Do You Really Think Hip Hop Has Really Gone To Sh*t, Or Are We Just Repeating Our Fathers???

[damobb2deep]

bruh yo argument is all subjective... you are givin "facts" in questions opinions should be..

Rebut his argument then. Give examples of artists or music that is better than the music of the past.

my opinion is subjective as well..

i feel like t.i is a better artist then ice cube...

Nigga...

Shut up.

that was a troll post, obviously

not @ all i really think that... t.i is no scrub... has been in the game 4 years has classic albums... gone plat.. is lyrical.. and can be versatile in subject matter..

im not saying ice cube not great... but if i said Gucci mane was better then cube then that would be a troll... t.i is a legit artist with a resume that can compare musically to cubes..

 

[LEMZIMUS_RAMSEY]

Seriously i cant put anything new after @uptownconnexx.

The lack of foundations and discipline inside the hiphop realm is obvious.

Look at us debating : money and record sales over CONTENT and Artistry.

We deserve that music we have nowadays cause we are not better.

What you eat, how you communicate and which values you cherish tell a lot about you.

When i see american posters making threads about FRENCH MONTANA i wonder wether im in Paris or nah.

We are the consumers, the buyers. They sell what we like to hear. All we do is Generic.

We eat generic , think generic.

We are in the FAST FOOD ERA of music. Its up to us to get out of it.

Peace

 

[rip.dilla]

i feel like t.i is a better artist then ice cube...

I literally burst out laughing at this post

The IC is full of funny ass niggas I swear

 

[TheManInBlack4.0]

Rap has had it moments/acts that were shit during its peak, but the game was dominated by quality artists.

Today, rap has gone to shit as a majority.

 

[Disciplined InSight]

Seriously i cant put anything new after @uptownconnexx.

The lack of foundations and discipline inside the hiphop realm is obvious.

Look at us debating : money and record sales over CONTENT and Artistry.

We deserve that music we have nowadays cause we are not better.

What you eat, how you communicate and which values you cherish tell a lot about you.

When i see american posters making threads about FRENCH MONTANA i wonder wether im in Paris or nah.

We are the consumers, the buyers. They sell what we like to hear. All we do is Generic.

We eat generic , think generic.

We are in the FAST FOOD ERA of music. Its up to us to get out of it.

Peace

So much truth in this post..

 

[damobb2deep]

Seriously i cant put anything new after @uptownconnexx.

The lack of foundations and discipline inside the hiphop realm is obvious.

Look at us debating : money and record sales over CONTENT and Artistry.

We deserve that music we have nowadays cause we are not better.

What you eat, how you communicate and which values you cherish tell a lot about you.

When i see american posters making threads about FRENCH MONTANA i wonder wether im in Paris or nah.

We are the consumers, the buyers. They sell what we like to hear. All we do is Generic.

We eat generic , think generic.

We are in the FAST FOOD ERA of music. Its up to us to get out of it.

Peace

my question is what did you listen 2 in the 90's... nwa? tupac? biggie? wu tang ect?

if this is true then im sure u have listened 2 newer artists like.. kendrick lamar ( who last year has the reason on his jock cuz he was "bringing back real hip hop")... j cole.... asap mob.. school boy Q.. maybe lupe? if thats yo style lol u got artist out there.. and yea.. in the next 15 years they will be the "cream of the crop" of this decade... and kids growing up will kno they music as "good hip hop" and will compare their music to the "shytty" music of the late 2020's...

 

[UPTOWN]

bruh yo argument is all subjective... you are givin "facts" in questions opinions should be..

Rebut his argument then. Give examples of artists or music that is better than the music of the past.

my opinion is subjective as well..

i feel like t.i is a better artist then ice cube...

Nigga...

Shut up.

that was a troll post, obviously

not @ all i really think that... t.i is no scrub... has been in the game 4 years has classic albums... gone plat.. is lyrical.. and can be versatile in subject matter..

im not saying ice cube not great... but if i said Gucci mane was better then cube then that would be a troll... t.i is a legit artist with a resume that can compare musically to cubes..

id like to see you lay this comparison out LOL

i mean shit TI wasnt bad imo but between nwa and cubes early solo's you are just going to make a fool of yourself comparing the two

TI doesnt even have enough material period to compare to cube

 

[semi-auto-mato]

i remember my mother yelling at me to turn that garbage off. i remember sitting by the radio listening to the rap attack waiting for that famous world premiere so that i could record whatever song (didnt matter who it was). i remember seeing the west coast jump in and doing their thing. i remember 3 and 4 finger rings, gumby haircuts, two tone lee jeans, bomber jackets. kangols and gazelles. we use to dance. now i look at my kids and think wow look how far we have come. this was started by my generation and now its being passed on to my kids. its then that i think i will never say hip hop is dead. its alive and well. i will never say hip hop is shit. i will always try teach my kids the history as i know it and sit back proudly and watch them put their own stamp on it. soon they will be my age and hopefully it will be passed down to their kids.

