Im really liking whats happening to hip hop

[dacalion]

Now that hip hop has fallen out of the "mainstream" spotlight (so to speak...). Ive noticed alot of cats going back to what hip hop was as far as contents go. All the BEEF and battle ish is dying out and cats are starting to go back to everyday struggles. If we could just get rid of the drug dealer / role model bs, everything will be good.

Ish that most people can relate to is where its at IMO. Theres still some garbage rappers out there but their game is slowly dying off. I think hip hop needs this. Hip hop has had its mainstream glory, now its time to grind again and thats a good thing for hip hop and us.

dac

 

[UNORTHODOX]

??? are you talking about swagg rappers?? lol but seriously who are you refering to? I still get alot of wayne/Gucci/Pop/Swagg Rap over here!

 

[hanayalator]

Ya I agree with unorthodox. How many great rappers are making it to the mainstream nowadays? Jay-z, Eminem, maybe a few others. It's not like ten years ago where the majority of rap you heard was dope. I agree that there's still some great shit out there, but most of it is underground, and all of the radio shit is pretty weak.

H

 

[dacalion]

Im not really talking about any one rapper in particular, Im refering to a trend that Ive noticed and I read a write up in USA TODAY that sparked this thread. It was basically talking about the pressures from corporations for endorsed rappers to change their choice of words...here are parts of that write...

Ted Lucas, CEO of Slip-N-Slide Records, says he's gotten some of the pressure himself. Lucas, whose label is home to thug rapper Trick Daddy, sex bomb Trina, gangsta Rick Ross and new star Plies, says in recent weeks distributors have tried to get him to persuade his stars to tone down their language.

"They have come to me and said ... 'This word right here is going to cause some heat down the line — is it possible you can get him to change it?' I have ran into that with the N-word, 'snitching,' different words," he said. "But I tell everybody that these are things in our environment we see on a day-to-day basis. It's hard for you to go tell that person that they can't go use that word."

Verizon dropped its sponsorship of Gwen Stefani's tour when a videotape surfaced of opening act Akon simulating sex onstage at a separate concert with a fan later revealed to be 14. (Akon says he didn't know the girl was underage.) And while McDonald's Corp. signed Twista on for their free summer concert series, they quickly dropped him after public pressure mounted due to his lyrics. Twista's replacement? Sean Kingston.

Fifteen to 20 years ago, when the likes of Tipper Gore and C. Dolores Tucker were protesting, rap just fed off the controversy and gained momentum amid booming sales that generated hundreds of millions of dollars for publicly owned corporations. But now rap sales have plunged a dramatic 33% from 2006 — double the decline of the overall music industry. And rappers have moved from the fringe to the mainstream, which makes them — and their endorsements, movie roles and clothing lines — more vulnerable to outside pressure.

Chamillionaire figured he could still make good music — just without the rough language. The rapper, who won a Grammy for his socially charged smash Ridin,' says he never cursed all that much in his music anyway. The N-word was a different story: "I've always used the N-word." But after the success of his last album, he went out on tour and saw mostly white faces lip-synching the epithet along with his lyrics. Now Chamillionaire has had a change of heart for his new album. "I was like, 'You know what? I'm not going to say the N-word on this one because when I go back on the road, and I start performing, I don't want them to be saying it, like me teaching them,'" he told The Associated Press.

 

[dacalion]

Ya I agree with unorthodox. How many great rappers are making it to the mainstream nowadays? Jay-z, Eminem, maybe a few others. It's not like ten years ago where the majority of rap you heard was dope. I agree that there's still some great shit out there, but most of it is underground, and all of the radio shit is pretty weak.

H

I never said anything about the mainstream, I never said there wasn't great shit out there. I even agree with what youre saying so... What are you talking about? No disrespect, but what are you agreeing to?

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Thanks for the read DAC. I'm curious if "Non- Cursing" will be the next trend. I can see dullness being the new "In thing" lol.

 

[dacalion]

Yeah I feel ya, Im hoping they keep it real and keep it street. If it gets too watered down it wont truely represent the street. I dont know, it seems like a double edged sword. People protest the cursing, the exploitation of women, and selling drugs...then rappers say "im just being real, I rap about what I know and so on...but the fact is....that ish doesnt represent hip hop, it represent their personal life and they chose to use hip hop as a means of telling their story.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

I disagree, the street, doesnt even mean the same as it did. There was a community vibe. The street was ground level to mainstream/Corporate life. The street following whats "Hot" has become the same exact thing it was supposed to balance out. Todays "street" aint nothin to pledge allegiance to.

