Dumbin Down MUSIC!!

[Brova]

I find it funny when you address this same issue to cats, they act as if the generation of rap today is top supreme. Yet, they fail to site any lyrics from their "fav" rappers that offer any type of intellect or insight. I agree that times have changed and im fine with that. What I dont understand is the fact that since times have changed, this means originality or "depth" are thrown out the window. That means quantity over quality beats all. Yea pac was a back in the day rapper. But his music is timeless and it spoke truth. And if people lied pac because of his image then i highly doubt his work would be studied in college. Eminem is lyrical but only in because he "shocks" you. Nas is a well rounded rapper, as well as pac, jay-z(old jigga) and lupe. These are the artist who provide timeless music. Drake is only hot now...but in 10 yrs will i bump his music in my whip? nope( cuz i dont even bump it now) lil wayne....hes good a lyrical metaphors but when you ACTUALLY LISTEN...he's not talking about shit. Gucci....(lets not waste our time)..jeezy...hes came along way. So I agree wil threadstarter..WE vote with our wallets and WE allow the same monotony of music to be played over and over. You have artist like z-ro who will never see the recognition that he deserves because he doesnt conform to the nonsense. So hate if you want but the truth is the truth.

Co -sign! Cats actin like livin your dream, havin artistic integrity and makin the same amount of money a surgeon makes is a bad thing. So what Talib aint go 4X platinum, he still is caked up compared to the average black man born in the ghetto. Where I'm from, we like to see a man stand up for what he believes in, have integrity and do his best at his chosen profession. Where are some of YOU cats from?

 

[usmarin3]

Great lyrics isn't a reflection of great music imo, look at someone like Canibus and look at someone like Tupac. If you don't make good music to back up the lyrics then your music is pretty much useless for the music, you must find the balance to become a complete artist. Being a great lyricist is just whip cream on the ice cream.

 

[Meet The Sniper]

you're implying that those forms of art aren't skilled?

Comparatively, early art movements (especially ones that depicted Bible scenes and such) take a lot more skill than Cubism which is more about imagination.

And then we can't even get started with today's art movements.

 

[Brova]

The youth Do look up to them, but that is their parents fault honestly. I feel where you're coming from, but I cannot let bs rappers take the blame for the ignorance of this generation.

Parents can't be around 24/7 homie. Parents guide you, but your environment RAISES you. Part of your environment and what's influential are your peers, and POP CULTURE which hip hop is a big part of. Oh, and Jeezy spits grown man shit without soundin boring when he wants to:
'
[video=youtube;z42QsloczEc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z42QsloczEc[/video]

 

[Brova]

Great lyrics isn't a reflection of great music imo, look at someone like Canibus and look at someone like Tupac. If you don't make good music to back up the lyrics then your music is pretty much useless for the music, you must find the balance to become a complete artist. Being a great lyricist is just whip cream on the ice cream.

Co -sign F. Gary Gray right here. Lyrics aint the whole ball game, but you damn skippy they mean something. Finding that balance is key though.

 

[Brova]

By that logic, we shouldn't have had the impressionist and cubism eras in art.

Because all artists should at least be trying to be the most skilled at drawing.

Doing cubism and impressionism is a skill. Braques(sp?) Picasso, etc. had skill when they did cubism. There are dudes on the street that draw better than Basquiat, but he was skilled at his chosen method of expressing himself artistically. Just like Pusha T at his best aint better than Jay at his best, however atleast Pusha is TRYING in every single rhyme to be as skilled as possible, while Jay gave up a long time ago. Do you see what I'm sayin?

 

[Meet The Sniper]

Doing cubism and impressionism is a skill. Braques(sp?) Picasso, etc. had skill when they did cubism. There are dudes on the street that draw better than Basquiat, but he was skilled at his chosen method of expressing himself artistically. Just like Pusha T at his best aint better than Jay at his best, however atleast Pusha is TRYING in every single rhyme to be as skilled as possible, while Jay gave up a long time ago. Do you see what I'm sayin?

Okay, I'll change examples. Take Contemporary art.