not really sure what the problem is with hip hop. old niggas need to support the new niggas. the new niggas need to stop competing with history. they will become a part of it soon enough. when u get my age u look back and laugh. u laugh at all the wild stages ur generation went thru. the clothes u wore, the phrases u used. my generation was never prepared for hip hop to last this long. we were too busy thinking about ourselves and trying to have something all our own. we never thought about 2014 and passing it down to our kids. now that we are here we complain and call them out. we say hip hop fell off. we never had a vision for hip hop. we were just rapping and dancing to have fun and be different. now its a lifestyle...its not a fad like that told us.

if you love hip hop then accept it for what it was yesterday and what it is today and look forward to what it will become tomorrow.

Think about the contrast between "the golden age" versus today for a moment:

The Wutang Clan had singles charting and videos in heavy rotation from Enter The 36th Chamber before and after it's release. Had that album been released today, not only would it be completely absent from the charts, they wouldn't have had any radio play, their videos would have been released on WSHH or Youtube 'cause BET and MTV wouldn't touch them, and they would probably have been released on a small label like Babygrande if they got a label to sign them at all.

Illmatic would be an indie release though it would be critically acclaimed if it were released today.

None of EPMD's albums would have gone Gold if they were released in the last 10 years as opposed to the late 80's/mid 90's. (FWIW, their first five albums went gold, besting Run DMC's track record).

MC Lyte would be on Bahamadhia/Jean Grae status if she came out today. A damned good MC with ZERO audience 'cause she ain't showin her titties and ass. He skills would mean nothing.

Public Enemy, Paris, PRT, and X-Clan's albums would be in the same space as Immortal Technique's if they were released today. Never getting airplay, never seeing video play, only listened to by hardcore socially conscious backpackers and college radio heads.

95 South, B-Rock and the Bizz, Tag Team, and Hammer would be even bigger stars today than they were in their heyday if they came out now.

Had she come out with "Born Gangstaz" back in 2006, Bo$$ would likely be on her 5th or 6th album by now and her star would be shining even brighter despite the eventual revelations that she came from a privileged two parent home in Detroit, went to private schools, and attended college. This is completely the opposite of the "character" she portrays herself to be in her music, stylizing herself to be a gun toting, drug dealing thug.

Jermaine Hopkins aka "Huggy", an actor turned rapper would be the new hero of hip hop if his album "Chunky But Funky" were released a few years ago.

please forgive me because im trying to understand your post in relation to hip hop being shit now and my post from a previous page. are you saying because older artist would not sell today that hip hop is shit? of course they would not sell its a new generation. im not sure of your age but im an old head and we lived differently than my kids of today. the kids today rock skinny jeans and we wore 40 below timbs. does that mean we were cooler? they rock yeezys and we wore polka dot short sets. you see what im saying? the music is different because life is different. our artist were not super thugs. they were creative dudes that had dancers in the background. they themselves dance...check kane, ll, and mc lyte although she was a bit stiff lol. our rappers were cartoon characters, fake gangstas, pro black, and everything else..we accepted them all.

we didnt have much radio play...we dubbed everything radio raheem style. technology today has hurt sales but at the same time it has made hip hop so much easier to get your hands on. like epmd said they use ride around new york begging niggas to listen to their demo. now u put your song on youtube and get enough hits and just like that u got a deal.

again im not sure how to actually respond to your post so forgive me for being all over the place. its basically what i said. new dudes shouldnt worry about what rappers of my time sold. its good to know the history and all but dont compete with it. live your life and put your on stamp on it.

the only reason its called the golden age is because it was so much going on and our music was getting popular in the mainstream. people really confused the era to mean these were the best rappers. the music was original because it was a baby art form. now its over 25 years. just about all that can be done has been done. the same stuff these kids do today we did in my day and 9 times out 10 we looked crazier doing it. niggas use to wear hammer pants and patent leather shoes. big ass heavy d got on patent leather shoes and polka dot short set in a video and we loved it. nigga wear skinny jeans and y'all call him soft or gay and say he ruining hip hop. stop saying the music today is shit. thats killing hip hop.

 

[Colin$mackabi$h]

everyting a cycle

 

[Wild Self]

I was going to post a long ass post but forget it. Like a lot of other posters said there are a lot of great artists out there but people are stuck in their viewpoints. Additionally, no matter what happens people will always say that the 90s shits all over the new shit.

