Illustration by Arnulfo Bermudez

The hip-hop culture has been a phenomenon of epic proportions. Rising from the depths of nowhere, rap pioneers such as Run-DMC honed an African-American street pastime for an infusion into mainstream pop culture and, for the first time ever, White Americana allowed minority artistry to permeate into their world. Hip-hop has since become an inspiration for all minority voices hoping to touch the world with their culture and ideas.

In accordance with Black History Month, Wildcat opinions columnist Bill Wetzel sat in on a panel discussion of hip-hop insiders who divulged their sentiments about both music and hip-hop's cultural role in society. The discussion played out as follows:

Moderator, Reverend Omar Shariff Shabazz: In all my years as a black activist, I have done it all. Dated Rosa Parks. Marched with Martin Luther King. Arm wrestled Cesar Chavez and once touched Malcolm X's coat as he brushed past. I even lifted weights with Rodney King when we did time together. So anyway, hip-hop's evolution has expanded and now transcends race, so, what I'm saying is you all have the opportunity to accomplish something we all could not do in the '60s.What is your reaction to this?

MC Token White Hope, KKK Records recording artist: Yo, what people don't realize is we gotta give it up to all the guys who came before us, like Vanilla Ice, Eminem, Bubba Sparxx, you know what I'm sayin'? Like, shit was hard growing up on the streets in North Dakota, with all those hay-bale, drive-by shootings 'n shit. They made it all happen.

Bill Wetzel

Shabazz: Uh, anyway. Moving on.

Paranoize, an angry, paranoid young rapper: So, I go to shows, and all these white cops are watching the whole crowd, my offices are bugged, they got brothas in my crew informing on me. Then they bring me in for allegedly shooting two people in a nightclub last month. Shit, it was only one and I barely grazed him. What's a brotha goin' do?

Token White Hope: Yo dawg, that shit is whacked!

Philosofize, a deep thinking, artistic hip-hop veteran: The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the tyranny of evil man and those who attempt to poison and control my brothas ·

Token White Hope: (interrupting): Yo dawg, that shit is whacked!

Paranoize: Will somebody tell cookies 'n cream to shut the f#@* up, before I pull out the gun I allegedly have tucked in my pants? (looking over shoulder suspiciously)

Shabazz: Uh, moving on again. How about you Ridikoluz, you got something to add?

Ridikoluz, CEO of Bling-Bling Records: Yo, I'm a thug and I tell people not to be a thug, 'cuz it's all about the bling 'n shit, but peeps don't even know what it's like being a thug. It's like, I'm all about sippin' crissy and bub' mackin' up in the heezy then MTV edits out all the smart shit I muthafuckin' say in a muthafuckin' interview. You know what I'm saying?

Token White Hope: That shit is whacked!

Philosofize: And I will strike down with great vengeance and furious anger and you will! ·

Shabazz: (disgusted) No, I don't know what you're saying and if I could understand a damn word that comes out any of your mouths I'm not sure I would want to.

Paranoize: (looking over at our columnist) Yo, who's this cracker? I smell pig ·(expletives)

At this point, our columnist informed Paranoize he is not a honky, but a Blackfeet Indian interested in the global education of the world through cultural diversity. Then according to Mr. Wetzel's statement, Paranoize allegedly pulled out a gun and pulled a P. Diddy on the room. After the paramedics and cops left, the moderator made a final statement and delivered the tape to our columnist in the emergency room.

Shabazz: For the state of hip-hop and minority culture to improve, we must value our lives, our people and where we come from. We need to dispel rampant stereotypes and lead by example as individuals. Hip-hop will not solve all historical problems in the world, but we represent tremendous hope to people of all races and in all communities if we are able to do the right things with it. This is all that we can do.