3 x 4 = 7 Continued...

It's true, math is a subject only mastered by view. Many of us (myself included) possess the gift of gab on the discourse of (fill in the blank) in contemporary culture today. We post blogs that discuss our feelings on the world, and we then use these views to stimulate small talk at hipster sneaker parties in a vintage style decorated wannabe new york chic apartments. You know the kind. It's the place where every chick is petite with ripped paint splattered jeans and a blonde/red streaked mowhawk, and every dude has a limited edition pair of Chuck Taylor's on with a matching (but mismatched because matching is corny) blazer with the an electrict green, yellow and pink silkscreen designed by their unemployed but incredibly gifted roomate (who always "happens" to be a graphic designer).

So what happens when those of us who are bestowed with this gift are asked to think outside of our realm to the very technical world of numbers? You get responses like 3 x 4 = 7.

On April 28, 2002, the North America's Conservative (Canada) and Republican (USA) community was provided with the greatest ammunition to date in the attack against hip hop music. On the Weakest Link Da Brat, Xzibit, Jermaine Dupri, the Rev. Run, Cypress Hill's B-Real, Nate Dogg, Young MC and DJ Quik endured humiliating cracks about lyrics, education and age in classic Anne Robinson style to raise money for their respective charities.

There were a few funny moments, but B-Real's out-of-this-world...okay, I'm exaggerating, but his asinine reponse to a simple math question had me wondering who handled the books at the non-profit arm of these artists' commerical enterprises. With pressure from the audience, and the North America watching him, he mistakingly said that 3 x 4 = 7.

The entire show was Dave Chappelle Show skit-worthy, and something that I wouldn't be surprised seeing on the O'reilly Show to convince the makers of Right Guard deodorant that they should have pulled the plug on the Xzibit endorsement deal because of his humour about doing a bid.

Hip Hop's sect of KRSian, Commonian, Mos Defian, Public Enemian, and even quasi-Kanyenian lyrics have always had a place as "conscious" rappers, but what about real book smarts? Like the kind that Roxanne Shante has? Watching the Weakest Link made me wonder about the real life links that exist within hip hop culture.

Hip hop academia is coming into the spotlight as a credible source (go to 11:25) for providing a context in which this culture exists in (North) America. Suddenly, those who grew up with hip hop in their lives have earned the respect of their colleagues in making hip hop culture worthy of intellectual interrogation and analysis alongside other issues like feminism, poverty, and of course, race.

However, who are those that are being educated? How is this information being shared? Who is responsible for the dissemination and translation of this information? How do hip hop academics get their "street cred" without hip hop's industry buzz? An equally important question is how do hip hop academics maintain the respect of their PhD card carrying colleagues within the institutions of which they teach?

This post has taken me 45 mins to post.... it's a work in progress. As I said before, feel inspired to start your own post, or link this blog.

This is to be continued...