Rap Files: I Love The Music
By: William Deshair
Last updated January 19th , 2010

My name is Deshair, and I love Rap music. Tell me that I will be stranded on an island, that somehow has electricity for me to recharge a MP3 player, and I would fill up my device with Rap, no lie. I am a lifer of the craft, and similar to life itself, Rap music has a timeline of its own.

What I'd like to do is give you a rundown of who I am as a fan of Rap music, so that as you follow my work, you'll be familiar with my foundation. In the late 80's, I was too young to change the radio dial or dare to take the needle off a vinyl. On the weekends, I spent time with my teenaged cousins that came home from their jobs with a bag of vinyl's. Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Special Ed, MC Lyte, NWA, Eric B. and Rakim, KRS-One, the records just kept spinning and I loved it. MC Lyte was my first crush, and to this day, whenever I cross paths with her, my mouth goes numb on me. Special Ed's ‘I Got It Made' was the first song I memorized, as well as the first instrumental I freestyle'd on. Chuck D and KRS-One were my favorite emcee's and are still in my Top 5 to this day. Because to me, Rap Music is an entire life's work.

By the time I entered High School in the early 90's, you couldn't tell me that I wasn't a part of Naughty by Nature; you couldn't tell me that I didn't know every Sticky Fingaz verse, word for word; you couldn't tell me that my MC Hammer pants weren't fly or that I didn't know how to "jump". I grew up with every change in Rap Music, from Fila suits to shiny suits, from Biz Markie singing to Ja Rule singing, from Hawaiian Sophie to Venus vs. Mars – I lived it. And today, I am keeping a watchful eye on the craft from a mainstream microscope.

Ok, so here is where I stand in 2010. I respect T.I. I am a fan of his total work and how he owns up to his past, present and future. I am not enthused by Lil' Wayne; he's currently the hardest working artist in Rap. However, and this may sound odd to some, I feel like he is selling himself and his true talents short. I am twiddling my thumbs waiting for another Outkast album. And from what I hear, I possibly could give my thumbs some rest very soon. I am a cheerleader for female emcees and is currently brushing up on the new wave. If I could, I'd like to help in eliminating the stigmas that female artists face in this industry. It is time to put to rest, "One female emcee at a time." I am all for the veteran emcee movement. Rap music is a little over 30 years old. Why can't our rappers be? And finally, I am for the preservation of the craft. It angers me to witness these albums leaking close to two months before release. But what gets under my skin is that industry hopefuls as well as signed artists are stealing from their own by downloading these leaked albums, or buying unauthorized product off the streets. So keep your eyes open, I just might shock you with the information I bring to the table.

This is a huge piece of who I am. And you will learn more about my views and concepts as this column moves forward. I love the music. And I hope that you will grow to enjoy and anticipate new entries on a weekly basis.

[Tags] Column, Hip Hop, Rap