What are your thoughts?!?!
I basically responded to my friend about it,
He says that this is what he feels about "Real Hip Hop as well"
Me and him have got into arguments, because I would tell them that what that rapper may say shouldn't determine if you listen to him or not. So I responded to this:
I thought that was Nas for a moment, lol. Then I seen he was one of the subjects. I agree wholeheartedly what he's saying, because there are others who do do this, Ice-T I believe would come to mind too. But the one thing I'm about and the author said it is "What people don’t know is Bill Clinton passed a law in 1996 giving the government the ability to control whats being played on radio and what type of music that the masses are gonna be forced to hear." That is the most important reason why I listen to more of the underground hip hop music. The gov't has had their hand in choosing what the masses listen to on the radio or watch on TV. My only problem with today's music: no real variety. I don't hate mainstream music, I could listen to T.I., Ludacris, 50 Cent, Common, Nas, all of them, but there are limitations in which an artist in the mainstream could go in terms of messages. Nas and Common do get a pass because they talked negative against commercial rappers, then turn around and do commercial things. So I see what the author means when he calls them sellouts. I think I've told you before that there were things I didn't like that Common said before, the only thing I care about is the music, period. Many rappers would have weird views and what not but like the author said, as long as they are making good music..thats what should matter.
Everyone has to get paid, but the reason I favor underground over mainstream music from a rapper's perspective in terms of where their target audience is is because for most part, most of the indie or underground artists have more control over their material and the money they make, especially now with the internet jumping to new heights. I see the author's take on who are the sellouts, and thats proof I could never debate that, but for me I care about and many others care about is that we care about the music and thats it. Thats like for example I go to McDonalds to get a No#1 (should be Big Mac meal up there in NY too, not sure), the cashier rings up the order and then tells me "you shouldn't get the Big Mac, its not good for you". In which he/she is right but two things come to mind #1 I have to choice if I'm going to eat it again and #2 I don't care what the cashier thinks. I don't care what they think because they don't know if I get the Big Mac often or I could be a healthy eater and decided to treat myself. And I also have a choice to eat it again or not, I may want a NO#3 (Quarter Pounder) the next day (pause no homo). What I'm trying to say is that we as people have a choice to what we listen to and should use other vehicles like searching online for music and not give into the limited choices on radio.. SirusXM may be the exception. And we shouldn't really care about what alot of the "Hip Hop Saviors" have to say, like take it for a grain of salt most especially if you don't agree. Because again the most important thing is quality music.
I basically responded to my friend about it,
He says that this is what he feels about "Real Hip Hop as well"
Me and him have got into arguments, because I would tell them that what that rapper may say shouldn't determine if you listen to him or not. So I responded to this:
I thought that was Nas for a moment, lol. Then I seen he was one of the subjects. I agree wholeheartedly what he's saying, because there are others who do do this, Ice-T I believe would come to mind too. But the one thing I'm about and the author said it is "What people don’t know is Bill Clinton passed a law in 1996 giving the government the ability to control whats being played on radio and what type of music that the masses are gonna be forced to hear." That is the most important reason why I listen to more of the underground hip hop music. The gov't has had their hand in choosing what the masses listen to on the radio or watch on TV. My only problem with today's music: no real variety. I don't hate mainstream music, I could listen to T.I., Ludacris, 50 Cent, Common, Nas, all of them, but there are limitations in which an artist in the mainstream could go in terms of messages. Nas and Common do get a pass because they talked negative against commercial rappers, then turn around and do commercial things. So I see what the author means when he calls them sellouts. I think I've told you before that there were things I didn't like that Common said before, the only thing I care about is the music, period. Many rappers would have weird views and what not but like the author said, as long as they are making good music..thats what should matter.
Everyone has to get paid, but the reason I favor underground over mainstream music from a rapper's perspective in terms of where their target audience is is because for most part, most of the indie or underground artists have more control over their material and the money they make, especially now with the internet jumping to new heights. I see the author's take on who are the sellouts, and thats proof I could never debate that, but for me I care about and many others care about is that we care about the music and thats it. Thats like for example I go to McDonalds to get a No#1 (should be Big Mac meal up there in NY too, not sure), the cashier rings up the order and then tells me "you shouldn't get the Big Mac, its not good for you". In which he/she is right but two things come to mind #1 I have to choice if I'm going to eat it again and #2 I don't care what the cashier thinks. I don't care what they think because they don't know if I get the Big Mac often or I could be a healthy eater and decided to treat myself. And I also have a choice to eat it again or not, I may want a NO#3 (Quarter Pounder) the next day (pause no homo). What I'm trying to say is that we as people have a choice to what we listen to and should use other vehicles like searching online for music and not give into the limited choices on radio.. SirusXM may be the exception. And we shouldn't really care about what alot of the "Hip Hop Saviors" have to say, like take it for a grain of salt most especially if you don't agree. Because again the most important thing is quality music.