The title caught my attention and the content kept it. Good job covering such a topic, it's refreshing to see people still paying attention to the message in hip-hop in 2018.

I've always considered rap as a component of the hip-hop culture, through MC-ing, rather than as a music genre somehow opposed to hip-hop as a music genre as well. And then, you can have all sorts of messages, for every listener to identify with, which can be a very subjective matter.

I do agree with Professor Griff about the essence of true hip-hop, which should put an emphasis on consciousness and positivity. As rap is the most popular music genre at the moment, and regardless of the shallow message put out by most of today's rappers/trappers, there is still deep and uplifting music still being made for those of us who truly respect the origins of this movement and its purpose. The fact that it's not as in your face as the mainstream stuff may seem as a downside at first, but somehow it keeps it going unaltered by industry's standards. Let's just hope more people will get to see this other side of this music and culture as well.