Mr. Africa Poetry Lounge!

If Hip Hop Died


music blasting
afrocentricism through my open veins
black love in every beat of bass


where would we go if hip hop died
how would cd man on the corner survive
what would be his next hustle


would rappers write poetry instead
about their daily struggles
mixed with a shot of temptation


how would we dress
without tuning into the AJ and Free
on BET
for the latest gear
and shout-outs


would Jay-Z be the known for his lyrical talent
or would he be flipping burgers
cause without that big bonus would there ever had been a Roc-a-Fella


and what about 50
he just would been shot
just like every other unsung hero that never got a record deal
limping around Queens


We would of found out
that you better call Tyrone
from a book titled Bag Lady


and love would of never been a musiq hit
because little red corvette
made doves cry
in a guiness book of world records


hustlin' would of been a means of life
instead of a means of status
used by children
who only know of michael jordan being the greatest of all time


how would hip hop be burried
open ceremony
or closed open to those who exploited it
and didn't love the kids


what would the youth do then
besides made their own fads
yellow shoestrings in red sneaks
with a baseball throwback


turned words into magestic lyrics
a mature sexual healing
with no intent to make millions
but to make smiles


what would happen if hip hop died

Written by Shaneka Bynum

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Mr. Africa Poetry Lounge