Hip Hop is Dead

[Kimmie1913]

This article wa sent to me by a frend. I do not know who the author was. What do yu think?

F*CK HIP HOP

I know you've been thinking it. And if you haven't, you probably
haven't been paying attention. The art we once called hip hop has been dead for some time now. But because its rotting carcass has been draped in platinum and propped against a Gucci print car, many of us have missed its demise. I think the time has come to bid a farewell to the last black arts movement. It's had a good run but it no longer serves the community that spawned it. Innovation has been replaced with mediocrity and originality replaced with recycled nostalgia for the ghost of hip hop past, leaving nothing to look forward to. Honestly when was the last time you heard something (mainstream) that made you want to run around in circles and write down every word. When was the last time you didn't feel guilty nodding your head to a song that had a 'hot beat' after realizing the lyrical content made you cringe.
When I heard Jam Master Jay had been murdered, it was the icing on the cake. A friend and I spoke for hours after he'd turned on the radio looking for solace and instead heard a member of the label Murder, Inc. about to give testimony about the slain DJ's legacy. My friend found the irony too great to even hear what the rapper had to say.

After we got off the phone, I dug through my crates and played the single "Self Destruction." The needle fell on the lyrics: "They
call us animals I don't agree with them Let's prove em wrong
But right is what were proving em"

The only thing that kept me from crying was my anger trying to
imagine today's top hip hop artists getting together to do a song that urged disarmament in African American communities, or promoted literacy, or involved anything bigger than themselves for that matter. I couldn't picture it. All I could picture were the myriad of hip hop conferences where the moguls and figureheads go through the motions and say the things that people want to hear but at the end of the day nothing changes. No new innovative artists are hired to balance out a roster of the pornographic genocide MC's .

In their place, we're presented with yet more examples of arrested development - the portrayal of grown men and women acting and dressing like 15 year olds. Balding insecure men in their mid 30's making entire songs about their sexual prowess and what shiny toys they have and you don't. The only hate I see is self-hate. The only love I see is self-love.

All one needs to do is watch cribs and notice none of these people
showing off their heated indoor pools or the PlayStation Two
consoles installed in all twelve of their luxury cars have a library in their home. Or display a bookshelf, for that matter. No rapper on cribs has ever been quoted saying: "Yeah, this is the room where I do all my reading, nahmean?"

To quote Puffy in Vogue magazine Nov, 2002: "Diamonds are a great investment... They're not only a girl's best friend, they are my best friend. I like the way diamonds make me feel. I can't really explain it, its like: that's a rock, something sent to me from nature, from God, it makes me feel good... It's almost like my security cape."

If rappers read, they might know about the decades of near-slavery endured by South African diamond miners. Or the rebels in Sierra Leone whose bloody diamond-fueled anti-voting rampages leave thousands of innocent men, women and children with amputated limbs.

Often, hip hop's blatant excess is rationalized with, "We came from nothing." That statement rings hollow given even a little bit of context. African Americans have been "coming from nothing" for 400 years. That didn't stop previous generations of artists, activists, and ancestors from working toward a better situation for the whole, not just themselves. It's grotesque to see such selfish materialism celebrated by a generation who are literally the children of apartheid.

The time has come to re-define the street and what it means to come from the street. Yes, criminals & violence come from the
streets, but so do men and women who live their lives with
kindness, and within the realm of the law. The problem with making 'street' or 'realness' synonymous with criminality is that poor black children are demonized. You never see the image of middle class white children killing each other promoted as entertainment.

I respect the ability of an artist to explore the darker side or
extremities of their personality but when that's all there is,
there is no balance. In previous years, NWA existed
simultaneously with Native Tongues, Cypress Hill and Digable
Planets, Gangstar and 2 live crew.

There's room for thugz, playaz, gangstas, and what have you. My
issue ( aside from the fact that rappers spell everything phonetically) is that they have no heart. Rappers reflect what has become a new image of success where money is its own validation and caring is soft unless you're dropping a single about your dead homie.

Question: Why haven't these so-called "ballers" gotten together and bought a farm, a prison, a super market chain, or chartered a school? But they all have clothing lines. Smells like a sucker to
me. The lack of social responsibility from people who claim to 'rep
the streets' is stunning.

Yet we still have had the hearts and minds of most of the world. We negate this power if we don't step up to the plate. Our
perspective needs to change; our whole idea of power needs to globalize. Gangsta shouldn't be shooting someone you grew up with in the face "Gangsta" is calling the United States to task for not attending the World Summit on Racism in South Africa. "Balling" shouldn't be renting a mansion; it should be owning your own distribution company or starting a union.
Bill Cosby's bid to buy NBC was more threatening than any screwface jewelry clad MC in a video could ever be.