The 90s is called "The Golden Age" for a reason. It was the equivalent to the late 60s/early 70s era in rock music. There were some special artists to come out of that age. We will probably never get another Tribe or Wu but we still have some dope ass shit coming out. I personally think MBDTF can stack up with most of the classic records of the 90s. The thing that trips me out is that the leaders of that age for the most part are still putting out dope music (Rae, Nas, Ghost, Q-Tip, Jay, Mobb Deep, Big Boi, etc.) Plus we have new artists putting out quality and a lot more versatility in the music now. There are so many ranging styles and quantity that if you are actively looking you can find some great music. Run The Jewels came out last year and could also stack up with some of the great 90s lps

The 80s was the Golden age. The 90s still had quality, but the content was getting negative and some of the 90s rappers low-key shitted on the 80s heads because they refused to conform to what record execs say for money. 88> 94 and it ain't even close

 

[32DaysOfInfiniti]

@UPTOWNCONNEXX

JFK was a much different president then George Washington, and Bill Clinton was a much different president than JFK, but none of them fucked with or went against the foundation of what makes the country remain strong and thats why you have obama today. you dont change the constitution and bill of rights every time a new person gets in office. hip hop and black culture in general doesnt demand this kind of discipline. thats where we are losing.

GOAT post but its ironic you'd use JFK down there considering he was killed for doing the exact opposite of what you said

@semi-auto-mato

please forgive me because im trying to understand your post in relation to hip hop being shit now and my post from a previous page. are you saying because older artist would not sell today that hip hop is shit? of course they would not sell its a new generation. im not sure of your age but im an old head and we lived differently than my kids of today. the kids today rock skinny jeans and we wore 40 below timbs. does that mean we were cooler? they rock yeezys and we wore polka dot short sets. you see what im saying? the music is different because life is different. our artist were not super thugs. they were creative dudes that had dancers in the background. they themselves dance...check kane, ll, and mc lyte although she was a bit stiff lol. our rappers were cartoon characters, fake gangstas, pro black, and everything else..we accepted them all.

we didnt have much radio play...we dubbed everything radio raheem style. technology today has hurt sales but at the same time it has made hip hop so much easier to get your hands on. like epmd said they use ride around new york begging niggas to listen to their demo. now u put your song on youtube and get enough hits and just like that u got a deal.

again im not sure how to actually respond to your post so forgive me for being all over the place. its basically what i said. new dudes shouldnt worry about what rappers of my time sold. its good to know the history and all but dont compete with it. live your life and put your on stamp on it.

the only reason its called the golden age is because it was so much going on and our music was getting popular in the mainstream. people really confused the era to mean these were the best rappers. the music was original because it was a baby art form. now its over 25 years. just about all that can be done has been done. the same stuff these kids do today we did in my day and 9 times out 10 we looked crazier doing it. niggas use to wear hammer pants and patent leather shoes. big ass heavy d got on patent leather shoes and polka dot short set in a video and we loved it. nigga wear skinny jeans and y'all call him soft or gay and say he ruining hip hop. stop saying the music today is shit. thats killing hip hop.

No... Shitty music is killing the genre, not the people who realize how shitty it is

 

[A1000MILES]

i remember my mother yelling at me to turn that garbage off. i remember sitting by the radio listening to the rap attack waiting for that famous world premiere so that i could record whatever song (didnt matter who it was). i remember seeing the west coast jump in and doing their thing. i remember 3 and 4 finger rings, gumby haircuts, two tone lee jeans, bomber jackets. kangols and gazelles. we use to dance. now i look at my kids and think wow look how far we have come. this was started by my generation and now its being passed on to my kids. its then that i think i will never say hip hop is dead. its alive and well. i will never say hip hop is shit. i will always try teach my kids the history as i know it and sit back proudly and watch them put their own stamp on it. soon they will be my age and hopefully it will be passed down to their kids.

not really sure what the problem is with hip hop. old niggas need to support the new niggas. the new niggas need to stop competing with history. they will become a part of it soon enough. when u get my age u look back and laugh. u laugh at all the wild stages ur generation went thru. the clothes u wore, the phrases u used. my generation was never prepared for hip hop to last this long. we were too busy thinking about ourselves and trying to have something all our own. we never thought about 2014 and passing it down to our kids. now that we are here we complain and call them out. we say hip hop fell off. we never had a vision for hip hop. we were just rapping and dancing to have fun and be different. now its a lifestyle...its not a fad like that told us.

if you love hip hop then accept it for what it was yesterday and what it is today and look forward to what it will become tomorrow.

