Hip hop Double Standards?

[natural born sinners]

I think game is the perfect example of this, people (including me) were sick of the name dropping n gang talk but now that the music is dope n the beats is right he gets more of a pass to talk that shit..idk maybe is just me

 

[Screwtape]

I think game is the perfect example of this, people (including me) were sick of the name dropping n gang talk but now that the music is dope n the beats is right he gets more of a pass to talk that shit..idk maybe is just me

thats a really good example of the overall scheme of things. Im not particularly a game fan and have found the name dropping comical in the past, but i heard great things about that album and gave it a chance and enjoyed it, i was no doubt directly influenced by the hype n music quality to give it a pass. That fickleness i was talking about, we all do it.

 

[luke1733]

There's a difference between getting rich and keeping goons around you (like Jeezy seems to do) and still living what many see as a gutter life or life away from all the glitz and glamour (Jay Z's perception of embellishing it) versus someone meeting with executives of Cologne manufactuers, wall street bankers and doing fashion shows and tv shows (Puff Daddy and TI).

I don't think anyone thinks those guys are soft, but they are like Mayweather. Mayweather can't mess with every hungry broke new fighter challenging him. It's way harder to be on top and keep your crown after eating caviar, drinking champagne and renting out whole floors of hotel suites vs the guy who is still fighting prize fighters, eating ramen noodles and you're his meal ticket to his whole family living a better life.

They're on another level echelon that everyone can recognize your associations aren't the same with the mass audiences and they're not gonna be the same and can't be the same. Your tax bracket for over 20 years has been in a different lifestyle.

Meanwhile Jeezy is still walking malls of Atlanta, seen at clubs like Compound and seems within eyesight of regular folk where as Jay Z is a rockstar level on the type of Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber type of fame.

What they rap about, when they rap about the life they are living now seems legitimate but if you've been gone from an area for 20 years and you're still talking excessively about it in your songs as though you're still in it when we see from the outside it looks like you have been removed from it makes it hard to accept.

Kinda like people don't wanna hear Eminem rap about his mother at 40 anymore and rappers like Andre 3000 or Nas still seem very relevant b/c of their subject matter that exceeds being typecast.

 

[5 Grand]

There's a difference between getting rich and keeping goons around you (like Jeezy seems to do) and still living what many see as a gutter life or life away from all the glitz and glamour (Jay Z's perception of embellishing it) versus someone meeting with executives of Cologne manufactuers, wall street bankers and doing fashion shows and tv shows (Puff Daddy and TI).

I don't think anyone thinks those guys are soft, but they are like Mayweather. Mayweather can't mess with every hungry broke new fighter challenging him. It's way harder to be on top and keep your crown after eating caviar, drinking champagne and renting out whole floors of hotel suites vs the guy who is still fighting prize fighters, eating ramen noodles and you're his meal ticket to his whole family living a better life.

They're on another level echelon that everyone can recognize your associations aren't the same with the mass audiences and they're not gonna be the same and can't be the same. Your tax bracket for over 20 years has been in a different lifestyle.

Meanwhile Jeezy is still walking malls of Atlanta, seen at clubs like Compound and seems within eyesight of regular folk where as Jay Z is a rockstar level on the type of Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber type of fame.

What they rap about, when they rap about the life they are living now seems legitimate but if you've been gone from an area for 20 years and you're still talking excessively about it in your songs as though you're still in it when we see from the outside it looks like you have been removed from it makes it hard to accept.

Kinda like people don't wanna hear Eminem rap about his mother at 40 anymore and rappers like Andre 3000 or Nas still seem very relevant b/c of their subject matter that exceeds being typecast.

I never thought I'd see the day when Jay Z, Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber are mentioned in the same sentence.

 

[Intelligent_Hoodlum]

Ima use Krs-One as an example of so called "Conscious Rappers" being held to a double standard

Back in the day him & Chuck D helped pioneer Conscious/Political rap

At the same time tho, Krs first album was basically Gangsta Rap before they even called it that

People seem to forget that and on My Philosphy he says "Krs is just the guy to lead a crew right up to your face and diss you"

Later he went on to start the Self Destruction movement and even released an album for it (which flopped by the way)..

So If everybody really supported that positive shit he was pushin why nobody aint cop that album?

