Universal greeting of peace and harmony to one & all. This is Cee aka Omegasun aka "we did it Brooklyn" with another edition of Omegasunslight. Wow...its been 40 years. Not yet middle aged yet a grown so & so. The culture called hip hop. Yes I said culture. It is a flow, a vibe. A way to do things. A way to relate and communicate with people. I'm 39 years young (yes, I'm giving my age) and it is an honor to have been and still be a part of one of the greatest creations of struggle in the Western Hemisphere in modern times. (We can debate) Just like any childhood guided by the streets, it has come with growing pains. We were birthed in dilapidated conditions but was too young to change it, so we partied our arrival. Sounds of disco music, funk, Motown & other music being tweaked & manipulated to fulfill our needs. The overall mission to "rock the place to be" was the entire agenda. This is the hip hop baby giggly & free. Singing songs about the dj over creative sounds and tunes was our mobile. Spinning over heads as we learn our new movements and toys. Then we started to speak. We needed to be heard. And when talked whoa....we told our story. It was cute. Still not knowing to much about our parents, jazz & blues. Uncles, freedom & creativity. Our aunties dance & rhythm. The true essence of when we began writing our name. We wrote on everything. Paper, clothes, walls, ourselves. We boasted our fashion, our style and showed off. As a youth, we were taken care of mentally and physically. Coming of age, we mirrored our teachers. The streets. Our parents, aunts and uncles call us often but them streets. For every pre teen -teen the desire to be unadulterated and rebellious is key. It marks your arrival. Freedom or aspiration of it brings warrior like anger, rage, excitement, grandeur. Flashy to violent. The youth often reflects the conditions of neighborhood. We began to connect with our peers. From NY to Cali. Seattle to Florida. We shared the speech. We shared the ways and the struggle. Once we began getting money, we adopted some reckless habits and manners. We flexed and posed with arrogance while our cousins across the seas celebrated the ways of our youth. We became materially rich, but spiritually void. No marriage, just single making "singles" and "ringtones". Not committed to anything but the money and fashion. Into adulthood, making money far outweighed the means. Our movements and ego (soloists) were making phenomenal paces in corporate America and the industry, but failed to reflect the essence or its birth. Like any child far removed from home, the purpose lost its way. It seemed that the "fun" was dead. The enthusiasm fell to the way side for gain. Though matured a bit, we lacked substance. But you can't keep a good "kid" down. The creativity of hip hop is too strong. The beat calls for attention. Writing your name involves a rhythm. Around us, change was emerging. So with a hustlers spirit, we decided to go into business for ourselves and have fun. We looked strange doing this because we were experimenting. We advance through our adversity with childlike expressions. We have gotten in touch with our "inner child" again. It is refreshing the spirit and renewing the culture. We are soon to be what it called "middle aged" where there is also a termed called "crisis" but that only happens when the culture is inconsistent and incomplete. Plus, how can you call something timeless "middle aged"? At 40, the best is yet to come. New songs of freedom will be sung with vibrant, youthful energy. Our dignity will come back in full stride. We will love our youth again because we see Irvin our young ones coming into being. Now WE can guide them if they chose to listen and if we provide wise counsel. So...thank you Kool Herc. Thank you Afrika Bambatta. Thank you Grandmaster Flash, the Furious Five especially Melle Mel. Thanks to Grandmaster Dee, DJ Hollywood, DJ Divine, NYC Breakers, Rocksteady. Special shout Elder Ernie Paniccoli for capturing so many of our greatest moments. The list of our family goes on. But remember our conception...though argued. A party thrown in the BX. Sedgewick and Cedar part of the South Bronx. A small community center throwing a party with a young locally known DJ from the islands with an enormous system. Ladies enter for 25¢ (yes cents) Fellas for 50¢. All that was asked was no fights (not even mentioned let alone guns or a dress code) and have fun. Innocent youth. It was my childhood. It was your childhood. Many of us was there, during the birth. Now, lets gather again to rebirth the culture. To everyone.... peace, unity, love and have fun.
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