Beats don’t stop: Hip-hop culture marks 50th year

COURTESY MICHAEL CARTWRIGHT

Michael “MVP Mike” Cartwright of Salisbury aspires to make it big as a hip-hop recording artist.

For 50 years, hip-hop has influenced cultures on an international scale.

From the beginning with trailblazers who paved the way like old school legends like the Sugar Hill Gang and Eric B. and Rakim to modern megastars Drake and Kendrick Lamar, hip-hop continues to evolve after a half-century. From Sugar Hill Records’ launch as hip-hop’s first label, to Jay Z earning the most Grammy nominations in history (88, with 24 wins), rap is closely identified with New York City.

North Carolinians have made their mark, too, like Charlotte’s DaBaby, Fayetteville’s J. Cole, and Greensboro’s Petey Pablo are stars in their own right.  

Michael “MVP Mike” Cartwright of Salisbury wants to join their ranks. A rising senior at North Carolina A&T State University, Cartwright is trying to get a foot in the entertainment industry door.

Cartwright, who considers himself a modest entertainer, sees other local rappers making strides, such as Kash Kyla, Zay Thuggin, K$lime, SGB.Blick and Fendifrvr. He’s also working on his own music.

“It’s a good feeling that people do know me as MVP Mike the person and the figure because I just feel like it’s an embodiment of my personality,” Cartwright said. “When I step in the room, I feel like I’m the MVP.”  

Along with Lamar, Cartwright considers Stunna 4 Vegas an influence, especially because of their hometown ties. They both attended West Rowan Middle School, which made Cartwright more intentional about MVP Mike’s aspirations. He realized if someone from his neighborhood can make it, so can he. Stunna 4 Vegas is signed to DaBaby’s Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment label.  

“When [Stunna] blew up, it kind of made it like ‘OK, my dreams are in arm’s reach’ as far as I can do this music thing too, because somebody from Salisbury, to make it big like that and do the thing like that … I was really inspired,” said Cartwright, a graduate of Victory Christian Center High School.  

Hip-hop has seen many highs and lows throughout its first half-century. However, there have been major strides the genre builds a better and more positive image, such as Lamar becoming the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for his album “DAMN.”

In the upcoming year the Hip-Hop Museum will open in the Bronx, N.Y., the movement’s cradle, through contributions across the hip-hop community from fans to artists, deejays and photographers.

The looming conversation about its future has some observers believing hip-hop is headed south. However, Cartwright believes the genre is evolving and change is inevitable.

“I feel like it’s all about the time is changing, and more things are permissible as time goes on,” he said. “I feel like the generation that we’re in now, our attention span is so quick because of social media, so I guess that could be a little push back as far as how we digest music now. But as far as the production of it, and as far as how much it is and how much room it is for everybody to do the thing, I think it’s an amazing thing.”

Social media and specifically Tik Tok has made its own influence within the hip-hop game. Some artists have now become referred to as “Tik Tok artists” because of the amount of play their songs get on the app.

There has been criticism about the controversial app and the new style it has within the hip-hop community, but Cartwright believes it’s another part of the culture’s evolution and a way to reach potential fans.

“I feel like TikTok has influenced hip-hop as far as the exposure that a lot of artists get, because a lot of people are underground for a very long time,” Cartwright said. “And, of course, not everybody has a million plays on the radio, but they may have a million plays on Tik Tok and there’s a way where you can get monetized on Tik Tok.”

COURTESY KEONN GORDON

Keonn Gordon of Charlotte, stage name DJ Mils, is a hip-hop entrepreneur as owner of We Vibe Entertainment LLC. Gordon, 33, also teaches at West Mecklenburg High School.

Keonn Gordon, aka DJ Mils, has been mixing music in Charlotte since 2018 and teaching since 2015.  

DJ Mils, owner of We Vibe Entertainment LLC, doubles down with MVP Mike and would say hip-hop’s popularity depends on the distribution of social media platforms.
“It’s no longer what’s hot on the radio, it’s about what’s trending on social media apps (such as TikTok),” said Gordon, who teaches at West Mecklenburg High School. “It’s all about what is currently trending. This also has an effect on how long an artist stays relevant.”  

Some might believe that juggling teaching during the day and DJing at night could be a hassle but for Gordon, his love for both keeps him motivated.  

“It can be difficult at times balancing the time because some nights like Thursdays and Sundays I would have a gig at the clubs that end at 3 in the morning,” he said. “It can get difficult getting up for work two to three hours later. But the love of music and the love of education keeps me going.”  

Gordon, 33, was inspired by his father after seeing him DJ at family functions. It wasn’t until he moved to Charlotte in 2018 when Gordon decided to take it seriously by signing with a DJ service company. That gave him the platform to go out and start his own business, We Vibe Entertainment.

Despite the many changes within hip-hop, Gordon believes the industry is in good hands.

“I believe hip-hop is bigger than ever nowadays and it’s definitely headed in the right direction,” he said. “From a business aspect, there are more artists now that have independent distribution deals, record label owners, and business endorsements than before. “I feel like hip-hop is a lot more creative, which branched off a lot more subgenres. We have to keep hip-hop fresh.”  

Comments