What Happened to Hip Hop?
Posted: Saturday, February 16, 2008
by Brad Addo
millenium fortunes publishing
What happened to Hip hop and its original art form?
From the time I can remember, Hip Hop was all about being original. If you copied or duplicated someone else's style in public, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's called biting. I'll say it again, that's biting. These were the rules of the game you just didn't violate.
Check it. Big Daddy Kane, did not try to emulate Kool Moe Dee, simply because , he was the smooth operator." Eric B and Rakim, wasn't talking about what run Dmc was rapping about either. Run DMC was rocking, "my A-didas," and had everyone rocking shell-toe Adidas with thick shoe strings. I know, because I was one of them. Can you Imagine '87 LL cool J, trying to produce the same like image as Doug E Fresh, the original human beat box? Imagine headlines, " Momma said knock you out," artist now turned get fresh crew/ human beat boxer." I know you wouldn't be feeling that at all, neither would I.
As hip hop grew and expanded beyond blacks, inner city cultures, ghettos, and into suburban white areas, Beverly Hills, other countries and more, it evolved into something good and something bad. Let me explain both sides, just bare with me a little you hip hop junkies
The something good.
Hip hop, was only looked at as a "black thing," In the early beginnings and was only targeted to blacks. Suburban America and other countries didn't know what type of art form of music this was, and/so by nature, we fear or hate what we don't understand, stereo typed it. But with the lyrical content produced, hip hop could not be ignored. Songs like I need love " by LL cool J, touched many worldwide, especially young adults looking for love. And even entertaining songs like "the overweight lovers in the house," By Heavy D. He made every overweight guy feel good about himself just from that one song. These were songs with no color boundaries that easily penetrated into the masses. With the originality still being the core of hip hop, constantly showing diversity within the music, the masses adjusted and adapted. The good image of hip hop influenced suburban area kids to listen to hip hop and some even rapped. Latinos, Chinese, and people worldwide adapted its culture.
The something bad.
Now that hip hop has penetrated the masses and is now a common selection of music, it's originality form declined. Now, more artist are in it for the money and not the art form of music itself. Today everyone sounds like the next guy, or their lyrical content is weak with no creativity, and by me being hip hop's #1 fan, it hurts me with a passion.
So in conclusion, please bring real hip hop lovers back to the front of the industry, and not behind closed doors. "I want the Michael Jordan's of Hip Hop back."
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)I love this article becuase it talks the truth of hip hop and what's happened. Man keep up the good work brotha Ken, Ohio
Sorry, but the guys in the suits won't let real hip hop or the real hip hop culture come back. Ever. Entertainers (I dont call them MCs or Rappers) like Soulja Boy, Hurricane Chris, and other wack acts continue to make tons of money off of young kids that dont know any better and anyone that likes garbage music.It's a huge business now and money talks and usually wins in the end. Look what happened to Bboyin when it went mainstream back in the day. The real bboys went back underground to save the art form. This is repeating now with hip hop. There is tons of unheard talent out there but they won't get the radio play of airtime on 106th a park. Just forget the radio and the tv and vibe to some CD's from some underground artist.Peace
yo i feel you dawg!!! Im 28 years old now I grew up Watching YO!!!! MTV Raps and even taped the last episode. Feeling is mutual as far as the direction HIP HOP is taking. Like I have heard before Hiphop is the sign of the times. and if Hip hop is declining then so is society. Just thought id bring that up. In the purposes to show that the most innovative sub-culture soo far has been subjegated to materialism, and money. Time to ressurect the golden years . big upsB.D.L.
Man this is so on point. Todays game is weak. Put Big Daddy,Rakim, GURU, Kool G Rap ect up agains these cats today and the originators will blow them out the water. Originality is gone in hip-hop today and it sucks. I could relate to Run-DMC cause I rocked shell toes and black Lee denim pants, I could rock a Kangol like Cool J. Remember how you could choose the flavor you wanted? For instance, look at the different flavors of the mid 80's to early 90's. X-Clan, P.E., Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, 2 live crew, BDP, EPMD, Doug E Fresh, Poor Rightous Teachers, Leaders of the New School, Black Sheep,Lords of the Undergound. Who could touch these guys today? KEEP REAL HIP-HOP ALIVE!
I grew up in the 90's listening to mostly Smash Mouth, Lenny Kravitz, and the like. I discovered hip hop by listening to 50 Cent's Get Rich Or Die Trying and it left me wondering what else was out there. Since then I've familiarized myself with a few of the originals like Slick Rick and Big Daddy Kane, but I have to say the best album I've ever heard, hands down, is Illmatic by Nas. Every song on that album fits into it in a certain way to tell a story, which is what an album is supposed to do. Like you say, hip hop has been glamorized and over-produced to the point where people like Soulja Boy and Rick Ross can get famous and be called "great MC's." There is no meaning left in hip hop. Everyone is hell-bent on making the catchiest track they can that will appeal to the most people possible. It's not about expression or art anymore it's about gold chains and Escalades. For a while I didn't understand what Nas meant when he said "hip hop is dead" but now I see clearly that the essence of hip hop, for all intents and purposes, is dead. The people getting all the attention are throwing together some catchy lines and synth patterns while the real MC's who deserve the praise and attention have been relegated to the underground. Why is it that the masses just can't appreciate hip hop the way it was meant to be?
1- Too many rappers out there. Just way too many. Nowadays you watch a countdown and you have some artists with their hits and what not, then the next week you watch the countdown you don't recognize ANYBODY. A whole new wave of people.
2- Politics. Back in the day if a rapper was either "wack" or "corny", you were basically told right there that you didnt have a shot and that was that. These days, if a rapper has a certain "look" to him the labels market the hell out of him and push him towards the radios. They get him some catchy beats and hooks that will jam in the club, and then he becomes a star over night but can't rap worth a damn. I mean, I know anybody who is a real hip hop fan doesn't think Soulja Boy or Hurricane Chris are talented.. But they get the hook ups from the label to get on radio, tv, and clubs.
3- There is just one dominant sound. The south.. That is all you hear on the radios and clubs, its all you see on the TV and internet, the ringtones, myspace, twitter, etc. Its like the labels and radio are asking and demanding that sound and that sound alone and purposely keeping the select group of artists in the shadows. East coast and west coast you don't even hear anymore.
4- Everything is gangsta now. Lol.. All anyone talks about is drugs, money, sex, pimpin, ballin, slappin bitches, killing 100s of dudes a day. Basically dumb $%&*@$%&. Nobody is really giving a chance to original artists that go out there and touch on real issues and subjects.
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