HIP HOP is in a Coma

posted by STAR-

 

There are a variety of opinions surrounding the current status of HIP HOP. Some say HIP HOP is dead, some say it is alive and well. Others say it is on life support. Whether one chooses to acknowledge it or not, anything that lacks consciousness is either unconscious or dead. Hip Hop has very little conscious these days, so the comparison of the state of rap music to a person barely conscious on life-support would be an accurate analogy. HIP HOP IS IN A COMA!

I believe there are several distinct factors contributing to the current state of the HIP HOP culture. Lack of Historic appreciation, Demographic segregation, and the internet are just a few of the culprits. However this is just the tip of the iceberg. Follow along as we dig deeper into this serious subject.

Some experts say that “90’s babies” are the largest part of the problems facing the health of the music genre that once described an entire culture. NOW PLEASE NOTICE THIS, in every other music genre, when people mention their influences, they tend to speak of the great artists of it’s past. Neo – Soul singers will mension Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Lou Rawls, Rock artist Jimmie Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Ozzie Osborne, etc.

Hip Hop used to be no different. When asked about his influences, the late Tupac Shakur spoke of Rakim, Big daddy Kane, and LL Kool Jay. These artists influence were very evident in his music and even his ryhme structure. Currently I don’t believe that the top artist of our time are honest about their inspirations. I have heard T.I mension that he wasn’t a real Outkast fan, nor did he listen to much up north music. However when I listen to his first CD, I hear Tupac, Q-Tip, Andre 3000, and Biggie Smalls.

As time progressed though, his lyrics and rhyme scheme simplified themselves, and I heard more southern influences, such as 3-6 Mafia, Oomp Camp, etc. He has even adopted many of the attributes of artist that adopted from him, such as Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Plies, etc. Now if you listen to interviews of most of today’s popular rap artists, especially ones from the south, you will discover they all seem to have a common fear of being too knowledgeable of the world, and of the history of HIP HOP.

Like KRS one said, in one of his classic hits “WHY IS THAT?”

I want each and everyone of you to ask yourselves this question-

What happend to the days of the past, when we admired the emcees for their intelligence, wether they were “Gangsta” or not??

Another problem we face is the fact that Hip Hop is the only music genre where we stereotype artist by their region. These pigeonholes we place the artists in have put limitations on the artist themselves, as well as limits on our own imaginations. I believe this problem originated from the northeast region’s beliefs that they own Hip Hop, and the rejection of other regions contributions.

First off I have to say THIS MINDSET IS DOWN RIGHT SILLY to me, because if it wasn’t for the Blues, Scatting, Playing the Dozens, and other musical adaptations from various parts of the United States, THERE WOULD BE NO HIP HOP AT ALL!

I often wonder and imagine what rap music would be like today if our New York homeland had embraced and nurtured the West coast and Southern Hip Hop movements. What kind of artists would this present era have produced?

The internet is a gift and a curse to the artform born in the “Boogie Down.” I would not know of the talented Underground artists in different regions if it wasn’t for the internet. However the ability to download artists music for free takes away from the profitability of record sales, and causes label companies to restructure the way they do business.

 Artist development just isn’t worth it for Rap artists if Radio floods the airwaves with empty headed music, and tv viewing is saturated with the degrading and legitimized crap that companies promote and push on the daily. If we ourselves change our way of thinking, refrain from excepting, and buying this stereotypical trash, then these record companies will have no choice but to STOP PROMOTING this type of music. Then and only then will Hip Hop change for the better. Companies would be FORCED to give into to popular opinion.

Only we as a people HAVE THE POWER and CONTROL to listen to what we want to listen to. NO ONE ELSE.

This music of today is a simple music for SIMPLE MINDED PEOPLE! They sell a rappers image through television commercials, ring tones, and give the artists GIMMICKY merchandise, and then sell this whole illusionary package to our MATERIALISTIC youth. They ride out the artists 15 minutes of fame, then replace him by the next fiscal quarter with a slightly altered version of himself. Aspiring rappers see their peers apparent success and follow the pipe dream like Lambs to the slaughter. This gives the money making machine a fresh supply of artists to chop into dollars.

We are in desperate need to reform these conditions, not only to save the music, but to save the minds of our impressionable youth. We as fans must take a strong stand on what we consume, and artist must be uncompromising in their artistic expression. We must cease to follow the path of popular opinion, and listen to the music in our hearts and find the musicians that match it. For if we don’t-

 HIP HOP WILL STAY IN A COMA!

 

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THE  ALMIGHTY  STAR-