I wish this had been posted in its entirety so as to stimulate the discussion it was meant to stimulate.
I agree completely to the reasoning that it was made. Rap used to be a bold cultural statement that was uniquely that of it's creators.

The music industry had bastardized it into marginalized pop music at best. It became the trend to use the music to rise up out of the poverty. Once this trend started, The industry started to engineer it's own studio created blase crap and as long as money was involved, every one went along with it.

I miss the days of Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, Grand Master Flash, Shinehead, Big Daddy Kane, Ice-T, Roxanne Shante and rest of the artists who pioneered the movement. I can't stand the stuff they call Rap now, the mainstream crap that flaunts a big bass, naked girls and MTV style.

It's like if U2 sold out and started making Pop albums and sat back and waited to get paid!
The Empowerment these artists garnered for themselves is all but gone. Sucked into the void of MTV and money sucking "soulless" big business, just like every other fresh music style to come along.

But that's just my opinion....
For some interesting reading - look here:
Kurtis Blow Presents: The History Of Rap
http://www.rhino.com/features/liners/72851lin.html

Always appreciate the promote, amigo.

In reply to this comment by rasch187:
*promote

Well excuse me, take a few minutes, to mellow out
Big Daddy Kane is on the mic and I'ma tell about
a minimum length, of rhymes of strength
and power, so listen to the man of the hour
Flow and go to a slow tempo and you know
sing hoe, swing low, then yo the show
will go on, as I perform
Transformin on stage like a Decepticon
But I'm not animated like a cartoon
I'm for real, shootin lyrics like a harpoon
Across the crowd, the listeners, the spectators
So let's groove with the smooth operator

The B-I-G, D-A-double-D-Y-K-A-N-E
I'm good and plenty, servin many and any
competition, wishin for an expedition
I'm straight up dissin and dismissin, listen
Rappers act so wild, and love to profile
Frontin hard but ain't got no style
I give nightmares to those who compete
Freddy Kreuger, walkin on Kane Street
Confuse and lose abuse and bruise the crews
who choose to use my name wrong, they pay dues
Destruction from the exterminator
But in a calm manner, cause I'm a smooth operator

Now girls step up to this
One simple kiss, and it's over Miss
Sold to nice dreamers, high as the price seem
girlfriend, you been scooped like ice cream
So just swing or fling a gathering try to cling
Cause It's a Big Daddy Thing
And I'm lovin em right word is bond
So just play Marvin Gaye and Let's Get It On
I make it real good like Dr. Feelgood
To make sure that my point is understood
That when it comes to this there's none greater
Sincerely yours... the smooth operator

Now ain't that the pot callin the kettle black
Sayin I'm a new jack, you need to be smacked
The smooth way I say em and the way I display em
to make them sound different in a way that's gifted
and hey I'm, makin sure every lyric is done fine
And I make one line, bright as the sunshine
Attack you like Robatussin on a cough
If you know like I know -- step off!
Competition, I'ma get rid of
You can't get a bit of, so just consider
a break or rest vacation hibernation
And make way for my smooth operation
I'm a smooth operator