Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

[darlon]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

How is Drake not shallow? Sure he has his occasional somewhat clever lines and he fools listeners into thinking he's the **** with that Young Money punchline formula while dropping the beat as much as Adrian Peterson drops the ball. But where is the substance in his songs? What else can he rap about besides how great he thinks he is or how much money he makes or betches or how ballin he is in the clubs? I don't see how he's even close to the level the Lupe's and Bobby Ray's and J Cole's are when it comes to saving Hip Hop.

[trobinson97]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

Lol with this "saving hip hop" nonsense. Y'all need to stop. What in the world can any of those artists do to "save" hip hop? Save it from what, it's incredible success? Really. It just makes y'all sound pretentious and a little misguided.

[Cebby]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

Lol with this "saving hip hop" nonsense. Y'all need to stop. What in the world can any of those artists do to "save" hip hop? Save it from what, it's incredible success? Really. It just makes y'all sound pretentious and a little misguided.

Yeah, I've never got the whole "save hip hop" or "hip hop is dead" thing.

Much like all music, you need the Soldier Boys, Lil Waynes, and 50 Cents (hook driven **** for the most part) who return the investment every time so that they can fund the Nas, Outkast, and Eminem type rappers who can be successful given the investment which can finally lead to the Lupe, Wale, and BOB guys who are only rarely going to be successful and turn a big profit.

Without mainstream garbage you don't get any decent music by good rappers.

[Jonesy]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

Does anyone like Everlast? He's more of blues singer than a rapper these days but i like some of his songs.

[bowdown2shadi]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

How is Drake not shallow? Sure he has his occasional somewhat clever lines and he fools listeners into thinking he's the **** with that Young Money punchline formula while dropping the beat as much as Adrian Peterson drops the ball. But where is the substance in his songs? What else can he rap about besides how great he thinks he is or how much money he makes or betches or how ballin he is in the clubs? I don't see how he's even close to the level the Lupe's and Bobby Ray's and J Cole's are when it comes to saving Hip Hop.

Thank you. Thought I was by myself on this. Can't stand Drake...

[Buckeyes_Doc]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

Drake is ok, I liked a 2 of his mixtapes, hated others, will probably not buy his album. So many rappers who are much better then him, and so little time to listen to music so he often get's skipped when I have my IPOD on shuffle.

[Jonesy]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

Wow i just read that B.o.B. The Adventures of Bobby Ray sold 84000 copies in it's first week. Pretty impressive numbers.

He needs to release Satellite as his next single. That song has the world Twilight in it at least 10 times so that's a guaranteed hit right there.

[Streets]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

Yeah, I've never got the whole "save hip hop" or "hip hop is dead" thing.

Much like all music, you need the Soldier Boys, Lil Waynes, and 50 Cents (hook driven **** for the most part) who return the investment every time so that they can fund the Nas, Outkast, and Eminem type rappers who can be successful given the investment which can finally lead to the Lupe, Wale, and BOB guys who are only rarely going to be successful and turn a big profit.

Without mainstream garbage you don't get any decent music by good rappers.

Wait, Eminem is not a top-tier guy in this little hierarchy you made up?

All I was saying is that B.o.B.'s album doing well and Eminem doing something radically different could be a great thing for the genre of Hip Hop. There are 100 garbage rappers in the mainstream for every Lupe or B.o.B. or Nas. And a lot of great rappers in the mainstream "dumb down" their material to sell more (as Jay-Z admitted). Why are so many people following the road most taken? Because it sells! I think B.o.B. doing something different, being accepted in the mainstream, getting "returns" regardless of how much Young Money sells is a great thing for Hip Hop. Maybe "save" is too strong of a word, but understood what he meant (well I thought I did until he clarified and starting talking about shallow rappers and listeners... then I was confused, lol). Of course I want Hip Hop to be successful, but I'd also like to see diversity, creativity, and good music being recognized in the mainstream on top of that success. That somehow makes me pretentious?

[darlon]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

Here's my take on the Hip Hop issue. Let me first point out that this is strictly my opinion only. I am not telling anyone how to think nor am I trying to start a debate on the age old question "What is Hip Hop?"

When people say Hip Hop is dead or needs to be saved, it's obviously not from being unsuccessful. I feel it means it needs to be saved from the current state it's in artistically. The type of music in this genre that appeal to the general public is what's killing it. The soul has been ripped from Hip Hop and has been replaced by commercialized catchy chorus/beats and simple subject matter that patronizes a fantasy world type lifestyle that the majority of us will never actually experience.

Now the way this has come about is the media (MTV, BET, radio) has conditioned us when we were fragile easily inflluenced little preteens to like, desire, idolize, etc whatever they present to us. From gangsta rap to what we're hearing now with successful entertainers like Young Money and Soulja Boy. This is why the general public supports all of these mediocre acts.

Now when I say someone has the ability to save Hip Hop, I believe that individual has to ability to not only appeal to the masses, but to influence them into forming their own opinions on not only music but all forms of art. When that happens, the real artists with true talent will be deservingly appreciated and recognized and they will shine above all the subpar circus acts that are making millions upon millions today. Then all the ****ty rappers won't need to be funding the great ones. And that is when Hip Hop will truly be saved.

[Cebby]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

Wait, Eminem is not a top-tier guy in this little hierarchy you made up?

