Hip hop beyond entertainment

Political and spiritual dialogue is not new within the Hip Hop community. Hip Hop has always touted a socially and politically aware "undaground" community. The 1982 release of The Message by Melle Mel formally introduced Hip Hop's "undaground" to the mainstream. Today, many mainstream media outlets overlook (even deliberately ignore) Hip Hop's more politically charged voices, yet the conscious Hip Hop movement continues to grow and remains the glue that bonds the Hip Hop community worldwide. In 1987, Afrika Bambaataa called an historic meeting at the Latin Quarter night club where he urged the Hip Hop community to become more politically and socially active. Heavy D, MC Lyte, Daddy-O, Just-Ice, Harry Allen, and KRS-ONE were among the attendees. Personally influenced by the meeting, KRS-ONE went to work releasing a 12" single entitled "Stop The Violence" (1988 Jive). This song gave rise to the views of a swelling community of conscious Hiphoppas.

In 1989, KRS-ONE, along with VP of A&R at Jive records Ann Carli and author/musicologist Nelson George, developed an all-star project that would become a legendary Hip Hop peace anthem, "Self-Destruction". The recording boldly denounced Black-on-Black violence and united some of the most popular Rap performers of that time. MC Lyte, Just-Ice, Kool Moe Dee, Heavy D, and Public Enemy were among the contributing artists. It was this song that popularized the term ‘Stop the Violence' while raising more than $400,000.00 dollars for the literacy programs of the National Urban League.

Two years later in 1991, KRS-ONE and friend Professor Z organized a global Hip Hop awareness campaign called H.E.A.L.-Human Education Against Lies. It was a consortium of artists committed to spreading a singular message: Hip Hop is more than "just entertainment" and its reach extends far beyond race, religion and class. H.E.A.L. released an album entitled: "Civilization vs. Technology". It featured Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Billy Bragg, DMC, Ziggy Marley and more. The 12" single, "Heal Yourself," featured a star-studded lineup including MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Queen Latifah, Freddy Foxxx, Kid Capri, LL Cool J, DMC and the late Jam Master Jay.

In 1994, KRS-ONE and Hip Hop activist/writer Harry Allen organized a Hip Hop "Meeting of the Minds" conference at the Alfonse Schomberg Center for Black Studies in Harlem to discuss the proper archiving and documenting of Hip Hop as a culture. Afrika Bambaataa and Zulu Nation, Crazy Legs, Mr. Wiggles, Kool DJ Herc, and Grand Wizard Theodore were among the attendees. It was here that Hip Hop's pioneers proposed the global direction of Hip Hop as an international culture and set the framework for the creation of Hip Hop's history. From this meeting KRS-ONE went to work on a collaborative book project entitled: The Gospel of Hiphop.

Inspired by the productivity of that meeting, KRS-ONE began regularly hosting and sponsoring a wide variety of national Hip Hop summits, conferences, and town hall meetings to discuss and document the primary issues facing Hip Hop as a community. It was during this time that KRS-ONE experienced and witnessed (first-hand) the sickness, hate, ignorance, and poverty shared by so many people that claimed Hip Hop as their lifestyle and inspiration. KRS-ONE argued; "...if Hip Hop is to exist as a real community of real people, it will need a code of conduct capable of raising the self-worth and living quality of such a people. Hip Hop has many organizations, but Hip Hop is in need of a serious ministry!"

In 1996, KRS-ONE, with the support of Professor Z, Chuck D, Big Daddy Kane, Kool DJ Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Fat Joe, and others announced the establishment of a Hip Hop preservation society called the Temple of Hiphop. The purpose of the Temple of Hiphop was (and still is) to assist in the building of Hip Hop as a legitimate community of prosperous and peace-filled people. The Temple of Hiphop teaches ancient spiritual knowledge through the language and experience of modern-day ‘Hiphop Kulture'. Members of the Temple of Hiphop (Temple Members) approach Hip Hop far beyond music entertainment. For Temple Members Hip Hop is an alternative behavior capable of raising one's self-awareness, self-worth, and self-respect.

Through the Temple of Hiphop, KRS-ONE coined profound affirmations including, "Rap is something we do. Hip Hop is something we live!" as well as, "We are not just doing Hip Hop, we are Hip Hop." and "I am Hip Hop!" Declarations like these helped solidify the message that Hip Hop is not just a collection of music and dance products, but is the collective consciousness of a real community.

