Aiight y'all ... EYE'm forced back out of retirement to kick a little commentary. EYE thought EYE was safe in Halifax, but another topic falls right in my lap, and ... at the Son's request ... EYE intend to expand. And Any Man that can't respect this B-Boy Document of hip hop Patriotism is missing out on some ish!

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The recent influx of highly skilled white MCs into the hip hop scene has headz buzzing. The lyrical skillz of rappers such as Eminem, High & Mighty, and R.A. The Rugged Man, as displayed on the recently released Soundbombing II CD (Rawkus Records) are already getting hip hop fans open across the continent. And most fans don't even realise that these brazen new MCs are of the caucasian persuasion.

But word is getting out .....

And now there is controversy. Its point of focus is one question : what is the cultural relevance of hip hop music?

Noone can deny that hip hop has its foundations in black music. In reality, all forms of music existing in North America at this date find strong roots in black culture. But while most other musical forms eventually took on white influences, only hip hop has maintained an almost entirely black cast. And now this invasion....

Suburban white kids love it. And the brothas are up in arms. And with good reason. We've seen what cold winters your Vanilla Ice can bring. We've never really understood your Organized Rhyme.

And so where do EYE stand in this ethical labyrinth? How do EYE stay rooted in the eye of this hurricane?

EYE put my faith in the rhyme. Don't tell me the colour of an MC ... just let the MC freestyle for me. EYE can't tell you if he's black or white but EYE'll tell you if he's dope. And if he's dope, then he's a part of the Hip Hop culture. That's the culture that matters.

With this culture that we are building and nurturing, we cannot set boundaries on those who we may include. We have to leave our differences at the door and share that which is common. The music.

Rec.