Hip Hop is dead.

Hip Hop is not dead. Real Hip Hop/Rap lives on the street and can easily be found. Check out mix tapes. You might even hear some very popular rappers say some very real stuff, very different from what they may have on the radio and on MTV. Right now it's all about the party, a dance, or a rythm to make money, but there are very talented people out there spittin real words. They're just unsigned because sadly the people who are buying the records,cds, downloads are not into using their brains, they rather shake their booty and do a dance move and let themselves contemplate lyrics.

Blame the consumer, not the music or the artists.

reply to post by DeadFlagBlues

Yeah, okay Nas, and every white kid I've seen at the mall wearing 'hip hop is dead" shirts…….

I never mentioned Nas, I guess he see’s my point of view too, but regardless there are many more people that agree, I’ll even show you an article. source
And don’t turn this into a “white kid” thing, no need for such ignorant remarks.

My point was that if there is struggle, there will always be hip hop. It's natural to write your thoughts down, especially when things are rough. There's no way "hip hop" is dead, because there is too much struggle and hip hop is rapidly spreading to areas that some kids in New York never knew existed.

I never said hip hop will never continue to grow, but at this moment and time it is pretty much dead. I agree with you on one thing, as long as there is a struggle or some kind of cause people will express their emotions in music. Thank you for the obvious statement. It takes talent to make hip hop music, and not just experiencing the struggles. I’m aware many talented lyricists are not being recognized and heard and that is one of the reasons I am making my statement.

You're just contributing to the negativity. Why would you hate on something you love? Hip hop in general has a real self defeatist attitude going on right now, and I'm really, really not into it..

I have every right to express what I believe, and I don’t talk negative about the artists, but the hip hop industry. The majority of artists in hip hop right now talk about money, hoes, and cars. And the true lyricists with real talent are underground. To me that is a sign of a dead hip hop. I shouldn’t have to do extensive research to find good music.

What's beautiful? Kidding me? Music is an international language and hip hop is on the rise everywhere. This music is giving people inspiration, hope, and most of all a voice. If you don't understand the beauty of something as powerful as this music than I don't understand how you can be a true "fan."

I understand how music can affect people and inspire them, but I want your opinion on what you specifically consider a good example of this?

No wonder you feel "hip hop is dead." Look at all the lames you just posted. I would probably feel the same way if I rocked the majority of that stuff. And respect for the music comes from many different angles. In wordplay alone hip hop is alive and kicking. Sage Francis, Vast aire and Vordul Mega, MF, Aesop, Canibus, Madlib, Sabac... I could go on forever. Even the "spirit" of hip hop is still around with dudes like Rugged man and Sean Price. Still talking about how much money they don't have.. haha..

Funny to me, how I never heard any of those “rappers” except for Canibus. I really don’t see how you call my music “lame” when you have bad taste. And seriously how do you expect me to take you seriously after posting such a dumb and bias statement.

Oh, Tupac.. The real OG that went to a private school for dance? Yeah.. He spits real talk, huh?

He spit more real talk than you can handle. If your hating on 2pac then it just shows me how ignorant of talent you really are. If you have to judge someone before you listen to their music then that’s too bad.

Oh yeah... Big > Pac in a big big way.

Without pac biggie would have never been recognized, and by even saying such a thing is truly “hip hop blasphemy” to the fullest.



[edit on 5-11-2007 by ready4whatever]

reply to post by Don Wahn

If you can honestly tell me that people like Talib Kweli, Nas, Mos Def, The Roots, Little Brother, etc (the list goes on and on) are not real with regard to hip-hop, then I think that we are listening to two different types of music...or maybe the rock you have been living under doesnt push that kind of music.

Do you notice that all the rappers you mentioned have been around for years now, I don't consider them to be part of this "new hip hop" that talk about the same things over and over again.