Think about the contrast between "the golden age" versus today for a moment:

The Wutang Clan had singles charting and videos in heavy rotation from Enter The 36th Chamber before and after it's release. Had that album been released today, not only would it be completely absent from the charts, they wouldn't have had any radio play, their videos would have been released on WSHH or Youtube 'cause BET and MTV wouldn't touch them, and they would probably have been released on a small label like Babygrande if they got a label to sign them at all.

Illmatic would be an indie release though it would be critically acclaimed if it were released today.

None of EPMD's albums would have gone Gold if they were released in the last 10 years as opposed to the late 80's/mid 90's. (FWIW, their first five albums went gold, besting Run DMC's track record).

MC Lyte would be on Bahamadhia/Jean Grae status if she came out today. A damned good MC with ZERO audience 'cause she ain't showin her titties and ass. He skills would mean nothing.

Public Enemy, Paris, PRT, and X-Clan's albums would be in the same space as Immortal Technique's if they were released today. Never getting airplay, never seeing video play, only listened to by hardcore socially conscious backpackers and college radio heads.

95 South, B-Rock and the Bizz, Tag Team, and Hammer would be even bigger stars today than they were in their heyday if they came out now.

Had she come out with "Born Gangstaz" back in 2006, Bo$$ would likely be on her 5th or 6th album by now and her star would be shining even brighter despite the eventual revelations that she came from a privileged two parent home in Detroit, went to private schools, and attended college. This is completely the opposite of the "character" she portrays herself to be in her music, stylizing herself to be a gun toting, drug dealing thug.

Jermaine Hopkins aka "Huggy", an actor turned rapper would be the new hero of hip hop if his album "Chunky But Funky" were released a few years ago.

please forgive me because im trying to understand your post in relation to hip hop being shit now and my post from a previous page. are you saying because older artist would not sell today that hip hop is shit? of course they would not sell its a new generation. im not sure of your age but im an old head and we lived differently than my kids of today. the kids today rock skinny jeans and we wore 40 below timbs. does that mean we were cooler? they rock yeezys and we wore polka dot short sets. you see what im saying? the music is different because life is different. our artist were not super thugs. they were creative dudes that had dancers in the background. they themselves dance...check kane, ll, and mc lyte although she was a bit stiff lol. our rappers were cartoon characters, fake gangstas, pro black, and everything else..we accepted them all.

we didnt have much radio play...we dubbed everything radio raheem style. technology today has hurt sales but at the same time it has made hip hop so much easier to get your hands on. like epmd said they use ride around new york begging niggas to listen to their demo. now u put your song on youtube and get enough hits and just like that u got a deal.

again im not sure how to actually respond to your post so forgive me for being all over the place. its basically what i said. new dudes shouldnt worry about what rappers of my time sold. its good to know the history and all but dont compete with it. live your life and put your on stamp on it.

the only reason its called the golden age is because it was so much going on and our music was getting popular in the mainstream. people really confused the era to mean these were the best rappers. the music was original because it was a baby art form. now its over 25 years. just about all that can be done has been done. the same stuff these kids do today we did in my day and 9 times out 10 we looked crazier doing it. niggas use to wear hammer pants and patent leather shoes. big ass heavy d got on patent leather shoes and polka dot short set in a video and we loved it. nigga wear skinny jeans and y'all call him soft or gay and say he ruining hip hop. stop saying the music today is shit. thats killing hip hop.

Bravo...Bra-Fucking-Vo...

 

[Kwan Dai]

Hip Hop is shit now. And this thread proves it. Hip Hop is more then just Music. There are three additional elements that haven't even been touched on. Yet this is supposed to be a discussion about Hip Hop? It's not.

The main difference from when I came up was, we tried to be into everything Hip Hop had to offer. Not just listening to some tunes and wearing the latest brand being peddled by some rap salesman. The majority of people who listen to Hip Hop today have never even attempted to B-Boy, tag their name or spin a record.

Hip Hop should be an experience, especially when you are going through your teen years and even some what into your adult years. Especially if you have found that you are actually good at one of the elements. Even at my age, I get a kick out of throwing on an old record and B-Boying while my children, nieces and nephews bust out laughing.

I cannot explain the fun my boys and I had travelling through NY, NJ, and Philly looking for the next dope party, B-Boying, digging for new music, trying to tag, getting lessons from my boys that DJ'd, writing rhymes. Any and everything I could get my hands on I wanted to try. It was all about creativity and originality. Not being a star or making loot. It was just fun being creative, and maybe even a tad rebellious. After being a part of Hip Hop for over 30 years I am still pretty creative and outgoing. I believe I can say with certainty I have Hip Hop to thank for fuelling my creativeness and my youthful to approach to life.

