As we observe and celebrate the life and acomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the date of his birth, we must recognize the posthumous impact Dr .King on the minds of those generations that succeeded him, including that of the Hip Hop community. His cultural influence, the cohesive force of his voice and his undying love for all of mankind makes Dr. King’s works so attractive to the creatives and aficianados of Hip Hop music.
Some artists may have mimicked his commanding vocal tone, while some have even adopted proactive stance on civil and human rights, but here, we have come up with a list of songs from some of the fans’ favorite artists who have put a piece of the King via his speeches in their music.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five – “The King” (Sampled “I Have A Dream” speech)
Boogie Down Productions – “Love’s Gonna Getcha” (Sampled “Been To The Mountaintop” Speech)
Common feat. Will I A.M. – “A Dream” (Sampled “I Have A Dream” Speech)
dead prez – “Malcolm Garvey Huey” (speech reference unknown)
Tyga – “Careless World” (Sampled “Been To The Mountaintop speech)
Yo Gotti’s brother, Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, was killed outside a restaurant in Memphis on Saturday (Jan. 13).
TMZ notes Mims attended a funeral in the city ahead of his murder. Memphis station Fox 13 notes another man was injured in the shooting outside Pregnons Restaurant and Event Center.
The other man was taken to St. Francis Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. The men were believed by police to ahve been targeted and there are currently no suspects. The shooters are believed to have fled in a white Ford Explorer.
Diddy has decided not to attend the 2024 Grammy Awards. In an exclusive to The Hollywood Reporter, Diddy, nominated for the first time in two decades, has confirmed via a representative that he will not attend.
Diddy is nominated for best progressive R&B album for The Love Album: Off the Grid. The last nomination he received was for “Shake Ya Tailfeather” from the Bad Boys II soundtrack, which he won in the best rap performance by a group or duo category.
There was no quote given to THR, other than confirming that Diddy will not be in attendance.
In addition, Yung Miami has a new reality show headed to BET, but don’t expect to see Diddy on it.
According to The Jasmine Brand, BET replaced the scenes from the show that highlight the life of Caresha that featured Diddy amid the fallout of various sexual abuse allegations. To replace the missing scenes, Yung Miami had to record new content.
Yung Miami previously spoke of the project, stating, “I got a reality show coming out, the City Girls dropping an album, my podcast. Just everything.”
The album dropped, so now we have to wait on the show. A date is currently not confirmed.
Released on Profile Records during a time when their roster consisted of righteous rhymers like King Sun and Poor Righteous Teachers, Quik was pioneering in helping to usher in the “gangsta rap” sound on a mainstream scale in the early 90s and labels were just beginning to shift their marketing dollars towards this sub-genre of Hip-Hop.
With the help of producers Courtney Branch, Greg Jessie and Tracy Kendrick, Quik managed to produce a rap classic that sold 50,000 in its first week with only a $30,000 budget for production. Recorded in Westlake Recording Studio in Los Angeles, the same spot where Michael Jackson’s epic Thriller masterpiece was created, Quik and crew finished up the album in 17 days.
The album’s lead single, “Born And Raised In Compton,” climbed to Number 6 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs, while tracks like “Tonite,” “Deep” and the album’s title track solidified the funk sound that later saturated West Coast Hip Hop music.
Salute to the Big Homie for laying down this pioneering project that will forever be considered one of the Top 100 Albums in Hip-Hop!
Born January 15, 1929, Civil Rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would’ve turned 91 Years old today; as we celebrate the day of his birth almost 47 years after he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
Born to Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King, Dr. King was a gifted man from his youth. He skipped grades 9 through 12, and began college at Morehouse College at the age of 15; the alma mater of his father and maternal grandfather. The iconic leader received his B.A. degree in 1948.
Following his family’s long tenure as pastors, MLK was ordained and served as co-pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA; the same church his father and grandfather pastored.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested almost 30 times, on acts of civil disobedience and false charges. He was once jailed in Montgomery, Alabama in 1956, for driving 30 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone.
King’s last public speech was at Mason Temple Church, where he told the congregation:
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now … I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. And I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was standing on the balcony of his motel room, where he was preparing to lead a protest march for garbage workers who were on strike. James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to the assassination.
In 1983, President Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday celebrating Dr. King, first celebrated in 1986. The national holiday is celebrated every third Monday in January.
Happy Birthday, from The Source to the legend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On this date over three decades ago, Chris Martin b.k.a the legendary DJ Premier and Keith Elam b.k.a the Guru (Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal) put together Gang Starr’s second and possibly most memorable album, Step Into The Arena. The duo was one of the first groups signed the newly formed Chysalis/EMI label after ditching Wild Pitch Records following their debut album, No More Mr. Nice Guy.
