Gideon Grim's blog: "My writings"

to start this off I have enjoyed Rap/hip hop since the late 80's. I got started on Hip Hop while watching "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" of course, I listened to a lot of Will Smith. but then i discovered LL Cool J, Whodini, Schooly D and Slick Rick. it was in the 90's i found gangsta rap and christian rap; my cousins introduced me to Cypress Hill, Jay-Z, Tupac and Xzibit. while my friend, Marcus gave me the likes of DMX, Notorious B.I.G. and N.W.A.
while in my own time, I discovered Ice-T, christian MC T-Bone, Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, The Fugees, Mos Def, Nas, Common, The Roots, Beastie Boys, Gravediggaz, Scarface and AZ to name the main recogizable MCs. through a series of bad choices from 1997 to 99 i ended up in a minimum security facility for youth (juvenile hall) for 2 yrs, but got out in half a year for good behavior. anyways, while i was in there I continued school classes-one of these being art. well one project was to make our own CD of music, no one had the rap i was used to, so my friend, Eddie (who had enough music to open his own music store) let pick from his music, which was almost all country, which is what i grew up listening to. But, through that project, i discovered Too $hort, SMP, Mack 10, Mase, Bone Thougs "n Harmony, Public Enemy and the Geto Boys.
A few years after the experience and the bad memories I dropped some country from my listening list.
I started writing poetry and raps, so i got on internet rap forums, like Can't Be Faded or Holla-Front. where I picked up a taste for the underground sound and more socially conscious artists. I was introduced to Chino XL, Crooked I, Tech N9ne, Jae Millz, Cannibus, Talib Kweli and numerous others.
on another front (home) i had to find stuff that i could play in my room. I started looking back into christian rap and found stuff that i could bang in the car AND at home. First it was Gospel Gangstaz, then Deezer D, eventually i found the likes of Deepspace5, Tunnel Rats and Braille.
during this time an artist popped up that combined all my favorite types of music - Kid Rock, once i got hooked on him, I picked up other good rap/rock groups, Kottonmouth Kings, Borialis, P.O.D. and Thousand Foot Krutch.

I don't really like most of the stuff that's on the radio these days, except Tinie Tempah, who I am glad to see doing his own thing. I like it when I see someone going against the grain. Kanye's okay but, he's gone off the path,in my opinion. I've always gone for rap that has good music, but then I listen to stuff by Mos Def or Sintax.The Terrific and they show me that a good beat is nothing without good lyrical content.