How acan you even put Pac and immortal technique in the same sentence? That is just hip-hop blasphemy. Pac is one of my all time favorites, and immortal is real nice, but to just use those two as a base is whack. And what do you mean "even the beats are weak"? Are you not listening to the music? Kanyes beats are sickening, from past to present. have you heard 9th wonder, Kev Brown, Just Blaze, Timbo? If you think that the majority of the beats that these powerhouses create are weak, then your opinion of good beats must be crazily skewed. I am truely shocked by that one.

I am using tupac and immortal technique as examples of good hip hop. 2pac was the prime of hip hop, and immortal technique expresses real issues in his music. How do you find that blasphemy? I think your remarks are "whack". Did you know most of kanye west's beats are not even original. He's an okay artist. I do admire timbaland for hes music because he makes produces good beats, but the majority of these new producers have no talent.

Hip hop will always be around, and if you dont see it in front of your face, you just have to look in the right places and you will surely find it.

Exactly, you have to look in the right places to find it, all the real hip hop seems to be underground and the mainstream hip hop is dead.

Hip-hop isn't dead, and there's still good stuff out there.

Care to elaborate a little bit? There will always be good stuff, but when you turn on your TV or Radio, do you enjoy what you hear?

Originally posted by ready4whatever

but when you turn on your TV or Radio, do you enjoy what you hear?

you can't form a knowledgeable opinion on a genre of music based on what you see or hear on the tv or radio

i could sit here all day and pitch you the names of artists groups and songs you've probably never heard of but would most likely enjoy if you are a fan of hip hop.. the musical aspect of it is still thriving.. the industry on the other hand is a different story

i'm not doubting your knowledge on the subject i just dont think you have a valid arguement

[edit on 6-11-2007 by The Phantom]

reply to post by ready4whatever

I never mentioned Nas, I guess he see’s my point of view too, but regardless there are many more people that agree, I’ll even show you an article.

You don't even know about Nas' last album and you can claim "hip hop is dead?" Are you kidding me? You're quite the authority on hip hop, it seems.

I never said hip hop will never continue to grow, but at this moment and time it is pretty much dead. I agree with you on one thing, as long as there is a struggle or some kind of cause people will express their emotions in music. Thank you for the obvious statement. It takes talent to make hip hop music, and not just experiencing the struggles. I’m aware many talented lyricists are not being recognized and heard and that is one of the reasons I am making my statement.

Well if something is "dead" it doesn't grow, right? And even in the metaphorical temporary way that something may "die," hip hop still hasn't "died." There's amazing MC's popping up everywhere all over the world. Really taking things serious and putting in work so their music can be heard by the masses, impact everyone it reaches. That is the essence of hip hop, and it seems like you're focusing on an aspect that very may well be "dead." Getting out of your house and your expand your actual knowledge of hip hop will help you see otherwise.

I have every right to express what I believe, and I don’t talk negative about the artists, but the hip hop industry. The majority of artists in hip hop right now talk about money, hoes, and cars. And the true lyricists with real talent are underground. To me that is a sign of a dead hip hop. I shouldn’t have to do extensive research to find good music.

I never said you didn't. You can express all your opinions openly as you have, but that doesn't mean theyr'e going to get put in the dirt by those of us who know what we're talking about. Those of us that are big on actual "hip hop," take offense to your weak assertations that something we see flourishing is to some guy, "dead." And your ideaology behind what hip hop should be is a little distorted. You want the antithesis of everything you hear to be played to somehow "revive" hip hop? That's what it is to you? Hip hop only matters if it reaches some amount of mainstream success? That's not what hip hop is about. Just because it's not in your face everywhere you walk like the lames they have out now doesn't mean it's not there. Because IT IS THERE AND IN FULL EFFECT. WORLDWIDE. Good hip hop is everywhere! Where have you been, and more importantly, where's the dedication? We can't put hip hop in a sippy cup for you, dude. Sorry.

I understand how music can affect people and inspire them, but I want your opinion on what you specifically consider a good example of this?