 

[semi-auto-mato]

Hip Hop is shit now. And this thread proves it. Hip Hop is more then just Music. There are three additional elements that haven't even been touched on. Yet this is supposed to be a discussion about Hip Hop? It's not.

The main difference from when I came up was, we tried to be into everything Hip Hop had to offer. Not just listening to some tunes and wearing the latest brand being peddled by some rap salesman. The majority of people who listen to Hip Hop today have never even attempted to B-Boy, tag their name or spin a record.

Hip Hop should be an experience, especially when you are going through your teen years and even some what into your adult years. Especially if you have found that you are actually good at one of the elements. Even at my age, I get a kick out of throwing on an old record and B-Boying while my children, nieces and nephews bust out laughing.

I cannot explain the fun my boys and I had travelling through NY, NJ, and Philly looking for the next dope party, B-Boying, digging for new music, trying to tag, getting lessons from my boys that DJ'd, writing rhymes. Any and everything I could get my hands on I wanted to try. It was all about creativity and originality. Not being a star or making loot. It was just fun being creative, and maybe even a tad rebellious. After being a part of Hip Hop for over 30 years I am still pretty creative and outgoing. I believe I can say with certainty I have Hip Hop to thank for fuelling my creativeness and my youthful to approach to life.

as an older head we cant tell the younger ones its shit because they dont do what we did. when hip hop started there where no elements. it was defined later by the zulu nation. it had something for us all thats why its more than just mc and dj. today is different though. times have changed the main elements of hip hop remain the same but can we really hold it against someone if they dont tag or beatbox or break dance?

 

[Kwan Dai]

Hip Hop is shit now. And this thread proves it. Hip Hop is more then just Music. There are three additional elements that haven't even been touched on. Yet this is supposed to be a discussion about Hip Hop? It's not.

The main difference from when I came up was, we tried to be into everything Hip Hop had to offer. Not just listening to some tunes and wearing the latest brand being peddled by some rap salesman. The majority of people who listen to Hip Hop today have never even attempted to B-Boy, tag their name or spin a record.

Hip Hop should be an experience, especially when you are going through your teen years and even some what into your adult years. Especially if you have found that you are actually good at one of the elements. Even at my age, I get a kick out of throwing on an old record and B-Boying while my children, nieces and nephews bust out laughing.

I cannot explain the fun my boys and I had travelling through NY, NJ, and Philly looking for the next dope party, B-Boying, digging for new music, trying to tag, getting lessons from my boys that DJ'd, writing rhymes. Any and everything I could get my hands on I wanted to try. It was all about creativity and originality. Not being a star or making loot. It was just fun being creative, and maybe even a tad rebellious. After being a part of Hip Hop for over 30 years I am still pretty creative and outgoing. I believe I can say with certainty I have Hip Hop to thank for fuelling my creativeness and my youthful to approach to life.

as an older head we cant tell the younger ones its shit because they dont do what we did. when hip hop started there where no elements. it was defined later by the zulu nation. it had something for us all thats why its more than just mc and dj. today is different though. times have changed the main elements of hip hop remain the same but can we really hold it against someone if they dont tag or beatbox or break dance?

Yes, we can. Why involve yourself in something that you don't research or care to fully know about? You are correct but incorrect in saying there were no elements. There were they just weren't collected under the title of Hip Hop by Bam and the Zulu Nation. But the elements were all pretty much happening at once. And more importantly they began to fuse. So, that's where you get a guy like, Kay Slay who is a legendary writer but is also a DJ. A guy like Rammel Z and even Rakim used to write.

If the elements have stayed the same then, the times shouldn't matter. What's disgusts ms is While NY and LA still have large venues for the other elements. Places like the south and Midwest suck at supporting the other elements. But Japan, and Europe go hard at keeping these additional elements alive and kicking more then the birthplace.

 

[konceptjones]

i remember my mother yelling at me to turn that garbage off. i remember sitting by the radio listening to the rap attack waiting for that famous world premiere so that i could record whatever song (didnt matter who it was). i remember seeing the west coast jump in and doing their thing. i remember 3 and 4 finger rings, gumby haircuts, two tone lee jeans, bomber jackets. kangols and gazelles. we use to dance. now i look at my kids and think wow look how far we have come. this was started by my generation and now its being passed on to my kids. its then that i think i will never say hip hop is dead. its alive and well. i will never say hip hop is shit. i will always try teach my kids the history as i know it and sit back proudly and watch them put their own stamp on it. soon they will be my age and hopefully it will be passed down to their kids.

not really sure what the problem is with hip hop. old niggas need to support the new niggas. the new niggas need to stop competing with history. they will become a part of it soon enough. when u get my age u look back and laugh. u laugh at all the wild stages ur generation went thru. the clothes u wore, the phrases u used. my generation was never prepared for hip hop to last this long. we were too busy thinking about ourselves and trying to have something all our own. we never thought about 2014 and passing it down to our kids. now that we are here we complain and call them out. we say hip hop fell off. we never had a vision for hip hop. we were just rapping and dancing to have fun and be different. now its a lifestyle...its not a fad like that told us.

if you love hip hop then accept it for what it was yesterday and what it is today and look forward to what it will become tomorrow.

