Melle Mel, Kurtis Blow, Chubb Rock, And Kid ‘n Play Unite To ‘celebrate’

LOS ANGELES - Dec. 21, 2014 - PRLog -- Peace, love, unity, and having fun. These are some of the founding principles of today’s most influential culture and genre of music – Hip Hop.

Since its birth, more than 40 years ago, Hip Hop has undoubtedly become a force to be reckoned with across the globe, and has taken mainstream entertainment by storm. But, along with the explosion of Hip Hop has come some changes by its younger generation of artists that have somehow departed from its founding principles. The impact of these changes have left many Hip Hop supporters longing for the return of the era of the unforgettable sounds of “feel good” music – better known as the Golden Era of Hip Hop.

Today, that wait is over. Five of Hip Hop’s most influential and iconic contributors have united to form the group The Golden Era All-Stars or GE All-Stars. Consisting of Melle Mel, Kurtis Blow, Chubb Rock, and Kid ‘n Play, the GE All-Stars have released the single “Celebrate” with some very important goals in mind.

“Our mission was to make a song that would put some joy into people’s hearts,” said Kurtis Blow. “It’s about having a good time, celebrating life and putting a smile on someone’s face.”

According to Kurtis Blow, “Celebrate” exemplifies what Hip Hop should be all about.

“The song ‘Celebrate’ really captures a feeling – a movement – of simply
having fun,” he said. “That good feeling is what the entertainment industry is
supposed to do for the public. When people leave our concerts or listen to our albums they are supposed to leave with a good feeling.”

He explained that the reason that “good feeling” has been missing from much of today’s Hip Hop music is disorder in the entertainment industry’s priorities.

“The reason why we have so many problems in today’s society is because the entertainment industry has been sucked into this huge fad of immorality, anything goes,” said Kurtis Blow, the founder of the Universal Hip Hop Museum and the upcoming organization Hip Hop Feeds the Hungry.

According to Christopher “Play” Martin, the Golden Era of Hip Hop also represented a time that provided a positive outlet, in spite of the negative things that may have embattled the community. “Celebrate” revisits this purpose.

“The mission is to reintroduce and introduce to many what Hip Hop music was originally all about,” Martin said. “When the culture and its music was first birthed, before it was even called ‘Hip Hop,’ it was about escapism, because a lot of issues were happening in the country, neighborhoods, communities, and in homes that were discouraging.”

He added, “People were beginning to take the frustrations from the climate and take it out on each other. The forefathers of the culture, such as Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc, Grand Wizard Theodore, DJ Charlie Chase, Grand Master Caz and other DJs created a musical climate that created and atmosphere that reminded people that life can be a thing worth celebrating.”

Martin, the creator of Brand Newz, a media organization dedicated to sharing and producing positive and enlightening news, and executive producer of the documentary short “Can Hip Hop Go To School?,” explained that “Celebrate” also highlights one of the most important needs in the entertainment industry – unity.

“Rethinking what’s important and taking a look at what’s really valuable in our lives … I think that’s what we accomplished unintentionally with ‘Celebrate,’” Martin said.
“Yes, we have great icons that represent what most would think and believe are great eras in Hip Hop, but what’s more important is that the artists and contributors to this track represent unity and the unification of generations.”

According to “Celebrate” producer Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence witnessing the accord among the GE All-Stars members during the production process of the song represented a special moment in his career.

“My spectrum in production is pretty wide, from Jay Z to Luther Vandross,
but I have never covered anything that I actually grew up listening to as a kid.
I never had a chance to work with the pioneers,” he said. “So, when the opportunity came around, I jumped on board immediately. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Lawrence, who is working to release an online show that sheds light on the struggles of artists working to emerge in the music industry, explained that he is also proud to be a part of a song that not only serves as a challenge to its listeners to appreciate and enjoy life, but also challenges other entertainers to use their influence to spread positive messages.

“This track is different. It shows rappers that you don’t always have to be the hardest person on the block. You don’t always have to curse. A lot of what is rapped about is going on in the streets and it’s real life, but no one is talking about the good times. No one is really talking about celebrating life,” Lawrence said.

According to co-writer O’hene “Os” Savant, “Celebrate” is poised to reignite the soul of Hip Hop.

“I joined this project to contribute to what I believe can change the world,” said Savant, the founder of Hipbop.org, which is dedicated to advancing urban intellectualism and urban culture. “The song ‘Celebrate’ promotes a message of love, which is a return to what the culture was about in its inception. It will hopefully begin a dialogue about ageism in Hip Hop culture and will begin a ripple effect of pioneering acts re-emerging in the culture.”

Inspired by the classic 1981 R&B/Disco hit “Let’s Celebrate” by Skyy,“Celebrate” also features vocals from GQ’s Emanuel Raheim Leblanc and Sheda B.

Listen now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZQJgvglSiQ