beingcoreybayless

I sent out a text one day to a handful of my friends with a one-line question just to stimulate thought and see the direction the conversation may take with just a little encouragement. This is the result of that text:

 Was Ronald Reagan the father of Hip-Hip?

AcidBurn: Is this a trick question?
Me: Maybe
AcidBurn: Silly boy. Are you playing trivia or something?
Me: Just stimulating thought. Think about it
AcidBurn: Maybe the muse but that’s different. But who gets to decide what it means to be the ‘father’ of something?
Me: That is a good answer. I like it. Very nice, Burn!
AcidBurn: Thanks! May I ask the inspiration for such a question?
Me: Willie Colon
Me: Political Activist & Salsa Legend
AcidBurn: I was googling him….did he ask the question first?
Me: No, he made a comment that got me thinking
AcidBurn: Well, it was a very thought provoking question. I dig it. Nice job, Corey!
Me: Ladies & Gentlemen, an interesting perspective…Who decides what makes the ‘father’ of hip-hop, the ‘father’?

073: That is wrong on so many levels….
Me: Just stimulating thought. Think about it.
073: On one level I get it. Regan’s policies and the actions of his administration set the stage for Me: Hip Hop’s golden era, but as a person he was the antithesis of Hip Hop, so….that’s a pretty offensive thought.
Me: Interesting.
073: What’s the origin of the question?
Me: Willie Colon, Political Activist & Salsa Legend
Me: He made a comment and got me thinking. I am just trying to put it out there. Just stimulating thought
073: That’s the only Willie Colon I know. Interesting indeed.
Me: Well, of course you know him.

Reggie T.: Umm, no.
Me: Are you sure?
Reggie T.: Pretty sure. He was the president when it came around or something…
Me: He was the president. His administration took funding from music in schools.

Xtina: Duh!
Me: I got to hear this!

Angel: Huh no.
Me: Really? Are you sure?
Angel: Uh yeah…why would he?
Me: Just stimulating thought…think about it.
Angel: Ok
Me: I would love to hear more thoughts.
Angel: (via friend) There’s a connection definitely during that time but no way he is influential. Hip hop is an art and gangsta rap stemmed from that era. No true mcs.
Me: Very resourceful…I like the initiative but think harder.
Angel: (via friend) No 1 is! Hip hop is a culture expressed throughout art such as rap and types of rap.

Me: Ladies and Gentlemen, an interesting perspective…who decides what makes the ‘father’ of hip hop the ‘father’?

Thunder: don’t really have much of a background on Reagan or hip hop so can’t really answer that.
Me: Ok…just stimulating thought.
Thunder: I would say multiple people decide who defines who the king of hip hop is. It starts first with someone that is well known in the hip hop world. Then people believe the idea and spread it.

Special K: I would imagine that someone would self appoint the position and it would need to be challenged and lost to be found false. Case and point P. Diddy vs. Jay Z.
Special K: How’s that for stimulating thought?
Me: Very nice. And interesting.
Special K: I win.