I take a toilet, break it and turn it to the side. That's an actual art piece that was sold for thousands and started the contemporary movement IIRC.

Compared to Rembrandt spending weeks on paintings.

 

[Meet The Sniper]

Good parents socialize their children to not be easily influenced by fuckery. I refuse to believe that these kids who rap Gucci lyrics loudly while walking the streets have good parents. No way a good parent lets their children download Lady Ga Ga, or Whiteboy Wasted as ringtones.

It happens. At certain ages a parent can no longer control, they can only influence. Their words will have just as much power as Gucci's. Unless they homeschool and lock their child inside.

 

[willhustle]

I find it funny when you address this same issue to cats, they act as if the generation of rap today is top supreme. Yet, they fail to site any lyrics from their "fav" rappers that offer any type of intellect or insight. I agree that times have changed and im fine with that. What I dont understand is the fact that since times have changed, this means originality or "depth" are thrown out the window. That means quantity over quality beats all. Yea pac was a back in the day rapper. But his music is timeless and it spoke truth. And if people lied pac because of his image then i highly doubt his work would be studied in college. Eminem is lyrical but only in because he "shocks" you. Nas is a well rounded rapper, as well as pac, jay-z(old jigga) and lupe. These are the artist who provide timeless music. Drake is only hot now...but in 10 yrs will i bump his music in my whip? nope( cuz i dont even bump it now) lil wayne....hes good a lyrical metaphors but when you ACTUALLY LISTEN...he's not talking about shit. Gucci....(lets not waste our time)..jeezy...hes came along way. So I agree wil threadstarter..WE vote with our wallets and WE allow the same monotony of music to be played over and over. You have artist like z-ro who will never see the recognition that he deserves because he doesnt conform to the nonsense. So hate if you want but the truth is the truth.

Agreed with both points in the bolded but this shit ain't gone change until or unless people stop buying the bullshit ass music. As far as I'm concerned most of these artist out now will be flashes in a pan within' the next 2-3 yrs.

 

[hrap-120]

Doing cubism and impressionism is a skill. Braques(sp?) Picasso, etc. had skill when they did cubism. There are dudes on the street that draw better than Basquiat, but he was skilled at his chosen method of expressing himself artistically. Just like Pusha T at his best aint better than Jay at his best, however atleast Pusha is TRYING in every single rhyme to be as skilled as possible, while Jay gave up a long time ago. Do you see what I'm sayin?

This poster has officially made it to my Real Naga list.

Co -sign F. Gary Gray right here. Lyrics aint the whole ball game, but you damn skippy they mean something. Finding that balance is key though.

Brova droppin some science on ya'll.

Liisssttteeennn people.

 

[Brova]

Okay, I'll change examples. Take Contemporary art.

I take a toilet, break it and turn it to the side. That's an actual art piece that was sold for thousands and started the contemporary movement IIRC.

Compared to Rembrandt spending weeks on paintings.

Okay, but we're talking about different things. If the motivation is to be the best at what YOU do(whether it's breaking down toilets or paining Guernica) then THAT'S artistic integrity, feel me?

 

[isayas]

Co -sign! Cats actin like livin your dream, havin artistic integrity and makin the same amount of money a surgeon makes is a bad thing. So what Talib aint go 4X platinum, he still is caked up compared to the average black man born in the ghetto. Where I'm from, we like to see a man stand up for what he believes in, have integrity and do his best at his chosen profession. Where are some of YOU cats from?

I don't care about what you and your posse like to see in an individual. Talib Kweli isn't versatile, and he's ok with it. Sure he has money and all with a fanbase, but he's never goin' to be a star like Jay, Nas, Em, & etc.

 

[Brova]

Okay, I'll change examples. Take Contemporary art.

I take a toilet, break it and turn it to the side. That's an actual art piece that was sold for thousands and started the contemporary movement IIRC.

Compared to Rembrandt spending weeks on paintings.

Okay, but we're talking about different things. If the motivation is to be the best at what YOU do(whether it's breaking down toilets or painting Guernica) then THAT'S artistic integrity, feel me?

