Martin Luther King, Jr. still remains an iconic and towering figure of the African-American Civil Rights movement, his distinctive timbre still ringing in the minds of anyone who has ever heard one of his many recorded speeches. King's assassination in April of 1968 took place at a pivotal time, just a scant five or so years before the early seeds of Hip-Hop were being planted by a teenaged Jamaican immigrant named Clive Campbell, who went on to become the legendary DJ Kool Herc.

King's untimely death shook up a nation still adjusting to oppression and combating the looming specter of racism, sparking race-fueled riots that gave way for vocal (and sometimes violent) Black leaders who saw King's non-violent path to be soft and far too forgiving. James Brown, Marvin Gaye and others would use the tension of the times to fuel their art and message. However would King have approved of music's powerful influence, especially that of Hip-Hop, in its current state if he were with us today?

As a clergyman, it could be assumed that King didn't listen to much secular music but he was patently aware of the world and its diversity. Unification and togetherness formed his message and, during brief times since Hip-Hop's late 70s funk-influenced works; the music has certainly reflected many of the tenets King stood for. However, the social militancy of the 70s gave way to the freewheeling and partying 80s, all influencing Hip-Hop to constantly morph small intervals at a time. Only during the late 80s and early 90s—considered by many to be Hip-Hop's “Golden Era”—did the music have a chance to be the message-driven music it always strived to be.

King would certainly frown upon the consumerism and blatant talk of opulence that began in the mid to late 90s, peaking around the early 2000s. It is that time period some say that Hip-Hop is still trying to heal itself from. On one side, the “bling rap” era consisted of the exaggerated tales of drugs, guns and violence— all things King would surely denounce without a doubt. Fans ate up these fanciful tales greedily and record labels, seeking to cash in on the gullible nature of Rap fans, pushed to produce more of the same fare. Labels were no longer seeking out innovators, they sought out the next big thing no matter how fleeting the interest would eventually become.

Today, fans are making millionaires out of modern-day minstrel acts. A catchy tune and repetitive hook with uninventive lyrics in tow, the flashes of brilliance and abundance of talent found in decades past have been replaced with repetitive idiocy. Imagine King hearing Plies, a former college athlete, juxtapose between his exaggerated goon image and the well-spoken man behind the mask. King wouldn't be too proud of DMX's repeated run-ins with the law, all while promoting their shared spiritual faith. Perhaps King would be proud of Nicki Minaj's success, but it would be difficult to accept that he would approve of her overs*xed image.

King's “I Have A Dream” speech is still a resonant and relevant piece of work, the core of the message coming true in some ways. Hip-Hop has been a great unifier, and fans of all races and cultures have supported acts together under the same roof. One of Hip-Hop's brightest stars, Eminem, has fans of all races who claim him as one of the elite acts of the genre. Wiz Khalifa's party tunes have made him a darling from the inner cities to the suburbs. The enigmatic Lil B constantly preaches a King-like message of peace and positivity, but it's doubtful Dr. King would enjoy the low-brow (if light-hearted) nature of a “Wonton Soup.”

Misogyny, violence, drugs and other morbid subjects dominate a lot of today's popular Hip-Hop. Yet there are acts in existence that such as Malcolm & Martin, borrowing Dr. King's first name and the first name fellow civil rights leader Malcolm X. The music of the California-based duo celebrates black achievement and in interviews, the rappers, KB Imean and Styliztik Jones, have been critical of rap's bigger artists for promoting false images. Their protests have been drowned out by more popular acts hardly concerned with quality or providing hopeful messages in their tunes. Simply put, fans don't demand quality as they used to. They've come to expect what's given to them.

Dr. King's dream didn't include Hip-Hop as the music was not yet born in 1963 during the famous speech. A portion of the speech that is often missed is especially important: "We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.”

If only Hip-Hop and its many fans would take heed to such a call.

At a time in Hip-Hop when it seems that the old school feel is obsolete on the mainstream, certain things happen to show you that although Hip-Hop is evolving somethings will always remain the same.

