Why is it that every successful hip-hop artist needs to project themselves as being criminals, even when they grew up in suburbia? Take Ja Rule for example. He was raised in a suburban community but then started projecting himself as a hard-core gangster. Then a song came out (“Hail Mary”) by 50 Cent, Eminem, and Busty Rhymes that dissed him for the fact, and his sales started to slide. It’s also interesting to see how the law enforcement deals with these young artists, such as the NYPD setting up a special “Hip-Hop Task Force” that monitors their every move.
I thought to bring up these topics because I just saw a preview for an upcoming hip-hop special on Court TV being produced by Russell Simmons.
It’s called “Hip Hop Justice” (I think), and airs Wednesday (10/06) @ 10pm. It looks really interesting and hopefully will help put hip-hop in a more positive light.
Gender: Male Location: Huntington Beach, California
Totally agree!
The whole "I was nothing but a drug dealer off the streets who got a break" story is old now. You'd think someone with atleast SOME class would represent the hip-hop community.
Gender: Male Location: Welfare Kingdom of California
Music Forum?
Oh, and btw- I'd much rather see a gangster rapper making money out of his/her records sales than to see him/her selling drugs. But then again I don't listen to Rap or Hip Flop.
I'm so tired of people talking bad about hip-hop. Granted, there is alot of bad music and posing on the radio and MTV, but that is the same with any genre. The reason popular rap is flooded with criminology is because, like most people of color, we come from nothing. That is the essence of hip-hop: Something out of nothing. Rappers are not always looking to say something important. Being under payed, under educated, and constantly under suspicion has a way of making you say "F*ck it!". Sometimes the rapper is smart and notices that that type of music is what's selling. They want to live better, so they imitate it, trying to improve their lifestyle. It's easy to say "That's not real music" when you don't come from where they come from.
If you don't take the time to know hip-hop and judge from what Carson Daley hands to you, I'd say you're a moron. If I judged the rock music on the radio, I'd say rock wasn't real music either. But since you rock mutha f*ckas have the advantage of thirty more years of exposure you automatically figure yourselves superior. Wise up and look under the crust of the pie to find the fruit. Remember, rock used to be considered "black music" and was persecuted the same way.
To be fair Botankus, I'm not quite sure what you meant by "When you make bad music you have to have a bad lifestyle.", but I think it's the other way around. When you live a bad lifestyle you make bad music. Blame Reagan's economic plan for the flood of gangsta rap.
Overall, hip-hop isn't going anywhere and is the best form of musical expression. Just for the simple fact that it can convey the most forms of emotion effectively. I love all types of music, though, because I choose to find the good in each genre.
(end of rant.....had to get that off my chest)
D-Double... take what you've written, copy it. Past it into word document and save it for later. They are tons of hater threads like this that just are like "hip hop is gay, they dont make real music, god i hate r-kelley, god... j-kwans new release is so lame, hip hop sucks..."
I predict you will need to bust this rant out in the future.
Durr.... closed-minded dumbasses. Not all hip-hop is the shit you hear on the radio. The radio is a piece of crap. Throw it out. And your TV, too.
Not all rappers talk about being a thug and shit... That's why they call it "gangster" music. No, "gangster" is not another way of saying "dope" or "tight", "gangster" refers to the fact that the lyrics talk about being a gangster. But believe it or not, there is non-gangster hip-hop that is very seldom heard by the mainstream that is actually very good. I used to be the same hip-hop hating, headbanging, ignorant fool you are. Then I heard some underground... Just to prove I'm not making this all up:
Sage Francis-Crack Pipes
I'd give a 21 gun shot salute...
With the toy rifle that you bought me, but it won't shoot.
And all is well, because there's been one too many shots.
The sterile robots want to talk to me about detox.
Stop the presses. There's been an update via 1:30 AM phone call.
When an only half-informative source talks discretely...
Meet me...at the family room on the side of the intensive care unit.
Immediately...I'll carry a tune, but the siren's so loud I can't hear my music.
Keep free...of negative thoughts. Everything'll be fine we all assumed.
That is would go back to the way things were. That it would go back to normal soon.
I saw the moon in a way that I'd never seen it before when I looked up that night,
Into the sky...wondering why...looking for answers. Guess I ain't asked right.
I'm guessing most of y'all out there know exactly what that's like.
What that's like. Tell me...what's that like?
