In 1998 or so, you couldn't get me to say a bad thing about hip-hop. In fact, from the start of hip-hop until about 2003, I was still a hip-hop fan. A DIE HARD FAN at that. But the year is 2010 and hear I am trying to convince myself to still be a fan (and also still be an artist).
I felt that in order to avoid a bunch of bullshit and backlash for this post that it would be best if I enlisted some opinions from a few different hip-hop heads, who I know see things differently than I do. In all honesty, the responses that I received were respectable. The issue is that some of the responses seemed to lack what I call "artist integrity". ---Hey it's just my opinion.
Here are the questions that I asked my friends along with my summary of their responses and my views. I hope you find it as interesting I did.
1. Do you feel that lyrics in hip-hop have declined over the last 10 years?
Some feel that lyrics have indeed declined but ultimately, who cares? It's not like hip-hop is going to go away because lyrics are not as creative or interesting, right?
My problem with the decline in lyrics is that I am a person who believes in progression for the betterment of the big picture. So, if hip-hop started with a DJ and an MC but later involved into a DJ just playing a beat and every MC striving to be the BEST MC, then how are we better off today with "MC's" not striving to be the best?
I root for any black man getting legal money so I don't knock Gucci Mane or any other lesser MC for getting legal money. But, I do have a problem with us "hip-hop" fans supporting a lackluster effort of music and spending money on it.
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Wait. Here is the part where I am supposed to understand that people like what they like and just leave it at that.
----Yeah Right----
It is not the fault of the artist for being wack, because there were wack artist around back in the day (Kool Mo Dee), then dope MC's came along and shitted on them for being wack (LL Cool J). Why is this relevant to today? It's relevant because today's artist have become those wack Kool Mo Dee rappers and today's fans have become the fans of that radio ready music.
**for those of you who don't know the Kool Mo Dee situation...just see Ja Rule and 50 Cent.
But, the blame doesn't just rest on the shoulders of the fans. I would also like to give a big shout out to the major labels and media outlets for selling their souls to keep themselves in business and going with the "catchy-ringtone-one hit wonder-records" instead of trusting the "older hip-hop" to continue to support dope music.
2. Are "lyrical artist" (i.e. Nas, Talib Kweli, Black Thought of The Roots) no longer relevant and/or great?
The responses that I got to this one were interesting because I assumed that artist like the ones that I named in the question were like fossils. As it turns out they are still respected, but just not relevant. Today's relevance is now acknowledge by radio/club airplay. Now, we all know of a shit load of artist that are out, whether they are lyrical or not, that just aren't very relevant in the clubs or on the radio...and definitely not on TV. And today it seems that everyone has their own taste. But, why is it that the lyrical artist seem to be at the bottom when it comes to the hip-hop totem pole? I mean the BET top 10 MC's list featured two, maybe three lyrical artist on it.
#DaFuck???
And, none of the artist that were on the list are independent artist. Which says to me, unless you are on a major label, it doesn't make sense to be lyrical because you certainly won't get any recognition from your peers. Hmm....Lupe Fiasco is on a major label.
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Does he not count as a top MC? If not, why? because his singles don't play on the air as often, or he doesn't pop up on the main media outlets everyday like the others. The funny thing is that Lupe does good numbers, especially considering the fact that he has to market to fans that aren't really the fans that majority of the major labels market to. Lupe was so praised when he was "under Jay-Z" and kind of shunned when he was on his own doing THE COOL album.
I guess it means that no matter if your lyrical or not, your relevance depends on your cosigner. If you have Jay-Z behind you, then you can succeed (Kanye West), or Diddy backing you (Rick Ross), or Lil' Wayne backing you (Drake), or Eminem backing you (50 Cent). Good forbid you be lyrical on your own and try to succeed....
