Call and Response

By Dan Nishimoto

Electoral Relaxation: The Myth of the Hip-Hop Achilles Heel

[3.Nov.08] :. Either Obama's "hip-hop candidacy" makes him appeal to a heretofore disaffected and/or untapped voting bloc, thereby legitimizing his claim as a candidate of hope and change; or this unwelcome connection to a controversial art is a liability.
 

Back in the Day

[11.Aug.08] :. Heat and beats make for a good combination. No surprise then that most of my memorable experiences related to hip-hop happened during the summer.
 

Yes We Can Can

[5.Jun.08] :. The recent "censure" of The Boondocks demonstrates the difficulty art faces in raising a critical converation in a corporate setting. Considering hip-hop's deep embedding into corporate culture, how can radical change happen?
 

It Ain’t No Joke

[1.Apr.08] :. Hip-hop, like most other arts, intentionally pays humor less mind because, hey, it's not supposed to be taken seriously! But seriously.
 

Burning Down the House

[5.Feb.08] :. A pack and purge process got Nishimoto to thinking about Jay Electronica, who may be the M.I.A. that hip-hop has been waiting for.
 

Viva ‘Wild Style’

[11.Dec.07] :. Wild Style confirms what we now know for a fact: hip-hop wanted to and succeeded in blowing up. No one in the cast/ crew/ generation could conceive what it meant to go pop.
 

Season of the Tribe

[2.Oct.07] :. A Tribe Called Quest's standout recognition among the glitterati at the VH1 Awards could be viewed as a subtle reminder that hip-hop does not adhere to a static definition, nor is it beholden to a single (commercial) goal.
 

Now, Check the Method

[20.Jul.07] :. Brian Coleman's new book on classic hip-hop albums and Saigon's public rant offer rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of hip-hop's creative process.
 

Bling, Bling, Bia, Bia!: How Hip-Hop Can Survive Beyond Black History Month

[13.Mar.07] :. If hip-hop is an art, or a larger entity such as a culture, then we must be able to assess it. No body survives unchecked, so what sets hip-hop apart? As its producers and participants, fans and Stans, we must be able to navigate conversations about our actions.
 

Where Are They Now?: Hip-Hop Learns How to Look Back in Anger (Management)

[26.Jan.07] :. The year 2006 was notable for when so many highly visible artists stepped up to sharply criticize, yet still support, the culture; when's the last time so many of your top five dead or alive had so much to say?
 

Who Owns What?: Engaging the Fog of Hip-Hop

[6.Dec.06] :. How do the "artist" and "critic" reconcile each other's presence? How literally must one walk this way in order to talk that way?
 

If 6 Was ‘06…

[6.Feb.06] :. With the ritualistic deluge of year-end music lists barely behind us, Nishimoto offers up a different kind of list to help hip-hop's 2006 future learn from its 2005 mistakes.
 

Pickin’ Up the Pieces: Sampling from the Great Producers

[2.Dec.05] :. What makes a hip-hop song dope? It's not just about the hook, it's not just about the drops, it's not just about the scratch chorus, and it sure as hell ain't about a salary; it's about a totality.