Jay Smooth – A Unique Voice in Hip-Hop

We’re always lucky when, in the midst of a confusing and paradoxical cultural movement, a voice emerges to calm our anxieties and educate us. No cultural movement is as complicated (possibly self destructive, at times extraordinarily uplifting) as hip-hop. And one voice that has emerged to guide us through the ridiculousness is Jay Smooth.

Jay Smooth is a part-time radio host in NYC, and also the founder of the smartest video blog on hip-hop out there: Illdoctrine.com. Jay doesn’t compete with most hip-hop sites. He isn’t delivering news, album reviews or gossip. He’s delivering commentary: The Thomas Friedman of rap.

But his posts often go much further than hip-hop, reflecting instead the honest endeavors of an open mind. Always engaging, always thought provoking. Here Jay muses on dealing with his “little hater,” a term and concept so good that it should be in all of our vocabularies.

Oh, and for those who already know Jay: Can we get this dude a Wikipedia page already?

Here are a few more illdoctrine gems:

How to Tell People They Sound Racist

Why Hip-Hop is Dead (for you)

and A Poem for the Young Voter

Note: Not all illdoctrine posts are free from profanity, but none are offensive.