One of the characteristic features of Hip-hop is absence of rules & boundaries. That's why Hip-hop never stops to amaze people. The moment you think you figured it out, it shows you an unexplored side of it. You thought that it was all about “Me, me, me!”? Well, the latest mixtape by SMKA called “The 808 Experiment Vol.2” is out to change your mind. This mixtape is a collaboration of more than 30 gifted individuals & even tho’ every artist is a star in his/her own right, they don’t even try to outshine one another. “The 808 Experiment Vol.2” is a musical collage of different individual styles… a collage that represents Hip-hop's essence – diversity. It doesn’t matter what sub-genre of hip-hop you prefer cuz this is the project where everyone can find a song that reps his/her inner world to the fullest.

          Even though the majority of people think that the rap game is for youngins, I believe that “30 something” is the most interesting stage of any artist's career cuz on the one hand an artist is still young & ain’t afraid to make some crazy/revolutionary moves, but on the other hand this artist has already walked “a few miles” and you can see if this is a "sprinter" or a "long-distance runner". But what really excites me is finding a youngin who has that raw talent & dedication to make a difference in this game… someone who makes you think, “Damn! This cat might be a long-distance runner!” One of this diamonds-in-the-rough is up-and-coming emcee/producer/writer ALPH-A-BIT from L.A. "My main goal in music is to open people eyes to something different. Something that hasn't been in the game for a long time. I want to let people know who I am as a rapper, producer and an artist as a whole" ~ ALPH-A-BIT. Get familiar w/ his music & feel free to visit his myspace & twitter pages.

First off, what's hip-hop culture? What do we mean by “hip-hop is alive” & “hip-hop is dead”? If we had a time machine, we could go back to 1970s and see the roots of the culture: the block parties & on-the-corner performances, people who spoke their minds cuz hip-hop was their only way to escape the rough reality of the ghetto. Hip-hop was that special place in the universe that you could call home; place where you could reach the craziest dreams and be safe & sound. Hip-hop was a ghetto secret… a secret code young hip-hop nation lived by. And now, let's go back to 2010. Has anything changed? Has HIP-HOP changed? …to be more exact. Nah, it’s still the same. The only problem is that people are looking for it in all the wrong places. Who told y'all to look for hip-hop in the music industry? The word “industry” can’t have anything to do w/ hip-hop cuz hip-hop is art and art can’t be a manufactured product. Any industry works according a certain scheme making its product, but is there any scheme one can use in order to create an art masterpiece? Na-a-aaah! Every masterpiece is unique, it’s something unseen or unhearda. So how come fans are looking for hip-hop watching MTV, BET or listening to the radio? The industry clones each & every successful move and turns it into a joke. 

If you take a look at the greatest artists’ life-stories (and I’m talking about the greatest artists of all times… not only ‘bout hip-hop people), you'll see that the greatest of the greatest lived underground life. They all struggled for a right to express themselves. They became recognized, famous, & successful posthumously. So why do people consider their artworks to be masterpieces? What makes their heritage so special? The feeling. The universal, real feeling their works carried through centuries. They were the people who hit the bottom & their only option was to succeed. But since they lived in a “caste society”, they created another reality … they lived art. The same goes for hip-hop. Do you remember DMX's “To live is to suffer, but to survive, well, that's to find meaning in the suffering”? Real hip-hop cats didn’t talk about “money, cash, hoes”; they dug a lot deeper. They were rebels without pause. Their each step made a difference. And then big money came & killed artists’ longevity.  Usually an artist's first album is raw and dope, but after a few albums all this artist has to say is “money, cash, hoes”. But is it hip-hop? Nah! It has no feeling in it. It ain’t art anymore. 

So is hip-hop dead? Nope. It’s still alive. Then where is it? Right where it’s supposed to be … it’s rocking its underground mic. From the p.o.v. of culturology, one of the main features of art is “elitism”. Pure art is supposed to be understood by a few, not by mass. Perception of art requires special training. So if they failed Prof. G.O.D.’s & Prof. Life’s classes, they ain’t ready for hip-hop realness. This form of art is only for the members of elite society called hip-hop nation… society of people who don’t simply bob their heads to a hot beat… they dig hip-hop on a deeper level. Their heart can create a beat of its own, cuz hip-hop runs through their veins. Hip-hop is the truth & the truth is immortal. And just because the mass doesn’t see the underground movement that carries on tradition, it doesn’t mean that hip-hop is dead. Who's dying then? The music industry. Should we be sad about it? Nah, cuz the moment it dies, underground movement will come out of the industry's shadow. This is a take ova; no Jay Hova….

                Even tho’ there are lots of different ways to promote an artist, it seems that the music industry still has no clue about it, especially when it comes to female emcees. Unfortunately, every lady who wants to be an emcee has only two ways to the top of the game. She uses either “sexy” image or smart yet feminine, tomboyish image. But since the “sexy” image is the easiest way to reach “success”, the majority of females chooses it. I remember one of No I.D.’s interviews where he criticized Drake for being a heartthrob. He said that using that kind of image was a dangerous game. At the same time he says that a chick has to rhyme about a d*ck in order to make it in this game. Well, the first part is understandable, but the second one … I don’t think so. This is exactly what destroys the reputation of female rap. There have been hundreds of female rappers in the history of hip-hop. Some of them had their temporary buzz & were gone in a minute; some of them became legendary artists. So what's the difference between an outstanding femcee and a one freak hit wonder? What do emcees like Lauryn Hill, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Sha Rock, Missy Elliott, Eve, Salt ‘n’ Pepa, Jean Grae, Mae Day, & Dynasty have in common besides substance & deep lyrics? They all brought something new/special to the game. They ain’t afraid to be themselves & represent their beliefs.

Now lemme add one more outstanding femcee to the list. Her name is RaTheMC & she reps D.M.V. According to Ra, a female emcee has to be much more than a rapper to succeed in the rap game & Ra has a lot to bring to the table being emcee/ singer/ song writer/ photographer/ fashion consultant & having undeniable charisma. Rashea ain’t concentrating on the “gender” problem & simply tries to establish herself as an emcee respected by both camps (male & female). Her goal is to change the way female emcees are viewed in the industry, to be treated as equal. In Ra's book, emcee is supposed to be a good storyteller and she is definitely good at it. Her songs have both, storyline & very special vibe created by her charisma, flow and vocals. On top of that RaTheMC has her own style/image: she doesn’t accept trends, she creates trends of her own.

For more RaTheMC check her myspace, twitter & blog.