It is difficult for some people to comprehend police brutality. For many, they accept the notion that a police officer is provoked and or is entitled to use brute force; moreover, if and when that force is used, it must have been justified. Therefore, it is almost impossible to understand someone wanting to take action (as in a lawsuit or criminal court case) against an officer who was simply “doing his/ her duty.” After all, if you were not doing anything wrong, why would you have to run or put up a fight? Therein lies a very large misunderstanding and thus enters in the multifarious nature of the social construction of race (Click here for another examination of the social construct of race).

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So here we are. Ten years later. It’s hard to believe another decade has gone by. A lot can happen in ten years; much can change. Hip Hop underwent some major changes and turns between 2000-2009. Aside from the Y2K scare throughout the ’99 year and the ensuing mini-panic from people on New Years Eve 1999, Hip Hop saw a lot of growth, set back, and just plain old “mess” during this 10-year period. What I do here is give you the top ten major events and shifts in Hip Hop during this last decade. So let’s get this thing going.

10) The Virtual Hip Hopper: Hip Hop and rap embrace the internet as a newborn loves to be swaddled. At the end of the 90’s and 20th century, most Hip Hoppers barely knew of ring-tones, I-Tunes downloads, and the latest videos sent to your phone. This decade saw a phenomenal increase in the use of internet related media and Hip Hop. It’s almost an oxymoron to not have a website, Facebook, or MySpace page if you are a rapper. Moreover, it is almost insane if you are not having your videos and or songs shown somewhere on the internet as an artist. The internet revolution has opened up the doors for a lot of cats to get their name out there without the “middle man” of a major label.

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I couldn’t believe it when I heard it. I was stunned and shocked when the news came across my Facebook account. The wind had been taken out from underneath me. I just sat there in a bit of amazement. What was the news you say? The Republican Party is going Hip Hop! Wow! A good friend of mine had sent me a link regarding this branding decision made by the GOP. You can read one of the articles here. Now, I am an open brotha when it comes to Hip Hop. I am in no way shape or form thinking that Hip Hop is solely a “Black Thing” or an “Urban thing.” However, that being said, for me, and for other Hip Hoppers I’ve spoken with over the last week, it’s a slap in the face. The very idea of having GOP/Republican and Hip Hop in the same sentence is almost a blasphemy.

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This day is a big day. It means more than just a president being sworn into office. Today marks a grand step in the right direction. It marks the day that people who look like me, take a closer step towards being accepted as citizens who are no different from other citizens. It marks the day that the nation said, loudly, that we want and embrace a new “change.” Today means that people of darker skin descent, can take a step closer in being seen as humans rather than the list of stereotypes that has held many of us back. This day is special to me, because I, as a Black man, can be taken just a little more serious among many of my White counterparts.

Now, for many who have never been called a derogatory racial slur, been denied seating because of the color of your skin, been presumed guilty simple because you are “dark,” been seen as “less than” because some scientist has labeled your ethnic group that way, been told you “cannot” because your ancestors never have, or have been degraded through subtle racism’s which deteriorates the very fabric in which your ethnicity sits on, this day might not mean as much. However, for “us”— meaning African American people, Puerto Rican people, Mexican people, Korean people, Euro-American people, African people, and any one else who identifies with their ethnic background and culture—this day means that we take  a closer step towards “all men created equal…” and realize that people of darker persuasion can be “all they can be.”

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