As a DJ, it's hard: I pick up the instrumental version of records
that people nod their head to... and mix it with the a cappella version of artists with something to say. It is expensive and frustrating. But I feel like the alternative is the musical equivalent to selling crack: spinning hits because it's easy, ignoring the fact that it's got us dancing to genocide.

There are plenty of alternatives today but you'd never know it
through the mass media. Hip hop has become Steven Seagal in a do-rag. Meanwhile, media radar rarely registers artists like Cannibal Ox, Madlib and the whole Stones Throw crew, Bless, Saul Williams, Bus Driver, Del, Gorillaz, anything from Def Jux, Freestyle Fellowship, Anti Pop Consortium, Kool Keith, Prince Paul, shit Public Enemy...the list goes on forever. I get some solace from
knowing and supporting these artists, and from the fact that
around the world from Germany to Cuba to Brazil to South Africa,
hip hop's accessibility and capacity for genius is still vital,
thriving, and relevant.

And yes even amongst the bleak landscape in this country, wonderful things do happen. Like Camp Cool J and various artists donating money to research AIDS and even lend their faces to voting campaigns. Russell Simmons, among other socially conscious endeavors, led a rally to stop NYC's mayor from cutting the school budget and donates part of the proceeds from his sneaker sales to the reparations movement. The lack of coverage of efforts like this is as much to blame as any wack MC
with a platinum record.

I'm not dissing the innovators of the art form, or those of us who
got it where it is today. I will always play and support what I feel is good work. I guess this rant came more out of what Chuck D said at the end of Self Destruction: "We've got to keep ourselves in check," and no one has checked hip hop for some time.

I've entertained the idea that I might just be getting old. But if
it's a function of my age that I remember hip hop as the peoples champ, so be it. I was raised on a vital art form that has now become a computer-generated character doing the cabbage patch in a commercial, or a comedian 'raising the roof.' That's not influence to me, that's mockery.

Hip hop my friend, it's been a great 30 years filled with great
memories, and it's been fun to watch you grow. We've got dozens of broke innovators and plenty of mediocre millionaires out of the deal, but I really need my space now and we've got to go our separate ways. I will always love you, but it's time for me to move on.

Yo, what happened to peace?
Peace.

[Shani26]

That letter was ON POINT...I'm 20 so old school to me is early 90's late 80's stuff...(Tupac, Public Enemy, Doug E Fresh, Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, etc..) I think we get caught up in the beats and don't pay attention to the message. I know I'm to the point where I can barely stand to hear most of the hip hop songs that are coming out now. I mean you got all this money and influence and you gonna make a song about some Air Force One's . But in all honesty you can't really blame the artists entirely because thats what's in demand now...that's what sells...You don't see Talib Kweli or The Roots in the top 10 naw you see Lil Wayne and them ...so what can you do ... I think we just need to up our expectations and stop settling for ignorant lyrics and tight beats.

[Kimmie1913]

Originally posted by Shani26
: . But in all honesty you can't really blame the artists entirely because thats what's in demand now...that's what sells...You don't see Talib Kweli or The Roots in the top 10 naw you see Lil Wayne and them ...so what can you do ... I think we just need to up our expectations and stop settling for ignorant lyrics and tight beats.

Really, I thuink that is part of it, but I also think much of what sells is spoon fed to us. If "the powers that be" decided that the Roots or Talib Kweli (both of which I love) were going to be in heavy rotation, their sales would proabbly go up. When they have had singles that made it to radio, their sales spiked. But their is no long term dedication to that type of promotion of their work. So in turn, that is not what our kids hear and that is not what they buy.

[lovele1978]

That article really summed it up well. Just the other day as I flipped through all four radio stations I wondered "I can't believe that we are selling this as music. And even worse, someone is buying it!!" Back in the day I used to listen to and be able to recite verbatim every rap song out there. Now if one of the commericalized tunes gets stuck in my head I am pissed !!

I don't expect for all hip hop to have meaning and purpose, but does 90% have to talk about their bling, guns, hoes, and dough?? Is there really nothing else going on in life? And don't give me that all I am from the hood and that is all I see. Well, I'm from there too and I also see people getting educations, making moves, and making it out of the hood!!! Besides, I bet if you check most of these "THUGS" background they came from homes just like ours. But being a gansta is the cool thing to do.

I just hope that since hip-hop has evloved soo much that it will eventually evolve past this stage as well.

Sorry for venting.

[Diva_01]

Hip hop is sho-nuff dead. R&B would be too, if it wasn't for musiq, jill, and lauryn, erykah, india, and alicia. I heard Jay-z's blueprint 2 and almost threw up. What the hell? I grew up on yo mtv raps and bet's rap city when it was joe clair and big lez. Now...I can't stand the radio. I have to go and buy old school music to keep me afloat...

