How Do You Feel About The State of Hip-Hop?

[Cmill216]

Hip-hop is basically mentioned on these types of boards just so suburban kids into rock can say "you can't spell rap without crap" so they can sound clever. Rock lovers are in the majority around here, so I don't expect a serious debate about the genre except with maybe a few of the members that truly have a love for the music.

^ Too damn true.

Moving on, I for one don't go looking for my hip hop on the radio, because I know it's just going to be the same songs with the the "club-friendly" beat or hook. The hip hop they play on most pop stations is just so blah most of the time. And don't get me started on the southern stuff...

For me: The Roots, Jay-Z, Common, Kanye, Mos Def, Lupe, Fort Minor, Pocket Dwellers. Big fans of all of them, especially The Roots.

(On a side note, I've been playing DJ Danger Mouse's The Grey Album nonstop lately. Really amazing stuff, if you haven't heard it).

 

[Cmill216]

http://www.myspace.com/seventhfloorcrew

WTF was that?

 

[Mr. Credible]

the mainsteam rap/hip hop today is pure garbage... it doesn't involve any talent whatsoever. all the best stuff is underground, which is both a good and a bad thing.

i blame mtv. they're the ones telling these kids what the 'hott new jamz' are, and they're picking all the wrong stuff.

 

[Mr. Credible]

^ Too damn true.

Moving on, I for one don't go looking for my hip hop on the radio, because I know it's just going to be the same songs with the the "club-friendly" beat or hook. The hip hop they play on most pop stations is just so blah most of the time. And don't get me started on the southern stuff...

For me: The Roots, Jay-Z, Common, Kanye, Mos Def, Lupe, Fort Minor, Pocket Dwellers. Big fans of all of them, especially The Roots.

(On a side note, I've been playing DJ Danger Mouse's The Grey Album nonstop lately. Really amazing stuff, if you haven't heard it).

throw in gym class heroes, the occasional ludacris, and eminem (if he ever decides to be good again) and you've got the extent of my hip hop playlist.

i think this no talent booty club rap bologna needs it's own sub genre... like hip-pop, or something like that.

 

[Ice Monkey Joe]

I feel the State of hip-hop needs to be more democratic.

 

[Tangled Web]

WTF was that?

That's the 7th Floor Crew.

 

[terry78]

Do your chain hang low, do it wobble to da flo'?

Every other song is a ballad describing a girl's ass, or some new dance move. Whatever happened to talking about the gritty life of the ghetto, and why the government is screwing us over? Talk about that again.

 

[The Shape]

I don't know. Most mainstream hip-hop sounds the same. It bothers and bores me. Gym Class Heroes are a step in the right direction as far as new hip-hop goes. Something fresh.

The Roots. Jay Z. This is where hip-hop is at right now.

 

[Cmill216]

Whatever happened to talking about...why the government is screwing us over?

Because the government controls the radio?

 

[Cmill216]

The Roots. Jay Z. This is where hip-hop is at right now.

Well, Jigga ain't making anymore records, so....

 

[terry78]

Need to start listening to some Rhymefest, Jurassic 5, Acealyone, Apathy, etc.

 

[Tangled Web]

I like Wycleaf Jean.

 

[Crooklyn]

Whatever happened to talking about the gritty life of the ghetto..

That's actually the most repetitive subject in rap today.

The Roots. Jay Z. This is where hip-hop is at right now.

Eh, I kinda disagree there. Roots really haven't been up to par lately imo, and all Jay has been doing on the music front is guest spots on mainstream singles.

Kanye West. Lupe Fiasco. Those 2 are such a breath of fresh air. I really hope more of them come along. It's not a coincidence that these 2 are also not very thug.

 

[Cmill216]

Need to start listening to some Rhymefest, Jurassic 5, Acealyone, Apathy, etc.

Gotta find some more of their stuff. Heard some it, loved it, but never picked up more. Weird...

