I'm done with hip-hop

RonnieRocket

Hip-hop used to be edgy and anti-establishment. Think back to NWA shouting Fúck the Police or 2pac bragging about how he fúcked Biggie’s wife on Hit ‘Em Up. These days we only get a safe, sanitised version of hip-hop that toes the politically correct line. Even Obama claimed he listens to Jay-Z (don’t know if it’s true, he probably just wanted to appear more black to appeal to minority voters) and conversely all the rappers are licking up to the president. Compare it to the early 90s when the American vice-president claimed “rap had no place in our society” and demanded rap records be withdrawn (2pac did a cool mix with the soundebites on his Strictly… album. Just shows you how cosy hip-hop is with the establishment nowadays.

Other evidence rap has drastically lost it’s way:
Kanye Kardashian wearing skirts and gimp masks on stage. Then he does a cringeworthy video with his reality star girlfriend on a motorbike

The skinny jeans things.

Macklemore pushing the gay agenda and winning the rap grammy for it. I’ve nothing against gays but that lifestyle is not for me. Again it shows how hip-hop is afraid to be different and challenge the status quo. It is so politically correct now.

We may as well just abandon the culture and let Will Smith represent hip-hop. He won’t use bad words or offend anyone. Your granny will even buy Will Smith records. Personally I’ll have to find a new outlet because I’m officially done with hip-hop.

HighClass

Maybe you should just look for better rap to listen to rather than take what you see on the mainstream as an accumulation of the culture as a whole.

If you're looking for an anti establishment type record to listen to, Killer Mike put out an amazing album a few years ago called R.A.P Music.

What's a gay agenda? Sounds like a good name for an indie band tbh.

"The skinny jeans thing" I listen to hip hop, it's music, what someone wears doesn't factor into it. They could be wearing a dress while they rap for all I care if it's dope it's dope. Danny Brown has pretty tight jeans but he makes some of the best hip hop around at the minute.

On the whole abandoning the culture and letting Willy Smith take over, he can still rap his ass off tbh, put him up against a lot of rappers and he'd come out on top. Music is only one side of the spectrum of hip hop anyway. Krs says it best; Rap is something you do, hip hop is something you live.

baddebt

RonnieRocket wrote: »

Hip-hop used to be edgy and anti-establishment. Think back to NWA shouting Fúck the Police or 2pac bragging about how he fúcked Biggie’s wife on Hit ‘Em Up. These days we only get a safe, sanitised version of hip-hop that toes the politically correct line. Even Obama claimed he listens to Jay-Z (don’t know if it’s true, he probably just wanted to appear more black to appeal to minority voters) and conversely all the rappers are licking up to the president. Compare it to the early 90s when the American vice-president claimed “rap had no place in our society” and demanded rap records be withdrawn (2pac did a cool mix with the soundebites on his Strictly… album. Just shows you how cosy hip-hop is with the establishment nowadays.

Other evidence rap has drastically lost it’s way:
Kanye Kardashian wearing skirts and gimp masks on stage. Then he does a cringeworthy video with his reality star girlfriend on a motorbike

The skinny jeans things.

Macklemore pushing the gay agenda and winning the rap grammy for it. I’ve nothing against gays but that lifestyle is not for me. Again it shows how hip-hop is afraid to be different and challenge the status quo. It is so politically correct now.

We may as well just abandon the culture and let Will Smith represent hip-hop. He won’t use bad words or offend anyone. Your granny will even buy Will Smith records. Personally I’ll have to find a new outlet because I’m officially done with hip-hop.

don't give up ,
just dig a little deeper , you will find REAL HIP HOP is alive and kickin ,
if its edgy and anti-establishment you want
there is plenty of it around , disl automatic , K-rino, Immortal technique , vinnie paz , Army of the pharoahs , demigodz , etc
and then there is still classic New York style hiphop ,producers like Marco polo , tony touch , kid tsunami have done some great collab albums with hosts of great emcees on them. the sort of sh1t you never hear on main stream radio ,

as for podcasts etc ,check DJ premier's hiphopnation ,Dj Eclipse -rap is outta control.
Conspriacyworldwide radio is another excellent show

Def don't give up , just avoid the radio and hip pop.