Also, as a member of the black community, I'll be damned if I let artists in a position of MASSIVE influence feed poison to the black youth.

 

[Brova]

I don't care about what you and your posse like to see in an individual. Talib Kweli isn't versatile, and he's ok with it. Sure he has money and all with a fanbase, but he's never goin' to be a star like Jay, Nas, Em, & etc.

Did it ever occur to you that not everybody wants to be THAT famous? Some people don't need that type of adulation and would feel uncomfortable and stressed out by it. Maybe Talib's goal was to make a great living doing EXACTLY what he wants how he wants. Who said every rapper wants to be mega famous and super wealthy? The odds of that are higher than being struck by lightning. Talib is probably thankful that he can spit what he does and live in a brownstone like the one on the Cosby show. Just cause a cat aint as famous as Jay or Em don't mean he's a failure? What's wrong wit you dudes?

 

[Brova]

This poster has officially made it to my Real Naga list.

Brova droppin some science on ya'll.

Liisssttteeennn people.

Appreciate that, brotha.

We got a black man who's president. Not just a black man, but a YOUNG(by presidential standards) black man as President. Whether you think Obama is doing a good job or not isn't the point. The point is, you can do anything you put your mind to. We gotta stop givin passes to these sell out "artists" because it makes it seem like we as a race look at ourselves as handicapped.

 

[usmarin3]

Did it ever occur to you that not everybody wants to be THAT famous? Some people don't need that type of adulation and would feel uncomfortable and stressed out by it. Maybe Talib's goal was to make a great living doing EXACTLY what he wants how he wants. Who said every rapper wants to be mega famous and super wealthy? The odds of that are higher than being struck by lightning. Talib is probably thankful that he can spit what he does and live in a brownstone like the one on the Cosby show. Just cause a cat aint as famous as Jay or Em don't mean he's a failure? What's wrong wit you dudes?

Being a superstar isn't a matter of wanting to be one, you just are imo. There isn't a formula to being one, Talib is cool but it's just not his destiny to be one of those transcendient type of artist.

 

[isayas]

Did it ever occur to you that not everybody wants to be THAT famous? Some people don't need that type of adulation and would feel uncomfortable and stressed out by it. Maybe Talib's goal was to make a great living doing EXACTLY what he wants how he wants. Who said every rapper wants to be mega famous and super wealthy? The odds of that are higher than being struck by lightning. Talib is probably thankful that he can spit what he does and live in a brownstone like the one on the Cosby show. Just cause a cat aint as famous as Jay or Em don't mean he's a failure? What's wrong wit you dudes?

I didn't say he's a failure, but I was tryin' to say he doesn't dumb down his music, but he doesn't at all. Do you want artist like Talib Kweli? Instead of Gucci mane?

 

[Brova]

Being a superstar isn't a matter of wanting to be one, you just are imo. There isn't a formula to being one, Talib is cool but it's just not his destiny to be one of those transcendient type of artist.

I see what you're saying, but it's important that we don't downplay his influence, because he does have alot. Nowhere near as much as Jay, Em, or even Nas, but don't underestimate the influence that Blackstar album had on people as well as Talib's solo shit. The game needs him. Also, he's the type of artist that people who say they "hate rap" are directed to in order to convert them to hip hop fans.

 

[Brova]

I didn't say he's a failure, but I was tryin' to say he doesn't dumb down his music, but he doesn't at all. Do you want artist like Talib Kweli? Instead of Gucci mane?

I don't follow you, are you saying Talib should dumb down his lyrics instead of doing what he has been doing?

 

[Meet The Sniper]

Okay, but we're talking about different things. If the motivation is to be the best at what YOU do(whether it's breaking down toilets or paining Guernica) then THAT'S artistic integrity, feel me?

I feel you there cuh.

Problem is that motivation varies from person to person. Some just want to share their story (lots of coke rappers), some want to just make great music (Drake), some want to be a great lyricist (Cole) or some want to educate (Rakim). I art wise, I don't respect the people who are just in it for the money, but even then educating isn't a better option because many people aren't willing to listen.