Authenticity, cash, and hip hop

The WSJ today has a mildly depressing piece about the stalled efforts to raise money for a national museum of hip hop. It has come under fire from some hip hop pioneers who have declared the museum "illegitimate", because it aims to profit off their efforts without giving them due recognition, or even a cut of the proceeds. One gala, designed to raise money for the museum, degenerated into acrimony and anger: 

In attendance was Melle Mel, a rapper with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, who accused institutions like the Smithsonian of profiting from the pioneers' accomplishments. He shouted, "I'm in the Furious 5—not the Happy 5!"

Now they have gone on to form the Universal Federation for Preservation of Hip Hop Culture, a union aimed at extracting revenue for hop-hop pioneers from any future projects. The spokesman for the group appears to be KRS-One, who said "They deserve to get paid. This wouldn't be a gift. More like an honorarium for scholars."

This all might sound ridiculous, gangsta posturing by one-hit wonders from the seventies. But there are some genuine and legitimate concerns here. The first is that, like is often the case with new art forms, it's the ones who came later who benefited most, adapting the work of the avant garde for more mainstream consumption. And probably more than most art forms, hip hop pioneers came from poverty and in many cases remain so. Given that most of them are simply not that old right now, it must really grate to see the incredible fortunes being won by rappers who are less original, and perhaps less talented, than the pioneers.

To that extent, the KRS-One is probably on to something. Why not a union of sorts, that could create a trust fund or sort of pension for guys like Melle Mel?