Orizio

baddebt wrote: »

don't give up ,
just dig a little deeper , you will find REAL HIP HOP is alive and kickin ,
if its edgy and anti-establishment you want
there is plenty of it around , disl automatic , K-rino, Immortal technique , vinnie paz , Army of the pharoahs , demigodz , etc
and then there is still classic New York style hiphop ,producers like Marco polo , tony touch , kid tsunami have done some great collab albums with hosts of great emcees on them. the sort of sh1t you never hear on main stream radio ,

as for podcasts etc ,check DJ premier's hiphopnation ,Dj Eclipse -rap is outta control.
Conspriacyworldwide radio is another excellent show

Def don't give up , just avoid the radio and hip pop.

You've just listed a whole load of god awful Hip-Hop artists. All while banging on about 'Real Hip-Hop' and 'Hip-Pop'. Cliched much?

beano345

Maybe check out some of the underground hip hop op plenty of it on you tube

Check out old schoolbrothaz,beatjunkie or ogdonninja channel

Andy_rse

Nope

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO18F4aKGzQ

You just have to care enough to find what's out there and not listen to what the "establishment" wants you to.

conor.hogan.2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKHf1YVATfk

But considering your OP, this probably won't suit your narrow view of the world.

LUPE

I'm not a massive Macklemore fan but in fairness, promoting the "gay agenda" as you put it is very anti-establishment, both in and outside of hip-hop.

Also, it's not a "lifestyle", as if people choose it. People are born that way others are born heterosexual and have been since time began. There's been a lot of political commentary about this recently, strange that you'd choose to highlight your ignorance that way.

Sounds like you're not really in it for the music anyway. The musical equivalent of supporting a football team to make a political statement rather than having any interest in the sport itself.

RonnieRocket

I'm not a massive Macklemore fan but in fairness, promoting the "gay agenda" as you put it is very anti-establishment

I don't want to get into a political argument here but I have to pull you up on this statement. It's simply wrong. Being pro-gay is the extremely politically correct and "safe" option. Stand in the middle of O'Connell and shout about how you support gay marriage. The next day stand there and shout about how being gay is wrong and unnatural. Which do you think would get you in more trouble? The second one of course.

Rappers are afraid of challenging the status quo these days. The fact that the politicians and the rappers share the same opinions says it all. When your parents are listening to the same music as you, you know something is wrong.

baddebt

Orizio wrote: »

You've just listed a whole load of god awful Hip-Hop artists. All while banging on about 'Real Hip-Hop' and 'Hip-Pop'. Cliched much?

fully entitled to your opinion.

bootybouncer

Hold steady champ, Rap is as manufactured as any other music out there........................I used to love 2pac, but god when i look back now, he is so manufactured its quite pathetic really...................................... still like rap though

Doris300

Then listen to old dusty stuff OP. People like Kanye and Macklemore are doing things that haven't been done before which should be respected whether you like it or not because they're taking a risk and may not succeed. And you caring what people wear is kind of weird and if you really don't like that type of music it can easily be avoided there is a lot of underground hip-hop and I'm not just talking Action Bronson etc.

mufcboy1999

The Grammys have a history of shunning hip hop debut stars though in favour of someone else.

50 was stung with get rich , also the game with the documentary who actually if memory serves me right lost out to missy Elliot.

Excellent live performance by Lamar though, one of the best I've seen in years.

RonnieRocket

RonnieRocket wrote: »

I’ve nothing against gays but that lifestyle is not for me.

Oh, is someone forcing you to adopt the 'gay lifestyle'?

If you're upset that some artists in a particular genre of music are supporting gay rights, then I think, by definition, you have something against gays.