He obviously is now since he's the best selling rapper ever, but when he was signed he was definitely a risk.

When he first came out he was a small white guy who sounded like he was 16 and didn't write a remotely decent hook until Lose Yourself which was after 3 full albums.

[trobinson97]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

Of course I want Hip Hop to be successful, but I'd also like to see diversity, creativity, and good music being recognized in the mainstream on top of that success. That somehow makes me pretentious?

I thought I made my meaning perfectly clear, I said if you're on that hip hop needs to be saved tip then yes, it makes you sound pretentious and imo like you simply don't know what you're talking about. Maybe it's not exactly what you mean to say, but you come off that way to me when you say some nonsense like that. It's like you're trying to make what type of music people choose to listen to some serious issue that urgently needs to be addressed. It's just entertainment.

Hip Hop IS diverse. If you don't like some of the mainstream stuff then simply don't like it and find something you do like, there is plenty to choose from. What does it matter if the majority of fans don't like the artist(s) you do? I figure if that happened you guys would just stop liking them since they're mainstream now. Well maybe not you personally, but I know that there are some people who just like to be a part of the cool minority, who think they are in the know and want to scoff at the sheep who only like the mainstream garbage; like they have some secret knowledge on what's good.

It's always been like that for as long as I can remember. Everyone is not going to have the same level of success. There will ALWAYS be trends that elevate a certain style/region above the rest as it pertains to the masses. And there were ALWAYS options if you didn't like the current trend in the mainstream, and there were ALWAYS those pretentious blowhards who found other options and instead of just enjoying the music and the culture, decided to look down and put down the people who liked what was hot in the mainstream.

Do you see what I'm saying man? It's like, I don't like Soulja Boy or this new dude Lil' B, but there's obviously a market for them, so why should I begrudge that market if that's clearly what want to hear or call them shallow or worse just because they like what they like? It doesn't affect what I like, I don't need a savior to swoop in and put magic cure all tunes in my ear. I just go listen to something else.

Here's my take on the Hip Hop issue. Let me first point out that this is strictly my opinion only. I am not telling anyone how to think nor am I trying to start a debate on the age old question "What is Hip Hop?"

When people say Hip Hop is dead or needs to be saved, it's obviously not from being unsuccessful. I feel it means it needs to be saved from the current state it's in artistically. The type of music in this genre that appeal to the general public is what's killing it.

If you're not trying to tell anyone how to think what does it matter what they like? How is people listening to what they WANT to listen to in a specific genre killing the genre itself? Are you trying to tell me that because a lot of kids like Soulja Boy and Lil Wayne that YOU don't have or can't find a hip hop artist that appeals to you? How is those artists' mainstream success affecting the diversity of the entire genre? I don't think it does. I know if I want to hear something different I don't have to look hard, only thing is I don't have to put down people who are cool listening to what they want.

Lupe, BOB, Drake, none of these guys are saviours. They're just rappers, and hip hop doesn't need saving anymore than any other genre of music.

Now when I say someone has the ability to save Hip Hop, I believe that individual has to ability to not only appeal to the masses, but to influence them into forming their own opinions on not only music but all forms of art.

I don't even know what you're talking about here, so I'd like some clarification. Influence them into forming their own opinions on all forms of art? How do you know who's been influenced by what exactly? Give me some examples where individuals from other genres did this so I can see why it's so important it happen in Hip hop.

Are you telling me you listen to hip hop to learn about or gain insight on architecture, or sculpture or painting? Don't they have books and classes for stuff like that? I'm not looking for a rapper to open my eyes to other forms of art, I'm looking to be entertained! If they happen to put me on to something new I just count that as a bonus, I don't go in looking for that, and I don't need Lupe or BOB or any other supposed hip hop savior to help me out in that department.


TL;DR: There are no hip hop saviors. Hip hop does not need any saving. Live and let live. It's just entertainment folks, not that serious.

[YuNgWuN]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

I suggest everyone listen to this group, I listened to them waay back when and I guess they still haven't made it, kind of sad considering they might be the most talented duo I have ever listened to, and check out their myspace page and listen to clever endeavor beast of a song lyric wise. Anyways here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrH_WoUPZYM

If someone can embed that for me that would be cool.

[trobinson97]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

I suggest everyone listen to this group, I listened to them waay back when and I guess they still haven't made it, kind of sad considering they might be the most talented duo I have ever listened to, and check out their myspace page and listen to clever endeavor beast of a song lyric wise. Anyways here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrH_WoUPZYM

If someone can embed that for me that would be cool.

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NrH_WoUPZYM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NrH_WoUPZYM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

[YuNgWuN]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

Cheers, let me know what you guys think of it. I just listened to their new stuff and not impressed maybe it will take a few more listens, but their old stuff had me hooked right off the hop.

[darlon]

Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread

I don't even know what you're talking about here, so I'd like some clarification.

I meant influencing them to open their ears to different forms of music which could very well encourage them to expand their interests to other forms of art.

We're just gonna have to agree to disagree on this subject. You don't think Hip Hop needs any saving because it's incredibly successful and diverse. On the other hand, while I don't think Hip Hop is dead, I do feel that the entertainers that get the most recognition don't deserve it as much as other artists and that's mostly in part to what most people would rather listen to. I, personally, wish that would change so more people would appreciate cats with quality lyricism and content with substance.