Think about the contrast between "the golden age" versus today for a moment:

The Wutang Clan had singles charting and videos in heavy rotation from Enter The 36th Chamber before and after it's release. Had that album been released today, not only would it be completely absent from the charts, they wouldn't have had any radio play, their videos would have been released on WSHH or Youtube 'cause BET and MTV wouldn't touch them, and they would probably have been released on a small label like Babygrande if they got a label to sign them at all.

Illmatic would be an indie release though it would be critically acclaimed if it were released today.

None of EPMD's albums would have gone Gold if they were released in the last 10 years as opposed to the late 80's/mid 90's. (FWIW, their first five albums went gold, besting Run DMC's track record).

MC Lyte would be on Bahamadhia/Jean Grae status if she came out today. A damned good MC with ZERO audience 'cause she ain't showin her titties and ass. He skills would mean nothing.

Public Enemy, Paris, PRT, and X-Clan's albums would be in the same space as Immortal Technique's if they were released today. Never getting airplay, never seeing video play, only listened to by hardcore socially conscious backpackers and college radio heads.

95 South, B-Rock and the Bizz, Tag Team, and Hammer would be even bigger stars today than they were in their heyday if they came out now.

Had she come out with "Born Gangstaz" back in 2006, Bo$$ would likely be on her 5th or 6th album by now and her star would be shining even brighter despite the eventual revelations that she came from a privileged two parent home in Detroit, went to private schools, and attended college. This is completely the opposite of the "character" she portrays herself to be in her music, stylizing herself to be a gun toting, drug dealing thug.

Jermaine Hopkins aka "Huggy", an actor turned rapper would be the new hero of hip hop if his album "Chunky But Funky" were released a few years ago.

please forgive me because im trying to understand your post in relation to hip hop being shit now and my post from a previous page. are you saying because older artist would not sell today that hip hop is shit? of course they would not sell its a new generation. im not sure of your age but im an old head and we lived differently than my kids of today. the kids today rock skinny jeans and we wore 40 below timbs. does that mean we were cooler? they rock yeezys and we wore polka dot short sets. you see what im saying? the music is different because life is different. our artist were not super thugs. they were creative dudes that had dancers in the background. they themselves dance...check kane, ll, and mc lyte although she was a bit stiff lol. our rappers were cartoon characters, fake gangstas, pro black, and everything else..we accepted them all.

we didnt have much radio play...we dubbed everything radio raheem style. technology today has hurt sales but at the same time it has made hip hop so much easier to get your hands on. like epmd said they use ride around new york begging niggas to listen to their demo. now u put your song on youtube and get enough hits and just like that u got a deal.

again im not sure how to actually respond to your post so forgive me for being all over the place. its basically what i said. new dudes shouldnt worry about what rappers of my time sold. its good to know the history and all but dont compete with it. live your life and put your on stamp on it.

the only reason its called the golden age is because it was so much going on and our music was getting popular in the mainstream. people really confused the era to mean these were the best rappers. the music was original because it was a baby art form. now its over 25 years. just about all that can be done has been done. the same stuff these kids do today we did in my day and 9 times out 10 we looked crazier doing it. niggas use to wear hammer pants and patent leather shoes. big ass heavy d got on patent leather shoes and polka dot short set in a video and we loved it. nigga wear skinny jeans and y'all call him soft or gay and say he ruining hip hop. stop saying the music today is shit. thats killing hip hop.

I'm older than the majority of cats on this board, one of the few of us on here in the "over 40" club.

The point is that in our day an artist could get shine for having skills or bringing something different to the table. Nowadays you have to sound like the next man, your delivery and flow has to be similar to what's currently on the radio, your subject matter has to be similar, you can't get too complex with the wordplay, your beats have to sound similar... Back then we called a lot of this "biting", and the shit wasn't allowed.

Fashion aside, the music that's getting rotation IS shit. Where's the conscious rapper on the radio? Where's the pro-black rappers? Where's the battle rappers? Where's the female rapper straight rippin' shit? All we got these days is "club anthems", there's no balance to "mainstream" hip hop anymore and that's at the core of this issue. Back in the day, "underground" was really nothing more than regional or local rappers that haven't blown up or got spins outside of their area yet. Mainstream hip hop was everything from KRS One to MC Hammer.

