New York has long been the hub of Hip Hop. NY is where Hip Hop first spun out. The Big Apple is where artists like Grandmaster Flash first made impact, and impressed crowds with his unique style of DJing. The City that Never sleeps is where Nas first coined the statement “I don’t sleep, cuz sleep is the cousin of death“. And being part of this community, I have always been a true Hip Hop head. For me, Hip Hop is not only a great part of my life, but Hip Hop is what I breathe, consume, and actively take part in on a regular basis.
10 years ago, I was 15 years old writing rhymes and recording them with my cousins on the mic located at the top of a computer monitor. I was following in the foot steps of my older cousins who recorded their first songs in 1994. The KhanArtists aren’t just a crew. We are a family and our bond is in our blood. Yeah, we may have our disagreements and fall-outs but till our last breath we are here to remind each other to rise above the pettiness and negativity. After years of making music for ourselves and for our dedicated fan base, we caught the attention of DesiHipHop.com. I feel as if this is the most important chapter, thus far, for the KhanArtists. A mutually beneficial relationship was born and 2 worlds came together who mirrored one another when it came to passion and dedication to their craft.
Any hip hop artist from New York can tell you how they feel a certain responsibility to set the bar high simply because they hail from the birthplace of the culture. We have seen many fads come and go but one thing that remained has always been New York artists reminding the world what its all about. Whether its Nas, Jada, Fab, Big L, B.I.G. or others like them, you know when you hear a new joint that its going to be something special. We came up in an era where, more than anything else, what mattered where your bars and the best of the best used those bars to inspire positivity within the people. This is where artists like Nas, Blackstar, Krs-One, Chuck D, Rakim and the like stand out and inspire generations. Artists with messages such as theirs are as relevant today as they were decades ago, if not more so in the wake of all the police brutality and corruption that continues to surface. Artists who stay true to the essence of Real Hip Hop will ALWAYS have the power to impact the world. Truth prevails, and as an artist, YOU need to spread the truth as much as possible!
Artists need to understand that this isn’t just entertainment but rather a line of defense and escape from the negativity we see around us. Stay positive, stay united, and never, never, never give up!
These are some of the reasons why Hip Hop has been proven to be the most influential genre in popular music in the last half century. I do believe that Desi Hip Hop genre can help bring much positivity in the lives of the listeners around the world, if a core group of artists stay true to the roots and vow to spread knowledge among our people. Artists need to understand that this isn’t just entertainment but rather a line of defense and escape from the negativity we see around us. Stay positive, stay united, and never, never, never give up!
