Chicago is Hip Hop

The food to the masses sounds of a grandiose way to describe what nourishes our bodies for survival. To the average member of Chicago’s underground hip hop community, it’s a metaphor. Describing the struggle between a genre of music that feeds their souls and the little income it provides, these starving artists pump blood into a dying breed of entertainer.

“I obviously don’t put out EPs and do shows for the fame and wealth,” hip hop emcee, Scud One says. He projects over the loud voices that fill his 400 square foot apartment. The creaky floors and mismatched appliances are not what you would expect of an entertainer with a following. Nestled in the outskirts of the skyscraper fence and busy traffic that encapsulate downtown Chicago, he explains, “Casa de Scud is a hotel this week.” Your attention is diverted to his guests, three twenty-something guys donning baggy jeans and hoodies. As they converse, one fidgets with a computer. “It’s a rule of the [hip hop] culture,” Scud says, “We don't have money for hotels, but someone is always offering an empty couch to crash on.”

As one of his guests, Neandathal, finally gets the music to play, Scud’s apartment becomes a music venue. The melody begins and he mutters a “yo, uh huh,” preparing himself like a batter up to plate. Gradually introducing you to a sample of classical blues, the beat drops like a bat connecting to a home run ball. It grabs your soul from within your chest and the adrenalin is vacuumed up into your cheeks. You too begin to nod your head. Neandathal starts to freestyle, each word chosen with purpose; you will now understand why he survived extinction.

Although the depressed economy has renewed the meaning of community for many Chicagoans, this concept is not new to underground hip hop artists. At the inception of the genre, the music industry was unkind. Ignorant to the market value of conscious hip hop artists of which represents most of Chicago’s underground hip hop scene, gangster rap swelled the airwaves. Leaving many Chicago artists to fend for themselves, these individuals renewed the meaning of being an entertainer for the art. Scud One’s lyrics to All I Ever Needed capture it well, “Hip Hop is all I need besides my heart to pump the blood out…If hip hop is love, then why the [expletive] they have they guns out.” You will not find flashy bling, guns, or scantily clad women among these men; it’s about reality and life experience.

The future of Chicago hip hop is bright. With the fame of Common and Kanye West, more attention is paid to a rapper who cares about the art. In addition, organizations, such as Hip Hop Congress were developed to further expose what the culture entails. Scud one explains, “it’s great, we do some shows and talk to the people about hip hop.”

As this bustling genre of music continues to grow, some find it a ticket to a life of luxury, and others, art commercialized by suits and ties as they try to hold on to the food.