I know there's still good hip hop being released. My problem is that it's not getting the airplay it used to. What we get on the air now is watered down, simple minded, shiny bauble garbage.

 

[StillFaggyAF]

but why we care so much about jew owned airwaves doe

 

[semi-auto-mato]

Hip Hop is shit now. And this thread proves it. Hip Hop is more then just Music. There are three additional elements that haven't even been touched on. Yet this is supposed to be a discussion about Hip Hop? It's not.

The main difference from when I came up was, we tried to be into everything Hip Hop had to offer. Not just listening to some tunes and wearing the latest brand being peddled by some rap salesman. The majority of people who listen to Hip Hop today have never even attempted to B-Boy, tag their name or spin a record.

Hip Hop should be an experience, especially when you are going through your teen years and even some what into your adult years. Especially if you have found that you are actually good at one of the elements. Even at my age, I get a kick out of throwing on an old record and B-Boying while my children, nieces and nephews bust out laughing.

I cannot explain the fun my boys and I had travelling through NY, NJ, and Philly looking for the next dope party, B-Boying, digging for new music, trying to tag, getting lessons from my boys that DJ'd, writing rhymes. Any and everything I could get my hands on I wanted to try. It was all about creativity and originality. Not being a star or making loot. It was just fun being creative, and maybe even a tad rebellious. After being a part of Hip Hop for over 30 years I am still pretty creative and outgoing. I believe I can say with certainty I have Hip Hop to thank for fuelling my creativeness and my youthful to approach to life.

as an older head we cant tell the younger ones its shit because they dont do what we did. when hip hop started there where no elements. it was defined later by the zulu nation. it had something for us all thats why its more than just mc and dj. today is different though. times have changed the main elements of hip hop remain the same but can we really hold it against someone if they dont tag or beatbox or break dance?

Yes, we can. Why involve yourself in something that you don't research or care to fully know about? You are correct but incorrect in saying there were no elements. There were they just weren't collected under the title of Hip Hop by Bam and the Zulu Nation. But the elements were all pretty much happening at once. And more importantly they began to fuse. So, that's where you get a guy like, Kay Slay who is a legendary writer but is also a DJ. A guy like Rammel Z and even Rakim used to write.

If the elements have stayed the same then, the times shouldn't matter. What's disgusts ms is While NY and LA still have large venues for the other elements. Places like the south and Midwest suck at supporting the other elements. But Japan, and Europe go hard at keeping these additional elements alive and kicking more then the birthplace.

there core elements needed for hip hop all the elements listed in the beginning are not necessary for the survival of hip hop but were stated to include all youth. to say it is shit now is going against the basics of what bambaataa was trying to do. yes the elements were there and he looked and saw those kids as the outcast so he said these are the elements of hip hop to include us all. we all couldnt rap, we couldnt dj, we all didnt break dance, we all werent graffitti artist. it was something for everyone. life changes and some of the elements become obsolete and maybe its time for the new generation to say you know what we wanna amend the elements to include this...to include us. the south and the midwest do more dancing than anyone else imo. thats a major element of hip hop. a forgotten one in ny and la because niggas to hardcore to dance

 

[semi-auto-mato]

i remember my mother yelling at me to turn that garbage off. i remember sitting by the radio listening to the rap attack waiting for that famous world premiere so that i could record whatever song (didnt matter who it was). i remember seeing the west coast jump in and doing their thing. i remember 3 and 4 finger rings, gumby haircuts, two tone lee jeans, bomber jackets. kangols and gazelles. we use to dance. now i look at my kids and think wow look how far we have come. this was started by my generation and now its being passed on to my kids. its then that i think i will never say hip hop is dead. its alive and well. i will never say hip hop is shit. i will always try teach my kids the history as i know it and sit back proudly and watch them put their own stamp on it. soon they will be my age and hopefully it will be passed down to their kids.

not really sure what the problem is with hip hop. old niggas need to support the new niggas. the new niggas need to stop competing with history. they will become a part of it soon enough. when u get my age u look back and laugh. u laugh at all the wild stages ur generation went thru. the clothes u wore, the phrases u used. my generation was never prepared for hip hop to last this long. we were too busy thinking about ourselves and trying to have something all our own. we never thought about 2014 and passing it down to our kids. now that we are here we complain and call them out. we say hip hop fell off. we never had a vision for hip hop. we were just rapping and dancing to have fun and be different. now its a lifestyle...its not a fad like that told us.

if you love hip hop then accept it for what it was yesterday and what it is today and look forward to what it will become tomorrow.

