It is a blessing when remarkable people allow us to interview them. Those conversations are reflections of us both, that’s why it’s imperative that what we ask matters.
One of the people we were blessed to speak with was Hip Hop producer and DJ “The Beat Champion” ZERO!
On August 11, 2023, he will join Sixman and a lineup of great artists in Grand Rapids, MI for HIP HOP 50Th Anniversary Music Fest live at top-rated venue The Pyramid Scheme. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event sponsored by WYCE Radio, NOXX and COOKIES GR, Wasted Brand Clothing, Debo Scotty (Power Moves Only), Vitale’s On Leonard, THIS ENT, and Feeding America (West Michigan).
With this cultural milestone in mind, we asked The Beat Champion THIS GOOD QUESTION: What excites you about celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and why is this milestone so culturally and socially important?
ZERO answered, “I’m equal parts excited, thankful, and hopeful.
Excited to be part of a worldwide celebration of a culture that raised us. Thankful because I was able to see and experience some of Hip Hop’s formative years. Hopeful it regains some of the strength and value it once had.
Hip Hop gave a weird kid like me a sense of being, a way of life, and a sense of community. I know I’m not the only one that taped Rap City, wanted an article of clothing because your favorite rapper wore it, or risked life and limb to go to an event that was in a bad part of town in the name of Hip Hop.
Hip Hop culture is basically a Religion that raised us, no matter how much it’s been devalued, made trendy or sold to the highest bidder. I hope the celebration of 50 years shows people where it came from, and what it really meant and really stood for.” | THIS ENT
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
