Of Homeboys, Homelands, and the Island

Rappers make their livings being articulate, and there's no one better to articulate the '80s from an Afrikan, youthful, working hip-hop perspective

“Yeah, it’s a ghetto, boo-yee. But we call it home (or at least we do until after the revolv-olution).”

“New York rapped and America listened. Now Amer­ica is rhyming back.”

“Rap is about using fighting words, in­stead of fighting. Instead of saying ‘Let’s fight,’ people say, ‘Let’s battle.’ I bet you rap has saved a lot of lives.”