Think about the contrast between "the golden age" versus today for a moment:

The Wutang Clan had singles charting and videos in heavy rotation from Enter The 36th Chamber before and after it's release. Had that album been released today, not only would it be completely absent from the charts, they wouldn't have had any radio play, their videos would have been released on WSHH or Youtube 'cause BET and MTV wouldn't touch them, and they would probably have been released on a small label like Babygrande if they got a label to sign them at all.

Illmatic would be an indie release though it would be critically acclaimed if it were released today.

None of EPMD's albums would have gone Gold if they were released in the last 10 years as opposed to the late 80's/mid 90's. (FWIW, their first five albums went gold, besting Run DMC's track record).

MC Lyte would be on Bahamadhia/Jean Grae status if she came out today. A damned good MC with ZERO audience 'cause she ain't showin her titties and ass. He skills would mean nothing.

Public Enemy, Paris, PRT, and X-Clan's albums would be in the same space as Immortal Technique's if they were released today. Never getting airplay, never seeing video play, only listened to by hardcore socially conscious backpackers and college radio heads.

95 South, B-Rock and the Bizz, Tag Team, and Hammer would be even bigger stars today than they were in their heyday if they came out now.

Had she come out with "Born Gangstaz" back in 2006, Bo$$ would likely be on her 5th or 6th album by now and her star would be shining even brighter despite the eventual revelations that she came from a privileged two parent home in Detroit, went to private schools, and attended college. This is completely the opposite of the "character" she portrays herself to be in her music, stylizing herself to be a gun toting, drug dealing thug.

Jermaine Hopkins aka "Huggy", an actor turned rapper would be the new hero of hip hop if his album "Chunky But Funky" were released a few years ago.

please forgive me because im trying to understand your post in relation to hip hop being shit now and my post from a previous page. are you saying because older artist would not sell today that hip hop is shit? of course they would not sell its a new generation. im not sure of your age but im an old head and we lived differently than my kids of today. the kids today rock skinny jeans and we wore 40 below timbs. does that mean we were cooler? they rock yeezys and we wore polka dot short sets. you see what im saying? the music is different because life is different. our artist were not super thugs. they were creative dudes that had dancers in the background. they themselves dance...check kane, ll, and mc lyte although she was a bit stiff lol. our rappers were cartoon characters, fake gangstas, pro black, and everything else..we accepted them all.

we didnt have much radio play...we dubbed everything radio raheem style. technology today has hurt sales but at the same time it has made hip hop so much easier to get your hands on. like epmd said they use ride around new york begging niggas to listen to their demo. now u put your song on youtube and get enough hits and just like that u got a deal.

again im not sure how to actually respond to your post so forgive me for being all over the place. its basically what i said. new dudes shouldnt worry about what rappers of my time sold. its good to know the history and all but dont compete with it. live your life and put your on stamp on it.

the only reason its called the golden age is because it was so much going on and our music was getting popular in the mainstream. people really confused the era to mean these were the best rappers. the music was original because it was a baby art form. now its over 25 years. just about all that can be done has been done. the same stuff these kids do today we did in my day and 9 times out 10 we looked crazier doing it. niggas use to wear hammer pants and patent leather shoes. big ass heavy d got on patent leather shoes and polka dot short set in a video and we loved it. nigga wear skinny jeans and y'all call him soft or gay and say he ruining hip hop. stop saying the music today is shit. thats killing hip hop.

I'm older than the majority of cats on this board, one of the few of us on here in the "over 40" club.

The point is that in our day an artist could get shine for having skills or bringing something different to the table. Nowadays you have to sound like the next man, your delivery and flow has to be similar to what's currently on the radio, your subject matter has to be similar, you can't get too complex with the wordplay, your beats have to sound similar... Back then we called a lot of this "biting", and the shit wasn't allowed.

Fashion aside, the music that's getting rotation IS shit. Where's the conscious rapper on the radio? Where's the pro-black rappers? Where's the battle rappers? Where's the female rapper straight rippin' shit? All we got these days is "club anthems", there's no balance to "mainstream" hip hop anymore and that's at the core of this issue. Back in the day, "underground" was really nothing more than regional or local rappers that haven't blown up or got spins outside of their area yet. Mainstream hip hop was everything from KRS One to MC Hammer.

I know there's still good hip hop being released. My problem is that it's not getting the airplay it used to. What we get on the air now is watered down, simple minded, shiny bauble garbage.

u been around since the early stages and u should realize that anything done today has already been done back in our day. we were original because we had no one do it before us. the music today is not our generation so u probably wont like whats in rotation. when listen to the radio back in the day? friday night after 10 pm for an hour. why are we worried about whats in rotation?

 

[konceptjones]

but why we care so much about jew owned airwaves doe

because they still matter. If they didn't radio stations would be out of business.