This week hip-hop took a huge lost as Combat Jack lost his battle with cancer. Combat Jack was a pioneer in the hip-hop media game. Having one of the first if not the first notable and stamped culture driven and supported “underground” independent radio shows/podcast. He also part of starting the Loud Speaker Network along with Chris Morrow. Jack had one of the only platforms that didn’t play the “who’s relevant” card. You were either apart of the culture or your weren’t and that is why I loved the show. It wasn’t about “the music business”. It was about hip-hop culture.
I got a chance to meet Combat Jack briefly. I seen him out at A3C along with J.R. Bang and my guy Gil. Bang shouted him out and he came to the car. That’s a shock seeing we had no relationship, but he showed us love. That was a big deal to us. Bang and Combat spoke quickly about the resurgent Chicago rap scene and who he knew and then he took off. Who knew that moment would mean so much more on this day.
In his passing, the way he closed his show is replaying in my mind.
Dream those dreams. Then man up and live those dreams. Because a life without dreams is Black and White and the universe flows in technicolor and surround sound, BOW!
It sticks out to me because one of my first sayings I would say was “If you ain’t dreaming, you ain’t living”. We can never stop dreaming. Even when we turn dreams to goals and accomplish them. I never want to be a person that stops dreaming.
Combat’s death also has me thinking about change and evolving. Combat died at 48 years old. Although I have more than a decade to get there, It’s not far away. I have so many “Haven’t done yet” moments on my life’s bucket list. Things I didn’t do because of time, money, work or cause what others may think. That’s not living. It’s definitely not living for me. Moving forward in life I’m not going to let anything stop me from at worst case trying and failing. I could die any day. I don’t want that day to come and leave all the things I planned to do on the universe’s table. I will no longer live with 99 Problems over 3 Wishes. The world is attainable. I’m about to conquer the world!
The life I see is but a few steps away. It’s time I make a run for it.
Condolences to the family and friends of the Legend, Combat Jack.
Cam. 