What started out as an entry for a competition UK producer Configa ran last year to win a place on his album (which John Vietnam won pretty unanimously via the voting panel) quickly became something WAY more, due to JVN’s extremely untimely passing, very shortly after. Sadly, Configa and John never had time to record the track properly, so his entry, entitled “Need Wisdom”, stands alone as one of the tracks (even though it’s just one verse) that Configa is most proud of in his career.
This kid was set to blow, Configa knew it, and everyone who knew him, or of him, knew it. Configa said “It’s just an honor to have his vocals bless my beat, bearing in mind what happened shortly afterwards. Anyway, he was a great guy, and understood hip-hip as a CULTURE rather than as just some disposable trash. I’m a hip-hop academic, with a PhD, and this skinny teenager could hold his own with me in a debate – amazing! I just wish we had more 19 year old’s like him to carry the flame. Rest In Power – John Vietnam. Rapper, Poet, B-Boy, Scholar.”
Shout Out to Strife.TV who approached Configa about this tribute, and about hooking them up with the music. A BIG shout out goes to the Chicago B-Boys (and Girls) who held it down for JVN in this video, reppin’ for his home-town, as he himself always did. Peace.
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