At the turn of this century alongside rock and country acts the celebrations on new year's eve were punctuated by bass heavy rhythms from pop to r&b to hip hop acts. Bands from the last three genres performed to beats pumping straight from the heart of hip hop. Like rock, the blues and jazz before it hip hop helped to bridge gaps between segments of our society previously more distant than after it's discovery.

Coming at the last quarter of the 20th century this new form of music, following in the tradition of many music forms before it, pushed the boundaries of what we came to accept as appropriate message, appropriate delivery of a message and what constituted music. It was a form of music more blatant, obvious and in your face than many of it's predecessors. As fans came to gravitate towards it that aspect became highlighted and exaggerated.

As such we listened to artists who vocally weren't limited to what melodically melded with instrumentation. In hip hop singing was mostly absent or took a backseat to words spoken over music. The words were rhythmic and with each successive phase and trend the words changed, rode and wrapped themselves around the music a little differently than before.

Along with country, rock pop, r&b and other forms of popular music hip hop created it's niche and grew to a large amount of what we listen to today. Although sales are down so is most of the music industry. Still, rap artists are on the red carpet, at the big premieres and in the headlines all the time. It's become one of our greatest exports and dare I say marketing tools over the last twenty years.

As such it deserves respect. Not everyone can relate to it, not everyone likes it and not all messages are for everyone, but distancing from it now would be like distancing from rock music in the nineties and being seen as an entity that just can't relate. It may serve you temporarily and have served you well once, but with two successive generations having grown up with it as a part of their lives and more on the way you either change or risk becoming alienated.

When someone from a prominent political party in a leadership position decides to take a stand and validate this part of American popular life shouldn't that party take notice? Isn't it only prudent to at least acknowledge that yes hip hop is part of American life and will continue to be? Yet there isn't much of that going on with the current Republican party. When Michael Steele put forth the idea of bringing more urban appeal to the Republican party the party as a whole was noticeably quiet.

What's troubling about that silence is the fact that it is just so out of touch with young America. See it isn't really a hip hop thing as much as it is a generational thing. Hip hop's popularity is due to it's reach beyond the borders of communities from which it originated to the suburbs and beyond. That will be the case years from now. Moreover, putting aside likes or dislikes with regards to delivery, street lifestyle tales whether glorified and exaggerated or real and personal bridged a little bit more of the gap between formerly alienated pockets of our nation's population. It has not wiped out racism or hatred like the touch of a magic wand, but it's ability to draw people together will be one of its most indelible and lasting legacies.

As such the soundtrack of American youth and music itself is forever altered. This soundtrack including other popular forms of music played was there while we went to school with each other, played with each other, learned with each other, grew up with each other and still is. The idea any political party can survive as a serious force going forward without changing is pure sham and seriously shortsighted.

You may not like hip hop in all it's forms or be able to relate to it, but chances are someone you know does. To turn your back on a person suggesting it's time for real change not talk, which favors those who would prefer to hold onto outmoded views to remain empowered, is a losing battle. It's a downhill direction which could spell tragedy for any such group in our modern age.

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