I agree to your first post tho, hiphop returning underground gives it a chance to detox. What really needs to happen is people need to take the oppurtunity to get something to talk about. People need a f'in life outside of their homies, and matterial BS. Music is social, but sometimes you need to address your "real life" problems in a way that will BENEFIT the next generation. The sh!t is pretty selfish if you ask me, You rappin bout swagg, trappin, and $500 socks while I'm bustin my ass day in day out at a BS job and I gotta PAY to watch/Listen to this??? CMon Son

If HipHop as a culture doesnt shape up, and get really REAL. Nothing will change and people will continue to perpetuate a lifestyle they DONT live, influencing a younger brighter generation to basically Dull and kill itself!
*Rant over lol*

 

[skidflow]

hip hop has forever changed...it will never have the "street" mystique it had back in the day. When the hip hop game was mostly "black-owned" the street element was evident. Now its evolved to cookie cutter music with artist who really have know ties to the street...so you hear watered down interpretations of shit. And we give these artist passes by saying shit like "well, at least he/she on his hustle, or you cant knock his/her hustle.... Fuck gettin props for trying to push wack shit.

 

[dacalion]

I guess it boils down to an individuals interputation of what "the street" really is. In my world " the street" is exactly that...whats happening on the streets of my neighborhood. With different areas having different issues or lifestyles or whatever...comes different views. Yes the streets have changed but to me its the same war, just a different battle. The big picture is getting off the streets and bettering yourself, ofcourse there are those that are content with their lives and don't mind dealing with the streets but the idea is to get the heyell away from that.

Just like I cant speak for all streets, hip hops voice shouldnt speak for all streets. There still is "community" in the streets that I came from. We had issues with each other but dont let an outsider come in with any noise, thats trouble for them and its still that way today.

As far as getting props for wack ish...well thats my veiwpoint on that issue also, thats another reason why Im glad that rap is trending back to its roots. I cant use the word "underground" because IMO the underground was exploited by the mainstream also...lol, there is no hiding from the mainstream, you can call it underground but its not actually under-ground as in it cant be touched.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Ahhh I got you!! THAT should be the universal definition for the streets imo.

 

[Relic]

As a rapper who is known to use MF because he likes the four sylables to interject when he doesnt have anything to put in there, I can tell you that you get more info out without the cursing, but then if your really not trying to get anything worth of substance out then you are prolly just cussing mostly anyway.

 

[dacalion]

Well said Relic!

 

[LDB]

#1 Black radio is dying....it's on life support. AND NO IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THESE SO COLD WHACK, SWAGGERIFIC RAPPERS frequenting the air waves. See that's what you see and hear and most of you don't like ( me, the game has changed I got over it and so should you, nothings going back to the way it once was...hold ya breath and wait on it....you'll be purple is your white and super black if you're African American...lmao)

Now, why is black radio dying? As soon as they pass this "performance tax" and it will pass because all these record labels that are MOSTLY foreign owned have Congress in there hip pocket. Once it passes in 5 to ten years "black" radio won't exist. Record labels have been behind the curve when it comes to technology to curb pirating but now they've finally found a way to either catch up or kill the industry all together "financially".

 

[dacalion]

Speaking of the performance tax bill...I see a plus side to this but I think it would only be effective in larger cities...Say it does pass, stations will have to rely more on local talent thus getting airplay and exposure on the local level. I dont know if there is enough talent availiable on the local level but cities like ATL, DC or NYC should be able to maintain enough audience to keep the advertisers paying the bills....ya think?
Man we need to open a seperate thread on this issue by itself...

 

[skidflow]

#1 Black radio is dying....it's on life support. AND NO IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THESE SO COLD WHACK, SWAGGERIFIC RAPPERS frequenting the air waves. See that's what you see and hear and most of you don't like ( me, the game has changed I got over it and so should you, nothings going back to the way it once was...hold ya breath and wait on it....you'll be purple is your white and super black if you're African American...lmao)

Now, why is black radio dying? As soon as they pass this "performance tax" and it will pass because all these record labels that are MOSTLY foreign owned have Congress in there hip pocket. Once it passes in 5 to ten years "black" radio won't exist. Record labels have been behind the curve when it comes to technology to curb pirating but now they've finally found a way to either catch up or kill the industry all together "financially".

