LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Hip-hop music is in its 50th year since a house party DJ invented the genre, and for Devine Carama, the director of One Lexington, it was a perfect time to teach his campers about the impact the music has had on his life and on society as a whole.
Carama, a musician himself, addressed his campers for about thirty minutes, explaining how Hip Hop songs were always laced with an important message about culture, society, or the poor treatment of people of color. He even reached back to the 1980’s when the music was often used to settle problems within the black community.
“Some of the hardest street dudes in the neighborhood, if they had issues with each other, while y’all are shooting it out, before it even got to that, first they might have a dance battle,” he explained to the roughly thirty kids in attendance.
He then saved the best part of the morning session for last when he introduced 11-year-old, Star Bookie to the crowd. Star recently won an Amateur Night at The Apollo contest after performing her song, “Put The Guns Down.”
My dad’s friends and my dad’s brother got shot,” she said of her desire to write the song with her father.
“Our kids, who are older than her, were locked into her message even though she’s younger,” Carama said. “That shows how powerful Hip-hop can be,” he continued.
The power of the One Lexington program has also been on display since its inception. As of this writing, Lexington’s annual homicide total is down considerably from where it was one year ago at this time.
“It’s all of us,” Carama said when asked if One Lexington was a big reason for the improvement. “Wrapping our arms around these kids collectively and I think it’s making a difference,” he added.