[Love_Spell_6]

Originally posted by Diva_01
Hip hop is sho-nuff dead. R&B would be too, if it wasn't for musiq, jill, and lauryn, erykah, india, and alicia. I heard Jay-z's blueprint 2 and almost threw up. What the hell? I grew up on yo mtv raps and bet's rap city when it was joe clair and big lez. Now...I can't stand the radio. I have to go and buy old school music to keep me afloat...

I am definitely with you on this one Diva! I'm talking Eric B and Rakim...Heavy D w/ Trouble T-Roy! .....Ahhhh the memories...

Hip Hop has been dead for a while. However, I think things will get worse before they get better. These rappers will stay in the game as long as it's keeping their pocket's fat. If they can go platinum with songs that have hooks like "She's a Ho" ... or making songs about Air Force Ones....they're gonna do it. Sad but true.

If the consumers stopped supporting this crap....they'd switch their style.....but today...if you can call women out of their name, glorify drugs, women, clothes, sex, and jewelry.....YOUR ALBUM IS GOING PLATINUM!!!

[Rain Man]

Originally posted by Diva_01
Hip hop is sho-nuff dead. R&B would be too, if it wasn't for musiq, jill, and lauryn, erykah, india, and alicia. I heard Jay-z's blueprint 2 and almost threw up. What the hell? I grew up on yo mtv raps and bet's rap city when it was joe clair and big lez. Now...I can't stand the radio. I have to go and buy old school music to keep me afloat...

I agree wholeheartedly with you, Diva_01. I actually saw and taped the 1st episode of Yo! MTV Raps hosted by Run DMC (8/6/88) and loved the show. I grew up on Rap City when it was hosted by Chris Thomas (mayor). CLASSIC.

If you don't have cable, get it and watch the VH1 Soul Channel. While it ain't quite Yo! or Rap City, it'll do just fine and will DEFINATELY keep you afloat. All videos. All the time.

[Steeltrap]

I suggest mainstream jazz. And no I'm not talking that smooth jazz crap. I'm talking Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Miles, Coltrane, Duke Ellington, all the masters.

Now as for hip-hop, I admit that it's danceable (not that I can dance) , but the constant b****, n**** and bling-bling ethos is tiresome -- especially because the art form has expanded into the wider community.

[Shani26]

SIDENOTE: I actually think The Blueprint 2 is pretty good...especially the second CD...

I forget who said it but I also think that if the "powers who be" the top executives were to introduce these "underground" or not so mainstream artists to the public they would have a wider fan base. But I don't think it would be enough to compete with the mainstream artists. Call me the devil's advocate but I think R&B is doing fine. Lauryn Hill..Jill Scott, Musiq, Alicia Keyes and whoever else are definately running the airways. The less acoustic artists like Ameerie, Usher, Ginuwine etc... are making good music too. I think its good to have a mixed variety I'm not really into R&B but I know what I like and I know I'm not always in the mood for the slow tempo songs that Musiq and them put out. I mean I like them but not ALL the time.

[AKA2D '91]

What's wrong with smooooooooooth jazz? What's the difference?

I thought I was becoming 'hip' with smooth jazz. LMAO

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
What's wrong with smooooooooooth jazz? What's the difference?

I thought I was becoming 'hip' with smooth jazz. LMAO

Smooth jazz is good background music. But I like my music more challenging, as it were. One of the main differences between smooth jazz and straightahead is that the musicians, in straightahead, improvise and deviate from the melody.

Smooth jazz players are much more likely to stay within melodic structures.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a musician. More can be found at www.allmusic.com, among other things.

[NappyBison]

Great article!

I don't really get into the hip-hop scene because I really do think that the artists of today lack substance. That goes across the board for all artists, NY, Chicago, Atlanta, California, etc. I think people are so caught up in disliking the different versions of hip-hop that they lose sight of what good hip-hop is. Geographics also play a major role in the hip-hop scene because artists want to rep their region: South, East Coast, West Coast, Mid-West, etc. From the standpoint of a teen growing up with these "Bubblegum rappers" I see what it's doing to my generation. I know more than a handful of guys that can recite every Jordan made, their colorways, and the dates new ones will arrive/come out. Nothing against staying "fresh" and what not, but being more well-versed in shoes than your studies is not a good look.

90% of what most rappers say isn't what they'd be doing on a daily basis but poor parenting has many of my peers trying to emulate a life which is beyond their means. I don't think Hip-Hop is dead although it could use a major facelift

[TotallyWicked]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

If you don't have cable, get it and watch the VH1 Soul Channel. While it ain't quite Yo! or Rap City, it'll do just fine and will DEFINATELY keep you afloat. All videos. All the time.

Yes! This channel is my life soundtrack lol, it's always on in the background, it lets me know that hip hop is alive (they show loads of artists just about to hit the mainstream), and plays some good ol tunes, it gives me hope at the end of the day