Hip-Hop State Of Mind

Some say Hip-Hop Is Dead! But I disagree, Hip-Hop is very much Alive albeit Comatose!

In order for Hip-Hop to change and slow it's steady decent into the abyss and reclaim it's crown as the hallmark of Urban Culture, Hip-Hop needs a drastic course correction!

Mos Def said it best in his intro song "Fear Not Of Man" on his 1999 solo debut album Black On Both Sides.

If we smoked out, Hip-Hop is gonna be smoked out
If we doin alright, Hip-Hop is gonna be doin alright
People talk about Hip-Hop like it's some giant livin in the hillside
comin down to visit the townspeople
We Are Hip-Hop
Me, you, everybody, we are Hip-Hop
So Hip-Hop is goin where we goin
So the next time you ask yourself where Hip-Hop is goin
ask yourself.. where am I goin? How am I doin?

These words couldn't be any further from the truth! We can't expect the music to change by itself. There's no such thing as progress without change. We must hold our artists accountable for the music they make and we ourselves, as consumers, must be mindful of the music purchases we make and the radio stations we listen to on a daily basis.

Hip-Hop is Alive! And as soon as we get better then so will the Music!

One!

Free Your Mind From The Matrix And The Truth Will Set You Free!

Is Hip-Hop still worth buying?

While listening to a local Hip-Hop radio station an eerie thought flashed across my mind. Is Hip-Hop still worth purchasing? Who still buys Hip-Hop music from the ORIGINAL artist? With all the MixTapes and MixTape DVD's being released by lesser known but locally acclaimed DJ talent, who needs to buy a full-length album? The last album I bought was nearly 2 years ago. I think it was a Nas or J-Live album. Everything since then has been either downloaded or copied. So this brings me back to my first question, Is Hip-Hop still worth buying?

Humble Beginnings...

In the beginning, there was Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop became the Voice that symbolized the angst of a muted generation. No longer silent, Rap was born. Not to be undone as a fad, Rap increased in its popularity and without asking, became Music. Corporate America took notice... Rap music Officially went LIVE! Critical acclaim and Success came with Ease. When Time blinked, Rap music Changed!

On it's heralded quest for world domination, Rap music embraced the Almighty Dollar Bill as if it were it's own creation and "Souled" Out. Today, Rap is the embodiment of Commercialism itself. Some call it an achievement. Some still call it Music. Some even make excuses, and say its only in Transition. And yet others, recognize the allegiance between Commercialism and Rap, and call it CRap.

But whatever name it goes by for the day, Just don't call it... Hip-Hop!


In parting, I leave you with the first Verse from L-Fudge's 1998 classic single A Conversation with Hip-Hop (Rockin It):

I had a conversation wid hop
and he told me it wasn't hip [to] what's happenin' to rap nowadays
We're believin' that our culturalized music
Is that falsely narrow rated crap I would say
It's funny now, ninety per cent of these rappers skills
Is dull like pencils that get worshipped
But it's even funnier when ya skills are sharper than kitchen
utensils and you still get chopped down now that's nervous