Lately, you may have noticed that there is this trend of rappers referring to themselves as aliens or dreaming of blasting off to some far away planet/galaxy, leaving all of earth behind. This has been used by artists across the board including Lil Wayne, B.O.B., Joell Ortiz, and Lupe Fiasco. Often times, this is supposed to symbolize how far above and beyond the artist is from his/her peers. However, other times what it represents, and what I think it represents on a more subconscious level, even if it is not used in this sense, is a way of escape from the world and all of the world’s problems.

It’s no secret that hip hop itself was born out of a generation and culture that faced poverty, discrimination, violence, and countless other factors that can often lead to a sense of hopelessness and a “no way out” mentality. However, instead of running from these issues, the youth in the 1970s decided to channel their energy into a new culture and combat these forces, turning them into an entirely new art form and culture. From this, the DJ, MC, b-boy/girl, and graffiti artists were all given a platform, allowing for the expression of their frustration through dance (DJ and break dancers), vocals (MC), and art (graffiti). These elements helped the hip hop generation to target all of the injustices that they were facing and attempt to change their circumstances.

Yet, almost 40 years later, hip hop is here, but many of these same issues still remain. Could it be that hip hop is tired of fighting these battles and is instead retreating to outer space in order to remove itself from the struggles we face? Sure, MCs still voice their frustrations on wax, but it seems that, so often now, they need to “get away” in order to deal with their problems. What does this say about us as a whole moving forward?

I’m not suggesting that hip hop is no longer willing to fight different oppressions and I’m certainly not suggesting that the artists I mentioned previously aren’t attempting to do that (we all know Lupe’s stand on many sensitive subjects and Ortiz’s passion for hip hop is matched by few), but we need to make sure that we don’t become too comfortable in outer space and forget the issues we have right here at home. Everybody needs a break at some point, and if outer space is where hip hop wants to go to recharge its batteries, fine by me. Let’s just remember that the only way things will change is by confronting the problem head on and trying to find solutions, not by visiting another planet. As long as artists and listeners alike maintain the separation between taking a break and retreating, then we can take hip hop to the moon.

What are your thoughts on the alien trend? Is it strictly a representation of showing how different an artist is? Is it a sign that hip hop is tired of fighting? Is this a good or bad thing for hip hop? Leave your thoughts/comments below. You can also send any e-mails to straightouttahiphop@gmail.com.

Peace.