In 1997, the Temple of Hiphop organized the first census of Hip Hop's cultural existence. More than 80,000 people from around the world responded to basic questions such as: What is Hip Hop? as well as, How may we improve Hip Hop? The results of that census helped to complete the Gospel of Hiphop and confirmed the strength of an international, unified Hip Hop voice - a voice that is politically aware, spiritually minded and socially active. This more ‘conscious' Hip Hop community consists of those who acknowledge and participate in Hip Hop beyond entertainment.

In 1998 the Temple of Hiphop announced every third week in May as Hip Hop Appreciation Week - a time set aside to assess the progress of the ‘conscious' Hip Hop movement as well as one's own role within such a movement. The Temple of Hiphop would also be an advocate against corporate greed and the selfish exploitation of Hip Hop's intellectual properties. The point was (and still is) to live Hip Hop.

The first set of thirty-two Hip Hop principles toward peace; co-authored by KRS-ONE, Pop Master Fables, Ralph Mc Daniels, Afrika Bambaataa, Harry Allen and others was declared "the Hiphop Declaration of Peace" at the United Nations headquarters in New York on May 16^th 2001. At the same ceremony the Temple of Hiphop, Ribbons International, the United Nation's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (U.N.E.S.C.O.), along with some 300 Hip Hop activists, artists, pioneers, and U.N. delegates signed the Hiphop Declaration of Peace which officially declared ‘Hiphop' an international culture of peace and prosperity.

Since 2001 the KRS ONE through the Temple of Hiphop has been promoting the Hiphop Declaration of Peace and teaching its principles to all interested Hiphoppas. The Temple of Hiphop inspires Hiphoppas to reach for their higher selves by exploring Hip Hop not just as a rhyme, dance and/or art skill but as a life skill capable of raising one's own self-worth. The ‘Teacha' KRS-ONE often asks his apprentice, "do you have the courage to be you? Do you have the skill to actualize the YOU that is in your dreams? Even more than your own failure; you may be even more afraid of your own success?"

The Temple of Hiphop's general doctrine picks up at Afrika Bambaataa's urging for "peace, love, unity and having fun". To achieve a life of peace, love, unity and fun the Temple Member is taught to maintain his/her health, love, awareness and wealth through the actualization of one's life purpose. As an international community Hiphoppas are taught to "...be the changes that they would like to see in the world". KRS ONE has consistently taught the Hip Hop community to think of itself beyond entertainment and more as a specific culture of new people in the world. As the seventeenth principle of the Hiphop Declaration of Peace states; "...Hiphop is shown the highest respect when Hiphoppas respect each other. Hiphop Kulture is preserved, nurtured and developed when Hiphoppas preserve, nurture and develop one another."

"We are developing Hip Hop as a productive lifestyle capable of raising families and producing peace in the world" says KRS-ONE. He continues, "...for these reasons we have expanded Hip Hop's elements to include: Breakin, Emceein, Graffiti Art, Deejayin, Beatboxin, Street Fashion, Street Knowledge, Street Language, and Street Entrepreneurialism. As nine elements, Hip Hop is capable of being lived and not just performed. As a sustainable lifestyle, and not as just a form of entertainment, we spell Hip Hop either as ‘Hip Hop' (culture) or as ‘Hiphop' (consciousness). To spell any culture or nation in lower case letters (hip-hop) is simply disrespectful. The correct title of our community is ‘Hiphop Kulture' and the citizens of our culture are called Hiphoppas".

The Temple of Hiphop operates within four departments which are called its "M.A.S.S." or ministry, archive, school and society. As a ministry, the Temple of Hiphop seeks to relieve human suffering through an awareness of useful spiritual knowledge and the actualization of one's true life purpose. The Temple of Hiphop is a self-realization ministry believing that God speaks through one's true purpose in life. As an archive, the Temple of Hiphop seeks to collect and document Hip Hop's material experiences in the world. Its aim is to develop a traveling Hip Hop exhibit and an official Hip Hop museum and archive for the study of Hip Hop as an international cultural movement.

As a school, the Temple of Hiphop seeks to correctly teach the meaning, purpose and proper uses of Hip Hop to all interested students. "We believe that a good education does not prepare you for the job market exclusively. We believe that a good education helps you to realize and prefect your true life purpose. Such an education helps YOU to become a better YOU". Finally as a Hip Hop society, Temple Members seek to help and mentor one another through the challenges of life.

You simply must be; 12 years of age or older, registered with the Temple of Hiphop, own at least one copy of the Gospel of Hiphop (a study manual that accompanies the ‘Hiphop' lifestyle) and you must love Hip Hop to call yourself an official "Temple Member". Apprenticeships, teaching positions, live concert and lecture touring apprenticeships are also available.