Chapter 5: Hip-Hop Saved My Life

Okay, so I used to listen to Pop most of the time. You know... Bye Bye Bye... or Oops I Did It Again? Some M2M was good too. But all that changed as I grew older. Life took an unexpected turn. Nothing was going as smooth as I predicted it to be. My fear of not being able to graduate on time, money problems, and family issues popped out like a genie. I was compressing everything inside me so my deeper emotions won't show. But sooner or later I will explode. Listening to music was my only way of escaping reality. Pop wasn't doing that for me though so I had to find another genre... and that was Hip-Hop.


Have you ever heard the song by Lupe Fiasco called Hip Hop Saved My Life? Well mine is different from the story Lupe is telling. He is talking about how Hip-Hop gave him the needs at that moment and made his dream come true, it really is a classic hit. You all should listen to it if you haven't yet. Anyways, Hip-Hop is my only escape... all the rough times that I went through, music was the only medicine. I mean, my homies were always there for me and I feel blessed with that, but sometimes it's a solo thing. You know, something like no one else but you.


It all started on my senior year of high school. A lot of pressures were on me because of Kadish, at that same time I was having problems with my family and money issues...  I been listening to Hip-Hop for a while now, but just not as in depth as now. Like back then, I can't tell from artist to artist and what lyricism is. Basically I was like the Jr High school kids now... listening to "ring-tone" rap. "Ring-tone" rap is faggots like Soulja Boy, Hurrican Chris, Gucci Mane just to name a few. That was basically the death of Hip-Hop. They changed what used to be a heart and soul music into this commercialized shit. So when I got into Hip-Hop, I started listening to their lyrics and understood the stories behind it. When I'm stressed out, I would be by myself and blast the music and drift away. I also started writing rhymes. Putting down how I feel on a piece of paper and getting shit out of my mind. This is a healthy hobby. Good Hip-Hop is like another world for me, the only escape from reality. When I listen to the lyrics I can picture myself in their shoes. My life sounds almost like heaven compared to what most of these rappers (excluding ring tone rappers) had to go through.


People keep asking me how am I so calm when I got so much shit on my back, and I would tell them the same thing over and over again. Drift away to the lyrics when listening to music, it is like another world for you to explore. Writing rhymes and listening to Hip-Hop played an important role in my life ever since. This was my only way to cope with stress. I mean everyone have their type of music, it can be Rock, Pop, R&b, Country, Jazz, Blues, etc. it doesn't have to be Hip-Hop. But to me, Hip-Hop holds more meaning. Each  song tells a different story. So my Hip-Hop list grew as I listen to more artists. Oh, did I mention that they can be inspiring too? Songs like Dead and Gone by T.I., my favorite song of all time Chamillionaire ft. Scarface & Billy Cook - Rain, Busta Rhymes - Number One, Tupac - Life Goes On, etc.


Just for you all to know, my top 5 Hip-Hip artists are:
1. Chamillionaire
2. Eminem
3. Ludacris
4. Nas
5. Crooked I

Those 5 are one of the top lyricists in the game today, rather they are main stream or not. Sadly Lupe didn't make it to my top 5, but I'm on a look out for his new album L.A.S.E.R.S. Today I bring to you my freestyle.



Hip Hop Saved My Life

From wat i heard im hated
I can give 2 fucks i just dun mind it
all i need is hip hop shit is theraputic
gimme a pen and a pad and i'll give u music
without hip hop i wouldnt know how my life would turn out
i coulda been emo cuz i couldnt take my stress out
hip hop can ease ur pain release ur pressure
write downt he rhymes on a piece of paper
when situations blow, just let it go let it flow
when u rhyming u can forget bout ur role
hip hop is like the flipside of reality
u can rap bout ur life or even tales like fairies
hip hop makes me think right
hip hop keeps me from tearing in the inside
hip hop keeps me away from fights
dam hip hop really saved my life
-JCL


There are a couple songs I want to share with you all today, one of them is none other than Lupe Fiasco - Hip Hop Saved My Life.
Lupe Fiasco Ft. Nikki Jean - Hip Hop Saved My Life
Chamillionaire Ft. Scarfact & Billy Cook - Rain
Crooked I Ft. K-Young, Ya Boy & One 2 - My Story