Cross post from over on my Posterous.
As a young lad I was always struck with the fervent drive of the emotion behind the issues told through hip hop. In the grand scheme of things life was pretty comfortable in Canada and I didn't at the time really understand the emotions of the music but understood there were places people didn't have what I did - and those things were worth fighting for. In my world, despite mixed classrooms, racial tension didn't exist.
Growing older and marginally wiser through 4 years of university in America the reasons for the fight grew clear. But one must wonder, if groups like Public Enemy and NWA didn't make me at least recognize there might be something to understand would I have ever even noticed. Would I have even looked.
Fortunately many noticed, many looked and while there is still more to fight for there are many victories.
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