What Happened To Hip Hop? Pt. 2

11-24-24

Now... for those who read "What Happened To Hip Hop" blog post, here's Pt. 2. If you haven't read it yet, go read it, but get ready it can be heavy. :)

So, of course, there's more factors to the watering down of hip hop, but the lack of learning its roots and origins is a major part. This generation gap that happens faster and faster all the time is designed to keep people confused and separated. We all bash the music that came before us, and the music that comes after us, but eventually you realize its all based on each other, and nothing is completely new.

At the same time, hip hop is innovation and doin' the same old thing a new way. Take something simple and relatable, but elevate it to the millionth degree. Now days, every rapper sounds the same. No regional differences, nothing. New York sounds the same as West Coast, sounds the same as Midwest, sounds the same as the South. Everyone uses everyone else's style, slang, and even accents, but their own. Hip hop is about being yourself. How can you be yourself if you're trying to be someone else?

We all have influences, and that's good. But don't try and be them or try and be what's "popular". What made your favorite artist your favorite, was his or her unique style and bringing something different that no one else could exactly replicate. That's what the game is missing. I couldn't tell one autotune mumble rapper from another if you didn't tell me who it is already.

And I can't blame only the young generation for their music. (Even tho I do think its sucks...) The oldheads who were supposed to pass the baton never did just that, and forced the new generation to do it their own way. But once the old rappers lost their control, what did they do? Try to "fit in". Now that oldschool hip hop is becoming more popular, they're running back to their old image. I've been into this old school shit, its not a trend to me.

As a community, hip hop is the quickest to tear down itself. Hip hop "purest" wouldn't let anything that wasn't "real" hip hop get any respect. And anything that wasn't about busting guns wasn't gangsta enough for the streets. Not all rappers talk about the same thing. That's also what's missing: variety. Positive rap, street rap, club, girl, radio, underground. Now, it's all the same. 

Back then, you could make one style of music, and that was fine too. If you only made hard core street music, that was ok. Someone could put in the next artist after and listen to some more comical rap or something considered "conscious". (Even tho is there really a difference between street rap and conscious rap if revolution starts in the streets? But I'll save that for another post and let that be a topic of it's own.)

Are the corperations to blame? Using hip hop for their own gain. While controlling what gets promoted and played? Are the artists to blame for putting out material only to follow trends and maintain popularity? Or is the consumer to blame? The "fan" who has become the casual listener, jumping from one musical trend to another. Only listening to what other people approve of already.