Tribute to the Fallen
justalilhype! Editorial
Words by Alan Ng & Jenkin Au
Growing up, he was always a special child
Excelling like a fire of the wild
To the people around him, they saw
An inspiration to cure their flaws
His life no pattern, no straight file
On a dark night, just a lil while
An altercation, an inescapable rile
In a flash moment, stabbed without cause
But the ambition continues to live on
There was no prisoner, thus no trial
And the torn lovers’ stomaches filled with bile
But his life’s infection not at all lost
His inspiration continued without exhaust
The lovers’ went on in a grand style
And the ambition continues to live on
From early days to modern society, the notion of a character expands much more beyond the person. People go before us and pass away everyday; no matter which you are, your departure from the earth will impact your surroundings. When public figures of society leave us, their impact does not just stay upon the few that surround them, but across the environment, culture and most importantly, across the encounter of one’s memory with these public figures. In popular media, deaths of celebrities or politicians go far beyond the concept of a tribute to a particular character. The contribution that popular media has towards news on these deaths are often exaggerated, mis-communicated, and at times, far from the facts.
One of the most recent known celebrities that have passed before us is Michael Jackson. His death drew attention to billions of people; this superstar’s fame reaches the masses of all cultures. What has the contribution of popular media done? They have used this scenario into a profit making strategy. For the whole month after Michael has passed away, they have been constantly creating front page magazines of Michael. All platforms of media have drafted up both negative and positive news of Michael Jackson into the popular media and a tribute can only go so far. All due respect to an article on Michael Jackson and his contribution to the amazing music that he has produced, but what are you doing when you are just recreating old news or making false accusations of his death? Think about his family, his fans, and most importantly, his reputation. When someone’s life is taken away, especially celebrities, there is no need to further create or explain what kind of person they are. Their families, friends, and fans don’t need a reminder of how great an individual that has passed away is.
The average media outlets will outweighs the pros and cons before they choose a tribute to spice up for the sake of filling content, but a prime example of what we have seen in the past month is that the DJ community has really stepped up and shown a true tribute to their friends that has passed away. One beloved DJ that has passed away recently includes Adam Michael Goldstien, or DJ AM. He was a very popular American club DJ and musician and he has worked on albums for Papa Roach, Madonna, and Will Smith, and has DJ’d for Jay-Z’s concerts. A-Trak wrote a blog post about his memories of this fine friend. Jay-Z spoke to the media about how great AM was as a DJ. These forms of tributes can be seen by many as a direct respect to the fallen. Roc Raida aka Anthony Williams, another world champion DJ and more known as Grand Master Roc Raida Is another American DJ, turntablist, producer. He is also members of DJ groups The X-Men and The X-Ecutioners. He is inspired and will always be remembered by many fans out there not just because of his talent as a DJ but also as a humble man, dedicated father and husband. The DJ community, club promoters, and music lovers have gone together as whole in paying true tribute to the above fallen and it is notable across public spaces on social media spaces. These individuals have not only stated their grief about this incident but have also contributed to a pool of thoughts on events and memories on why they think the above fallen has made a difference and also on what makes them unforgettable.
One of the fallen heroes within the community that we have grown up in is Aaron Chan. Through out the Chinese community, he has always shined through the ranks. From being an outstanding player to winning awards at local competitions which included Sunshine Boys and New Talent Singing Contest, his list of achievements went on. Outside his entertainment life, he has been a very understanding son, a team player for his basketball team, and a very caring friend. Unfortunately, at one incident that involved youth violence, his life was taken away. Up to this date, the victim has not been caught and justice has not been resolved. His “never giving up” attitude have led him to a very sucessful start of his musical career, as he was also just about to step foot into the Asian entertainment industry. A new hip hop group today carries the inspirations from Aaron Chan and is about to take the name “Am3tion” to the next level. Coming up on Oct 25, 2009, there’s is a “Aaron Chan Performing Arts and Music Awards” charity concert. His father has started an organization called “Aaron Chan Academy” as a way to collect funds to be able to sponsor and assist individuals that are perusing dreams within our community. “Life is your masterpiece. Create your own destiny” is Aaron’s famous quote. Even though Aaron Chan has left us, he has left great inspirations and unforgettable memories to all his loved ones. Furthermore, his ambition continues to live on.
“May all the fallen heroes rest in peace and may only the media that believes in real HYPE carry their messages and inspirations across all mediums ethically.”
IN HYPE WE TRUST