You're somewhat right that much hip-hop is now cozy with the establishment. That's what happens when pioneering artists, who make a name for themselves by attacking the status quo, become the new status quo and are absorbed into the mainstream. Luckily, music is always evolving and with a little digging I think you'll find new artists who are trying to live up to their predecessors' early days.

sarabroderick

Giving things up should always be like giving to charity. That is without fanfair or drawing attention to yourself unnecessarily.

Hip hop like everything else was at its most dangerous and exciting when it was in its early evolution. Same with the internet etc. We have plateaud alright but give up? Off you go

BadCompany

I think in the hip-hop community in particular it's completely against the establishment to promote equality for same-sex couples given the cultures of machismo and homophobia prevalent in the genre. That to me is 100 times more "shocking" than Pac saying "You claim to be a player but I f*cked your wife". And what is the "establishment" in this case if not the government, who still outlaw gay marriage in many parts of the world. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be a huge fan of Macklemore, but 'Same Love' is about as anti-establishment a rap song I've heard on mainstream radio.

And for the record, I think this "gay agenda" exists only in your head.

GiftofGab

I agree with the OP. Hip Hop these days is absolutely dire. You shouldn't have to dig deep to seek out artists that not many people know about. Back in the 90's the artists that were the forefront of Hip Hop were 2Pac, Biggie, Jay-Z, Nas and even a fresh Dr. Dre, Snoop and Eminem (I know alot of these artists still bring out albums but I'm referring to when they first came out). Their albums completely went against what was politically correct at the time. They were raw. Parents and politicians didn't want kids to listen to hip hop back then. These days I cant see any quality raw artists that are the forefront of hip hop. There doesn't seem to be any "in your face f*** you artists" anymore. Its just all commercial bullsh*t now. Compare the hip hop album charts from 1994 to the hip hop album charts in 2013/2014. Massive dip in quality.

HighClass

GiftofGab wrote: »

I agree with the OP. Hip Hop these days is absolutely dire. You shouldn't have to dig deep to seek out artists that not many people know about. Back in the 90's the artists that were the forefront of Hip Hop were 2Pac, Biggie, Jay-Z, Nas and even a fresh Dr. Dre, Snoop and Eminem (I know alot of these artists still bring out albums but I'm referring to when they first came out). Their albums completely went against what was politically correct at the time. They were raw. Parents and politicians didn't want kids to listen to hip hop back then. These days I cant see any quality raw artists that are the forefront of hip hop. There doesn't seem to be any "in your face f*** you artists" anymore. Its just all commercial bullsh*t now. Compare the hip hop album charts from 1994 to the hip hop album charts in 2013/2014. Massive dip in quality.

Just off the top of my head; Tyler the Creator, Cheif Keef, Kanye, A$AP Rocky(to an extent), Pusha T & Danny Brown are all mainstream, some more than others, and have that in your face don't give a **** steez you're talking about.

I wrote out a bit more but deleted it. Having this discussion is like kicking a wall for the most part.

Boom_Bap

We are in the age of disposable hip hop. Longevity is no longer what hip hop artists are looking for initially. A hit single jumping on the latest fad or popular sound is what new comers are looking for. They are not thinking about even a full length album.

It's also a lot easier for people to make music and get it released than it was previously, all you need is a computer and access to the internet.

Around that are the artists who are at the forefront with the occasional breakthroughs from new-comers (with a different agenda than outline above), or people who after putting in the work and effort crack it.

If your attention is on what is published in magazines, popular blogs, charts, etc., these are the people that you are going to hear about.

Before I continue, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the above, except perhaps that I personally have to filter out a lot of rubbish in order to find something good to listen to.

With my background, and possibly posters of a similar age, I grew up in a time where there were about 5 or 6 outlets to hear about music.

