I can recall a joint KRS-One did called R.E.A.L.I.T.Y. (Rhymz Equal Actual Life In The Youth); when I first heard it, I felt the acronym applied. But when really lookin' at life as it today, the rhymz (or vybrationz) our youth are hearin' today has become more destructive than productive.

Take for instance, we all can attest to the reason we hear what we hear on the radio 25-8 (not 24-7). The ones mainly responsible is obviously the white corporate structure who pour in millionz of dollarz to these stationz — from record labelz to gear, to fast food chainz — ensuring yet anutha week of bling-bling, bang-bang and kill dat nigga joints. And this shit is addictive yo!

Even to the most conscious hed, if they listen enuff, they will find themselves chantin' the latest WACK cut from the Hot Boyz, Master P or yes, even JayZ (lyrically/morally). So think, if it affects your subconscious so easily, think of how effortlessly it affects the "reality" — which is actually an illusion — of our youth?!!?

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize the forces behind this. The white corporate structure pour in millionz of dollarz a month to ensure that the troposphere is filled more immoral HipHop. Take a survey yourself! For 1 hour, even 30 minutes, listen to HOT97, Power 105.1 or any other HipHop station. Make sure you listen between the hourz of 3 and 8pm weekdayz or any tyme Saturday. Y? Because these tymz represent the hourz our youth have access because they are not in school (as if that's a better place!).

As you write down each song, take the tyme to actually listen to the lyrics. Percentage-wise, you will find that well over 90% of the lyrics you hear will mention blazin' some weed, extacy, bitches, hoes, hustlin' drugz, benjaminz, some bangin' ice, 20-inches, SUVs, gunz, thugz, criminalz, gangstaz, niggaz and all other termz and acronymz under the same family.

The society we live in today revolves around money. Paper allowz you to get thingz. You equate anything to money, the average hed seez that as success. The unfortunate thing is that ethics behind gettin' this cash is simply there are no ethics. Forreal, hedz ain't lyin' when they say, "I'ma do what I gotta do to get this cash." What that entailz, well, if you don't have a clue, you are actually given hundredz of testimoneez via the airwaves everyday ALL day.

One Friday eve around 7pm I was drivin' down Fulton Street, in Bed-Stid-dye Brooklyn, when I thought I'd give HOT97 anutha chance. Flexx is on speakin' with a married so-called "heterosexual" female who called in talkin' about how she was bein' fondled by another lesbian and was "likin' it"! I mean, she was goin' all into detail, over the air, yo! And Flexx was geesin' her gettin' her to dwell into specifics!!

Within' the first few secondz, I switched to the cassette player, but then thought I should listen just to see how far Flexx would go. The ill shit is not only how all of New York gotta hear yet anutha Sista get caught up in the wicked-imbalanced-european-originated act of homosexuality.

I thought to miself, Funk Flexx don't give 2 shits about how many youth's are listening to this. On top of that, think of how many impressionable hedz — not just youth's, but even adults — that may get the message that, "yo, participatin' in homosexual acts ain't so bad." [NOTE] This piece ain't about homosexuality (including bisexualz), but I got just one thing to say about it: Homosexuality is ANTI-LIFE! The primary use for sex is for procreation. Now how you gonna have a baby with 2 guyz or 2 girlz?!!? And because of the backward nature of europeanz, they felt they could handle that problem by developing artificial insemination — but isn't it like YT to create somethin' that goes against the lawz of Nature?!

Not only are our youths bein' sent confusing sexual lifestyles, they're being taught what success is based on. Case in point, I drive up to the local gas station to fill up and I'm approached by 3 shorteez, no younger than about 8, no older than 10. They step to me with their spill sayin' they rap for money and would I like to hear some rhymz. I was like, -ight, I wanna break them off. Plus I admired the fact that they seem to be true HipHop hedz who were focused on earning a lil' cash for somethin' they dedicated themselves to.

So, the first shorty starts, and he immediately talks about how much ice he got, how many "Bitches" he done tossed, how many glocks he popped and no sooner than I was able to digest what he just said, shorty#2 merges, he spittin' 'bout bakin' bricks, poppin' Crystal and chillin' at the VIP with all the loot he got! YO! These youth's were 8 and 10 year oldz, Sun! They all sounded like little Prodigy, Nelly and Beanie Sigel's!

I wasn't gonna give shorty#3 a chance, so I immediately butted in, "Yo, yo, yo! Shorty, what'chu sayin'?!" I thought to miself, they talkin' 'bout how much paper they got yet they at the gas station askin' for cheddar to rhyme, plus he about 12 semesterz from even legally able to even sit behind the wheel of a SUV!!

Rhymin' is a vital part of growin' up for young Afrikan men in America just like playin' basketball. It's one of the several thingz that help define our manhood. Even more profound is recognizing the innate power of creativity the Afrikan Diaspora possess. Just like how we've been able to have the world embrace our interpretation of what Basketball is, so have we revolutionized music. The difference can be seen in just one generation. Look at white parents and how they dress, talk and walk and look at their kidz; take a look at Orientalz, how many young Orientalz do you see wearin' their custom clothin'; they wearin' RocaWear and FUBU!

I knew they did nothin' they spoke of, but I also knew they felt if you rhyme, this is what you gotta rhyme about. This is not the R.E.A.L.I.T.Y. KRS is speakin' of; this is the ILLUSION!! The sad shit about it is that although they may not be doin' this shit now, a large percentage of youths will eventually gravitate to it.

So what do we, who see this madness, do about it? For one, the airwaves must be attacked. Afterall, this is one of the main sources (Videos included). Stationz like HOT97, need to be changed or as Chuck D said, "Shut 'Em Down!"

Second, and in the meantyme, as parents, cousinz and/or friendz, we are the balance. We need to speak with those youths in our lives and ask them who they like to listen to and how does their lyrics affect them.

The youths pick up after what they see and hear. If we set the example of being critical analyst's of HipHop — OUR creation — plus with computerz bein' able to burn your own CDs, we owe it to our future to give them balanced HipHop. Purchase the joints MTV and BET don't play, pull out those old CDs and make a copy for your peoples. And most importantly remain vocal. Devise a plan to get these stationz to hear our plea. If boycotts is your thing, organize them, but not without givin' alternatives! Because if we don't do nothin' soon it will be your 5 year old spittin' Mobb Deeps, "Kill That Nigga!"

As these 3 impressionable youths looked at me like Y I wrecked their flow, I got on them about the kind of lyrics they were spittin' and told them they could be dope artists and still kick positive lyrics. And even if the shit they were sayin' was their R.E.A.L.I.T.Y. it don't have to remain their reality. I left them with a challenge, to be the vanguardz of our future, to not default into the same shit you hear on the radio and dare to be different, to sound different, which in this case, is to sound POSITIVE! They looked back at me with both a look of wonderment and "whatver, yo", I broke 'em off with $7 each and felt my seed had been planted for the day, hopefully SOMEBODY will come along and cultivate it. LIK SHOT!

"shorty#2 merges, he spittin' 'bout bakin' bricks, poppin' Crystal and chillin' at the VIP with all the loot he got! YO! These youth's were 8 and 10 year oldz, Sun! They all sounded like little Prodigy, Nelly and Beanie Sigel's!"