“The idea that knowledge is the fifth element of hip-hop is credited to Afrika Bambaataa, an influential DJ in the early days of hip-hop. He considers knowledge to be the most important element of them all. According to him, a person cannot MC, DJ, breakdance, or make graffiti without having knowledge, the fifth element that ‘brings it all together.’”
There’s lots of ways to be, as a person. And some people express their deep appreciation in different ways. But one of the ways that I believe people express their appreciation to the rest of humanity is to make something wonderful and put it out there.
And you never meet the people. You never shake their hands. You never hear their story or tell yours. But somehow, in the act of making something with a great deal of care and love, something’s transmitted there. And it’s a way of expressing to the rest of our species our deep appreciation. So we need to be true to who we are and remember what’s really important to us.
