I wrote a script called: "The Perfect Beat."

I took it to Jane Fonda's production company in New York. I was hoping to find some politically aware company that would let out a truthful picture of the origins of hip hop. They passed on it, but one of Fonda's executives tried to get me to sign a contract giving her rights over the property for like $500.

Then I went to Harry Belafonte.

Harry wanted to make a nice movie that really didn't touch the dark side or show the violent and nasty aspects of life in the South Bronx.

Harry bought my script, then threw it out the window and replaced it with a limp and bogus storyline signifying nothing, only kept a few of my character's names. They gave me "story credit", but in reality, there's nothing in the story of Beat Street that resembles my story at all.

My film was closer to Boyz in the Hood than the dream world they came up with.

But now I'm older and have kids myself, I understand where Harry was coming from. I think he was motivated by a strong desire to create positive role models for young black kids.

The real story on the current hip hop industry is how they took something created by teenagers, most of whom were looking for a tribal alternative to the gang scene, and turned it into one of the most pro-violent genres in media. The gang-bangers did not create hip hop, but they sure took it over once it started to make money.

If you want to say something real or serious today, especially of a political nature, you won't get a deal. "The Message" wouldn't even get released. But if you want to rap about guns and bitches and cater to the worst aspects of the 11 year old mind, they will welcome you right into the board room.

Did you read the chapter in my book on Hip Hop? That's the real story. Break dancing did not start in 1983. Important people in break dancing history are The Nigger Twins (1975) and The Zulu Kings (1976). Then it flips from blacks to Hispanics and innovated by The Rockwell Association (1977), The Disco Kids (1978), the Rock Steady Crew (1980).

Break dance crews were highly likely to get into a fight after an organized competition, or any throw down. But when crews fought, it usually didn't happen at the party, but afterwards or the next day.

There was a lot of urban myth created by the first break dance story in the Village Voice. But then, there was a lot of BS swallowed by reporters in the early days, most of which was spun by kids 11 and 12 who didn't know any better than to talk shit to a reporter. Kind of like Lucy in Peanuts.

But the culture developed right after an intense gang period, which had become burnt-out due to violence overload. The girls especially, I think, began pushing for a new culture that provided a safer environment. People got tired of all the shooting and killing. When the prettiest girls in class start dating the deejay, it sends a message to everyone.

The other extremely influential factor ignored by everyone was the influence of drugs. Marijuana and LSD played huge roles. Later many scenes became dominated by dust and/or crack. It ran a trail from the creative explosion of cannabis and LSD to a cocaine overdrive that took a lot of people over the top. There's a lot of people who went through and came out the other end who probably have great stories to tell. But if you're going to tell the nightmare of the hard drugs, you also have to admit the initial forces were unleashed in part due to marijuana and LSD.

These kids lived in a world where to step back from an aggressor was a sin. Macho mentality. But the deejays, breakers, writers and mc's were the intellectual and artistic elite, they weren't the thugs. Macho code forced them into many battles nevertheless. Many venues were mob related or operated by gangs. Street deejays had to be down with a serious security scene (guns), which meant making alliances with local gangs.

But the ultimate hip hop arena was always the party: the block party, house party or club party.

And the ultimate gang arena has always been the gauntlet or the rumble.

That's the difference.

It's two different mindsets. One's about fun, creativity and style, the other's about domination through violence.

So that's why I think the worm has turned and why I don't bother listening to much gangster rap.