On the 50th anniversary of hip hop, global hip hop band The Nation are releasing their debut interactive album, Hip Hop for Humanity, to revive the ideological beginnings of hip hop into today’s global culture.
The first single release from this album is “Luv Flo,” released on Valentine’s Day. “Luv Flo” is a song about the true love that hip hop stands for—the force of love that emerges when people unite above their differences and divisions.
Before hip hop emerged into culture in the Bronx of the 1970s, fear increasingly filled the streets, and the emergence of hip hop managed to channel the fear into a new thriving culture of music, art, dance, street fashion, and street entrepreneurialism. Rival gang leaders came together in this new atmosphere and the slogan “Peace, Love, Unity, Having Fun.”
Since the birth of hip hop, commercial interests became interlaced with hip hop culture, increasingly detaching the products made in the name of hip hop from its original ideological foundation. The commercialization of “hip hop” became a vehicle that made “hip hop” the most popular music genre throughout the world today.
And like a peel develops and hardens over a fruit, the current global wrapping of “hip hop” in its myriad commercialized forms has formed around the sweet fruit of its original unifying ideology, which waits to be unleashed at a time of need.
In 2023, The Nation is bringing hip hop’s original ideology to the fore. Where the gang violence and fear-ridden atmosphere of 1970s Bronx New York saw the setting for hip hop to bridge divisions among gangs and people on the streets, today’s social division is increasingly felt globally—and The Nation infuses the positive force of hip hop’s original unifying ideology into its releases this year, encouraging unity above division as the way to a new positive global culture.
The Nation is a global hip hop band consisting of members from the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, and Israel. Its members are (in alphabetical order): 730RS, Aaron C., Negus Nimrod (a.k.a. Judah), Wystelands, and Young Hysan.
lyrics
[Verse 1: Negus Nimrod (a.k.a. Judah)]
Wisdom
I had to pursue her
Like when God created earth
In her
Is the tree of life
From the oil from her lamp
She give me light
Deep as the sea
She put up on the highest degrees
Revealing all things
Even that which is not seen
She a rider
I made Wisdom my queen
I stand beside her
Wisdom
She a dime piece
She consume my attention
I stand balanced for piece
The spiritual worlds is what she teach
Human from my head to my feet
Wisdom she my crown
Who tamed the beast
This what you mean to me
I value our love and connection infinitely
Sparking love and light instantly
Carry this intention to bestow
Everywhere that I go
I’m certain of wisdom she just meant to be
[Hook: Wystelands]
Let the love flow
Let the love flow
Let the love flow
Let the love flow
[Verse 2: Aaron C.]
Secrets gon’ be revealed
We gon’ make the music, make the people heal
Hiphop ain’t dead, it was just concealed
Everything you think you think is really real?
We been closed off, but now it’s time to feel
Long before the virus, we were spittin’ ill
I don’t mean that as a pun, we been sick for real
Need the diagnosis so we’ll really heal
Self centered, our nature is egoistic
You can call it evil cuz selfish gain is the mission
We were once one, division is now the sickness
Learn to love each other again and we back to business
Feeling humanity as my family, soon we’ll see the goodness behind all of the calamities
Love will elevate us above all of the insanity
Connection is birthing a new reality
[Hook: Wystelands]
[Verse 3: Wystelands]
Row row row the love boat
Up the stream
To more unity
Life is but a but a dream
Merrily merrily team up
To speed up
Heat up, wake up and reread up
On your ideology
Sociology
Socio-psychology
Psycho-socio-globalology
The new methodology
To seed and feed and breed
The Romeology
No terminology even be needed
All we need is love
But not just in California
But for all of ya
We’re breaking down the borders
So it’s all like mothers and daughters
Fathers and sons
One global family
The gates to the flowing waters of love
Have been torn wide open
Gushing them out all over the face of the planet
It’s the money shot of money shots
I couldn’t have planned it better
With the manpower to find a sunny spot
Where the love be so hot like a curry
Make you hop hop like a bunny
Hip hop like a public enemy
Turned my public friend
Thanks to changes in public opinion
Disrespecting the selfish intention
Like acts of public urination
While mutual connection floods
The radio, TV, net and every publication
So change the station and what do you hear?
Humanity cheer as one big multi-billionaire
[Hook: Wystelands]
credits
from HIP HOP FOR HUMANITY,
track released February 14, 2023
Lyrics and vocals: Negus Nimrod (a.k.a. Judah), Aaron C., Wystelands
Production and mixing: The Nation
Mastering: Nadav Katz
The Nation is a global hip hop collective with members from the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, and Israel. Its members are (in alphabetical order): 730RS, Aaron C., Joe Larez, Negus Nimrod (a.k.a. Judah), Wystelands, and Young Hysan.
Killer West Coast hip-hop entirely produced by Georgia Anne Muldrow, with features from E-40, Del the Funky Homosapien & more. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 4, 2024
