Hip-Hop Ain't Lost: Jean Grae's Home of Gifted Dragons: Big Up To My Hip Hop Massive

What up family!

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." ~Upton Sinclair

The familia, the family, the supergroup, the collective, the posse, the clique (or clik), the squad (or squadron); whatever name you call it, it's the collection of Thoroughbred, Dragon emcees and has been a mainstay in Hip-Hop since Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and the infancy stage of Def-Jam (see Krush Grove). Later in Hip Hop the 'crew' was formed; Hit Squad, BDP, Juice Crew, Hill Top Hustlers, etc...

Which now brings me to your lesson; Many confuse their camps with what a squad or clik (clique) is, many have what is called a 'team'. A team is not a bad thing or I'm not trying to state it with a negative connotation and if used loosely (by not strict definition) can be interjected with crew, squad, clique, collective, supergroup, etc...However, the term 'Team' is defined in Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as: a number of persons associated in some joint action. But the definition that applies more in this entry context is definition #2: two or more horses, oxen, or other animals harnessed together to draw a vehicle, plow, or the like. Those persons that were thrown together (harnessed) to draw a vehicle (major labels) or the like (generation of income) is what is being fed/dictated to the masses (misinformed, uninformed, & the casual Hip Hop fan) of what a crew is. A record executive can not put your squad together and it be authentic simultaneously (see Roc-A-fella). Just because you form/group individuals together and they rap doesn't make them a squadron! They are not producing those vital hellfire hits we affectionately call "Posse Cuts."

This blog entry is dedicated to those Hip hop crews/cliques/squads(rons)that keep delivering those posse cuts that keeps us rocking out; those collectives that always keep it thorough! Here's a list of my squads that keeps it authentic and represents Hip Hop to the fullest (this list is not all inclusive and NO! YMCM ain't on it!!): Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, The Roots, Native Tongues, Money Making Jam Boys, The LOX, and State Property. Shout out to my home city, the 2fifteen, for holding down 3 spots of the crews that influences the Hip-Hop game (Salute)!

The Writer's Guild out here in Arizona is that next collective that's going to be a force in Hip Hop...stay tuned for them and Jean Grae's Home of Gifted Dragons!!!!...SALUTE and PEACE!

RAP IS SOMETHING YOU DO, HIP-HOP IS SOMETHING YOU LIVE!