to preform properly. It must be the puppet master at the top pulling the strings that does not understand that hip-hop is not only music, it's a life style, a culture and a movement. Def Jam is hip-hop, it has given light to what is now called the hip- hop culture. I really do believe that VH1 could have came a little better with the production for two man that have done so much for music, people and even for VH1's pockets and rating. Oh and a side bar to VH1 please no more Kid Rock and Tracy Morgan they are so not hip-hop. Peace.