Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” is the subject another rhetorical gong shows.
Old Man Ebro is at it again. Instead allowing the ebb and flow to run its natural course, the HOT 97 host centered himself in yet another conversation that didn’t concern him. In fairness, Ebro does get paid to voice his opinion on a pressional basis – but somewhere along the way, he misplaced his “Old Head Energy” after losing out on the progressive changes the rest society felt inclined to make.
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With Ebro’s New York contemporary Dave East voicing his displeasure over Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” and justly so, the HOT 97 anchor could have simply agreed with the sentiment and kept it moving. Instead, Ebro took it upon himself to speak for “all hip-hop” in decrying the proto-country anthem.
The issue is, Ebro likens himself to an elite echelon “Old Head Energy” practitioners. In his defense, he probably thinks he’s doing good by “the culture” when he backhands Lil Nas X’s parody attempt. What he doesn’t realize is that “Old Head Energy” doesn’t equate to living in the past.
Quite the contrary. “Old Head Energy” is the act connecting ancient wisdom with dire current events. That’s where Lupe Fiasco comes into the picture, responding Ebro’s incitement with stern demand that he abstain from “speaking for hip hop as a whole.” I couldn’t agree more.