 Over the past decade there has been a surging Prison Industrial Complex that has fueled the economy, where nowadays many states are discovering that their largest grossing business is actually the Prison business. Such is definitely the case here in Cali, which is the country's largest and most populated state. Over the past 15 years more then 25 prisons have been build compared to 1 university. More then 70% of those incarcerated are Black and Brown. Women and young people are the fastest growing segment. The prison guard union is the most powerful, feared and influential union in the state. Their influence has been felt by the type of decisions made by our current and last two governors, who have been made to bow down to many of the union's issues and concerns. Even more sobering is the fact that the word 'rehabilitation' has been officially removed from the working ethos of Cali prisons. How does all this relate to Hip Hop? Well for starters, here in Cali, prison culture has definitely had an influence that has been reflected in the music. Remember Cali has long been seen as the prime breeding ground for what many like to call 'gangsta rap'? In fact the term itself originated from the Golden State. From clothing fashions to the seething lyrics, from sagging pants and stiff denim jackets to hardened attitudes, prison culture has never been more then just a CD or cassette tape away. Many have stated that this glamorization of prison has led many young people astray. Others say the artist are merely reflecting what they know. Hip Hop has been a crucial factor in removing people off the streets and away from the path of incarceration. In short it provided jobs. While many may emphatically claim that Hip Hop has been ruined' by the 'gangsta mentality', I distinctly remember the first B-Boys and B-Girls being gang members. Hip Hop was born from the streets and early gang and prison culture. Many of the early slang terms and rhymes were taken straight out of the jails. Hip Hop won't be free of that association until people who are concerned make moves to change the conditions that lead to people going down the prison path in the first place. On the other hand, prison industrial complex has been the key issue that has politicized Cali Hip Hop. It's forced everyone to step up their game, take a look around and move aggressively to turn things around. Over the past few months I have chronicled the activism and the numerous organizations that have sprouted up and thrown down within Hip Hop. Such activities have been effective and has been generating quite a bit of local, national and international press coverage. There should be an article dropping real soon in The New York Times, The Source Magazine has done piece. One of the Bay Area's largest weekly's The SF Bayview has given considerable space to all this Hip Hop activity. This week the music industry’s most prestigious conventions, The Gavin descends upon the Bay Area, and folks have been gearing up. There will be the usual number of showcases, panel discussions and industry dinners. However, what has gotten everyone buzzing is the free concert Hip Hop concert that is scheduled to take place on Monday, February 21 at 11:30 am in front of Oakland's City Hall. Entitled 'Hip Hop Will Prevail' Everyone from DJ Fuze to Local 1200 to The Coup to Dead Prez ,along with a large number of spoken word artists will be performing. The theme of the day is 'No On Prop 21..It's Not A Battle.. It's War'. For more info call the hip hop group Third Eye at 510-594-4004 or 415-451-4844 ext 23 or drop them an email at mailto:jasmin@ellabakercenter.org . While this is going on, other Hip Hop activities are in the works. Mos Def who was just featured on MTV's 'Lyricist Lounge' as well as the 'Roseanne Show', will be touching down in Santa Cruz on March 3rd, [That's 4 days before the March 7th Cali elections]. He along with his Black Star partner Talib Kweli, MeShell Ndegeocello and Ozomatli have come together as Artists United Against Proposition 21. They will be doing a benefit concert at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium on March 3rd. Tickets have already gone on sale and already there's a big buzz. While all that is taking place, The Hip Hop organization Underground Railroad have reached out to Ms Lauryn Hill. She too is scheduled to grace the Bay Area the week before the March 7th election and no doubt be speaking on the issues surrounding prison industrial complex We'll keep you posted on exact details as the date draws nearer. There are more activities to come including a No on Prop 21 political radio advertisement paid for and soon to be voiced by a number of local Hip Hop artists. I'll keep you posted on that when it drops.
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