Since its conception, Hip-Hop has always been centered on the DJ.  Once it hit the mainstream in mid 80s and became accepted in 90s, Hip-Hop seemed to move  the DJ to the wayside and everybody wanted to be an MC.  Despite the major shift, one young man knew he was destined to put it down on the ones and twos and really worked at honing his craft. After gaining major pub for doing local mixes and parties, DJ Averi Minor branched out and started getting play in big clubs all around his hometown of Chicago.

Fast forward years later, after hooking up with his friend and now spin partner Tony Neal; DJ Averi Minor is practically a household name after becoming a part of the now infamous Core DJs.

Besides spinning on Shade 45, DJ Averi Minor mixes on radio stations across the country including New York, Chicago, Music Choice and even on his own premiere mix site, www.avecitydistrict.com; Averi Minor also working with up and coming artists to help them get started in the music business.

Hip-Hopwired.com got a chance to sit down with the busiest DJ in the game to get schooled on how it is working at Shade 45, what it's like being one of the top DJs and learn the truth on what will get you noticed by an official DJ.

Hip-Hop Wired:  First things first, how did you link up with Shade 45?

DJ Averi Minor:  Honestly it came across my lap. As a member o the Core DJs we have a show "Core DJ Radio: UNCUT" and I'm one of the DJs in rotation, so it was just being with the right team that gave me the ability to get noticed by the right people.

Hip-Hop Wired:  Working at Shade 45, do you run into Eminem a lot?

DJ Averi Minor:  No, not really. I mean he comes in the office every now and again; but we do our own thing so for me-it's not like there's an opportunity to interact with him like that on a daily basis, even if he was. I like how things are ran at Shade because it's kind of like everybody is doing their own thing and when you have a creative environment like that and the freedom to be creative, you know nothing but hot music  is coming out of the studio.

Hip-Hop Wired:  Why do you think that satellite radio hasn't truly caught on yet, because in all honesty satellite is way better than regular radio and they have a better rotation…

DJ Averi Minor:  I know, on our show we love to break a new artist because it's something people have never heard before. We still play a little mainstream artist; but our primary focus is breaking the next hot emcee-so you will always hear something new. I think that one of the reasons that satellite hasn't caught on yet is because it's like for that “specific” person. What I mean is, people who listen to satellite know what they want.

So there is no”let's cater to everyone” type of vibe, satellite is about targeting and catering to the specific listener who is tuning in just for you and what you bring. For example, a sports fanatic who listens to satellite for sports doesn't have to worry about a Hip-Hop or Pop show interrupting his broadcast, he gets what he wants when he wants all the time and it takes a lot for people to get used to-and it's not free.

Hip-Hop Wired:  You are a part of a lot of major mix shows, what is your tool of choice and how do you feel about DJs who only use Serato?

DJ Averi Minor:  Honestly, in my opinion; there's nothing wrong with Serato. Really it's about how you use it. There were plenty o DJs before Serato who couldn't spin and now that they have the ease of CDs, their skill still suffer. Now I'm going to sit here and front like I never had a problem with it. Because I used to have an issue with Turntable DJs & CDJ DJs but now its just about how you rock. I can't front on a DJ who can rock with CDs, because he's still giving the crowd something a turntablist could, just in a different way. On another note, I do have issues with DJs who play pre-recorded mixes in the club and simulate the mix as if it were live- Not cool. (Laughs)

Hip-Hop Wired:   As a veteran DJ in the game, what advice do you have for new artists trying to get on?

DJ Averi Minor:  Utilize what's available to you and take your grind beyond your market. It may not be easy to blow up in your city, but it's easier for your city to respect you IF you blowing up in other cities. It's foreign policy and in most markets, the imports get all the love. I watched that happen here in Chicago with Lupe, Kanye & Jeremih.

Hip-Hop Wired:  When you listen to a new record, what attributes does it need to have to make it a "Mr. Mixshow Co-Sign"?

DJ Averi Minor:  It has to sound good. Quality is key and if nothing else It has to leave a mark. I've been lucky enough to have an ear that recognizes very good “Independent” music that honestly kills a lot of label-released joints.  I'm happy to say some of the indie artist out there “get it" and have been starting to avoid re-inventing the wheel like "the machine" tells them to.

Hip-Hop Wired:   How did you link up with the Core DJs?

