Origins
Origins
A child is born with no state of mind
Blind to the ways of mankind
God is smiling on you but he’s frowning too
Because only God knows what you’ll go through
You’ll grow in the ghetto, living second rate
And your eyes will sing a song of deep hate
The places you play and where you stay
Looks like one great big alley way
You’ll admire all the number book takers
Thugs, pimps, pushers and the big money makers
Driving big cars, spending twenties and tens
And you wanna grow up to be just like them
- Grandmaster Flash
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Origins is an intimate reportage exploring the culture of hip hop as a form of expression and a reaction to the conditions faced by African Americans living in the housing projects of New York City. The elements of music, dance and art associated with hip hop are the outcomes of a hood lifestyle in communities faced with poverty, violence, racism, drugs, crime and unemployment. It is a climate where opportunity does not knock. To the African Americans for which adverse social conditions still exist, hip hop is not simply music… it is a way of life.
Despite a modern day global appeal and widespread commercialization that sees life imitating art, at it’s heartland in the 5 boroughs the humble roots of hip hop remain. The rawness of the day-to-day existence cultivates and informs that which becomes expression.
