Reverend Conrad Tillard Reflects on Hip-Hop Moguls, Harlem’s Legacy and the Fight for Political Power
Back in the day, Hip-Hop was tool for education and knowledge. The next step logically was for the culture to impact the political landscape. Diddy represented initiatives like “VOTE OR DIE” and Russell Simmons presented the rap community with his highly visible Hip-Hop Summits with Dr. Ben Chavis. But there’s more to the story.
Rev. Conrad Tillard, formerly known as Conrad Muhammad of the Nation of Islam, has long been a voice for change in the Black community. Whether as an activist in Harlem or a minister in the pulpit, Tillard has witnessed the highs and lows of the culture, including the rise and fall of some of Hip-Hop’s most powerful figures. Tillard feels his efforts in Hip-Hop have been erased from the annals of history.
In a recent conversation with AllHipHop, Rev. Tillard how his efforts have been erased from history. “A lot of people try to write it out of history, but what we did in Harlem had a great impact,” he said.
The Origins of Hip-Hop Political Power—& the Battle Over It
While most people associate Hip-Hop’s political involvement with modern campaigns and movements like Rock the Vote or Diddy’s Vote or Die, Tillard asserts that he laid the foundation years earlier. In the late ‘90s, while still a member of the Nation of Islam, he became the first NOI minister accepted into Harvard Divinity School. He also took classes at the Kennedy School of Government, where an assignment challenged him to form an organization.
With a vision already in mind, he created A Movement for Change, a group dedicated to leveraging Hip-Hop as a political force. “Hip-Hop was always political, but not in the electoral sense,” Tillard explained. “Nobody was saying, ‘We’re going to vote for so-and-so,’ or ‘We’re going to organize to use our power.’”
He immediately called industry titans like Simmons and Sean “Diddy” Combs to mobilize Hip-Hop as a political demographic. His slogan? “Hands that once scratched turntables would one day pick a president.” He admitted the phrase was inspired by Jesse Jackson’s 1984 campaign line: “Hands that once picked cotton will one day pick a president.” It was effective.
But according to Tillard, his idea—once they all got granular and detailed—was taken.
Did Hip-Hop Moguls Steal Tillard’s Movement For Change?
Rev. Tillard recalls initial support from Russell Simmons, Diddy and others, but tensions arose when it came to political allegiance.
“Russell wanted to deliver the Hip-Hop generation to the Democrats,” he revealed. “There’s always this impulse in our leaders to organize us politically, but the only purpose is to give us over to the Democrats.”
He disagreed.
Tillard insisted that Hip-Hop needed to remain independent, leveraging its influence to get the best deal for the community—regardless of party. “You’re not conformist in any other area of life. Why, in politics, do you suddenly become a ‘good boy’ for the Democrats?” he said, becoming increasingly animated.
The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) was founded in 2001 by Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, and Dr. Benjamin Chavis, a longtime civil rights activist and former executive director of the NAACP. HSAN was created as a non-profit, non-partisan organization aimed fostering civic engagement, social responsibility and economic empowerment. Although it seemed to skew towards Liberal politics and policies, it never did formally.
Ultimately, Tillard said, Simmons, Diddy and others “organized against” him in the early 2000s, attempting to take over the movement.
“I was fighting all of them and some of the ministers who had sort of come in with them,” he said, seemingly referring to Dr. Ben Chavis. Chavis worked closely with Simmons. Tillard said, rather than fight, a spiritual transformation led him to step away.
“At one point, I just let it go,” he said. “I think we had made the impact. We had established the template.”
Tillard’s influence is undeniable. To the lay person, he was a strong, sturdy and sensible voice of reason. His “Movement for Change” laid the groundwork for Hip-Hop’s increasing role in politics, inspired by Hip-Hop activism.
“When you see people like AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and others, that’s a direct result,” he said.
On The Current Situations Of Former Rap Moguls
Tillard kept it blunt when addressing the current state of Hip-Hop’s former moguls.
“I don’t see them,” he said. “Obviously, Russell’s in Bali and brother Diddy’s in prison. The last time I saw brother Diddy was at Heavy D’s funeral.”
Drawing from his past interactions with industry figures, Tillard referenced Suge Knight as another cautionary tale.
“I met him in ‘93, and I told Suge, ‘You are an incredible man. I respect you. But if you don’t stop this, you are going to destroy everything you built,’” he said.
Suge Knight’s bid to have his 28-year sentence was recently denied.
The Dangers: Death, Prison, And Lost Legacy
Tillard sees a troubling pattern among Hip-Hop’s pioneers—building an empire, only to lose it all through ego, arrogance and hedonism.
“It’s hurting to me that all of these moguls built these tremendous businesses and created a voice for the African-American community. But because we were blinded by arrogance and lost the sense of mission, we squandered it.”
He likened the cycle to Tupac Shakur’s tragic rise and fall.
“Pac came up through a mother that was crack-addicted,” he said. “He became the most celebrated artist in America at that time. And yet, he died like a common gang banger.”
The lesson? Success isn’t enough: “We have to figure out how to win, even when we’ve won.”
On Going To Diddy’s Parties
With ongoing speculation surrounding leaked tapes and past events, Tillard was careful in addressing his experiences.
“Yeah, I went to a few Diddy parties, but I didn’t go to that kind. And I always went with the brothers, so I have witnesses, and I was in and out.”
As someone who has engaged with Hip-Hop while maintaining his moral compass, Tillard sees himself as a bridge between the culture and faith.
“That’s the one thing,” he said. “I always engaged the culture, but I knew my place as a minister.”
While Hip-Hop has made undeniable strides, Tillard warns that the community still has work to do.
“We’re still climbing up,” he concluded. “We still have a lot of work to do. And we’re throwing up, making it rain, when we could be enriching and helping our Black colleges, our institutions and building new ones.”
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