Bridging the Gap for Rap Artists

From its earliest beginnings at New York block parties in the 1970s and airplay on U.S. radio stations in the 1980s to its “Golden Era” in the 1990s and beyond, hip-hop has become a global genre, with listeners and aspiring artists the world over. And with its noticeable influence on fashion, advertising, television shows, films and many other facets of our culture, it only seems right that November 2021 became the first observance of National Hip-Hop History Month.

There’s no doubt that hip-hop has come a long way. But while the genre and its sound continue to thrive with every generation, the same isn’t always true for its artists. For every success story, there are many more tales of woe involving exploitative business practices and missing or lost earnings. For rap pioneers and members Kurtis Blow and Chuck D, those stories prove the necessity of unions. For them and many other union singers and recording artists, union representation has been integral to their continued success as industry creatives.

“When I first joined AFTRA back in 1980, I was following the instructions of my producers who understood why I should join. I never knew anything about a union before I started recording,” said Blow. “But I noticed a change in the way things were handled. The recording business [was being] monitored and held accountable.”

Still, despite the benefits and protections afforded to rappers through union membership, many remain unaware of the resources available to them. Others may not even be aware that their work makes them eligible to join. 

Longtime performers in the rap community are taking the first step to remedy the situation by forming the Hip-Hop Alliance. The alliance was founded by Blow, Chuck D and longtime SAG-AFTRA broadcast member and veteran radio personality Doctor Bob Lee. As a nonprofit organization under the United Coalition for Humanity, the HHA seeks to promote fair wages and royalties and health benefits for artists within the hip-hop and R&B community.

And because rappers know nothing is better than great minds coming together for a great cause, one of the HHA’s most public acts has been to announce its partnership with SAG-AFTRA.

For SAG-AFTRA, aiding, educating and empowering artists is always a top priority. And although significant resources have been put toward those goals in recent years, the HHA brings a unique knowledge of the music industry and its inner workings, as well as establishes interpersonal relationships with current and upcoming talent.

Said Lee, “Too often, artists are signing contracts for bragging rights. But educating artists about their agreements with labels, producers, agents and managers is the first step in empowering them to protect their livelihoods and futures.”

Added Chuck D, “There is strength in numbers, and big numbers also mean advancements in the art form. Hip-hop [artists] are treated like [high schoolers] by the big institutions when, in fact, a large number of our folks are between 40 and 65. If we join together and show our strength in numbers, those institutions will have no choice but to take us seriously.”

SAG-AFTRA and the HHA are also working to ensure that union recording artists understand the health care benefits available to them.

“Being a union member became beneficial when I realized I had qualified for health insurance for years but never knew it,” said SAG-AFTRA Vice President, Recording Artists and HHA Board member Janice Pendarvis. “I actually was paying for a private health insurance plan, and I knew several singers who didn’t know they had qualified for health insurance through [membership] until I told them to personally check to see if they qualified. All of their union mail was going to a manager or accountant who never mentioned to their singer client that they had qualified for health insurance.”

She continued, “I believe that the HHA can strengthen the awareness in the hip-hop and R&B communities that SAG-AFTRA is the union for recording artists, singers, rappers, influencers and dancers, and can do for the music community what it’s been doing for years for [actors].”

The work of the partnership will be an ongoing effort, but already both parties have made quick work in supporting legislative efforts that will improve the livelihoods of artists.

One such piece of legislation is the American Music Fairness Act, which would require singers and recording artists to be paid a fair market rate for airplay on terrestrial, or AM/FM, radio. It’s one important step toward a united front that shifts the experiences of not only rap artists, but the music industry across all genres.

“My hope for the future of hip-hop is one of sustainability, empowerment and longevity,” said Blow. “The partnership sets the tone for transforming the industry because everyone will take heed, join forces and answer the call for change.”

KURTIS BLOW was the first rapper to be signed to a major label. He is a pioneer of the hip-hop genre, with accolades from Billboard and MTV. As an ordained minister and the co-founder of the Hip-Hop Church, Blow is involved with several branches across the globe and serves as rapper, DJ and worship leader.

DOCTOR BOB LEE is a veteran radio personality, a SAG-AFTRA broadcaster member and a well-known figure at 107.5 WBLS/WLIB/Hot 97 in New York for over 40 years. In addition to his broadcast work, Lee is the author of numerous books and is the president, founder and chief executive officer of the Make the Grade Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides mentoring and aid to schoolchildren.

JANICE PENDARVIS, SAG-AFTRA’s vice president, recording artists/singers, is a singer, songwriter and voiceover artist who has worked with artists such as Sting, David Bowie, Roberta Flack and the Rolling Stones. Currently, Pendarvis is an associate professor of voice at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

CHUCK D, the leader of the groundbreaking hip-hop group Public Enemy and a solo artist, helped pave the way for political, social and culturally conscious hip-hop. In 2013, Public Enemy was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the rapper has gone on to do voiceover work and writing and musical collaborations with artists in the hip-hop, rock and metal genres.

This item was originally featured in the SAG-AFTRA magazine spring 2022 issue.