HIP HOP’s short lived “HIPPIE ERA & THE TORCHBEARERS”
It was 1987 and I remember the day as if it were yesterday. I was wearing a neck brace from doing the ‘whop’ all night at Shekiya’s (pronoucned SHEKEEYA) birthday party at Biltmore Ballroom in Brooklyn, New York two days before Thanksgiving. I was rocking my black etonics with my acid wash jeans and my Syracuse Orangemen sweater. Thanksgiving came and as usual we went to visiting my Aunt out in Strong Island when I heard some incredible sounds bumping from the speakers of her neighbor’s son mustang. In my mind, I’m wondering what kind of hippie sounding rap is that white mofo playing?
The thing that made me fall in love with this era and curious about this strange HIPPIE rap music was the beats at the time, the mixing of the some of the weirdest samples to create a unique sound. Thus I made my way to the fence and ask what the eff is that your playing mofo? He said, “De La Soul and go eff yourself!” This white mofo grew up to be ELROY COHEN.
And that is how I became hip to the HIPPIE ERA of Hip Hop and the groups and artist that represented the movement. I think this was the beginning of my political lessons and made me a seeker of knowledge, peace, kushunpeng, panty pudding, etc. Peep the ish bro:
Deano
De La Soul
They say they are not Hippies but I beg to differ and they should embrace the label.
Del The Funkee Homosapien
Def Jef
Brand Nubian
X Clan
Tribe Called Quest
Poor Righteous Teachers