It's like a whirlwind of emotions that occurs when moms and dads fight.
It's like when a girl grins and a motion of hers that holds your arm and grabs tight.
Hurl him into the ocean. One of those cold sweat, heat flash types.
But extreme fluctuations and temperature changes have been known to crack pipes...
Crack pipes...
crack pipes.
Meet me...halfway and I'll go that extra length just to help your strength.
Meet me at the AA meeting, needing to take more than 12 steps.
Bring me to your hiding place so I can face your vice grip.
I'll chisel every single monkey off your back with this ice pick.
Come meet up with me on the sidelines when the game is over just to say hello.
Then afterwards...backstage...to let me know that you enjoyed the show.
Then go to Grandma's house for Sunday dinner. Sit at the head of the table.
Take away the fatal flaw you made the day before I seen you bleed.
Meet me...on Christmas Eve. We can fight but make up before you leave.
Make visits with the rest of those who rest in pieces of my dreams.
Meet me at the fork in the road where the lost souls get indecisive.
Meet me at the crossroads so I can have someone to walk into the light with.
(this is nothing to do with the whole 'mainstream sucks' argument btw you guys )
Basically, it's because with hip-hop comes a certain expectation. Lets face facts here, how many rappers, whether they be indie or mainstream, are there that haven't at some point bragged or at least commented on the various crimes they've committed, or acts of violence they intend to commit? They all do it, some more than others, and if it's done in an honest way without boasting and what not, it makes for very interesting subject matter.
Where would great rappers like Nas or Big Noyd be if they were law abiding citizens?
And if indivduals like Immortal Technique and Rass Kass (both recently imprisoned) were as popular as 50 Cent, they'd be recieving the same treatment. They reap what they sow.
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Last edited by Deathblow on Oct 7th, 2004 at 03:33 PM
We have an illegal use of the brain, trying to incorporate modern rap music into some form of original stream of media that will somehow change the world. Loss of credibility. Knowledge declined!! Play beer!
Whatever. I just felt like saying that.
Actually, when I was a teenager I listened to Ice Cube, Ice-T, Public Enemy, Paris, and 2 Live Crew quite a bit. I think those acts covered all the bases as far as I'm concerned past the Grandmaster Flash / Whoudini era. And yes, three of those five were perceived as living "gangsta" lifestyles (Public Enemy was more political and 2 Live Crew was obviously hardcore in a different way). And I respect them, especially Public Enemy.
After their time in the late '80's / early '90's as I reached the age of eighteen or so, I moved on. It's just that because those acts were so good and groundbreaking that it's hard to imagine how anyone could provide anything to the world that those five didn't already do a long, long time ago. So please don't call me close-minded. I don't listen to rap anymore but I feel there's nothing wrong with not respecting young artists who I don't care about in the first place because I have FULL respect for those five artists mentioned above.
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Last edited by botankus on Oct 7th, 2004 at 03:46 PM
I realize that it has nothing to do with the original argument.... But still there are a lot of dumbasses in here saying "rap=crap!". I'm sorry DB, I realize my post was irrelevant, I just hate it when people say things like that....
It's cool don't worry about it, that part of my post was directed at those rap=crap people, you were just defending your opinions. Not irrelevant
Ok so you're not close-minded, but you're still wrong. There's tons of stuff that artists are doing today that they weren't doing back then, and I'm speaking from an un-biased view here, as old-school legends like Ice Cube, The Pharcyde and Public Enemy are some of my favorite groups. Nowadays there's some really huge advances in the genre, especially production-wise. The beats on Rip The Jacker and Visions Of Gandhi sound more like the score from Gladiator or Braveheart than hip-hop music. They are huge, really give you a sense of atmosphere and compliment today's faster, more complex rhyme patterns. You haven't heard metaphors until you've heard Aesop Rock or Canibus.
Also, the hook is dying out. Vaudeville Villain doesn't have a single hook on the album, it's just straight flow alll the way through, really exciting stuff. In my opinion it's the best hip-hop record of all time.
I'm not trying to change your opinion, i'm just saying what I feel.
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Last edited by Deathblow on Oct 7th, 2004 at 04:00 PM
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Oct 6th, 2004 08:56 AM
i love hip hop, dont get me wrong, but i hate it how their images have to be criminals/playas!
Ytaker agreed with me once on October 9th, 2004
ignorance
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