Hip-hop… the beat, the rhythm, the energy… can you feel it? The lyrics, the bass, the hook… do you hear it? Every time I say “hip-hop”, I hear it echo off in the distance. That sound is hip-hop. Hip-hop’s voice, style, image, content, and even the perception differ across regions, cities and states. This alone tells us that hip-hop is much larger than a genre of music. Hip-hop is a culture… a way of life.

Many wonder if media sources will ever capture the true essence of this ever-evolving creature. Most of the media outlets limit their focus on covering the commercial, materialistic fantasy life, the drugs and violence, or the sex and misogyny, thus creating the illusion for those new to the game that “this is hip-hop.” Much of their audience is unaware that they are only exposing or illuminating one room of hip-hop’s mansion, which casts a dark shadow of its true identity which lies within the rest of its estate.

So, what is hip-hop? I believe hip-hop is life, death and everything in between… the struggles, pain, failures, victories, friends, family, love, hate, relationships, the fight (win or lose — for what or whom), freedom or imprisonment (physical or mental). Hip-hop is the journey and the story behind it, the history (past, present, and future)… the trends and fads, the slang, the clothing, the dance, the djs and parties, the connection between the music and the feeling of her affected audience. Hip-hop is the Austin-East vs. Fulton rivalry. Hip-hop is every emcee’s first song, battle or performance, and remembering those feelings. Hip-hop is the streets… the hood, and conversely, the challenge, or dream of rising above the hood. Hip-hop is, and forever will be, “life” and all things included. Can you see it now?

Because the image of hip-hop has evolved so much over the years, many say hip-hop is dead, but we all know otherwise. Hip-hop lives in our city… the city of Knoxville. Knoxville hosts a pool of talented artists, hip-hop musicians that could compete with anyone in the industry on any given day, but the opportunities for exposure are limited here.

Not every artist has the finances to rent out a venue for a performance and guarantee that people will come to support the event. Knoxville has a “hip-hop” radio station that completely ignores the local hip-hop community. Even some of the artists are not actively supporting the movement. Throughout many efforts, successes and failures, the hip-hop community pleads for more support from the fans, media and the peers alike to help the movement continue.

There are currently not enough opportunities or outlets for artists to grow and excel in Knoxville. However, I believe that even with this adversity, history tells us that the movement will never cease. Hip-hop originally gained its popularity in the late-’70s, and it was largely ignored until artists began demanding acknowledgement and attention though their music. With the talent and determination of some of Knoxville’s artists, I suspect that recognition will be coming soon. Who am I? I am Mr. Kobayashi… I am hip-hop.

Over the last few years, the hip-hop movement has risen and fallen with the efforts of few trying to give back to the community. I remember when DJ Iko was hosting open-mic events and live performances at the Electric Ballroom on Sunday nights, then at the Red Iguana on Thursdays. Before then, I didn’t realize the number of talented emcees, producers and singers we had in the city. I remember trying to hone my skills as an emcee, networking with other artists, performing and just enjoying the music until 3 a.m. and thinking, “Man, I have to get up at 6:30 a.m. to go to work,” but I couldn‘t make myself leave. I think about the first time I visited the WUTK 90.3 radio station during their Edutainment Hip-hop show that runs on Saturdays from 9 p.m. to midnight. I sat in the room as D.K. and B.T. played everything hip-hop from old school to new school, underground to mainstream, local to nationwide, most of which I was hearing for the first time. Then I sat and watched as some of the local artists went into the booth and started freestyling impromptu verses over random instrumentals. When everyone left the booth, I went in and just tried to absorb the atmosphere. That was hip-hop to me.

I also think about when Black Atticus invited me to perform at his “Final Fridays” at the South Knoxville School of Sound. We performed in a small room no bigger than the average-size living room with sub-par sound equipment and an audience of no more than 15 strong, standing on your level about three to four feet away as you perform. The pressure was on. For the first time, I felt like the crowd was there to “listen” to me… listen to my music, lyrics and content. That was the moment that I had to learn how to communicate with the crowd and keep them engaged in my performance. That experience taught me that performing is more than just singing or rapping to the audience. When I left the School of Sound that night, I said to myself, “Anyone who aspires to be a hip-hop artist should have this experience.” Even though we didn’t have the best equipment and venue, we made it work with the resources we had. And to me, that’s what hip-hop is all about.

These personal experiences inspired me to make attempts to give back and start contributing to the hip-hop movement. I have made countless efforts to enlist the support of our main hip-hop radio station to no avail, so I eventually came up with an event called the “King of the Mic” (hip-hop’s battle of the bands). In this event, artists compete by performing their best original songs against those of other local artists. Winners receive cash, prizes, and most importantly, more performance opportunities and exposure. The first “King of the Mic” contest in June was won by hip-hop group Area-51, winning a close battle against finalists Black Tee Society and 12-Ball. Area-51 will headline the next “King of the Mic” contest on Dec. 12 at Club 106. If you are interested in registering for the event, go to www.nvmestudios.com for more information.

Mr. Kobayashi. a.k.a. Kobe Kane is a local emcee and
hip-hop champion