Bumpy Knuckles has called out “culture vultures” for creating a level of division within Hip Hop that he feels threatens to destroy the genre.
The Long Island rapper offered his critique in a lengthy Instagram caption alongside the audio from his song “Legends,” which features on his 2018 project Pop Dukes. Echoing the track’s spoken intro, the post highlighted a lack of reverence for Hip Hop pioneers as one of the main sources of division in the culture.
Bumpy Knuckles wrote that he feels the growing age gap between the current generation of rappers and their predecessors is also impacting the celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary, which formally kicked off last fall in New York.
“There has always been a serious issue in Black Culture of self hate and the crabs in a barrel mentality,” he started. “However, we all have had to study something or someone who helped to design who we are in what we live and love to do. No matter how you articulate your feelings about ‘Our Culture,’ there are levels and no one could and should never deny the fact that it’s been milked, pimped, and ravaged by culture vultures who have helped to keep us more divided in ideas and the outcome of those ideas.”
He went on to lament the fact that the creative Hip Hop community doesn’t seem to be on one accord as #HipHop50 celebrations begin to take place and take form.
“The Young heads feel excluded and they are not talking about a 50th anything,” Bumpy Knuckles continued, “and The True OG’s are again reminded that they are being pushed deeper into the back of the minds of those new Rappers and DJ’s…and then there is the middle aged 90’s -2000’s rappers who are in a tug of war with getting money and keeping it a buck with their forefathers about the history. Shit is fucked up that anyone would disrespect the architects of Hip Hop culture no matter what we my agree or disagree with.”
While he never addressed the specific ways in which he felt so-called culture vultures created this level of dissention with then game, Bumpy Knuckles did turn his sights on Hip Hop media for making coverage too accessible.
“The media (hip hop media) when did we stop platforming the art form for its greatness and switch to the fuckery all of the time, giving credence and credibility to anyone that knows how to rhyme a few words as opposed to real Emcees and talented DJ’s?,” he asked. “Wasn’t easy to get on a magazine cover or even have an article written about you, now you throw a mother fucker on front page just because he titles him or herself…The New, The King, The Queen, The Best or whatever excites a conversation and no one is talking about the music. Every song sounds like the last one…[shrug emoji] wtf?”
Ultimately, the Royalty Check rapper stated that he believes that Hip Hop’s obsession with capitalism and material gains will stop the movement from making it to a 100 year milestone.
“We’ve identified with the idea and fantasy being rich more than being talented. Although the first generation did NOT rock in the parks with the intentions or knowledge that Hip Hop would become the financial monstrosity that it has become today, the game has given them nothing to really say thank you for showing me what you did because it taught me to do what I do.”
As of this writing, Bumpy Knuckles’ post had garnered close to 1,500 likes and supportive comments from other well respected OGs in the game including De La Soul‘s Posdnous, DJ Rhettmatic, Greg Nice and Geechi Suede from Camp Lo.
Ultimately, the Royalty Check rapper stated that he believes that Hip Hop’s obsession with capitalism and material gains will stop the movement from making it to a 100 year milestone.
I honestly don’t think he was talking about “capitalism” the way this article is describing it. I’m I’m almost positive he as well as everyone else in hiphop would like to have generational wealth so that he can not only pass his legacy to his grandkids, but also leave them some of the fruits of his labor. Hiphop has definitely been co-opted, the people that’s supposed to be speaking for us is just putting words our mouth.
I honestly don’t think he was talking about “capitalism” the way this article is describing it. I’m I’m almost positive he as well as everyone else in hiphop would like to have generational wealth so that he can not only pass his legacy to his grandkids, but also leave them some of the fruits of his labor. Hiphop has definitely been co-opted, the people that’s supposed to be speaking for us is just putting words our mouth.
He’s right, but it’s nothing new, I’m from that era, I miss it like crazy, yo, I just wish I had a time machine so I could go back to that era, especially when I think about how crazy the world is today.
It happened during the late 80’s early 90’s grand puba called white man devil bkackman god,he was told by Tommy hillfigfer to stop saying that. He said I can’t its my culture. Nations of God and earths.. that isnin the 120.lessons. so the bigger heads promoted gangster rap instead of conscious rap,why it transcended the real hip.hop…to EDUCATE AMD APREAD MESSAGES TO.THE HOOD S THATBAFE NEVER REPRESENTED I.NTHE white controlled media…now…they use hip.hop.lyrics to.PERSECUTE black people…the greatest RAPPER is now a.ex country singer…I get it…AMERIKKKA CAN NOT AFFORD ANOTHER BLACK MESSIAH B3CAUSE WHITE JESUS IS SATAN AND MANIFEST DESTINY WAS PURE EVIL….
FACTS BUT YOU WILL NEVER GET WEST COAST HEADS TO ADMIT THAT ALOT OF THAT GANGSTA RAP ISH WAS SELLING OUT. ICE T EVEN SAID WHEN HE GOT HIS RECORD DEAL HE STP HANGING WITH HIS CRIMINAL FRIENDS..WHY? BUT YOU MAKE MONEY OF IT 100’S OF MILLIONS …
HIP HOP (ART) (1970’S – FOREVER)
Commercial rap (Lil art) DEATH OF THE SPOKEN WORD AND DIGGING IN THE CRATES (2010 – forever?). Most Commercial rap is not HIP HOP know the difference.
THE CAPITOL OF THIS RECORD SLANG IS WU- TANG!
When you rap talented what will that be about. well i think the cult of personality definatly needs to go it has brought no good. your music is all about the money than anything else some old man shows up loaded with cash so much for each track it is just a farce. shit the newbies to the rap game they will do anything for that record deal they just want to be rich most of the time my rhymes written for me or with exclusive guidance the papers don’t get looked over by a lawyer then later on they complain about something usually money or they just feel wait hey i am getting a raw deal. the bottom line is where is the music in this i think i can speak for all of us when i say we want rap music we want hip hop music but remember it is the majority who will decide if its popping it is us who will decide. the genres the sub genres lets hope they never die and we just get what. We. want.
Freddie Foxxx spittin straight truth! HHDX is owned by Warner Music Group, which is majority owned by Access Industries Inc, which is owned by Leonard Blavatnik. Fuck corporate Hip Hop
“Blavatnik was born in 1957 in Odessa, then in the Ukrainian SSR and part of the Soviet Union, to a Jewish family.”
Sounds like this mr. Knuckles fella is an antisemite.
How can THE TRUE semite be antisemite??
Hiphopdx is one of the worst sites for hip hop. Irresponsible journalism, inaccurate facts and click bait. They are one of many though. Hip hop needs to clean house. They dont need sites like hiphopdx at all.