Barry, I respectfully disagree. You can't separate Rap from the rest of African-American
culture. It did not sprout up out of the ground but remains a form of expression that
emanates from a rhythmic and lyrical tradition. To try to confine it the way you suggest
is to deny its roots.

Rap is very much alive because it is changing (as folkmusic does) and I was privileged
to hear Naz do his rap about Fox News and I applaud this direction that Rap is taking.

Rap does have the quality of other forms of expression such as chain gang songs or
blues because it conveys history and storytelling that is not a part of the Anglo-American
experience. It is an eclectic expression that borrows from many sources and is not confined to a rigid form except when it is commercialized for a specific market.

African-Americans have been expressing views that are unique to their culture for years.
In a sense, Rap reminds me of the revolution in jazz through be-bop and the beginnings of rock and roll. Both forms were rejected by a proper white community who considered
them violent and "immoral". Eventually these musical expressions were accepted and understood by a larger audience. The same will happen with Rap.

I think that Fela Kouti has had an influence on Rap. His mode of expression was to take
current political events that occurred in his country, not unlike the Calypso tradition in
Trinidad. Rap has elements of this expression particularly when it takes a political bent.

Barry, I have sung be-bop at some gatherings and the songs of Hendricks,Lambert and Ross were accepted. In some circles, ears have opened to new ideas and not imprisoned
by labels or cliques of musical personalities. As we become exposed to more new and interesting ideas in music, the acceptance rate for innovation and change becomes more apparent.

Frank Hamilton