1. The Source Magazine
2. HHC Magazine
3. Yo MTV Raps
4. Tim Westwood
5. Friends
6. Taking a chance on something that looks good

The positive aspect back then is that not anyone could release music, a lot more effort was required to make a song and get it out to record shops and radio. So really only the best of music was made and released. People couldn't afford to make a single and get distribution for it....to echo my earlier point, only a computer and access to the internet required now. So quality was better, competition was better, quantity was less. This is why people really pine for that Golden Era sound and time.

I have carried over that aspect of dare I say digging into modern times, where I'm looking at not just 6 outlets as I was on a monthly basis growing up, but about 10 outlets per day for quality music. I am truly not saying that I am better or worse than anyone else for what I do or how I do things and find music....it's just what I have become. Because of my slightly addictive personality, I'm not a stranger to looking under the surface to try find new music. In fact, I've had to stop myself on many occasions from buying vinyl, because I know that I would become obsessive about it.

So, I guess I understand some of the OP's sentiments and I can understand the reason why people would not want to dig deep in the age that we are in now. But there is a wealth of jewels beneath the surface that I will gladly go in search of.

AG918

RonnieRocket wrote: »

Think back to NWA shouting Fúck the Police or 2pac bragging about how he fúcked Biggie’s wife on Hit ‘Em Up.

Think back to Ice Cube studying for his degree in architecture and Dr. Dre posing for pictures wearing lipstick and mascara before they decided to form the worlds most dangerous group. While you're at it, think back to Tupac the ballet student wearing a leotard while rehearsing for his part in 'The Nutcracker' before he started telling anyone that would listen that he was a thug.

You're telling us that you're bothered by "the skinny jeans thing"? I think you're ignorant and confused.

mufcboy1999

Listen to the OG of the forum boom bap, Great post summing it all up really.

I just think hip hop for the best part is pop culture now but there's still diamonds in the dirt that ain't been found and there's underground kings that aint been crowned.

Ye I stole that from many men .

arsenal1991

Music evolves!!

MD1990

i think mainstream hip hop is in a great place
u got Kendrick,Eminem,Drake,J Cole,ASAP Rocky,Macklemore all releasing good projects
& Jay & Kanye are still capable of making good projects

floggg

RonnieRocket wrote: »

Hip-hop used to be edgy and anti-establishment. Think back to NWA shouting Fúck the Police or 2pac bragging about how he fúcked Biggie’s wife on Hit ‘Em Up. These days we only get a safe, sanitised version of hip-hop that toes the politically correct line. Even Obama claimed he listens to Jay-Z (don’t know if it’s true, he probably just wanted to appear more black to appeal to minority voters) and conversely all the rappers are licking up to the president. Compare it to the early 90s when the American vice-president claimed “rap had no place in our society” and demanded rap records be withdrawn (2pac did a cool mix with the soundebites on his Strictly… album. Just shows you how cosy hip-hop is with the establishment nowadays.

Other evidence rap has drastically lost it’s way:
Kanye Kardashian wearing skirts and gimp masks on stage. Then he does a cringeworthy video with his reality star girlfriend on a motorbike

The skinny jeans things.

Macklemore pushing the gay agenda and winning the rap grammy for it. I’ve nothing against gays but that lifestyle is not for me. Again it shows how hip-hop is afraid to be different and challenge the status quo. It is so politically correct now.

We may as well just abandon the culture and let Will Smith represent hip-hop. He won’t use bad words or offend anyone. Your granny will even buy Will Smith records. Personally I’ll have to find a new outlet because I’m officially done with hip-hop.

I was going to write a critique of your comments about "the gay agenda" but then I noted that you cited 2Pac claiming to have had sex with another man's wife as "anti-establishment."

i think it's best for all concerned if I don't waste my time trying to give any form of reasoned response to you.

TheMza

Listen to Joey Bada$$ and the whole Pro-Ear crew, single-handedly saving hip-hop! BEASTCOAST

Effects

RonnieRocket wrote: »

H
Macklemore pushing the gay agenda and winning the rap grammy for it. I’ve nothing against gays but that lifestyle is not for me.

