The recent grudge match (AKA "beef") between rappers Kanye West and 50 Cent was a symbolic turning point in the history of Hip-Hop. This contest, whose supposed goal was to see who could sell more records within the first week, was not only an ingenious marketing ploy, but more importantly, the braggadocios introduction of Graduation and Curtis symbolically marked the rise of an alternative perspective of Black masculinity.

This alternative perspective is not completely new; it is just the renaissance of a version of Black masculinity that the recent Hip-Hop and media landscape has reduced to the margins. The grudge match pitted the stereotypical "gangsta" rapper, 50 Cent, against the more moderate "emo"-rapper, Kanye West. With West coming out of the fray as the uncontested victor, the tenor of Hip-Hop is taking on a refreshing multi-dimensional stance that actively seeks to break the one-dimensional mold that has dominated mainstream Hip-Hop for arguably the past eight or nine years.With what seems like the broadening of the Hip-Hop and media landscapes, we, as