This is a question we all come to ask ourselves at one point or another; and one that has come to pay in my mind quite often lately: How will I be remembered?… Outside of your average, "I want to be a ____when I grow up" speeches, I've never really actually sat down and said to myself, "I want other people to remember xyz…about my life". About a week ago, when my younger brother, in the midst of one of our many late-night rants and raves regarding the "ass-backward-ness" of our society, we gradually slipped into our future and danced with the ideals of our perfected existence and the leaving behind something more that just simple memories, but a legacy… Some creation that lives on without our physical presence, where everyone can sit back and say, "Yes, She did this!" something to actually solidify your existence; to become the fossil of your life story to prove that you were here at one point in time.

Thinking of this brought me to another series of questions, Is it what we do that defines us? Or who we are that determines what we do? Not necessarily questions you expect to find definitive answers to, but that doesn't stop them from intruding your thoughts every once in a while. Nonetheless, when I finally responded to my younger brother's question, my answer was simple, "I just want to be remembered for being me."

Some of you may be reading this and following along understanding and in agreeance and some of you may be glancing through this wondering "what the f—ck is she talking about and where is this going….LOL, both reactions are greatly appreciated.

When I sat down to make the new updates for TOUR, I thought to myself, I need to add more of myself into it. When this beautiful journey of TOUR-Mag first began, for those of you who have been supporting me and TOUR from day one, and have been patiently watching and taking this ride with me know there have been many changes made. One of which has been more of the removal of "ME" directly within my work with the online mag in order to be more objective. But it got to the point where I began to feel like two different people, the "Me" for TOUR and the "Me" for the rest of my life. So it was important for me to continue to add my personal touch to TOUR as long as it is relevant and insightful.

That got me thinking about many of the music artists, actors and entertainers we often criticize for making some of the public decisions they do within their craft. Are they behaving a certain way that's simply good for business or are they being themselves? Is it now a fad to brag about how dope you are as a lyricist but your purposefully "dumbing" down your lyrics for your listeners in exchange for more exposure? Is that the legacy you want to leave behind? That's like the kid you knew in school that was smart as hell but played "dumb" just to fit in? How does that add up?

When did it become OK for us to lose ourselves? When producing this new installment TOUR had the opportunity to exchange ideas with some great talent, including Rhymefest, Krucial, Maya Azucena, Nightlife, Romey, Cashus C.R.E.A.M. and many others…. Any artist that grace the virtual pages of TOUR embodies something special, but there was something refreshing about all of these artist and their philosophies;  and it was their deep commitment to their individuality and making their mark not only being themselves, but making a significant mark for Hip-Hop. The question now becomes "How will Hip-Hop be remembered?" Will it be as another great culture that has gone extinct? Or will it continue as a great phenomenon that will live on long after we are gone? If is the latter, how will it live on and how will we all do our parts?

It's easy to sit back and point the finger…but ask yourself, what are you doing for hip-hop's legacy, whether you a consumer, listener, executive, hip-hop enthusiast, writer, actor, model, producer, director, comedian music or visual artist. We have to keep good music on the forefront, we have to make sure that there is always a balance and variety within what we hear on the radio or within the videos that make the countdowns and play lists. We have to make sure that there is always a home for good music and exposure for its creators. Don't let the trends of BDS, soundscan and billboard dictate to you about what's hot…Decide for yourself what's hot and fight to make it accessible.

We are all affected by the culture of Hip-Hop, and if you are one of the many people screaming about the suicide of Hip-Hop…maybe its time you started thinking about how you can take part in the intervention.

We are hip-hop, and if hip-hop dies, it's because we let it.

So how will I be rememembered? I'll be remembered always as being me, always staying true to myself and what I believed in. Someone who embraced her creativity and gifts and expressed herself.  I'll be someone who truly loved hip-hop and did my part to save it.

How will you be remembered?

Questions? Comments?

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