Your opinions on hip hop

iamWZA

iamWZA

Active member
I feel it's a genre that doesn't get the attention it deserves a lot of the time.

Speaking as someone whose first love is music, I think there are some incredible artists in almost every genre you look at; whether it's what you like to listen to is a different matter. In my opinion, some of the best hip hop is being made today, but also some of the worst. It's a matter of searching for the good stuff. The sad thing is, all the bad stuff is at the forefront of the genre and the good stuff is hidden behind it and it barely gets a look in.
People like Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Drake and similar 'artists' are an insult to the genre, and when they're stacked against the likes of DOOM, Jay Electronica, Blu and Kendrick Lamar it's like comparing a compact digital camera that shoots at 720p to a Red Epic (hope you appreciate my topical comparison).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCJ5XYi4rdU

I invite you to listen to this track, and give me your thoughts on it, and on the genre as a whole. I'd especially like to hear the opinions of people who don't generally listen to hip hop.


Will
 
iamWZA said:
some of the best hip hop is being made today,
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Hip Hop died in the mid 80s IMHO. After Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster Flash, the big studios, with their totally generic douche gangsta hoppers took over and commercialized the whole thing. Since then it's like you seen one, you saw em all.

I'm glad I started with Bluegrass in 1985 :beer:

...you asked for it.

Frank
 
Postmaster said:
Hip Hop died in the mid 80s IMHO. After Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster Flash, the big studios, with their totally generic douche gangsta hoppers took over and commercialized the whole thing. Since then it's like you seen one, you saw em all.
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All music has commercialised since then, not just hip hop. And that's what I mean about these people being at the forefront of the genre. The good stuff still exists, it's just not what's being shoved in people's faces.
A genre can't die, only evolve.
 
I think hip hop is definitely more lively, expansive, and adaptable as a genre than many others.

In terms of evolving, it's still really really new.

The thing I love about it is the variety of samples and techniques available. With sampling you can do anything from classical, to funk, to a cash register and incorporate it into something new and unique.

It's like post modern film making.

I also really appreciate the references and breadth of things discussed.

I don't like your attitude towards mainstream. While I don't like Drake or lil wayne, their contribution is undeniable. Also, kanye west, as big of a douche as he is, is the most important rapper in the past 10 years. He has some quality **** under his belt, I get off the boat at 808, but his influence is huge.

DOOM and Raekwon are probably my two favorite rappers, but there are so many sick guys out there, you have a great list going in your OP
 
Musically I've often loved Hi-Hop. But content wise...I absolutely hate the subject matter more often than not. I can take a good beat or groove any day of the week. But nowadays if it doesn't have something positive to say...without sounding too corney...then I'm completely tuned out.
 
It metastasized and spread, and has all but killed R & B music.
...and sadly, this generation doesn't even want to search for a cure.
Even what grunge dd to rock pales next to this strand of hiphopatitis virus...
 
I've got no problem with mainstream. I'm a Belieber. But I don't like the way a genre is reflected by its mainstream artists. Of course Lil Wayne, Drake and Kanye have had an influence, but is it a good one? Or have they just inspired a new breed of talentless lightweights? Kanye is a pretty good producer though.
 
Jordan Scott Price said:
I like Trip Hop more than Hip Hop :P

Massive Attack, Tricky...

Never really cared for Hip Hop. I'll listen to that track you linked after work.
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Massive attack is one of my favorite bands. I like the trip hop as well.


I don't think the track from the original post is very good. It's average at best.

This is killer:



I'm also digging some dubstep.


 
Ian-T said:
Musically I've often loved Hi-Hop. But content wise...I absolutely hate the subject matter more often than not. I can take a good beat or groove any day of the week. But nowadays if it doesn't have something positive to say...without sounding too corney...then I'm completely tuned out.
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Back in the day what used to irk me most about hip hop was all the songs were basically, my rap is better than your rap. My rap is really good, your rap sucks.

How is that a topic for a song?

Imagine U2 singing we have really great songs, but the Rolling Stones really suck. What would be the point in that?
 
My opinion, some of the best hip hop came out in the early 90's. But as you mentioned before, there are a lot of good underground artist at the moment doing great things. But I would not use Kanye, Drake or Lil Wayne as comparisons to what's wrong with Hip Hop today, there are sooooooooooooo many other's you could of use as better examples. In my opinion, having great delivery/lyrics and a nice beat behind that delivery represents hip hop and Drake, Kanye and Lil Wayne have both on some of their songs. Go Listen to Kanye's last Album and he is the closest to keeping Hip Hop alive today in my opinion. But just like movies, we all have different taste.

But thank god for YouTube, whenever I wanna go back to the early 90's and listen to some classic stuff like Black Moon, Smiff & Wesson, Gangstar, Wu-Tang, Nas, Mobb Deep, Killarmy, Redman, EPMD, Big, Pac, Tribe Called Quest, MOP, the list goes on, I just hit search on YouTube.

Truthfully, I find myself listening to more Alternative now then I do hip hop, not sure if you heard of SlaughterHouse, but that is one album I'm looking forward to, they are another group keepin the art alive.
 
http://heiruspecs.com/ Heiruspecs. Hip hop with a live band. Now THAT I like.


I don't really listen to any other new stuff, it doesn't have any appeal to me. I do love this song though, and the video is REALLY well done.

 
capitalP said:
having great delivery/lyrics and a nice beat behind that delivery represents hip hop and Drake, Kanye and Lil Wayne have both on some of their songs.
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I'll let Kanye slide in this instance because he's easily the most talented of the three, Drake I'll let slide even though he's a pop star who sometimes raps, but Lil Wayne...
I'm not trying to be an arse, but can you give me an example of a good lyric of Lil Wayne's? Or post your favourite song of his maybe.

But I agree some of the best hip hop was made in the 90s too. Illmatic will probably always be my favourite hip hop album. Wu Tang forever 1 + 2, most of Tupac's discography... the list really does go on and on.
 
Old skool Hip-Hop fan here... 80's and 90's was great!... I'm now really into my House Music, although that has also been changed like Hip-Hop for the worse... SHM, David Ghetto etc.

Sadly, it's all about the image and being a celebrity these days... Rather than the Music. :(
 
I have heard great, good, so-so and bad hip hop.

To me, if there are no instruments played by human hands in the track.....then it's not really music. If the artist is just speaking and not following a melody line...it not really music. It's called "spoken word".

But there are rap artists I feel are really talented at their craft.
 
iamWZA said:
I'll let Kanye slide in this instance because he's easily the most talented of the three, Drake I'll let slide even though he's a pop star who sometimes raps, but Lil Wayne...
I'm not trying to be an arse, but can you give me an example of a good lyric of Lil Wayne's? Or post your favourite song of his maybe.

But I agree some of the best hip hop was made in the 90s too. Illmatic will probably always be my favourite hip hop album. Wu Tang forever 1 + 2, most of Tupac's discography... the list really does go on and on.
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Not sure if you heard "The Carter", which was his first Album, that was his best album and there's some quality stuff on there. Specifically check out the songs "Inside" & "Walk out" and "Go DJ" was a hot track, and on the song "I Miss My Dawgs" he gets a little out of his norm on that one. Now he is not a conscience rapper, but his flow and delivery is on point, though the subject matter may not be. That's why there's a guy like Common if I wanna listen to some stuff with a meaning behind it, but if I wanna nod my head there's a Lil Wayne and others.

http://www.amazon.com/Tha-Carter-Li...TF8&qid=1340713344&sr=8-1&keywords=The+carter
 
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