(Photo By Hop Da Great)
Hop Da Great is a fresh emcee on the rise out of the Bronx (NY). He prides himself on creating good music with meaningful intellectual elements. He works hard to ensure that his music catalog consists of content that appeals to a wide range of listeners and has a positive impact. To ensure his success, he works to remain down to earth and consistent, facing all challenges and obstacles head on. Which is an approach that has turned out well for him, since he has done impressive numbers in all areas of his career with no type of help from indie or mainstream resources. Earlier this month, he released a new song / video called “What Happened.” It is an ode to African American inventors /entrepreneurs in honor of Black History Month. Here is what was shared about the project: “The song tells the names of some of the most iconic figures in Black History. Black History Month honors the contributions of African Americans to United States History. This video shows a glimpse of famous firsts in African American history and other Black History facts. Black History is an indispensable key to understanding the nation’s past, present, and future. A thorough grasp of Black History also gives great insight to the present state of the Black race, as well as it’s overall impact on America. Without understanding how things came to be, it is difficult to make much sense of the current situation or to form solutions to current issues concerning African Americans. This video gives that understanding in a more modern and urban outlook.” Take a peek after the jump.
The record itself is a bluesy toned down number with a pensive vibe. The production is on point and Hop Da Great contributes high quality content. The video opens with a quote from the late Marcus Garvey. Next, Hop is bumped into by a young male running for the bus. Hop notices that the male drops his book and tries to get his attention but to no avail. So Hop decides to crack open the book himself. The book is titled African American Firsts: Famous Little-Known and Unsung Triumphs of Blacks in America and it is written by Joan Potter. From there, the plot basically just follows Hop as he takes in the literature while highlighting various people and devices. He acknowledges everything from the ironing board to the stoplight. The most striking scene shows Hop sitting with his back against the wall surrounded by books. One has to respect his silent advocating of learning. The video ends with one last look of that particular scene and then cuts away to a snippet of another single by Hop. Overall, this was an epic flick and a very fitting way to celebrate Black History Month.
**My Two Cents: I love thought provoking music and artists. So I really enjoyed this song and video. Hop did his thing. The beat was well chosen and the lyrics were very cultured. Also, I learned a few new things. That is always a plus. I certainly feel that readers should take the time out to watch this video for sure. And afterwards they can find Hop Da Great on Facebook or Twitter and salute him for such rich work. -MinM
