Rapstar Magazine
Grimes Social Media Promotions: Rapstar Magazine
(@RapstarMagazine)
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Location: Vallejo, California
Category: Entertainment
First of all, I'd like to welcome you to the Inaugural issue of RapStar Magazine. The premise of the magazine is to showcase the Hip Hop movement from when it began in the 1980's to what it has evolved into now-a form of vision, words, actions and feelings that is not afraid to tackle any subject that is considered important and relevant to today's world.
When I first began my career in the Hip Hop scene some 20 years ago, I never gave it a thought as to how this art form would shape music as we know it today. I have watched it evolve from street corners and boomboxes to digital turntables and Auto-Tune. I have watched it from infancy in NYC to spread throughout the United States and erupt overseas like an atom bomb-the effects of Hip Hop are far-reaching and ever evolving. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly side of this business and hope to share with you some of the things that this genre of art has taught me.
The things I have witnessed within this evolution of this art form and the effect that this has had prompted me to give birth to this magazine. I want to showcase new talent with an emphasis on how the past has influenced the future. I want you to see the creation of this music through the eyes of some unexpected sources. I want you to feel the fresh, positive energy that the new generation is presenting to the world. I want you to hear the awareness of what is going on in the world and how they interpret and incorporate it into what they produce. I want you to understand that how they respect and pay homage to their Hip Hop forefathers is reflected in the rhythm and flow of their craft. I understand all of this and wish to bring this forward to you in a way that will make you aware of how the education of this generation is flowing into the next young ones coming onto the scene.
I also hope to show you using this forum how the diversity that what we call Hip Hop has crossed oceans and borders alike to bring new sounds, words, and visual arts to the craft. Artists from Africa to Russia have embraced Hip Hop as a medium for them to exercise their right to speech (although some not with FREE speech) to speak to what is going on in THEIR worlds; therefore, exploring other avenues which were not open to them before. I also represent the diversity within our own boundaries-Hip Hop knows no color...just a shared loved for the art portrayed on different pallets of bodies. Within the Hip Hop community, we are as diverse as we are together with the love of the beat that feeds the words that releases the story into rhyme.
In closing, I would encourage you to flip through the pages to see Hip Hop from a point of view that has seen Hip Hop educate, entertain, and visualize a way of life that has resulted in a positive impact on the way we see our world today. Some of the artists featured here come from backgrounds that could be seen as so negative it will leave you wondering how that person used their craft to uplift themselves from that way of life. You will see and hear of artists that have a vibe as smooth as butter and gentle like a summer breeze. There are some that are featured that the message that they present is almost like Deliverance-it was their way out, so to speak. But the message that ALL of us bring to you is that Hip Hop is many things-for some, a way of life, for others, a way to deliver their message of life. I hope to share this with you and along the way,remember our history and encourage our future.
Keith L. Napier
Editor-In-Chief
When I first began my career in the Hip Hop scene some 20 years ago, I never gave it a thought as to how this art form would shape music as we know it today. I have watched it evolve from street corners and boomboxes to digital turntables and Auto-Tune. I have watched it from infancy in NYC to spread throughout the United States and erupt overseas like an atom bomb-the effects of Hip Hop are far-reaching and ever evolving. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly side of this business and hope to share with you some of the things that this genre of art has taught me.
The things I have witnessed within this evolution of this art form and the effect that this has had prompted me to give birth to this magazine. I want to showcase new talent with an emphasis on how the past has influenced the future. I want you to see the creation of this music through the eyes of some unexpected sources. I want you to feel the fresh, positive energy that the new generation is presenting to the world. I want you to hear the awareness of what is going on in the world and how they interpret and incorporate it into what they produce. I want you to understand that how they respect and pay homage to their Hip Hop forefathers is reflected in the rhythm and flow of their craft. I understand all of this and wish to bring this forward to you in a way that will make you aware of how the education of this generation is flowing into the next young ones coming onto the scene.
I also hope to show you using this forum how the diversity that what we call Hip Hop has crossed oceans and borders alike to bring new sounds, words, and visual arts to the craft. Artists from Africa to Russia have embraced Hip Hop as a medium for them to exercise their right to speech (although some not with FREE speech) to speak to what is going on in THEIR worlds; therefore, exploring other avenues which were not open to them before. I also represent the diversity within our own boundaries-Hip Hop knows no color...just a shared loved for the art portrayed on different pallets of bodies. Within the Hip Hop community, we are as diverse as we are together with the love of the beat that feeds the words that releases the story into rhyme.
In closing, I would encourage you to flip through the pages to see Hip Hop from a point of view that has seen Hip Hop educate, entertain, and visualize a way of life that has resulted in a positive impact on the way we see our world today. Some of the artists featured here come from backgrounds that could be seen as so negative it will leave you wondering how that person used their craft to uplift themselves from that way of life. You will see and hear of artists that have a vibe as smooth as butter and gentle like a summer breeze. There are some that are featured that the message that they present is almost like Deliverance-it was their way out, so to speak. But the message that ALL of us bring to you is that Hip Hop is many things-for some, a way of life, for others, a way to deliver their message of life. I hope to share this with you and along the way,remember our history and encourage our future.
Keith L. Napier
Editor-In-Chief
Last Updated August 8, 2011
