le sigh
Hey folks, I thought I'd use this forum to bitch, moan and whine about the current state of hip hop music. I've always been one to quickly jump to the defense of hip hop whenever someone criticized it. If one said "hip hop is filled with nothing but misogyny and glorification of violence" I would cite more "conscious" rappers like Mos Def or Common. If anyone purported that hip hop was doing more harm than good to the population of young African Americans, I would always defend it saying that, hip hop gives young children a means of expression as well as role models in more successful artists who have "made it out." I still hold all of that to be true, however, artistically, I'm DONE with hip hop.
If it wasn't for the fact that I'm pretty damn good at rapping, I would've quit a long time ago. That also has to do with my inability to write a melody that I'm completely happy with. I can't even listen to hip hop anymore. The artists like Slick Rick and Eminem who used to capture my imagination with their stories, now I barely check for them when browsing through my Itunes. I've recently bought albums from former Beatle Paul McCartney, Indie bands like Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes, and old favorites like Sam Cooke. The most recent rapper whose album I purchased was Mos Def's The Ecstatic. I must say I bought this more out of an obligation to one of my favorite rappers than as a genuine interest in any new music he's creating. Lucky for me Mos Def is the type of rapper that mixes it up enough on his album to keep me interested.
The point that I'm poorly trying to make is, I'm bored with hip hop. The industry is still spitting out rappers who can't...spit. Underground heads think they're WAAAAY better than they really are. And the plain economics of it doesn't make sense either. The majority of hip hop fans are...hip hop artists!!! How are we supposed to eat if we're the only ones buying our own shit!?!? It's just really frustrating, everyone I meet who digs hip hop is a fuckin rapper. Here's some advice from a "real" musician to all my rapper peoples out there...shut the fuck up, go back to school and get a real fuckin job. Hell, I might even take my own advice. Don't be surprised if you see me singing folk music with a bunch of dudes in flannel shirts and hefty beards, I'm sick of this rap shit.
bandit out!
If it wasn't for the fact that I'm pretty damn good at rapping, I would've quit a long time ago. That also has to do with my inability to write a melody that I'm completely happy with. I can't even listen to hip hop anymore. The artists like Slick Rick and Eminem who used to capture my imagination with their stories, now I barely check for them when browsing through my Itunes. I've recently bought albums from former Beatle Paul McCartney, Indie bands like Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes, and old favorites like Sam Cooke. The most recent rapper whose album I purchased was Mos Def's The Ecstatic. I must say I bought this more out of an obligation to one of my favorite rappers than as a genuine interest in any new music he's creating. Lucky for me Mos Def is the type of rapper that mixes it up enough on his album to keep me interested.
The point that I'm poorly trying to make is, I'm bored with hip hop. The industry is still spitting out rappers who can't...spit. Underground heads think they're WAAAAY better than they really are. And the plain economics of it doesn't make sense either. The majority of hip hop fans are...hip hop artists!!! How are we supposed to eat if we're the only ones buying our own shit!?!? It's just really frustrating, everyone I meet who digs hip hop is a fuckin rapper. Here's some advice from a "real" musician to all my rapper peoples out there...shut the fuck up, go back to school and get a real fuckin job. Hell, I might even take my own advice. Don't be surprised if you see me singing folk music with a bunch of dudes in flannel shirts and hefty beards, I'm sick of this rap shit.
bandit out!
posted by Bandit Speaks at
11:43 PM
8 Comments:
An appropriate response to this blog can be found on my blog...so...check out my blog. Holla!
P.
http://pmurraymusic.blogspot.com
nice weeb
-dbs
I understand what youre saying and the "legit" rappers suck now, take for example, Cage. and Yak Ballz. And Eminems new drop....they fucking suck....but a rapper cant be in a position to say other rappers dont know what they are doing, on a local level, because you may be in the seat in someone elses eyes bro.
I gave this some thought today...its that people are so experimental with rap now that anything basic is boring and anything new and different is aggravating and not hip hop...we have given it to much open space.
thats why I launched this project called undead. its a group of rappers trying to bring back a simplistic sound. We dress up like zombies, like we are resurrecting hip hop and its had a good response so far in the city of Boston.
hip hop is...undead.
www.myspace.com/hiphopisundead
Hey 2nd Anonymous, first of all thanks for taking the time to read and comment on this. Secondly I must say that I'm not saying all underground rappers are trash. I'm an underground rapper. What I'm saying is the "Job Market" for rappers is sooo over saturated. There's just too many of us for ANY of us to make due. I'm not in this to solely make money, I am a teacher as well, I'm good at what I do and I like it, but it would be nice to do a show in Brooklyn or Manhattan (it's fuckin NYC people!) and make more then $20 at the door...and that's with 4 acts performing.
Too many rappers, not enough fans.
I'll start working on the beard now.
Tucker
word the f up
youre spot on bandit...there arwe way too many kids signin up for shows and only their 5 best buds come to see em, and then they wreck the stage scene and walk off feelin like they are the GZA during his first session on Liquid Swords.
agreed.
I wasnt hackin at you, just offering a perspective. But in the end, if you are good at what you do, you will rise above the infestation and stand over the dead MC's that think they can cut a verse after watching 8 Mile...they wont last.
As for whats good? All the legit rappers who we admire are slowly fading, getting lost in what they THINK people want, and forgetting you have to make art for YOUR FANS just as much as for YOURSELF. by obscuring your nature as an influential artist you dilute the message and the expectations your fans have...
so best advice? I use my frustration for whats being produced to my advantage and write about it in m raps. I acknowledge other performers, but give them the benefit of the doubt, and if they suck, in my eyes, I let them hold steady because if they TRULY suck, well, thats for the "fans" (which are none to be seen) to decide I guess.
Come to Boston. We can rip a show. We just opened for 2LIVECREW and it was epic...even as an opener, there were up to 300 heads there...very dope.
(second anonymous)
funny, the exact same thing is true of poetry and of too much art out there.
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