Hip Hop is Dead?

Is Nas right? Is Hip Hop dead? According to him, no one has personality in rap anymore. Back in the 90's u use to have Methodman and Redman (funny and sick delivery), Jay-z (party tracks), DMX (deep, religious, and violent), Ja Rule (fun, duets), Nas (Black conscious), LL Cool J (Romantic I guess). Now Hip Hop has become such a success that all there is to rap about is bitches, hoes, and making money. While that existed ever since. I mean I have been listening to rap way after it originated. But rappers always talked about their money and girls, but never this much. Hip Hop today is predominately girls shaking their ass with Champagne dripping from their bikini bottoms!! Like I said, nothing new, it just wasn't that raw and it wasn't every other artist (Too Short was doing it in the 90's but now every second rapper is doing the sexual and violence thing). I think Hip Hop is not dead (Nas is my favourite rapper but he has been a disappointment with his albums, sometimes good (real, reflective storyteller), and other times crap (trying to talk about stuff he never did or preaching).

Hip Hop is more than just a hype beat and a sick video. Rap has many aspects obviously, you got the "keep it real" talk about deep stuff all the time rap (Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, etc...), you got rap that's funny (Redman, Nelly, Kayne West, etc...), you have gangsta rappers (Pretty much everybody else (50 Cent, Rick Ross, and a whole slew of others). But hip hop is about a hype beat that you can rock to, its about a sick delivery (Not everyone has to have a presence like Biggie did but a delivery that is confident), a good concept to the song, lyrics have to be clever and smooth.




This is why Jay-z even though he wasn't your classic tough guy rapper, he won over the mainstream. He was clever with lines, he had sick beats, and he did party joints with girls dancing to sell it. Hip Hop is about being fresh, confident, and got swagger.

The mainstream media possibly could kill Hip Hop because what people want is simple songs that have girls shaking, a good beat and a thug rapping on it. White America loves that. Its like getting certification from a gangsta and thus if they know a DMX line, or a Dr. Dre line then they are part of their cliques.

There is still hope. There are still some cool rappers being creative. Now all I can listen to is Ludacris, lil Wayne, Jay-z (His new album doesn't sound that good except for Kingdom Come), The Game, Nas (Please come up with something good, you are sooo good!!!), Eminem (I hope he can recover his rawness and funny side), and Talib (always even if they don't give you good beats).

If you don't like rap that's cool, but realize it is very artistic. If you start listening to it, you might appreciate that these guys are singing with the beat, rhyming and making sense. Its hard, its not as easy as you think. Check out these websites, you might find something you like.

Hiphopdx.com

Allhiphop.com

Hiphopgame.com