Hip-hop music has found its way into pop culture and on radio stations across the nation. The music genre is celebrating 50 years this August and has even planted roots here in East Texas.
A Lufkin born Christian hip-hop artist Tedashii Anderson, who is known as Tedashii, said his love for music comes from his mom and listening to hip hop in high school. He was raised in East Texas and has memories of his mom as a blues singer.
His music can be found on his YouTube channel where he has accumulated over 50,000 subscribers. Tedashii said musicians like LL Cool J and UGK truly inspired him to create his own sound with hip-hop.
“Making the music brings a different type of level of energy that I’m excited to explore and experience,” Tedashii said. “I started dabbling in music and just kind of messing around.”
He said the genre has become so broad that it’s touching subgenres like his. Tedashii said hip-hop music is about expressing your truth which for him was his faith in East Texas.
“Being from the south as well as coming from Texas, God is a part of the ecosystem,” Tedashii said. “People will respect something religious so I found myself being embraced out of that identity or that idea as well.”
Hip-hop music’s roots also has ties to Tyler-based radio station, The Blaze 102.7 & 106.9.
Program director Dewayne Blaq has been at the station since 2002 and makes a joke that people say he was born there. When asking Blaq about the evolution of hip-hop music he said it’s been nonstop.
“Right now the women are controlling the charts,” Blaq said. “You cannot turn on the radio without hearing a Nicki Minaj, BIA, Latto or someone like that. Back in the day we had Queen Latifas but it was dominated by the LL Cool Js, Run-D.M.Cs and Kool Moe Dees.”