 

[Cmill216]

Eh, I kinda disagree there. Roots really haven't been up to par lately imo

Game Theory had some good stuff, but was way too short compared to some of their previous albums.

Kanye West. Lupe Fiasco. Those 2 are such a breath of fresh air. I really hope more of them come along. It's not a coincidence that these 2 are also not very thug.

Lupe = The Truth

 

[CrypticOne]

^ Too damn true.

Moving on, I for one don't go looking for my hip hop on the radio, because I know it's just going to be the same songs with the the "club-friendly" beat or hook. The hip hop they play on most pop stations is just so blah most of the time. And don't get me started on the southern stuff...

For me: The Roots, Jay-Z, Common, Kanye, Mos Def, Lupe, Fort Minor, Pocket Dwellers. Big fans of all of them, especially The Roots.

(On a side note, I've been playing DJ Danger Mouse's The Grey Album nonstop lately. Really amazing stuff, if you haven't heard it).

That is a good list.

For me: Nas, Lupe Fiasco, Immortal Technique, Eminem, Royce da 5'9", Wu-Tang, Kanye West, Typical Catz, and I've been listening to Obie Trice lately.

 

[Tangled Web]

Lupe Fiasco is cool. I found out about him thanks to myspace.

 

[The Shape]

Well, Jigga ain't making anymore records, so....

Wrong. He's working on one as we speak.

 

[terry78]

http://www.myspace.com/aceyalone

 

[Cmill216]

Wrong. He's working on one as we speak.

Damn. When the hell did this happen?

 

[Rayne]

I think it's absolutely horrible. I grew up on a big mix of hip-hop, big hair rock, and alternative, and today cannot listen to any hip-hop post-1998. It seems to me that ever since Tupac Shakur was killed and Outkast sold out and went mainstream, the only thing worth listening to was Eminem, and even that got old. It's all superficial, degenerative, and without meaning. Hip-hop was created to express the feelings of a culture, and now it's just a bunch of joke rappers with little talent talking about how great their bullet wounds are and how much "bling" - God I hate that word - they have from selling drugs.

Hip-Hop was once the voice of young African-Americans - now it's simply the bane of them. It has transformed from an art into a liability, a poison that's run across three generations of young Americans, black, white, hispanic, and the rest. I hate it.

 

[The Shape]

Damn. When the hell did this happen?

Who knows. But it was obvious his "retirement" wasn't for real. There was a big article in Entertainment Weekly. Maybe it's online.

ew.com

 

[CrypticOne]

I think it's absolutely horrible. I grew up on a big mix of hip-hop, big hair rock, and alternative, and today cannot listen to any hip-hop post-1998. It seems to me that ever since Tupac Shakur was killed and Outkast sold out and went mainstream, the only thing worth listening to was Eminem, and even that got old. It's all superficial, degenerative, and without meaning. Hip-hop was created to express the feelings of a culture, and now it's just a bunch of joke rappers with little talent talking about how great their bullet wounds are and how much "bling" - God I hate that word - they have from selling drugs.

Hip-Hop was once the voice of young African-Americans - now it's simply the bane of them. It has transformed from an art into a liability, a poison that's run across three generations of young Americans, black, white, hispanic, and the rest. I hate it.

I kind of agree with you there. But I don't hate it, you just have to find the underground emcees. Papoose is pretty good. And you always have to watch out for Nas.

 

[Crooklyn]

I think it's absolutely horrible. I grew up on a big mix of hip-hop, big hair rock, and alternative, and today cannot listen to any hip-hop post-1998. It seems to me that ever since Tupac Shakur was killed and Outkast sold out and went mainstream, the only thing worth listening to was Eminem, and even that got old. It's all superficial, degenerative, and without meaning. ...

I stopped reading here. Once people realize that you simply have to look past the mainstream to find good music for any genre, then maybe we'll have less bashing.

 

[Equint77]

I never thought Outkast sold out... it just took mainstream america freaking 10 years to realize how good their music is... anyone who was there when southernplayalistic came out back in 1994 already knew.