The very next year when he got into it with PM Dawn everybody claimed he was hypocritical for that

Even to the point to were the next BDP album sold half of what the previous ones did

Imo that shit a double standard

He supposed let mufuckas diss him and get away with it cause he make "conscious records"

Lol thats sum bullshit, Krs always explained that Peace, Love and Knowledge aint soft

So why everybody look at him funny when he check ole boi? Like he was out of charecter lol dude was always gangsta

 

[rapmusic]

Rap fans don't know what they want. We are hypocrites which in turn makes rappers hypocrites. Jay can make a full fledged hiphop ass album with nothing but Premier beats and niggas are going to say he's trying to run back to hiphop fans. Jay makes some pop sellout bullshit and people are going to clown him for that. It's bad but it is what it is.

 

[5 Grand]

Ima use Krs-One as an example of so called "Conscious Rappers" being held to a double standard

Back in the day him & Chuck D helped pioneer Conscious/Political rap

At the same time tho, Krs first album was basically Gangsta Rap before they even called it that

People seem to forget that and on My Philosphy he says "Krs is just the guy to lead a crew right up to your face and diss you"

Later he went on to start the Self Destruction movement and even released an album for it (which flopped by the way)..

So If everybody really supported that positive shit he was pushin why nobody aint cop that album?

The very next year when he got into it with PM Dawn everybody claimed he was hypocritical for that

Even to the point to were the next BDP album sold half of what the previous ones did

Imo that shit a double standard

He supposed let mufuckas diss him and get away with it cause he make "conscious records"

Lol thats sum bullshit, Krs always explained that Peace, Love and Knowledge aint soft

So why everybody look at him funny when he check ole boi? Like he was out of charecter lol dude was always gangsta

When I was 14/15 years old and Criminal Minded and By All Means Necessary were out I thought KRS was the closest thing to God. By the time I turned 22/23 and he was on his last album with Jive, I Got Next, I thought he was cool but his so-called messages didn't make as much of an impact as they did when I was younger and more impressionable.

He started off making good records but as time went on he started making songs that had messages in them, but the problem was the messages were impossible to decipher. I mean, like you said, he said Stop The Violence on one record and the next thing you know he's beating up PM Dawn and throwing him off the stage. Songs like Bo Bo Bo or 13 and Good had so-called messages but they just didn't make sense.

He called himself a humanist on one record and a few records later he's calling himself, "God cause thats what the Blackman is".

I think KRS genuinely means well, but his lack of formal education became apparent as the years went by. He still hasn't made any economic moves like Jay Z, Puff Daddy, Dr Dre, Birdman, Russell Simmons or Master P. If he was really a "revolutionary" he'd organize a financial revolution. We need to invest our money in corporations and/or non profits that serve the community and I'm sure everybody from my generation would be more than happy to invest/donate $1000 toward the cause, but he hasn't organized it. Our dollars need to stay within the community and I don't see KRS as a legitimate leader. Like I said, he means well but he doesn't know the ins and outs of corporate America like he should. He's been doing this for 30 years now. He should have $100 of millions of dollars in a laddered bond portfolio. All the rappers should have got together and formed an investment group back in the 80s. Its embarrassing that that didn't happen.

I look at someone like Louis Farrakhan. Now thats a leader. He knows how to speak to the people and he's very organized. And he's not afraid of whites or jews.

Nowadays I take everything KRS One says with a grain of salt.

Criminal Minded is still a classic though.

 

[Louis Devinear]

In Jay's case, when a lot of people consider you the Goat/top 5, youre gonna receive more criticism than the avg rapper and held to a higher standard.

But it's not solely about Jay or jeezy. I just used them two in general terms.

Take for instance a rapper like a Ross aside from the CO shit I fuck with some of his music. But since his debut album his content has never changed.

Then take a rapper like 50 who like Ross, since his debut never changed his content either.

But one gets a pass and the other gets demonized.

Some say 50 makes the same music over and over. But so does Ross.

So me personally I see the double standard. I just can't identify if it's region based or is a nation wide sentiment.

