The 90’s was one of the most creative decades for Black American cultural expression for TV and film, but especially music. While hip hop came to the public eye in the 80’s, the 1990’s is arguably when hip hop exploded into mainstream popularity. This is why this decade is often referred to as the golden era of hip hop. 1994 in particular was one of the best years for the genre. The music industry saw debut albums from Nas, OutKast, and the Notorious B.I.G, plus a sophomore project from UGK. But one group from the 90’s that often gets overlooked is the hip hop super duo, Gang Starr. Gang Starr consists of the hip hop producer DJ Premier, and the rapper MC Guru. One song in particular that I’ve always loved by Gang Starr is “Mass Appeal,” one of the singles from their ‘94 classic Hard to Earn. “Mass Appeal” is a prophetic warning for rappers, but truthfully it can be extended beyond that. It is a message that is not only transferable to musicians and writers (rappers are writers), but artists in general. Reflective of his time, Guru was a rapper who used the art of storytelling to provide a narrative around the concept of “selling out.” As I grow as a person and a writer, this song becomes more important to me. But what exactly does it mean to “sell out”? What did Guru mean when he said, “and you’d be happy to get a record deal, maybe you’d sell your soul to have mass appeal”? Since the beginning of time, art, writing in particular has been driven by authenticity. People who become a fan of a writer typically do so because of the author's ability to connect with the reader. When I read someone’s writing, I want to hear their voice, I want to read them, hopefully to relate to the story in some way. That is what the reader is saying when engaging with a piece, whether they are conscious of it or not. They are electing to hear that artist’s creative voice, a glimpse of their soul on that topic. As writers, when you receive an acceptance for publication, that is validation from the magazine that your authenticity is a good fit for that issue. That is the editor reinforcing to the writer that they have mass appeal, at least for this particular piece, in that particular moment. In other words, don’t sell out, because there is a literary magazine that your rejected works are a good fit for. Many times I doubted my craft, when truthfully my piece just wasn’t a good fit for that magazine at that time. You don’t need to change your style or who you are to fit a literary magazine, a publisher, a record label, an art school, etc. Being your true self will get you much further in the end. “Mass Appeal,” is not a song I listened to when it first came out. In fact, I was five years old when it was released. But it is a song I discovered a few years later when I was a bit older. At the time, I mostly enjoyed the song for the beat, and I’ll be honest I didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics. It takes me back to middle school, when I would spend hours on crappy internet that screeched before it loaded anything, much less streamed music. But as I matured, this song became more important for me not only for nostalgia’s sake, but also contemporarily. For me, it has become timeless. Quite frankly if you ask a hip hop fan aged 40+ it already was. Gang Starr’s song is a declaration for artists to “keep it real,” to stay the course, ultimately not “selling out.” MC Guru tells of how despite all of the hurdles, challenges, and setbacks, staying true to who you are as a creative is most important. Being an artist is a journey, and Guru conveys this for all 3 minutes, and 42 seconds. He notes that while some have instant success, at what cost? Others may gain success at a slower pace, but in the end most likely haven’t lost who they are or why they began to create in the first place. We live in a world where people put on a show to be someone else every day. Now that the world will never be the same again, the least we can do as writers is be authentic. Genuine artistry is all we have left after all. As long as you are not harming others with your voice, there is a space for you to tell your story. After all, Guru concludes with that on this masterpiece when he says, “I be kickin the real, while they be losin’ the race tryna chase mass appeal.” Author’s Note: R.I.P Keith Edward Elam, AKA MC Guru, 1961-2010 Chris L. Butler is an African American and Dutch poet, essayist, and historian from Philadelphia, PA. His work has been featured in Lucky Jefferson Literary Journal, The Lumiere Review, The Daily Drunk Mag, Versification Magazine, Trampset Magazine, Medium, The Journal of International Relations and Diplomacy, and others.
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