Hip-Hop Aint Dead, Yall Just Scared
I recently read an article that posted on Global Grind that I had to debate. The story was titled ‘Hip-Hop is Dead’ In this article, the author described hip-hop as dead and that artists like Diamond and her song ‘Hit Dat Hoe’ were the culprits. I couldn’t disagree more!
I’m going to be dating myself a bit, but when I was in elementary school, there was a rapper named The Rapping Duke. He had a smash hit at the time called “The Rapping Duke” It was a comical spoof of hip-hop that somehow turned into a commercial hit.
Now when Rapping Duke was climbing the charts, we also had Krs-One, Dougie Fresh, Big Daddy Kane and others still spitting on corners and hole in the wall clubs, hoping someone pays attention. I mention the Rapping Duke because it seems to me that the hip-hop powers that be today seem to forget what hip-hop really is.
Hip-Hop was an art form created to not only keep kids out of living violent lifestyles, but to entertain. Matter of fact, I would arguably say that entertainment was hip-hop’s main reason for coming about. Yet for some reason, fans and critics today are so bent on defining what hip-hop is by your dialect and content.
No one disputes that Boogie Down Production, the Cold Crush Brothers and others are true hip-hop represent. But The Afro’s, Rapping Duke and others that relied more on gags and gimmicks to sell records and make fans are hip-hop as well.
When Ice-T said that Soulja Boy was killing hip-hop, all I could think about were the people who thought the long-haired West Coast cat who raps about pimping was bad for the art. I remember when people would criticize Bone Thugs and Harmony as not being real hip-hop. I can remember when the Notorious B.I.G was being called bad for the game by many respected artists because of his penchant for rapping about guns, drugs and women.
But who disputes that any of the aforementioned people are anything but Hip-Hop right now? Yet in still, hip-hop purists today feel like anything without a northern twinge in your voice, or if your rhymes don’t include sayings like “power to the people” “and I miss the real s***” then you’re not hip-hop.
Well then explain why Talib Kweli and Gucci Mane paired up for one of the most interesting records of the summer? Why is Wale currently only on rotation because of his contribution to Waka Flocka’s new single? Why is Mos Def producing beats for Currensy? Because in reality, real recognizes real. Talent can and always will come in packages that all aren’t able to digest at the moment.
Because Soulja Boy dances more than he rhymes, that doesn’t disqualify him from being in the “real hip-hop” bin. You can’t tell me that you consider Kool G. Rap hip-hop and not Young Jeezy, even though they rhyme about the exact same thing.
If hip-hop does die, it would be a tragic death and the only people we could point fingers at would be us the fans. When was the last time you went into a store and bought an album? When did you go to a show or concert? How do you support your favorite artists other than arguing with people on social networks and blogs.
Hip-Hop fans today need to jump off its high horse and research the culture you claim to be living for. I promise, you’ll find a lot of people who don’t fit your standards