Port of Miami sounds nothing like deeper than rap or any of his recent stuff. Ross switched Rosss style up and got Better lyrically

Yes it does. One just sounds more polished

 

[Intelligent_Hoodlum]

Ima use Krs-One as an example of so called "Conscious Rappers" being held to a double standard

Back in the day him & Chuck D helped pioneer Conscious/Political rap

At the same time tho, Krs first album was basically Gangsta Rap before they even called it that

People seem to forget that and on My Philosphy he says "Krs is just the guy to lead a crew right up to your face and diss you"

Later he went on to start the Self Destruction movement and even released an album for it (which flopped by the way)..

So If everybody really supported that positive shit he was pushin why nobody aint cop that album?

The very next year when he got into it with PM Dawn everybody claimed he was hypocritical for that

Even to the point to were the next BDP album sold half of what the previous ones did

Imo that shit a double standard

He supposed let mufuckas diss him and get away with it cause he make "conscious records"

Lol thats sum bullshit, Krs always explained that Peace, Love and Knowledge aint soft

So why everybody look at him funny when he check ole boi? Like he was out of charecter lol dude was always gangsta

When I was 14/15 years old and Criminal Minded and By All Means Necessary were out I thought KRS was the closest thing to God. By the time I turned 22/23 and he was on his last album with Jive, I Got Next, I thought he was cool but his so-called messages didn't make as much of an impact as they did when I was younger and more impressionable.

He started off making good records but as time went on he started making songs that had messages in them, but the problem was the messages were impossible to decipher. I mean, like you said, he said Stop The Violence on one record and the next thing you know he's beating up PM Dawn and throwing him off the stage. Songs like Bo Bo Bo or 13 and Good had so-called messages but they just didn't make sense.

He called himself a humanist on one record and a few records later he's calling himself, "God cause thats what the Blackman is".

I think KRS genuinely means well, but his lack of formal education became apparent as the years went by. He still hasn't made any economic moves like Jay Z, Puff Daddy, Dr Dre, Birdman, Russell Simmons or Master P. If he was really a "revolutionary" he'd organize a financial revolution. We need to invest our money in corporations and/or non profits that serve the community and I'm sure everybody from my generation would be more than happy to invest/donate $1000 toward the cause, but he hasn't organized it. Our dollars need to stay within the community and I don't see KRS as a legitimate leader. Like I said, he means well but he doesn't know the ins and outs of corporate America like he should. He's been doing this for 30 years now. He should have $100 of millions of dollars in a laddered bond portfolio. All the rappers should have got together and formed an investment group back in the 80s. Its embarrassing that that didn't happen.

I look at someone like Louis Farrakhan. Now thats a leader. He knows how to speak to the people and he's very organized. And he's not afraid of whites or jews.

Nowadays I take everything KRS One says with a grain of salt.

Criminal Minded is still a classic though.

I hear what you saying, i cant really counter your argument cause majority of its true & you witnessed everything firsthand instead of word of mouth like me. But dont you see how the "double standard" placed on Conscious rappers is being perpetuated by what u saying, of course Kris aint got shit on Farrakhan. Because they speak on the issues that adversely affect our communities and our 2nd class treatment in society, people tend to view them as more than just rappers. I feel you tho, if you gon talk the talk, then walk the walk but we dont hold other rappers anywhere close to this regard or have such high expectations for them. Dont get me wrong, it would be great if KRS & Chuck D had done the bolded and made sumthing happen for our people but i guess they are simply idealist. Kris is just a Philospher/MC, not a revolutionary lol even if he claimed that. Thats why i dont hear that hypocrite talk cause we all contradict ourselves at times. If anything he still played his part sparking the mind of the youth (like you) back in the day, even if their was flaws in his rhetoric. You sound like he let you down homie lol...

 

[dalyricalbandit]

In Jays case he's fucked regardless he talks that hood shit/Drug talk and its he aint lived that in over 20yrs yet if he raps what he living now half a billie/arts etc its he aint real nomore we cant relate etc.

 

[NothingButTheTruth]

Rap fans don't know what they want. We are hypocrites which in turn makes rappers hypocrites. Jay can make a full fledged hiphop ass album with nothing but Premier beats and niggas are going to say he's trying to run back to hiphop fans. Jay makes some pop sellout bullshit and people are going to clown him for that. It's bad but it is what it is.

