I had the pleasure of catching up with one my city’s longest active DJ’s, who also just happens to be one of the city’s “Finest”, Officer Michael E. Tripp, Sr. Officer Tripp AKA DJ TRIPPle Threat, has been on the force nearly two decades and an active DJ since the age of 17. I sat down to pick his brain about a few topics, here’s how it went… PT: What do you think the Climate of Hip-Hop is today verses the “Golden Age”? TRIPP: Well, the way I see it, as of today, back when Hip-Hop originated, it was clean cut stories, put to music, that had a rhythm to it. Nowadays, its brought forth a lot of violent, vulgar, nastiness to it, which to me seems to be what the culture is now. Back when I was heavier into the Hip-Hop scene the stories either had laughs, or funny tones to them. Nothing degrading or derogatory, but today’s (Hip-Hop) seems to be heading in that area of degrading, nasty, violent activities, which you can clearly see society today heading towards. PT: Would you like to Hip-Hop go back to being conscious as far as the messages being presented in music today? TRIPP: ABSOLUTELY! I believe that the messages were real but they home more family content to them or neighborhood love or experiencing fun activities. Todays Hip-Hop just seems to be geared around strict negativity. Being in Law Enforcement, we encounter a lot of these new “Gangster” rappers during our criminal investigations because they are actually telling us their stories of what they’ve done and how they’ve done it in their music. PT: So, here’s one that’s going to cause you to think a little bit, Rappers Vs. EMCees, what’s your take? TRIPP: Hmm! (laughs) It’s very funny you should ask me that. Back in the day I viewed myself as an EMCee. One who livened up and hyped the party up. Got people involved in the activity that was going on at the time. A rapper on the other hand, to me, is one who tells the story and puts it to the sound of music. He’s more of a poet with music in the background, who has a story to be told. His intent isn’t to get the crowd involved or pumped, but to tell his story to the people. PT: I Really like that way of looking at it. OK! Top Five Artists of all Time? TRIPP: Ahh. Top five. In no particular order, just ones that I’ve been known to rock with. LL, (as in LL Cool J) he’s definitely one of my favorites. I was a huge Big Daddy Kane guy back in the day. Jay-Z, I can definitely feel where he comes from with his style. Definitely Biggie, can’t forget him. And not because I said Biggie but because he was equally nice, I have to say (2) Pac. He (Pac), to me, told real stories BUT I could enjoy listening to his stories. He didn’t take beyond the reality, he didn’t bring it to an extremely vulgar area. PT: You brought up Jay-z and he’s an artist I follow and the progression of the message in his music is something I appreciate. I feel like he’s an example of how artists these can consciously transition. It’s no longer about [Gang] Banging and dealing drugs BUT no its about enjoying the money you’ve made in this legitimate business taking care of your family and giving back. Is that something you support? TRIPP: Most Definitely! Man Jay-Z is my dude to be honest with you. Because if you go back to when first started and I’m sure you have because you follow him, he told where he was coming from. Then when he got with ROC, he told you what the plan was there, but then you watched him evolve as a true business man. And then he becomes a family man and he can still tell his story or communicate his way of bing from the bottom to the riches. I will always support his movement because despite making it big he always gives back. He and his wife do big things, big things community wise and as well as promoting other people, not just for their own benefit but to help that person elevate as well. I appreciate people like that. PT: Last question, or suggestion really, if you have any advice for the next generation as far as where their inspirations should come from or what music should be? TRIPP: My advice would be clean and clear, do a complete history of music. Start with Motown, go down the path of Motown. Listen to where that was, find out what Chocolate City really was. Listen to what music really was from that era. If you do a musical history and then come out with your sound, which o me should be a culmination of everything. I guarantee to you’d be the hottest thing out because that’s what it should be about. It shouldn’t be lets jus sample a beat and talk crap over it. It should be real live music! There you have folks thanks for joining me on this weeks WHAT'S THE WORD segment featuring DJ TRIPPle Threat. For All booking info email him directly at [email protected] or @tripplethreastdj on Instagram. As always folks i am your Sensei, the Samoan Samurai Phat Toney, remember LOVE LIVE LIFE!
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AuthorHi there! I'm the Samoan Samurai Phat Toney. I'm a lover of all things DOPE! WELCOME TO THE DOPE DOJO! Archives
March 2018
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