I’ll admit, I’m suffering symptoms of withdrawal. Through six months of school in Oregon, I have been without the comforts of rap music except for a brief interlude over the holiday break.
I don’t think I can take it much longer.
When I attended school in Southern California, I drove to school, listening daily to Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls, Outkast and the loony hip-hop DJs.
My car became my cocoon for the creative beats and gags of local radio stations – three played music 24-7. Rap, the same music my brother calls the synonym of dog poo.
Rap and sports have always been connected. Think about it. What other music is perfect for sporting events? Country? Punk? I think not. I can still remember the hit songs that became synonymous with the warm-ups for the community college basketball team, even my high school team.
Youth basketball gave me my introduction to the music that I can now only find in my collection of CDs. The station 104.7 KDUK plays some rap, but mainly top hits, and none of the smaller artists trying to break into the business.
Rap stars’ names don’t mean much to me.
I can recognize them but don’t ask me what the top-selling album is. I’ve enjoyed rap for its beats and my personal alarm clock. It’s not about remembering all the lyrics or wearing clothes associated with rap music.
Rap brings together people of all different races. I used to be able to connect with NBA players until David Stern instituted a dress code that whitewashed the cultural backgrounds of its top stars. Instead of trying to clean up its superstars, the NBA needs to acknowledge players’ backgrounds.
OK, I’m getting a little off topic. The dress code is a bigger discussion for another time.
When it came time to transfer schools, and I wanted to leave California, there were few places to go where rap music could be found. Other factors took precedence and rap became a temporary afterthought.
But then, when my family began the trek up to Eugene, rap came back into focus during long days of driving. Slowly, but surely, rap disappeared from the radio the closer I got to Eugene.
How can this be? Rap doesn’t just reflect a genre of music, it also represents the diversity of an area. People have different likes and dislikes, but it is nice to have the choice of what I do or don’t want to listen to. Now, when I come to school in the mornings, I have found myself resorting to CDs, my lone option without my music of choice.
I’m already experiencing rap withdrawal – don’t get me started on the loss of Howard Stern to satellite radio.
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