DJ Averi Minor:   Tony Neal has always been the big homie. I've known him since the Core started. The crazy thing is that it I was actually rejected by Tony when I first tried to be a part of the crew, because back then you had to know people to really break in the game. Before we were the Core DJs, they were actually called "The Tecnitions", and the team disbanded-so Tony formed The Core DJs and had the "1st" retreat right here in Chi-Town. Over the years I had a lot of friends in the game that were Core DJs and after I was initially denied entry into the Core, I got my weight up and I got the call and I have been officially down with the crew for 4yrs now.

 Hip-Hop Wired:  Although you are mostly known now as primarily a mix show DJ, you also still release countless mixtapes for the fans free. What made you decide to start doing that?

DJ Averi Minor:  I know a lot of my fans out there love music and may not have access to satellite radio, so when I first started doing it-it was really for them. But then it developed into something that people really started checking for and so I decided that every week I would stream my show and one a month or so I would drop a mixtape just to show my appreciation for their love of my craft.

Hip-Hop Wired:   You drop mixes all the time both on air, on TV and even online; what's the next project you plan to release?

DJ Averi Minor:  I just completed my “Vault Mix” mixtapes which include a lot of mixes I did back in the day, so that is something people are really feeling right now and I also have the Five Mic series coming out soon as well-so everyone just be prepared to continue to hear great music.

Check out DJ Averi Minor every Sunday on Shade 45 and on Music Choice Channel 703 during the “Mix Show”. For the latest from DJ Averi Minor, log onto his website at www.AveCityDistrict.com and follow him on Twitter @DJAVERIMINOR

And for those that have successfully managed to balance their career and their household, we're left watching in awe and wondering how they do it.

So let's take a look at a few of Hip-Hop's most popular families; ones that seem to happy and functioning, from the outside looking in at least...

Hip-Hop Vixens are cute, curvy and apparently irresistible to a number of men in Hollywood.

 Whether they pose for some of the most popular men's magazines in the world or just stand idle in a video, these ladies are obviously doing something that the fellas just can't resist.

While some are retired and others are trying to rebuild their good girl image, we thought today we'd at least give them their props...for bagging men most women can't at least.

From a radio host turned to a could-be Kardashian, to a 'Basketball Wife' L.A. , check out five of the most popular Hip-Hop vixens below.

A childhood friend and partner of mine was gunned down earlier this week. Check out his last video shot in Brooklyn, New York. He was on the rise and his time on earth was unfortunately cut short. R.I.P Rhian Stoute aka Kampane.

Watch More New Videos Here

Having one or being seen with a woman who possesses one has become the status quo in the Hip-Hop culture.

The bubble butt has become prized possessions, the bigger, the better.

Just think, in popular culture there are woman such as J Lo and Buffie The Body who are known by many for the amount of junk in their trunks alone.

Call it the gift and the curse.

Real or fake,there are FIVE industry gals who get props for their behind the scenes view.

Can you guess who they are???

Check out our 10 best makeovers in Hip-Hop below.

]]> http://hiphopwired.com/2011/07/18/who-says-money-cant-change-you-celebrities-before-after-the-fame-photos/feed/ 10 http://hiphopwired.com/2011/01/26/hip-hop-gives-back-saigon-helps-the-homeless-video/ http://hiphopwired.com/2011/01/26/hip-hop-gives-back-saigon-helps-the-homeless-video/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:46:48 +0000 Miss Ls http://hiphopwired.com/?p=75448

Rapper Saigon Helps The Homeless

It's rather sad and unfortunate to see the increase of homeless people with such grueling cold temperatures outside.

Saigon helped the cause by lending a helping hand at the Bowery Mission in NYC, and distributed blankets to the homeless.

The MC recently dropped new visuals to "It's Cold," off of his upcoming project Greatest Story Never Told, dropping February 15th.

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Ted Williams, the homeless Ohio man whose voice of gold got him off the side of the highway and into the hearts of the media, may be the greatest story of this short New Year.

And it got us to thinking. Are there any rappers whose prominent rap vocals alone could attract the same response?

Here are 10 rappers who have voices that standout above the rest. Now, if they could go from talking for loose change to getting offers from major labels, you be the judge.