If black radio wont exist by then, will it be easier for the artist to sell their music independently? I mean I know the radio is a vessel for promotion and whatnot, but to independent artist who know that their music will never hit the mainstream radio anyways...how does it really affect them? It might be a dumb question but...

 

[dacalion]

Thats pretty much what I was saying...it will hurt the BIG companies but help the local talent in cities that carry a good size of local talent. Let the indies be the top of the playlist (depending on) their stand on the performance tax issue, if they are with the BIG boys then fugg them too! Its all gonna depend on the listeners...if the stations can provide enough talent to keep the listeners then we're good, if not, well it's 100% internet radio and listening to our own beats witch is cool with me because I don't really listen to the radio now and when I do its SIRIUS.

 

[LouBez]

I like whats happening now too there are alot of new cats comming up who arent subscribing to the the monkey see monkey do formula that dominated the last decade...

With that said entertainment is actually the Culture Creation Industry (ask your self what is American Culture) and with every new decade comes a new wave of influence because our social controllers have a new generation to indoctrinate. Mainstream hip hop is going to continue to dwindle in sales as the decade goes on...we all saw the peak and we are living through the decline...This is gonna be the best thing for the type of vibe seems to be the standard for Illmuzik because you are going to see more emcees going back to the essence so to speak...What did phonte say? When all the money is gone only the emcees will be rapping? something like that is happening now, look at guys like Freddy Gibbs and Pill, that shit is everyman music right there...Shit reminds me of ole school CNN type vibes.

You have alotta guys right now trying to figure out how to monetize music again, cause the industry needs a face lift, I think that in itself breeds the potential for a musical renaissance for ALL GENRES cause its gonna wind up being a college drop out that figures it out and for a couple years shit will be pure...till viacom buys buddy out.

Cycles....its all cycles.

The music aint ever gonna sound the same though and thats not a bad thing....I got HUNDREDS of boom bap tapes and CDs...time for some new shit.

 

[Sucio]

I do like how I go into a major recording studio (KDS Music Group Studios), and people are just doing mixtapes, no full albums.....THe people are going more towards indie sales because they know majors aren't cutting it financially..

I do like that these artists are using the mixtape circuit to put out music that they wanna put out......

It's awesome to see that.

I don't like that it's only a matter of time before majors take over the mixtape circuit....I don't know how it would work, but anything's possible.

Yes you know that all the cookie cutter shit is out there.....and that's cool....BUT the mixtape circuit is getting larger each quarter.....

I actually like where hip-hop is going....those gimmick artists are going away....little by little...

 

[LDB]

Urban music was NOTHING before radio. I swear I don't know if some of you guys ACTUALLY studied the game to form your opinions or just HATE so much that the game has changed and because of how you flow or how you produce you can't get in that it's affected your soul! FUCK hip hop....I'm talking urban music PERIOD. We would have NONE of the classic shit that most of you sample without RADIO. You would have never heard the music. The music would have been limited to the towns and cities that it came from and without radio that is what it'll go back to.

Oh it's cool to be a DOPE indepent artist but TRUST ME..... the only reason these cats are labeled "independent" is because they don't have a deal. It's not like that's what they strive to be "independent". Most catz do this for the love, YES, but they also do it in hopes to get PAID doing what they LOVE. That's what a CAREER is, getting paid doing what you WANT to do. Anybody can have a JOB!

Do you really think INTERNET RADIO will stay prominant without the mainstream? Most internet radio is mainstream not independent. Satellite radio has it's place but it won't SUPER SIZE when and if mainstream dies. The same BIG BOYZ that run mainstream run internet radio. Major internet radio doesn't run off AIR. Do your home work and see who ones this internet radio. It ain't Joe Blo from Idaho!

Radio took our music WORLD WIDE. I cram to understand how anybody in there right minds could think by going BACKWARDS music will go FORWARD. Shit just don't make sense! Wish for radio to die and you'll be wishing for urban music i.e hip hop to fade with it.

It's cool for peeps to want "real hip hop" to make a resurgence. I would like that as well but I don't conform to the ways of those who wish what's poping off now to DIE in order for that to happen. It's like what Method Man said recently. Let these dudes eat! Hell these same dudes could be sticking a gun to your head for money instead of putting out what you think is not good music. Something to think about!