Hip Hop Identity Crisis: Realness

What is "realness?" Since the beginning, hip hop has always had an issue with truthful representation. We make judgements on who is repping and who's not. It's a strange dilemma. Even with hip hop's fingerprints in mainstream culture, we're still underground and the lifestyle of our DJs, emcees, graff writers, and dancers are still unseen by the masses. When you're dealing with a subculture, it's hard to establish a barometer of who is really hip hop.

While it's important to seek authenticity in our culture, the drawback that's happening is when fellow dancers judge each other negatively. We live in a world of endless comparison. You can imagine how difficult it can be for a new dancer to feel like if he or she is measuring up to everyone else. This isn't a phenomenon that's unique to hip hop dance. But it's something that's tearing apart our unity.

Can our culture be different from the rest of the world? Hip hop espouses unity and diversity - the power to bring people together from all walks of life. There's potential to bring real cultural change. But it will take less judgement and a little something else to help us along: humility.

Humility is never easy. But if we can put aside our own egos for just a moment, we might realize that "realness" is about taking off our facades, our masks, and being willing to believe in the best in another person.