As I watched Del the Funkee Homosapian sitting humbly on the floor in the kitchen of Debonair Social Club, I was reminded that there is more to Hip Hop than what you see.
I know Del through my friend Psalm One. While I realize I know very little about him, it occurred to me last night, that I am privileged to see a side of him that very few others see.
That’s my experience in Hip Hop; an outsider on the inside. If I look back at my relationship with Hip Hop, it’s been this way since high school. I was close enough to see the true value and genius of the people behind the genre, but for me it was more about the people than the music.
As a dancer, I suppose I’m a bit desensitized to music. That will happen when you use music as a vehicle for movement. I typically boil songs down to things I can move to, or things I can’t.
But I digress.
As a fly on the wall, I observe rappers interacting in their natural habitat. Some our naive, others vulnerable and many are very insecure, but every so often I have the privilege of interacting with a truly amazing human being.
I could tell you about the conversation that once had with Del, that changed my idea of creativity and left me questioning everything I know about art, but honestly, you had to be there to experience it yourself.
Last night’s conversations weren’t ground breaking or earth shattering, instead they were just normal and familiar. I am thankful for an easy Saturday night with Del, shooting the shit and eating french fries.