(see Nas w/o Columbia, Joe Budden w/o Def Jam, Canibus w/o LL Cool J...ok #BadJoke)
3. Do you see the direction that hip-hop has gone in to be a good one or a bad one. (meaning from the days of "Lyrical Artist" to "Dope Boys and Gangsta music" (Young Jeezy, Dipset, Gucci Mane) to "Hip-Pop" (Drake, Nikki Minaj, new Lil' Wayne, B.O.B)
This question pissed a couple of people off because they disagreed with part of my assessment of some hip-hop being pop"ish". Here is why I say it's POP"ish". Taken from the billboard top pop songs chart.
#3. Nelly - Just A Dream
Nelly has been nominated for 9 Grammy awards with the words hip-hop attached to the name of the award #DAFUCK
#12. Eminem - Love The Way You Lie
Eminem is arguably the biggest "hip-hop" artist ever...need I say more about hip-pop???
#20 B.O.B - Airplanes
B.O.B is currently nominated for 3 American Music Awards (none of which have POP attached to the name of the award)
I have no problem with artist getting recognition for great music. I like those songs (well, except for Nelly's joint but whatever) but what about the artist that are making dope hip-hop music that is not meant to blend with the pop charts? Do they not deserve recognition from the mass media? Guess not.
It's great that hip-hop has branched out and made itself so big that it has sub-divisions, but for goodness sakes, can we please not forget those who just care about the people who care about the original form. I mean I don't like Wacka Flacka but hey, I respect his hustle. But for some, reason I don't think he respects the hustle of artist like Redman, Mos Def, Tech Nine, Q-Tip, or Ghostface (who is one artist I respect tremendously for his work ethic. The dude as a ton of albums and very few that have sold, but hey he is a true grindin' type of MC and you gotta love that.)
4. Place the following of the "BET Top 10 Rappers of the 21st Century" criteria in order of importance to you...
Money
Digital Swagga
Lyricism
Cultural Impact
Subject Range
This question was the simplest of questions and least opinionated one to answer. What I found most interesting is that all of my friends answered with Money being at the bottom. I think that's funny because Jay-Z has certainly lost a step in all of the above criteria except for money...and maybe cultural impact. Nevertheless, he still regarded as "the best" in the game by a lot of fans. But, without lyrics, who cares about any of the other criteria at all? If lyrics are so unimportant then Oprah Winfrey should become a rapper and throw her hat in the ring. I mean she certainly will dominate in all of the criteria....well except for lyrics that is....but who gives a shit
** NEW SHIT**
OPRAH DUB JOINT FEAT. THE FRESH PRINCE, TOM CRUISE, RICK ROSS, AND FABOLOUS CALLLED "JUMPIN' ON COUCHES WHILE BLOWING MONEY FAST SIPPIN ON PATRON BEING A SWINGER....NIIIIIIICE" (#FabolousVoice)
5. What does it take to make an artist a "great"?
Finally something that all of my peoples agreed on. We are all at least certain that it takes a certain amount of effort to want to be great in order to in fact...be great. That's cool with me. Even if I don't like Rick Ross records, I can hear the sincerity in which he wants to be a "great" (nowadays at least).
We did, however, have different views to who is great. Because to some it takes a group of people to say that you are great in order to be great. To others, it just takes one to say that an artist is great in order for an artist to be great. Personally I would like to poll these artist while they are hooked to a polygraph machine and ask them...
"With the music you are putting out, do you really believe that you are GREAT? Really???"
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So, I took the views of my friends and tried to apply them to myself. I told myself to not worry about being so dope lyrically, and just make the songs that appeal to the masses so that I can be considered great. After all, that's the only thing that I want. The problem is, in my eyes as a hip-hop fan, I can't see me being GREAT without the dope lyrics.
Maybe when me and Prince Blakk decide to record "Stage Of My Life" I will tap into my inner Hip-POP self and come up with something to put me on the radar so that I will at least be in the conversation of the people when the speak about "The Greats".....
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Although, none of the hip-hop artist I consider to be great ever sniffed a Billboard Pop Chart.
#ImJustSayin
-Thanks you guys for your input!
