Grandmaster Flash

Black History: Hip Hop vs Crack-When X-Clan & Other Groups Closed the Crack House

X-ClanPeople have often talked about fighting wars using biological and chemical weapons. We came after Hitler for using them. We came after Saddam Hussein for using them. Sadly no one ever came after those who flooded urban communities during the 1980s and into the 90s with Crack. If this wasn’t a weapon of mass destruction, I don’t know what was... One thing I can say about Hip Hop is that early on it confronted the problem... Kool Moe Dee dropped a dope song called ‘Monster Crack’ in 1986...

Before him, we heard Cracked Out by Masters of Ceremony featuring a young Grand Puba who later went on to be a part of Brand Nubian.. Of course we all know the joint from Public Enemy ‘Night of the Living Bassheads which featured the debut of a young actor named Samuel Jackson.

Another landmark song ‘Batterram‘ came from West Coast Legend Toddy Tee... who responded to the hateful orders of LA Police Chief Darryl Gates to use an armored tank with battering ram to break into fortified crack houses in the hood. On more than one occasions, police got the wrong address and broke down the wrong house...