With production solely in the hands of Preemo and Guru, the raw, gritty sound that helped mold New York Hip Hop during its Golden Era can be found in many facets of this project, which is somewhat surprising coming from a rapping teacher from Boston and a DJ from Houston, Texas who just happened to link up in East New York, Brooklyn. Tracks such as the jux-inspired “Just To Get A Rep”, the consciously cool lyricism of “Who’s Gonna Take The Weight” and the hilarious bug-a-boo fueled “What You Want This Time?” showed and proved Gang Starr’s innate ability to capture an experience on wax that all listeners can feel.
Salute to Preemo, the Elam family and everyone else involved in creating this piece of Hip Hop history!
The world has come to stand and acknowledge the 50-year mark of the assassination of a man who is defined as being the most influential civil rights leader in American history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On April 4, 1968, as he stood on the balcony of Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Dr. King was fatally struck with a bullet by James Earl Ray, an unlawful racist. The striking assassination of Dr. King follows a sturdy 14-year reign serving as a dominant figure in the civil rights movement fighting for the security of legal rights for African Americans. It was a fight drilled with nonviolence and civil disobedience, being burgeoned by the vile acts of racial segregation, disenfranchisement, and exploitation of all hanging from the centerfold of racism.
The powerfully symphonic voice of Dr. King in his iconic “I Have A Dream” speech delivered at the 1963 March on Washington sets the tone for emotional empowerment. It is currently the most sampled Dr. King audio recording in hip-hop history. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and his sound legacy. Here are nine hip-hop songs sampled by the legendary leader’s voice.
1. Sadat X “Return of the Bang Bang” (2010)
Reigning from the silver-tongued posse who is bound to their divine blackness is Sadat X of Brand Nubian on the solo tip with “Return of the Bang Bang.” The unorthodox emcee takes to the mic to drop insight about his daily journey as a seasoned vet returning to the game. In his signature abstract style, Sadat uses Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” passage to serve rightful diction in his tunnel of bars. “Return of the Bang Bang” is featured on Sadat’s 2010 sequel gem Wild Cowboys II.
2. Heavy D & the Boyz “A Better Land” (1989)
One of the golden era’s finest, the late Heavy D is pouring his soul out in rhyme in “A Better Land” with his boyz about improving the meager conditions of impoverished communities. The telling track starts with a sample of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech that ends with one of his most acquainted quotes, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men, are created equal.”
3. Edo G feat. Masta Ace “Wishing” (2004)
Donald Trump is not the first President of the United States to be highly scorned by most of his country. Back in 2004, George W. Bush was in office, turning America’s dream into a nightmare with his jest-like measures. Edo G and Masta Ace took to the mic to release their wishes while demanding intrinsic change in the American way. After Masta Ace crops the title of a dreamer, Dr. King’s infamous line about his dream for freedom and justice in Mississippi hoards the track.
4. Cyhi Da Prynce “Ring Bellz” (2010)
Cyhi Da Prynce is honoring his cultural edge through the barrels of black history in “Ring Bellz” a song from his 2010 mixtape Royal Flush. While mixing his braggadocios persona with black excellence, the G.O.O.D. music wordplayer takes it from Fredrick Douglass to Stokely Carmichael, with the profound words from Dr. King’s beloved speech leading the track.
5. Common feat. will.i.am “A Dream” (2006)
Chicago’s renowned poet in rhyme Common teamed up with will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas for a true hip-hop measure that reflects on the progression and condition of blacks in a known racist America, the way Dr. King stood sturdy for titled “A Dream.” Owning the same desire for nation zenith, just as King, it was sensible for the abstract collab to start with King’s pacifying “We gonna work it out” saying.
6. Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five “The King” (1988)
With Melle Mel being heralded as one of hip-hop’s earliest conscious rappers, the lingering legacy of Dr. King has certainly played a role during hip-hop’s infancy. The hip-hop pioneer rocks the mic with delight honoring the deeds of Dr. King by recognizing the Civil rights icon’s brightest accomplishments while calling for the bells of freedom. “He brought hope to the hopeless, strength to the weak.”
7. Wu-Tang Clan “Never Let Go” (2014)
Known for their supremely motivational rap hymns, the Wu-Tang Clan hit the masses with a dream driven tune in signature fashion. Docking off of their sixth studio album A Better Tomorrow is “Never Let Go” an ode to survival during challenging times. Before Masta Killa leads and after U-God anchors the track, a courteous potent chunk of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is heard where the beloved leader makes one of his most bracing points, “For many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.”
