For some years now...we've seen the quality of the music we listen to slowly water down. I listen to alot of music ( rap, jazz, house, gospel, R & B , neo soul techno..you get the picture) , and rap has been a big part of the music i listen to. Nas ( My favorite rapper) started this big buzz when he said that Hip Hip was Dead. Now, I was for him on that (yup, im bias) . Then you had Southern rappers saying HipHop was in the South. So he definitely ruffled some feathers with that . But if folks dont think they wrong...why would they change??
Then I started thinking... if Hip hop was dead...what the hell is Nas still doing around here?? Why is The Roots still playing shows?? Common is still making hits....Talib still doing his thang. But its not just the "conscience " rappers that still make me rock out. 2pac still gets me going...Snoop still has his moments. Big fan of T.I (even before he was popular)...Freeway 's " even though what we do is wrong" is still one of my favorite songs ...and alot of others .
I was Listening to Mos Def's " Black on Both Sides" Cd....cuz lately, new music been wack. and i think He sums it up on the first track of the album .
"....Listen.. people be askin me all the time,
"Yo Mos, what's gettin ready to happen with Hip-Hop?"
(Where do you think Hip-Hop is goin?)
I tell em, "You know what's gonna happen with Hip-Hop?
Whatever's happening with us"
If we smoked out, Hip-Hop is gonna be smoked out,
If we doin alright, Hip-Hop is gonna be doin alright.
People talk about Hip-Hop like it's some giant livin in the hillside
comin down to visit the townspeople
We are Hip-Hop
Me, you, everybody, we are Hip-Hop.
So Hip-Hop is goin where we goin
So the next time you ask yourself where Hip-Hop is goin
ask yourself.. where am I goin? How am I doin?
Til you get a clear idea
So.. if Hip-Hop is about the people
and Hip-Hop won't get better until the people get better
then how do people get better? (Hmmmm...)
Well, from my understanding people get better
when they start to understand that, they are valuable
And they not valuable because they got a whole lot of money
or cause somebody, think they sexy
but they valuable cause they been created by God
And God, makes you valuable
And whether or not, you recognize that value is one thing..."
O
14 comments:
Interesting....I'm more of an R&B brother, but I agree with the lyrics of that rap. The same could be said about your youth. They are going whatever route we allow them to be lead down. Someone needs to get a handle on their asses...
I agree with the above statement.
I have never really been Hip Hop myself. But Mos Def is definitely on to something.
And thanks for popping by the spot Detroit Blogger!!!!
Yeah...no matter the music choice, truth shows to be relevant no matter what subject it is.
I hove Hip Hop. I agree that it's a reflection of where we are as a people. You look at the youth and you see how hip hop is influenced, it lacks direction because the youth lack direction. With that said I think Nas new album is going to be Classic. Hopefully people listen to it.
Mos Def's lyrics were right on point..I find myself listening to commercial "hip hop" leisurely but when I want to hear something that I can really get down with I have to go into the collection.
my query would b
is it muzk
This is my first time here... brought over by Ieisha... and you were right on point with this post
although the problem is not really the artists... but the industry... the white collared suits sitting in the high offices of the industry are only allowing a certain amount of product to make mainstream and the have to fight and dig to get everything else that happens to make it threw like talib, the roots, etc.
Sadly, i dont think the industry will ever change as long as we have the teenagers supporting the bafooonery... the industry is now led by them... and it makes me feel like I'm old
hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
you are fantastic!!!
a kiss for you, my dear friend!
god bless u dear
can we exchange our link
r u ready to do?
hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
você é fantástico!
um beijo para você, meu caro amigo!
Deus te abençoe u Caro
podemos trocar os nossos link
r u disposta a fazer?
Super Dave...
Heard a "preview" copy of Nas new one.....feelin it!
O
Hello....just wondering if you are familiar with Little Brother out of NC or Aloe Blacc from the group Emanon?
hip hop ain't dead
but that laffy-taffy business certainly had it on life-support for a while
*sigh*
-1-
i have never been a huge hip hop fan but i love the rap music that is being played nowadays i.e- lil wayne, kanye, jeezy, rick ross, jay z to just name a few, i guess i'm a simple when it comes to music, if you got a tight beat and a nice hook with a few catchy phrases i'm all ears! lol :)
"black on both sides" is one of my fav cds of all time.
mos def's lyrics are tight...love these from "thieves in the night" with talib kweli:
"Yo, I'm sure that everbody out listenin agree
That everything you see ain't really how it be
A lot of jokers out runnin in place, chasin the style
Be a lot goin on beneath the empty smile
Most cats in my area be lovin the hysteria
Synthesized surface conceals the interior
America, land of opportunity, mirages and camoflauges
More than usually -- speakin loudly, sayin nothin
You confusin me, you losin me
Your game is twisted, want me enlisted -- in your usary
Foolishly, most men join the ranks cluelessly
Buffoonishly accept the deception, believe the perception
Reflection rarely seen across the surface of the lookin glass
Walkin the street, wonderin who they be lookin past
Lookin gassed with them imported designer shades on
Stars shine bright, but the light -- rarely stays on
Same song, just remixed, different arrangement
Put you on a yacht but they won't call it a slaveship
Strangeness, you don't control this, you barely hold this
Screamin brand new, when they just sanitized the old shit
Suppose it's, just another clever Jedi mind trick
That they been runnin across stars through all the time with
I find it's distressin, there's never no in-between
We either niggaz or Kings
We either bitches or Queens
The deadly ritual seems immersed, in the perverse
Full of short attention spans, short tempers, and short skirts
Long barrel automatics released in short bursts
The length of black life is treated with short worth
Get yours first, them other niggaz secondary
That type of illin that be fillin up the cemetary
This life is temporary but the soul is eternal
Separate the real from the lie, let me learn you
Not strong, only aggressive, cause the power ain't directed
That's why, we are subjected to the will of the oppressive
Not free, we only licensed
Not live, we just excitin
Cause the captors.. own the masters.. to what we writin
Not compassionate, only polite, we well trained
Our sincerity's rehearsed in stage, it's just a game
Not good, but well behaved cause the ca-me-ra survey
most of the things that we think, do, or say
We chasin after death just to call ourselves brave
But everyday, next man meet with the grave
I give a damn if any fam' recall my legacy
I'm tryin to live life in the sight of God's memory
Like that y'all
hip-hop ain't dead...hope is dead cuz it ain't hip.
truth spoken/written
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