MUSIC
This is for Hip Hop primarily. Question: What were your parents listening to growing up? You'd probably say some old Motown, or that 70s disco/soul stuff. And your grandparents were probably rocking out to some "Rocking Robin."
My point is this: your parents weren't listening to the same music that their parents listened to, and so on and so on. When I went to St. Mary's in the D as a 5th grader, I know Sister Jean wasn't knocking "Fuck the Police." I know Ms. Bivins wasn't playing "We got the Jazz" at Chicago's Ray School. But don't be surprised if you hop into any random middle school in America where both the teacher and student are in class rapping, "...I'm ridin' round with that Nina."
Why? That's because creatively, music has topped off or reached it's limits in the Hip Hop/Rap genre. Ok screw it, I'll make examples for Hip Hop like I did for the other categories.
Wayne, Drake, Ross,ASAP Rocky, and the million other popular/contemporary artists are cool, but there will NEVER be another "Illmatic", "Reasonable Doubt," "36 Chambers," "OB4CL", "Ready2Die," "Life After Death," "Amerikkkas Most," "Chronic," "Aquemeni/SPlayalistic", "Straight Outta Compton," "The Infamous," "IronMan," "Paid In Full" "Its A Big Daddy Thing" "Supreme Clientele," "Resurrection," "Low End Theory," "Midnight Mirauders" "BluePrint," "The Sun Rises in The East," "Hard to Earn" "What Thee Album" "We Come Strapped".
What's really popping or are the tenements of contemporary hip hop? Drug Dealing, "p" popping music, flossing, dancing music seem to be the most popular.
Ok with the drug dealing/street music/flossing, what more do you need to learn or hear that Big, Hov, or Illmatic didn't explain? With the "p" popping music, cant we just throw on some Luke? "Shake ya what ya momma gave ya" and "I wanna rock" can do the trick. Holla at Hammer and Diddy for the dancing music.
The sad thing about it is the one major phase that Hip Hop endured, political/conscious rap, has yet to recycle. I used to hear boasts of afrocentric reaffirmations permeating in the lyrics of Quest, Public Enemy and X-Clan. That doesnt seem to fly nowadays or even 10 years ago. Even when Hov questioned Nas' propensity to kick knowledge, Nas flipped it with this retort: "Naw Im just tryna kick that ish you need to learn tho." Kick that knowledge Esco!
Obviously that proud state of hip hop wont resurface because hip hop is global and a lot of big time checks are being signed by hands that usually dont have melanin. And the consumers dictate what's popping, and I dont think the consumers (who are 80% non black) are trying to hear that. That 'don't bite the hand that feeds you' mentality has got us in a rut and I'm looking at these suckers like sell outs.
Overall, cats nowadays are just copycats. Wayne self-admittedly studied and emulated the G.O.A.T Hov, and these young dudes rocking all the 80s styles (snapbacks, high top fades, hair designs, retro shoes,etc) are copy-catting the best this hip hop genre has to offer. Yes you could say 'Things happen in cycles" but when I was starter jacket fresh with my Jordans on in the years of 1988-1991 I wasnt trying to copy nothing from the 70s. No one in my generation did. We were too busy inventing new styles.
There are some cats out there making substantive and quality music, unfortunately the problem is they're being drowned out by an over saturation of wackness. Hip Hop scholar Dr. M.E. Dyson once said "The wrong niggas are holding the mic."
Contemporary rap is like Mc Donalds, and these rappers are the drive thru clerks or managers of said Mc Donalds. We need those Rakims, Krs Ones, Mos Defs back in the forefront playing the role of "Big Momma" to serve that substantive soul food.
Until then, billions will continue to be served and you rap consumers are going to end up like buddy from "Super Size Me."