Again it shows how hip-hop is afraid to be different and challenge the status quo. It is so politically correct now.

Sounds like pushing the gay agenda is challenging the status quo in Hip Hop. And Macklemore isn't afraid to be different even if it means he's more mainstream also. Sounds like you don't want Hip Hop to be different or challenge the status quo. Go back to the earlier 90s in a time machine maybe?

pragmatic1

GiftofGab wrote: »

I agree with the OP. Hip Hop these days is absolutely dire. You shouldn't have to dig deep to seek out artists that not many people know about. Back in the 90's the artists that were the forefront of Hip Hop were 2Pac, Biggie, Jay-Z, Nas and even a fresh Dr. Dre, Snoop and Eminem (I know alot of these artists still bring out albums but I'm referring to when they first came out). Their albums completely went against what was politically correct at the time. They were raw. Parents and politicians didn't want kids to listen to hip hop back then. These days I cant see any quality raw artists that are the forefront of hip hop. There doesn't seem to be any "in your face f*** you artists" anymore. Its just all commercial bullsh*t now. Compare the hip hop album charts from 1994 to the hip hop album charts in 2013/2014. Massive dip in quality.

Mr Exquire, Guilty Simpson, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock are all pretty fcuk you rappers. Not exactly PG.

iamstop

I am glad to hear the OP is leaving Hip Hop. We'll all be better off with less people like him buying the pop hip hop stuff.
I hear this 'Hip Hop is dead' **** every other year. I'm happy with lots of the new stuff coming out from underground sources and the classics will always be classics. There is no denying that. There may be the odd lull every now and then when I don't hear anything new that I like for a while but that doesn't last too long.
I've no time for people moaning because 2Pac and Biggie are not releasing anymore. I don't even bother telling them where they could try to find decent stuff when they complain and say it is not there.

jonneymendoza

RonnieRocket wrote: »

Hip-hop used to be edgy and anti-establishment. Think back to NWA shouting Fúck the Police or 2pac bragging about how he fúcked Biggie’s wife on Hit ‘Em Up. These days we only get a safe, sanitised version of hip-hop that toes the politically correct line. Even Obama claimed he listens to Jay-Z (don’t know if it’s true, he probably just wanted to appear more black to appeal to minority voters) and conversely all the rappers are licking up to the president. Compare it to the early 90s when the American vice-president claimed “rap had no place in our society” and demanded rap records be withdrawn (2pac did a cool mix with the soundebites on his Strictly… album. Just shows you how cosy hip-hop is with the establishment nowadays.

Other evidence rap has drastically lost it’s way:
Kanye Kardashian wearing skirts and gimp masks on stage. Then he does a cringeworthy video with his reality star girlfriend on a motorbike

The skinny jeans things.

Macklemore pushing the gay agenda and winning the rap grammy for it. I’ve nothing against gays but that lifestyle is not for me. Again it shows how hip-hop is afraid to be different and challenge the status quo. It is so politically correct now.

We may as well just abandon the culture and let Will Smith represent hip-hop. He won’t use bad words or offend anyone. Your granny will even buy Will Smith records. Personally I’ll have to find a new outlet because I’m officially done with hip-hop.

Your having a go at will smith? are you kidding me?

Will smith will run rings around most of these so calle dhip hop artists like lil wayne, young jeezy, etc etc.

You got no clue about Will smith. he is one of the all time greats. Why does hip hop need to be about guns, girls and killing and raping people?

Jezek

jonneymendoza wrote: »

Your having a go at will smith? are you kidding me?

Will smith will run rings around most of these so calle dhip hop artists like lil wayne, young jeezy, etc etc.

You got no clue about Will smith. he is one of the all time greats. Why does hip hop need to be about guns, girls and killing and raping people?

haha I 've nothing against Will Smith but didn't know he had stans. And no, he's not better than Wayne or Jeezy.

Pete M.

Two words...

Die Antwoord.

They fcuk all y'all....

FTW