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[buckfutter]

Just think, in a couple of decades this sort of "hip hop" will be the cultural equivalent of modern Country music. That's awesome.

 

[RobotChant]

When people overly "whine" about a subject that may be indeed because the subject is worth whining about. Just saying.

And when people continue to buy, it must not suck. The mainstream is not definitive of hip-hop as a whole. If people want to make an argument, at least mention someone outside of Young Jeezy (Go Getta is a hot track). Talk about how Pharaoh Monch has a weak live show, and killed your high or how Common is overrated and killing rap with his thick booty shit every second verse.

 

[Flo_Evans]

to be perfectly honest, Rap music hasn't had CRAP for talent in a long, long time. The article mentions the Wu-Tang Clan, which is true, there's some great performers in there, but let's face it: With the rare exception of a very very small handfull of individuals, 99% of everything since the mid 90's has been pure, unadulterated CRAP.

While it might be considered "Gangsta Rap", the talent is what I'm point out here....artists like Ice-T, Ice Cube, Eazy E, Dre, Snoop, they're all top notch talent in my book. Their rhymes were tight, the lyrics were great and the "image" fit in well. You had other artists from back there, such as Tupac, Q-Tip (Tribe Called Quest) and a number of others & they all harkened back to a different mentality of rap & rhyme: Talent > Anything Else.

Now...now folks are wondering why this Genre of music is fading? Here, let me re-introduce you to the "Hair Metal" era of music before grunge came alone..... same thing folks. Because everyone piled so much CRAP on us for so long, people are finally TIRED of the same sh!t forcefed to us and now we're ready for something new.

I, for one, am ready for the Industrial Revolution to take us all away. *insert Mr. Burns cackle*

This is almost exactly what I was going to say.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

Eh I'll keep listening to some the same sick ass MCs like Del, MF Doom and Living Legends. But I have to agree mainstream rap belongs in the pooper.

 

[Nabs]

Hip-Hop IS Dead

and its not the music, there is plenty of great hip-hop music out there, you just have to look for it. Off the top there is: Brother Ali, Black Milk, Madlib, MF DOOM, Little Brother, Nas, Saigon, Common, Kanye, Talib, Count Bass D, AZ, Z-Ro, Sean P... and so on...

The Hip-Hop you see and hear on Television and Radio is put there by Viacom, Clear Channel & the major record labels. They determine what is "hot". If you dont have the budget, or support from your label, you will go unheard (Devin The Dude for instance...). This pushes aspiring MCs to dumb down and create music that sounds like everything they hear in order to get signed and eventually make some money. I can't blame 'em either.

...I'm way too tired to continue.

 

[G-Fex]

I'm not into rap and all but when I hear trash like "I'm so hot, you ain't cuz you're not" on the radio at work, I know it's all gone downhill.

 

[Prine]

Kanye, is probably the best thing to happen to hip hop within the last 5 years imo. Talented rapper, and an AMAZING producer. Mix in his support for Talib and Mos Def, John Legend and I got the rap flavor im after. Hiphop with soul

'Fans want the feeling of the tribe called quest, all they got is this nigga called west'

I agree with him on that.

 

[Max@GC]

Babbling about nothing in mainstream hip hop is imo a world wide problem. There´s just too much profanity and a lack of originality/creativity/complexity. It´s mainly the beat that is sometimes cool but that´s it.

But hey that uncomfortable trend only spawns more creative folks so I´m not worried.

In the meantime I keep listening to Def Jux and Stones Throw stuff...wake me up when the revolution comes.

 

[funk0ar]

Australian Hip-Hop is where it's at now guys!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqCyTM1bF6Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s7ywGSm6B4

www.myspace.com/hilltophoods

 

[iced lightning]

popular hip hop is crap but there is a lot of good stuff that doesn't get mainstream play... it really just depends on if you like hip hop enough to search it out. Popular hip hop is such an image driven thing these days, it's really no surprise.

 

[starchild excalibur]

Talk about how Pharaoh Monch has a weak live show, and killed your high or how Common is overrated and killing rap with his thick booty shit every second verse.

Weak according to who? If you're expecting the same type of performance from an act like Pharoahe Monch vs an act like Young Jeezy, then that's the only reason why you'd consider his act "weak". And that's even besides the point since this thread as a whole is a commentary on the lack of talented lyricists and the dearth of meaningful content, and not the lack of off-the-wall live performances which there are plenty of especially in today's glitz-and-glamour hip hop scene.

I don't listen to common so I can't even affirm or deny the latter part of your argument, but even if it is true, the meaningful subject that Common is known for would at least counter-act the inclusion of booty rhymes that he sometimes includes. Especially when compared to a lot of rappers these days who talk about nothing but booty/gunclapper rhymes.

To anyone saying that hip hop has been dead since the end of the early 90s: do yourself and the rest of a favor and get out of the genre. If you lack that much optimism about the state of hip hop, then there's really no point infiltrating every productive conversation about the genre just to say "Hip hop has been dead since '93" ad nauseum. It adds nothing and reeks of impregnable nostalgia.

Like I said, whatever Young Jezzy or Rick Ross wanna do is fine by me. I don't give a shit if they're selling a million or a hundred records since it doesn't prevent the rappers that I like from putting out their own shit. Hip hop could be completely dead in the mainstream scene and it honestly wouldn't bother me one bit.

 

[MMaRsu]

Current Bilboard Top Ten Rap albums as a reference point.

1

Young Buck
Buck The World

2

Paul Wall
Get Money Stay True


3

Rich Boy
Rich Boy


4

Young Jeezy
The Inspiration



5


Mims
Music Is My Savior


6

Redman
Red Gone Wild



7


Pretty Ricky
Late Night Special




8

Devin The Dude
Waitin' To Inhale



9

Birdman & Lil Wayne
Like Father, Like Son


10

8Ball & MJG
Ridin High

Well at least Redman is in there, which is good .