American soul singer, rapper, and musician Aloe Blacc credits influential leaders and scholars such as Oprah Winfrey, Cornel West, Tavis Smiley, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson with inspiring him to follow a more disciplined approach to songwriting and a “purpose for music [as] positive social change.”
Blacc’s latest single I Need a Dollar from his Good Things Album (2010) was featured as an iTunes Single of the Week, appears in EA Sport’s boxing game Fight Night Champion, and was performed on Late Night with Jimmy Falon and on Conan.
So what do you think about social consciousness hip hop?
Did it dissipate when NWA, Public Enemy, Chuck D, and Queen Latifah fell off the mic? Or is it still alive?
I don’t think this song is any good. How did it top the chart?
I have always like his music. I think it’s about time they got back to singing about positive issues. I think whenever there’s a crisis, such as the bad economy, artists tend to be more creative. That’s good.
I think Soulja Boy and co can learn a thing or two from here.
What has Soulja Boy got to do with anything? I love Soulja so don’t go there. We need all kinds of music. Everything is important so ya, if what knocks you out is social consciousness songs or whatever, go ahead, buyt that kind of music. I’ll buy everything. Others can buy just Soulja Boy but that don’t make them any worse than me or you.