this is an excerpt from bridget gray's "My Letter to Hip Hop"

Dear Hip Hop:
I’m writing to inform you I’m going to have to end our relationship, I know in the beginning I was down to work my hips, but I was tricked. Seduced by your beat. You had me for three minutes and forty-six seconds I was suspended in time, but when I snapped out of it I had to ask, “Did I hear what I thought I did in that last rhyme?” Now forgive me, maybe I’m getting old or maybe I’m just slow, but I didn’t even know you could say bitch on the radio, yet I was entranced by your beat I heard somewhere before, oh, I remember that was the original score. Now unless I’m dreaming I could of swore, right after you called me a bitch you called someone else whore, and at this point I’m trying to process a few things. What were the original words to that song? And you want me to do WHAT with my thong? I’m trippin’ cause nobody is acting like anything is wrong. After all the anthem for the new millennium was Big Pimpin’. It all seems a big surreal, when I was dancing I didn’t know the damage my soul was going to feel. And there are times when I’m still compelled to move, but I swear it’s the old school groove that plays above the lyrics, but if the music wasn’t there I definitely wouldn’t hear it! I thought Hip Hop was a way to poetically express yourself but it seems you’d say anything to get your C.D. off the shelf. So lets toast with champagne and blunts to your health but first tell me why, “Every other video, brotha’s gotta be a gigolo” and you show your respect by pouring beer for the homie who’s dead. Then pour the rest of the forty over some females head, and what’s crazier than that she doesn’t seem to mind, but if you look past her ass deep into her eyes you might find, a hint of surprise, cause she didn’t realize ,the camera shot would be between her thighs, and she furthers the lie, as she tries to deny, pretending its okay. She just gave a piece of her self-esteem away, and it aired nine times on MTV today, and all of that for little to know pay, but “He’s a hustler baby and he told you so, and when he’s through you’re a video ho.” And I’m trying to make it in this business so I’ve stood in those high heel shoes you know. Now, when I go to the club I see a sea of young woman with fake diamonds bouncing around their waist to little clothes on her body and too much make-up on her face singing, “Ondelay Ondelay mommie E.I. E.I. uh oh.” Were you that ho? Was I that ho? Or do we all need to spititually grow? Does anyone know what E.I E.I. stands for anyway?

Is it

Eternally Imprinting

Exaggerated Ignorance or,

Exploiting Innocence while

Extremely Intoxicated?

I’m starting to think commercial Hip Hop has become over rated, and you dedicated,

an entire song to how fast my ass is shaking, tossing around money you really ain’t making , didn’t I see you on Court TV accused of raping? But I’m the one hatin?

Well maybe I am! Someone needs to speak up on behalf of the woman! So, NO!

You can’t see my thong. NO! I won’t back my thing up. NO! You can’t big pimp me, into buying your C.D. It takes a King and a Queen to create a real dynasty. Why don’t you set your mind free? Why don’t’ you back that thinking up? Maybe you’re already aware you call yourself Kurrupt. It’s not hard to deduct when I keep hearing rumors you’re going bankrupt. You just claim to be head Hip Hopper in charge, but spend all your money to prove that you’re large but, “All your real niggas still kick it with ya” and “There ain’t no nigga like the one you got” so “You’d ride for your niggas and die for your niggas” cuz you’re a NO LIMITATIONS NIGGA. What type of nigga slang and bang in the streets, A Bad Boy, a rude boy, a 504 boy, a hot boy, a ghetto boy? Hold up! Listen to me, I’ve got a plan. Stop calling yourself a nigga and a boy and call yourself a MAN! “What I really want from my niggas” is to realize it’s the root of the word that’s the trigger, triggering thoughts through my temple of its real definition look it up it’s simple, #1 ignorant ;#2 stingy and misery; #3 inconsequential and petty, but it’s not the definition that comes as a shocker, what baffles me you call yourself a Doctor. What are you healing brother? With all your jewels wrapped around your neck and your wrist,

What happen to throwing up a fist? To represent unity, to show our pride. Now the only time you throw up a fist is to show off the fact you bought a Rolex never mind the damaging effects all of this has look around it’s spreading fast. Even Lil’ Bow Wow has his Mickey Mouse iced down when he should be fitting those jewels into his crown. Got little kids thinking it’s the thing to hustle up your money for a little Bling Bling, why don’t you Sing Sing the truth playa? Money really ain’t a thing ya see, when you trade it in for the your dignity, and all you are doing is perpetuating the negativity.

So I challenge thee, the next time, I do mean the very next time you’re seduced by the beat listen closely to the rhyme, and you tell me if that is what poetry was supposed to be.

Sincerely,
bridget gray