Since Don Imus made his comments about the women's basketball team at Rutgers University, people have been asking the question, "What about hip-hop?" My answer is, "What about GRITS?"
Progressive hip-hop group GRITS, comprised of Teron "Bonafide" Carter and Stacy "Coffee" Jones, has set out for the past twelve years to use hip-hop as a tool to reach people and enrich their lives. Although they agree with some critics who say that hip-hop has lost its way, they are witnesses to the positive messages that hip-hop has to offer.
"Now, it's just [an] over saturation of the market, and people are talking about the same old monotonous things," Coffee says. "Of course, if there is no diversity in [hip-hop], if it's just going to be snap music for the next twenty years, then of course [we're going to] die out."
GRITS says in order for there to be serious changes in the music industry, artists have to step forward and make their music a little more empowering and inspiring.
"[Some of us] have been irresponsible in the way we write songs and the kind of songs that we deem as 'what's hot and what's not,'" Bonafide says.
GRITS believes they are a group that can help change the image of hip-hop by not only having music that people can groove to but delivering powerful messages.
"I feel like we bridge the gap between what is already out there and what isn't out there. We give it that happy meeting," says Coffee.
GRITS started in 1994 and dropped their first album in 1995 during what Bonafide calls the "Golden Era of Hip-hop."
"Everything was pretty much straight-up positive," Bonafide says.
From the start of their career in 1995, GRITS says that they set out to offer people something unique and different, by combining exciting beats with positive, spiritual messages.
"In our personal lives, we are men of faith, and you can tell that it influences the way we write our music, That's the way we choose to be," Bonafide says.
Like U2, GRITS does not put a religious label on their music. They say their music has something to offer anyone that can appreciate good music.
"Look at all the other groups that did not have titles on them -- Tribe Called Quest, Talib Kwali; they had a spiritual message in their lyrics too," Coffee says. "Our goal is to get the music out [to our fans]…whatever they believe."
"We have stayed true to that [empowering message]. It's nine albums later, and now we are in 2007, and we still have this same vision," Bonafide says.
GRITS says that young people who are tired of some of the lyrics in hip-hop music should not stop at complaining, but should take an extra step and support those in the hip-hop community who are striving for change.
Bonafide says, "Don't just stand on the side of, 'its all bad, and we need to get rid of [it].' Be an advocate for the artists who are out there and who are trying to make a difference."
GRITS says their main goal right now is to grind it out on the road and continue to increase their growing fan base.
Coffee says, "Right now, touring is everything for us. You [have to] get out there and ... meet people one fan at a time, and that's how [we're going to] do it."
Coffee describes their live show as a movie. Bonifide prefers to describe it as a "speeding train."
"Once we get started, we keep going," Bonifide says. "We keep it right around 45-50 minutes. It's hype - it's crowd participation."
GRITS says, because hip-hop was originally a call to unity through the promotion of clean fun, their albums and their shows aim to give young people entertainment that will feed their souls and keep them "jammin'".
"That's what hip-hip was meant for," Bonifide says. "It's more about culture and the art and empowering people and raising people up."
You can catch GRITS at the "GRITS and Glamour" Party on April 24 at Bar 23 in Nashville. GRITS' latest album, Redemption, is in stores now and online at myspace.com/officialgrits.
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