While in NYC I got to work with the group the Legion.   By chance I was working at the Zulu Nation event alongside mentor, brother and great friend Jazzy Jay. For two weeks I had got a crash course in building and setting up speakers. Anyhow at one of the days events The Legion were scheduled to perform.

I’m a big fan of their music, They kept and maintained the sound of New York alive. I introduced my self and spoke to them about the project I’m working on and if they would like to take part in the project.

The legion have guts they are not colored or swayed by the current sounds or trends in the music. When many claim to be keeping the music alive, there music comes from the gut and gives me that feeling of some 20 years ago where for many of us I was excited to hear what’s coming or what’s next, every week there was something to look forward too.

Hip Hop music in its best forms has always come from the gut. As a listener or fan the best records that we have in our collection were all made from that same blueprint.

The spirit of the culture in its purest form can be found here.   This was part of the magic of Hip Hop so powerful that honest music like this influenced many across the seas in the way we make music, dress and carry ourselves. Whilst in NYC I spent some time with The Legion and got to sit on the new album. Since coming back its been playing on my mind and bugging me.

When people say that Hip Hop is dead blaming the artists, who change their sounds or don’t live up to the expectations to their fans delivering pretty standard albums I came to the conclusion that we the fans are hugely part to blame for this and the demise in the creativity of the current state of Hip Hop. There are some great records that we passed on, and lot of that is because how some people are listening to music is changing.  Some so called Hip Hop fans play it safe and avoid the street music and prefer to listen to that nice hip hop that just talks about hip hop and how much they love it forgetting the grit and soul it came from, that’s fine if that’s what there into but personally this is where i’m lost, i miss the message that was being delivered by the music that had guts.  It presented a picture of the day to day dealings and struggles, the highs and lows of living in the inner city.  The music where artists / groups were driven by competition of being not just the best they can be, but better then the next group.  Where the above strived to add and contribute to this music.  Where producers lived for being creative, Im not saying that today’s music is bad, but the accepted bar or level of whats good isn’t that high.  Being different is too often used to disguise the lack of real talent.

Why that period of the 80s and 90s was so fantastic was melting pot of great music, styles and sounds that were being created, artists worked hard to just get on a platform to make a mark. This goes down even to the jams where MC lined up to get on the mics and spit. The Legion encompasses all that. I firmly believe that if the people and the fans of hip hop don’t get behind this new album, then yes hip hop is dead but it was the fans that killed it, because they are going to deliver a true classic here. From start to finish this album comes from the gut. Here is a group that still has the passion drive and hunger to add to list of great records in that timeless discography of HIP HOP albums.

Yes this is only my opinion but after listening to the is album, spending time with the group what they are delivering is what I spent my life trying to aspire too. There is lesson to be learn’t from the guys in The Legion. They are the blood and guts of this music. I really hope that people pay attention to this Album. Let this one slip and you was part of the demise and death of hip hop.