8. Boogie Down Productions “Love’s Gonna Get’cha (Material Love)” (1990)
Emphasis is something KRS-One has mastered as a lyricist. Amid the prime of Boogie Down Productions‘ fourth studio album Edutainment comes its top single “Love’s Gonna Get’cha (Material Love),” a song that serves as a warning about the detrimental lust that comes with chasing after material things. To throw emphasis on “movin’ on,” the voice of Dr. King chanting the phrase from his final speech “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top.”
9. Immortal Technique feat. Chuck D, Brother Ali, and Killer Mike “Civil War” (2011)
Budding off of the musically factious Immortal Technique‘s 2011 compilation album The Martyr is “Civil War” featuring Chuck D, Brother Ali, and Killer Mike, an unapologetic effort to audibly express “trying to survive cultural assassination,” the great PE lead makes it clear in the chorus. The track samples a selection of King’s final speech, where the iconic leader encourages the destruction of fear in exchange for glory.
Dr. King’s call for sound justice fused into a faithful dream for African Americans has thrived its way into hip-hop culture out of the purpose of nature. The infancy of hip-hop culture is a result of movements that brewed during Dr. King’s time. Movements that were centered in the fight for justice and art of freedom such as the Black Panther Party and Black Arts Movement, who all commonly owned a desire to climb the path of racial justice. The youth of hip-hop’s beginnings dreamed of topnotch mobility out of the hood, reversing the culture of police brutality, and several cases of discrimination ceased. Now, since the culture has grown into a universal phenomenon, Dr. King’s dreamy element of justice is emblematic in hip-hop whenever he is sampled on a track.
There has not been a figure in the history of the United States that can ever be compared to the life and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His methods of non-violent protest that were used to fight oppression and inequality in this country have been emulated all over the world. Besides, who else has been given their federal holiday that wasn’t a former president?
In celebration of Dr. King’s birthday today, without focusing on how the U.S. government is admittedly responsible for his tragic and untimely death or the rumorous allegations of him being a philandering lady’s man, the Mind Squad presents a photo gallery that captures some of Dr. King’s most intimate moments within the struggle for the liberation of Black people.
And for those that didn’t know, this rendition of “Happy Birthday” composed by Stevie Wonder, which can be heard at many Black birthday shindigs, was originally created in memory of the late Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
Today, we celebrate Martin Luther King Day, and people all over the country are honoring him with special events and acts of kindness to commemorate the day while honoring his legacy.
Among the many celebrators was the streaming platform Tidal. Seems like the perfect timing with everything going on in the world. Today, Tidal launched a playlist highlighting social injustice, change, and peace. The playlist features historical recordings, including the civil rights leader’s “I Have a Dream”‘” speech, as well as his comments protesting racism and the Vietnam War. Another popular speech added was his 1961 Lincoln University message and his latest speech in 1968. In total there are 30 recordings, with a special additional playlist, ‘Music from the Mountaintop’. The playlist features music inspired by Dr. King or reflective of his message by Jay-Z, Bob Dylan, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, and the late Prince.
If you have not had the chance yet to check out Tidal or need a little motivation today, This playlist may just be what you need.
In a spectacle that went beyond the boundaries of traditional fashion events, The Lo-Life Movement’s 2024 Capsule Line reveal at the annual “Lo Goose On The Deuce” in Times Square drew hundreds of Lo Life / Polo Ralph Lauren connoisseurs from across the country. Lo Life enthusiasts and fans who could not attend the event were able to view this phenomenon on Parti.com and also buy the new collection directly from Livestream, which sold out the Jaclar sneaker collection within an hour. The Lo Life movement started in 1988 and has created a fashion phenomenon around the world. The event not only showcased the movement’s evolution but also featured a contest that brought enthusiasts together to flaunt their rarest and most exclusive Polo Drip.
Enthusiasts from all over the country came to showcase their rare and most coveted Polo Ralph Lauren pieces, some even from the ’80s and ’90s, with final contestants reigning from California, Maryland, and Minnesota. The contest, aiming to crown the individual with the best Polo Drip, brought forth a display of vintage and rare gear that’s notoriously hard to find. The final contestants, representing the diverse corners of the U.S., elevated the competition with their unique collections. The winner is chosen by crowd participation.
Contest Results:
Winner: Trama Sutra from Minneapolis, Minnesota
Drip Highlights: Drenched in vintage Polo Bear gear, Trapa Sutra stunned the crowd by unveiling the rare gold Polo tray from the ’90s. The back of his goose coat paid homage to the legendary Lo Life originator “Ski Black,” showcasing not just fashion but a deep connection to the movement’s roots.
