Jeff Chang Reminds Flexner Hip Hop was the thing he liked.

I was informed an important book was being re-released while I was planning to watch the new Fred Hampton movie.

Can’t Stop Won’t Stopcan function as the encyclopedia of rap.

Can’t Stop Won’t Stoprelease date was March 16th.

I attended a virtual meeting with community radio producers in which Jeff Chang, who wrote Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, was discussing the 2021 edition of his 2005 book.

BSA Hip Hop 7pm 92.7 / 98.3 wcrsfm.org is my radio show.
http://wesflexner.com/2021/03/12/bsa-hip-hop-3-11-21/

Kool Herc started Hip Hop by dejaying at 1520 Sedgwick in the South Bronx during a time people needed rebuilding.

Kool Herc wrote the introduction of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.

Jeff’s book is extremely adept at making you feel like Kool Herc is dejaying at your house. Or Dr. Dre is making weed music with your friends who don’t know how to behave.

This virtual roundtable added to the feeling that Hip Hop History is tangible.

Jeff said in that virtual meeting: “Hip Hop was the first movement following the end of the Civil Rights movement.”

I was sitting in my living room in which a turntable sits above various Malcolm X books which is to the left of my computer screen.

One could look at Kool Herc playing a record as the people’s first step to Killer Mike + Lil Baby’s recent Grammy Performance after Cointelpro destroyed the Civil Rights movement.

My bookshelf agrees with Chang’s statement regarding Kool Herc starting an important movement after MLK, Martin Luther King Jr, and Fred Hampton were killed.

Last week was the 1 year anniversary of Brianna Taylor’s murder which is similar to Fred Hampton’s death.

While she wasn't a leader, The Authorities shot + killed people in their homes which is a similar result.

My bookshelf was undisturbed while Chang was extolling the virtues of Hip Hop culture. I did revisit my bookshelf often after being reminded I liked bookshelves.

I contemplated where I was sitting while I initially read the first version of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop in 2008.

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop was released in 2005.

I didn’t have a library card in 2005.

In 2021, rereading this was a reminder I liked Hip Hop.

People do really impressive things in the face of imperialism.

2005 had racial problems but we were really concerned about the awful performance of our government.

The first edition of this book was released while George Bush was luring our country into a war in Iraq with lies. Our economy was in a recession.

This global economic blundering had Chang’s 2005 book finishing his rap story with the role Hip Hop global culture had in resisting imperialism
2021’s release, Chang’s stories of the LA Riots give a historic narrative which culminates in near Killer Mike in Atlanta during protests.

Cardi B interviews Bernie Sanders and Biden.

That’s the 2021 relevence.

Chang is incredibly good with detailing context.

The continuing narrative is rap's response to racial, economic and violent oppression.

A human element lives within.

The LA Riots are interesting from Chang’s perspective who understands the police were abusing citizens in negative economic circumstances.

Chang also is an Asian living in California.

There was conflict between Koreans + Blacks during the 1992 LA Riots after a young black girl named Latasha Harlins was murdered by a Korean store owner.

One of the interesting facts in the new book is an immigrant owned the store where George Floyd was murdered outside.

The immigrant’s relationship with the Community kept immigrants from being demonized. That and the cops killed George Floyd not a clerk.
But in times of turmoil people make irrational decisions.

Immigrants vs. African Americans was avoided in 2020.

Last Time, I read Can’t Stop Won’t Stop i felt like Hip hop was being documented by someone who had read Marxist film studies as part of PHD critical theory course as well as had friends who were active participants in Hip Hop his entire life.

The book was detailed to the tee where a kid from Columbus partaking in dejaying parties, rapping, and painting graffiti had the same feel as the Hip hop legends.

At the same time the Panthers were intellectuals.

Hip Hop was intellectual from both Wild Style + the Panthers.

Art history in a back drop of the Bush Regimes’ ending required a Marxist literacy due to the disparities that existed. I watched Godard Films while reading Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.

Every economy is decimated from the plague so we don’t need linguistic conundrums making unnecessary divisions.

Should I pose a where does Putin Trump COVID leave Marxist based Art Theories? Or does the DSA make this question seem obsolete + so 2019?

This is a meandering in regards to things critics used to read in regards to relevency in 2021.

This new version of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop is relevent in 2021.

Jay-Z can still rap. As can Rakim, and Cold Crush. Wild Style is still the movie.

This time around we land in Ferguson and Cardi B + Megan the Stallion exist in a political context.

This book is important in contextualizing the things we just experienced.

Chang reminded us that Kendrick Lamar, 2pac + Public Enemy were Rap's products of the Panthers.