Bumpy Knuckles has called out “culture vultures” for creating a level of division within Hip Hop that he feels threatens to destroy the genre.
The Long Island rapper offered his critique in a lengthy Instagram caption alongside the audio from his song “Legends,” which features on his 2018 project Pop Dukes. Echoing the track’s spoken intro, the post highlighted a lack of reverence for Hip Hop pioneers as one of the main sources of division in the culture.
Bumpy Knuckles wrote that he feels the growing age gap between the current generation of rappers and their predecessors is also impacting the celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary, which formally kicked off last fall in New York.
“There has always been a serious issue in Black Culture of self hate and the crabs in a barrel mentality,” he started. “However, we all have had to study something or someone who helped to design who we are in what we live and love to do. No matter how you articulate your feelings about ‘Our Culture,’ there are levels and no one could and should never deny the fact that it’s been milked, pimped, and ravaged by culture vultures who have helped to keep us more divided in ideas and the outcome of those ideas.”
He went on to lament the fact that the creative Hip Hop community doesn’t seem to be on one accord as #HipHop50 celebrations begin to take place and take form.
“The Young heads feel excluded and they are not talking about a 50th anything,” Bumpy Knuckles continued, “and The True OG’s are again reminded that they are being pushed deeper into the back of the minds of those new Rappers and DJ’s…and then there is the middle aged 90’s -2000’s rappers who are in a tug of war with getting money and keeping it a buck with their forefathers about the history. Shit is fucked up that anyone would disrespect the architects of Hip Hop culture no matter what we my agree or disagree with.”
While he never addressed the specific ways in which he felt so-called culture vultures created this level of dissention with then game, Bumpy Knuckles did turn his sights on Hip Hop media for making coverage too accessible.
“The media (hip hop media) when did we stop platforming the art form for its greatness and switch to the fuckery all of the time, giving credence and credibility to anyone that knows how to rhyme a few words as opposed to real Emcees and talented DJ’s?,” he asked. “Wasn’t easy to get on a magazine cover or even have an article written about you, now you throw a mother fucker on front page just because he titles him or herself…The New, The King, The Queen, The Best or whatever excites a conversation and no one is talking about the music. Every song sounds like the last one…[shrug emoji] wtf?”
Ultimately, the Royalty Check rapper stated that he believes that Hip Hop’s obsession with capitalism and material gains will stop the movement from making it to a 100 year milestone.
“We’ve identified with the idea and fantasy being rich more than being talented. Although the first generation did NOT rock in the parks with the intentions or knowledge that Hip Hop would become the financial monstrosity that it has become today, the game has given them nothing to really say thank you for showing me what you did because it taught me to do what I do.”
As of this writing, Bumpy Knuckles’ post had garnered close to 1,500 likes and supportive comments from other well respected OGs in the game including De La Soul‘s Posdnous, DJ Rhettmatic, Greg Nice and Geechi Suede from Camp Lo.
