Mysonne: "In hip hop if you’re not socially aware then you’re really not of the culture"

Mysonne chatted with RESPECT Magazine’s Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson about the culture of hip hop on Scoop B Radio. Photo Credit: Eric Salvary

It could be said that 2017 has been the year of pure lyrics for hip hoppers. In short: out with the mumbling lyrics and autotune in with the honesty and conversation.

While many applaud Jay-Z’s candor and honesty in his recently released 4:44 album, (rightly so: Family Feud, The Story of O.J. 4:44 and Caught Their Eyes are my favorite) it is my estimation that Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN album and Mysonne’s honesty on instagram which then led to an appearance with Charlemagne, DJ Envy and Angela Yee on The Breakfast Club is what jumpstarted the Great Awakening of 2017 that is currently hip hop.

Mysonne went toe-to-toe with Troy Ave in April after the Brooklyn lyricist called himself the second coming of Tupac.

In an instagram post, Mysonne refuted that assesment stating:

“I wouldn’t be who I am if I didn’t come out and say Troy Ave is a fucking bozo. I’m just tired of the Bullshit, Us Real ni**as trying to get out the Streets and these clowns trying to stay in Em. I’m sorry but I can’t peacefully co-exist with Suckers. Stop making clowns Famous ..Ronald McDonald is enough.. #IworkForThePeople#ImRealInRealLife #ImNotUsedToThis #R.I.P.Banga.”

That was perfectly timed. Two months earlier, Mysonne dropped a seven-minute freestyle questioning eveything and everybody in the industry like Lil Uzi and even Future.

“Future said: ‘God blessin’ all the trap n——.’ I got a question for that: ‘Where u at n——?’ Trappers that I know is gettin’ arrested cause of rats n——. Sentenced to life and they ain’t never coming back n——.”

See the freestyle in it’s entirety here:

Mysonne is not new. A Bronx representer, he reminds me of Dave East before Dave East. Why you ask? Well, Mysonne is the proficient hooper that can equally rhyme. That’s reminiscent of today’s NFL tight end that can hoop and haul in receptions for the New England Patriots or New Orleans Saints! Mysonne’s basketball games with Allen Iverson and Mase are urban legend, but all accounts lean on Mr. New Bronx City holding his own with The Answer and Mason Betha, but I digress!

I first met Mysonne when he and I were both guest panelists on a Saturday morning discussion at the National Action Network, upon request from Ashley Sharpton, the youngest daughter of civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton.

What I didnt realize is that I had been rocking out to Mysonne’s music during my childhood and in college and didn’t even realize it? Do you remember Mase, Loon and Shyne’s If I Could Start My Life From Scratch? It was on Mases’s Double Album. Yup Mysonne had a verse or two.

If I could start from scratch, Id bring daddy back/And put five in the first cat that show mami crack/I sit back and listen to them drunks on the block/Tryin to school me with jewels, tellin me who to watch

Mysonne was in the NYC mixtape circuit and MC battles. In addition to appearing on Mase’s Double Up album, Mysonne appeared on the Ruff Ryders Ryde of Die Vol. 1 album and had signed with Busta Rhyme’s Violater Management along with Def Jam Records.Unfortunately, in 1999, Mysonne was convicted on two counts of armed robbery and was handed a seven-to-14-year sentence.

Released from prison July of 2006 after doing seven years, he got to work. His image and belief was solely focused on community advocacy and working for the people. He gave a keynote speech at the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March in Washington, D.C. in 2015.

The speech, “Justice or Else” was widely received. He even proposed taking Christmas from Santa Claus and giving it back to Christ.

Mysonne’s socially consciousness is admirable. On a recent episode of Scoop B Radio we talked about it. “I think in hip hop if you’re not socially aware then you’re really not of the culture,” Mysonne told me on Scoop B Radio.

For the first time in U.S. History, Hip-Hop is now the most popular genre in music, surpassing the previous title-holder of Rock & Roll.

Check out Mysonne and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson discuss Mysonne’s approach to activism and why he fights for justice within the hip hop realm.

According to Nielsen Music’s mid-year report, which classifies Hip-Hop and R&B within the same category, both genres currently compose 25.1 percent of all music consumed in the United States.

While the digit seems low, it’s the highest, topping Rock & Roll’s value of 23 percent.

Mysonne added on hip hop and social justice advocacy:

“That’s what hip hop was for me it was being able to give our story, our culture so if you’re not in tune with what’s going on in the culture and you don’t see what’s going on in your streets and in your neighborhoods and utilizing your voice and your strength and your power to try to change and speak out against and notify the world about it then it’s like you’re wasting your time.”

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#Al Sharpton #Bronx #Busta Rhymes #Def Jam #Mysonne #National Action Network #New Bronx City #Troy Ave

Posted By

Brandon Robinson

Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson is a managing editor and columnist at RESPECT Magazine. Follow him on Twitter: @ScoopB and Instagram: @Scoop_B. As a 12 year old, he was a Nets reporter from 1997-1999, co-hosting a show called Nets Slammin' Planet with former New Jersey Net Albert King and Nets play-by-play man Chris Carrino. He's also been a writer and radio host at CBS and a staff writer at The Source Magazine. He's a graduate of both Eastern University and Hofstra University. You can catch him daily on the Scoop B Radio Podcast. Visit ScoopBRadio.com to listen. For inquiries and to contact Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson visit ScoopB.com