To answer that question, I recommend you read Christopher Farley recent Wall Street Journal perspective, “Hip-Hop Makes the Hall of Fame.” The link to his article is below and if you’re a subscriber to the publication, you can benefit from his passionate response; a response that struck a chord with yours truly. I was so inspired by what he wrote that I did what I had to do: write him directly. Below is my letter to him, (with one corrected gramatical error):
I just read your Rock Hall Hip Hop article and need to share with you how much I enjoyed it! The fact that you took it back to your school days (and closed the piece on the same note) hit home: I was an immigrant Jewish girl from the Former Soviet Union growing up in Skokie, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) when I was first introduced to “house” music by my cool friend Karla Young. It was the very early 80’s and Karla’s older brother Albert, in high school at the time, had a huge stack of records with this new sound, this electrifying sound, which no one had heard of before. Saturday nights I would also listen to WBMX FM and record the Saturday Night Dance Party on the couple of tapes which I could afford to purchase with some babysitting or drum lessons money. The first time I heard “White Lines” I had to memorize each lyric – there was no other option but to sing (off key) to this song each time it would come on. And many years later, when Duran Duran covered it, I bought the entire album of covers because of this one song.
Currently, I reside in Cleveland, just blocks from the actual Rock Hall Museum which, unfortunately never hosts the induction ceremony. But perhaps one day it will. And, now that Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and Blondie, who first rapped about “Feb Five Freddy” and Flash in her Top 10 hit “Rapture,” (how many people realized that it’s no other than Basquiat, also of Caribbean descent, spinning records in the cutting edge video?) have both been inducted into the Rock Hall, perhaps music snobs can shift their perspective. And, if not, we can always watch “Crush Groove” over and over again to re-witness the birth of the ultimate American Dream: being given no resources and via gut instinct, passion and a bit of musical alchemy, changing the world.
Cheers to you!
– Alex”
Much to my surprise within 21 minutes Christopher wrote me back:
“Your point about Basquiat was a good one. I wish I had mentioned him. Thanks for your note.”
Not bad a Jewish girl from Skokie, Illinois. Ah, Beastie Boys would be so proud!