Jesus... Look at the evolution of hip hop. You have dudes like Mos Def, Canibus, Jada, that all consider Notorious B.I.G. the greatest rapper that ever lived. With his influence, they've all had their impacts on hip hop themselves. It's what you call a "cycle of influence." I thought the answer was pretty obvious myself.

Funny to me, how I never heard any of those “rappers” except for Canibus. I really don’t see how you call my music “lame” when you have bad taste. And seriously how do you expect me to take you seriously after posting such a dumb and bias statement.

I'm not here to debate music tastes. You're view on the industry is confined to the music you listen to. I wasn't implying that I listen to "better" music, but if you're going to make some lame, trendy ass claim that hip hop is dead, you should make a pretty conclusive argument. Instead you leave dudes us puzzled, with some toy view of something, you apparently don't know enough about.

He spit more real talk than you can handle. If your hating on 2pac then it just shows me how ignorant of talent you really are. If you have to judge someone before you listen to their music then that’s too bad.

A former balet dancer telling me what "thug life" is all about doesn't get my respect. The dude was obviously talented and lyrically inclined, but I don't have to like him. I dig some of his $, but in all seriousness, I think the dude is over rated, but none the less a great building block of hip hop.

Without pac biggie would have never been recognized, and by even saying such a thing is truly “hip hop blasphemy” as you like to call it, to the fullest.

Saying Big is better than Pac is Blasphemous? Please, man. Who are you?

Toy :shk:

reply to post by ready4whatever


Mostly, but that's because I happen to really like a lot of the stuff that's coming out of Canada and we have content rules (20% of the music has to be Canadian artists). I think the content rules are silly, but without them, I may not have heard of some of my favourites.

What I like is hearing something new - even if they aren't the best lyricist/emcee/whatever. I like an artist who shows me where hip hop could go, not where it was 10 years ago.

I wanted to throw this up to give you an idea of what I mean. I don't know if anyone here listens to Buck 65, but I'm a fan - he never stops changing and doing something new. This one is called Cries a Girl - just try to bear through the awful version of Wicked and Weird (I like that song and he's giving you a bad first impression of it ) that he does for the first 45 seconds and then you'll get to the good stuff.

I hope as least one person likes it as much as I do.

all those haters saying hip hop is dead are somewhat right hip hop has become too comercialized i knew it since mcDonnalds came up with para pa pa pa i cant stand that stuff. but there are still some good artists out there i think rap is dead i havent heard any rhymes that had a good story in awhile so i stoped listening after ludacris's 2nd album.

disco is not techno BTW disco is still around unfortunately lol

i think reggae and regeton are next up.

Techno is more popular around the world that some of you might think just like soccer ya'll dont know shiaznit

First of all Hip-Hop is made up of 9 elements - check out KRS-One - www.templeofhiphop.org... - he's one of the fathers of Hip-Hop, no doubt.

2Pac = Hip-Hop!? I love 2Pac - for the emotions in his lyrics but not the rhyming skill. I mean - what kind of skill is rhyming safe - grave, or price - life, and all that stuff. The beats are not good either. Old school hip-hop has died (that's why it's called old), but what about the underground cats? Nu School hip-hop like Mars Ill, R2J2, Madlib and stuff...

One song I'd like you to listen to, called F*ck Hip-Hop by RJD2 feat. Motamouth. Lyrics here: www.asklyrics.com...



[edit on 8/11/07 by MastaG]

Hip hop is not dead. Still isn't. Won't be.

Found this awsome article...

We loved everything hip hop. Then, about 3 years ago…we just stopped.

Why? Cus we don’t like songs that tell us how to dance. (I hated the
electric slide in 8th grade and 8th graders now hate the cupid slide
just as much)
Why? Cus we can’t relate to your 24 inch rims and diamond encrusted
watches like we could with your anger and frustration.
Why? Because every song on an album sounds just like the previous one.
Why? Cus we like things that sound different than the mainstream
(which is how we found hip hop to begin with).
Why? It’s simple, we don’t believe you anymore.

A Must-Read Article Here...

Straight to the point...