The term "rap fans" is too vague in itself, but the artist first needs to determine who his target market is, or who he wants his target market to be and why. Then he needs to determine what path he wants to take; Is he in it for a dollar, cultural expression, or to prove he's the best (and then on what terms)?

After he gets all of that situated, he can weed out whose opinions are valid, and whose opinions hold no weight.

 

[NothingButTheTruth]

Ima use Krs-One as an example of so called "Conscious Rappers" being held to a double standard

Back in the day him & Chuck D helped pioneer Conscious/Political rap

At the same time tho, Krs first album was basically Gangsta Rap before they even called it that

People seem to forget that and on My Philosphy he says "Krs is just the guy to lead a crew right up to your face and diss you"

Later he went on to start the Self Destruction movement and even released an album for it (which flopped by the way)..

So If everybody really supported that positive shit he was pushin why nobody aint cop that album?

The very next year when he got into it with PM Dawn everybody claimed he was hypocritical for that

Even to the point to were the next BDP album sold half of what the previous ones did

Imo that shit a double standard

He supposed let mufuckas diss him and get away with it cause he make "conscious records"

Lol thats sum bullshit, Krs always explained that Peace, Love and Knowledge aint soft

So why everybody look at him funny when he check ole boi? Like he was out of charecter lol dude was always gangsta

When I was 14/15 years old and Criminal Minded and By All Means Necessary were out I thought KRS was the closest thing to God. By the time I turned 22/23 and he was on his last album with Jive, I Got Next, I thought he was cool but his so-called messages didn't make as much of an impact as they did when I was younger and more impressionable.

He started off making good records but as time went on he started making songs that had messages in them, but the problem was the messages were impossible to decipher. I mean, like you said, he said Stop The Violence on one record and the next thing you know he's beating up PM Dawn and throwing him off the stage. Songs like Bo Bo Bo or 13 and Good had so-called messages but they just didn't make sense.

He called himself a humanist on one record and a few records later he's calling himself, "God cause thats what the Blackman is".

I think KRS genuinely means well, but his lack of formal education became apparent as the years went by. He still hasn't made any economic moves like Jay Z, Puff Daddy, Dr Dre, Birdman, Russell Simmons or Master P. If he was really a "revolutionary" he'd organize a financial revolution. We need to invest our money in corporations and/or non profits that serve the community and I'm sure everybody from my generation would be more than happy to invest/donate $1000 toward the cause, but he hasn't organized it. Our dollars need to stay within the community and I don't see KRS as a legitimate leader. Like I said, he means well but he doesn't know the ins and outs of corporate America like he should. He's been doing this for 30 years now. He should have $100 of millions of dollars in a laddered bond portfolio. All the rappers should have got together and formed an investment group back in the 80s. Its embarrassing that that didn't happen.

I look at someone like Louis Farrakhan. Now thats a leader. He knows how to speak to the people and he's very organized. And he's not afraid of whites or jews.

Nowadays I take everything KRS One says with a grain of salt.

Criminal Minded is still a classic though.

First, it seems like you had a savior-like complex with KRS. He's a man, just like you. His opinions change as his knowledge increases, like every other person trying to better themselves.

Second, our greatest rappers are not leaders, not even close. They are poets, artists, and vessels used to get a message to the streets. Being a leader in society's context, is a life-time commitment, more so in the political realm. Also, I don't know why you would hear KRS speak and think he would start a financial revolution. I've never got that vibe from him. KRS preaches that knowledge of self is the answer.

I think the problem is YOU think economics is the answer, and are trying to pass your theory through other people. You need to understand that everyone doesn't have that view.

In sum, I would say what people like KRS are doing with their art is far more beneficial than this economics first talk. A lost nigga with money will give his money right back to his oppressor every time. We need to get the minds right first.

 

[5 Grand]

Ima use Krs-One as an example of so called "Conscious Rappers" being held to a double standard

Back in the day him & Chuck D helped pioneer Conscious/Political rap

At the same time tho, Krs first album was basically Gangsta Rap before they even called it that

People seem to forget that and on My Philosphy he says "Krs is just the guy to lead a crew right up to your face and diss you"

Later he went on to start the Self Destruction movement and even released an album for it (which flopped by the way)..

So If everybody really supported that positive shit he was pushin why nobody aint cop that album?

