i'm gonna git u sucka. about two weeks back, i wondered who owns hip hop. and now, i have my answer. these guys own hip hop. they have taken out a trademark on the term "hip hop." because of some law or other, anyone can trademark a word that is unique and not in normal everyday use. like three-peat (owned by pat riley) or xerox. hip hop, as a culture, has been appropriated by many people, but never as literally as this. it's sickening.



these bastards are very serious about it too. if anyone wants to use the word "hip hop" in a commercial way, they must request licensing, usually a few thousand dollars. throwing a party with the word hip hop in the title? cha-ching. want to name your website hiphop-r-us? cha-ching. does your radio station market using the words hip hop? cha-ching. your next album is tentatively titled "hip hop and me?" cha-ching.



that my friends is disgusting. a copyright attorney is quoted as saying that "it's a shame people went to sleep on this. i hate to say this but negroes had better wake up and start smelling the coffee. these people in washington are not playing." the company is expected to make five to eight billion dollars in it's first year. you must be shitting me.



on one hand, i must applaud the sort of capitalistic entrepreneurism that goes with such a bold move, on the other hand, i'm saddened. and angry. because hip hop is not just a word. and the fact that it can be coined and licensed and trademarked shows just how depraved it's all become. the owner of the company is also a staunch conservative and "some are speculating that gonahangya intends to use his ownership of the now trademarked term 'hip hop' to quiet down any sort of political movement that has been organizing around the term in time for the 2004 elections.



"everyone in america knows that you don't do business without protecting your assets. it's just plain stupid to leave yourself this wide open.. if the hip hop community is that dumb when it comes to business then too bad. don't make me out to be the bad guy." -richard gonahangya-



[addendum] o fuck. it's an april fool's joke. geez. richard gon-a-hang-ya? i feel great right now. oh! bend over? okay!