The very next year when he got into it with PM Dawn everybody claimed he was hypocritical for that

Even to the point to were the next BDP album sold half of what the previous ones did

Imo that shit a double standard

He supposed let mufuckas diss him and get away with it cause he make "conscious records"

Lol thats sum bullshit, Krs always explained that Peace, Love and Knowledge aint soft

So why everybody look at him funny when he check ole boi? Like he was out of charecter lol dude was always gangsta

When I was 14/15 years old and Criminal Minded and By All Means Necessary were out I thought KRS was the closest thing to God. By the time I turned 22/23 and he was on his last album with Jive, I Got Next, I thought he was cool but his so-called messages didn't make as much of an impact as they did when I was younger and more impressionable.

He started off making good records but as time went on he started making songs that had messages in them, but the problem was the messages were impossible to decipher. I mean, like you said, he said Stop The Violence on one record and the next thing you know he's beating up PM Dawn and throwing him off the stage. Songs like Bo Bo Bo or 13 and Good had so-called messages but they just didn't make sense.

He called himself a humanist on one record and a few records later he's calling himself, "God cause thats what the Blackman is".

I think KRS genuinely means well, but his lack of formal education became apparent as the years went by. He still hasn't made any economic moves like Jay Z, Puff Daddy, Dr Dre, Birdman, Russell Simmons or Master P. If he was really a "revolutionary" he'd organize a financial revolution. We need to invest our money in corporations and/or non profits that serve the community and I'm sure everybody from my generation would be more than happy to invest/donate $1000 toward the cause, but he hasn't organized it. Our dollars need to stay within the community and I don't see KRS as a legitimate leader. Like I said, he means well but he doesn't know the ins and outs of corporate America like he should. He's been doing this for 30 years now. He should have $100 of millions of dollars in a laddered bond portfolio. All the rappers should have got together and formed an investment group back in the 80s. Its embarrassing that that didn't happen.

I look at someone like Louis Farrakhan. Now thats a leader. He knows how to speak to the people and he's very organized. And he's not afraid of whites or jews.

Nowadays I take everything KRS One says with a grain of salt.

Criminal Minded is still a classic though.

First, it seems like you had a savior-like complex with KRS. He's a man, just like you. His opinions change as his knowledge increases, like every other person trying to better themselves.

Second, our greatest rappers are not leaders, not even close. They are poets, artists, and vessels used to get a message to the streets. Being a leader in society's context, is a life-time commitment, more so in the political realm. Also, I don't know why you would hear KRS speak and think he would start a financial revolution. I've never got that vibe from him. KRS preaches that knowledge of self is the answer.

I think the problem is YOU think economics is the answer, and are trying to pass your theory through other people. You need to understand that everyone doesn't have that view.

In sum, I would say what people like KRS are doing with their art is far more beneficial than this economics first talk. A lost nigga with money will give his money right back to his oppressor every time. We need to get the minds right first.

First of all, I agree with you that rappers aren't political leaders, they're simply rappers. That's why I get so upset when people compare 2Pac to Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. But when I was 14/15 thats how I looked at KRS One, Chuck D and a few other people (Kane, Rakim, X Clan,etc.). I guess the people a generation younger than me looked at 2Pac the same way.

Second of all, giving lectures about how important it is to have "knowledge" is too vague. I can assure you that the most valuable piece of knowledge a man can attain is how to invest his own money without the 'help' of a stockbroker or financial planner. I've worked in an investment firm and all they do is rip people off. The stockbrokers think their customers are complete idiots. Why in the world would you pay somebody to manage your money? And if you answered; "because I don't understand how the stock market works". Then that reaffirms my point that the most valuable knowledge you can attain is how to manage your own money.

I shudder to think how many rappers got $1,000,000 checks and gave it to a stockbroker to manage only to get swindled out of every penny. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that happened to 99% of rappers.

The revolution is on Wall Street. You can make conscious records all you want and encourage your listeners to 'fight the power' and 'keep it real' whatever that means, but the bottom line is that rappers and their fans should have formed an investment club a long time ago and rappers should be aspiring day traders and portfolio managers instead of going to jail for selling drugs and gun possession.

I don't ever remember KRS saying anything about how important it is to know how to manage your own portfolio.

In fact, I can't name one rapper that mentions investing in his raps.