touchy?....passionate is more like it..i'm just frustrated with the way the culture is moving. it seems like only real heads know what i'm talkin about. what happened to lyrical integrity?? what happened to the creativity? what happened to the message? i understand all emcees aren't going to always be on a serious tip, but it seems like kats get a little bread and its all gravy. excuse all the food references. it just seems the evolution stopped in 97'. and anytime anybody makes attempts at something totally original or a fusion of other genres....they get bitch slapped for not keepin it real? i.e. common's electric circus album, or andre 3000's "love below" album.

i mean i have convo's with people about this very topic and i know there's other folks out there who get what i'm sayin.

"Hip-POP" has invaded the airwaves (and yes i did coin that term so cite the reference when used) and everybody seems to think thats what "hip-hop" is!!!

example: "i can sell a mill saying nothing on a track," -M.I.M.S This is why I'm Hot.

as my boy said, "i feel you like tits and bullets!"

fragilekida (is that a radiohead reference?).....respect....i'm always up for a good debate but i'm done with the whole kanye tip. good producer, mediocre emcee, huge douche.

its all good though, a new dawn is peaking, its time for a change to be welcomed.

you'll know it when you hear it.

fo'shiggadey

This message has been edited. Last edited by: damien felps,

Damien, I respect you responding with integrity and standing by your argument. I understand you are passionate about rap and more importantly rap with lyrical integrity. Yes my name is in reference to Radiohead's 2000 album but I also know a lot about hip-hop/rap and love it immensely. I have gotten into many arguments with respected members on here taking the stance that rap and hip-hop simply don't get the respect it deserves. Trust me, they know who they are and they know how I feel.

I agree with you that many rappers phone it in for the pay check and I also despise that. However I think that although maybe the evolution died in '97--is that a Notorious B.I.G reference?--many rap artists/groups/bands are still pushing the envelope and trying to make great rap for people like you and I. People that like their rap with substance and depth. The Roots released Things Fall Apart in 1999 and Phrenology in 2002, Outkast have released four spectacular albums since 1997, Common has made some amazing stuff as well, including Electric Circus which I also love, there is a lot of stuff out there. Even the premise on Things Fall Apart's title and what important text did they borrow that from is showing you that some hip-hop bands are still delving into a world with deep-rooted thoughts.

I agree with a lot of what you said damien, hopefully you stick it out for the long run and become a regular poster here. Welcome.

I really liked the new Roots album, didn;t pay much attention to it until it came on random play on a long drive. I've never listened to any of their other albums though

You have to go out and just buy their entire catalog, they are that good and important. Although, it will be nearly impossible to find Organix anywhere (I have no idea why.) You have to get Do You Want More?!!!??!, Illadelph Halflife, Things Fall Apart, and Phrenology. And you have to pick up The Roots Come Alive, an excellent live album with a killer version of "You Got Me" with the beautifully-voiced Jill Scott. I love that song.

I'll just get everything w/ their name slapped on it essentially?

Sounds good. Haha.

fragilekida....you and i appearantly have similar thoughts on musical taste. i too have been a long time fan of the roots. "clones" was the one that hooked me. in fact i started playing the drums due to the influence that ?uestlove had on me. i've actually have had the pleasure of meeting the afro'd one himself. their new album "game theory" is one of the sickest albums i've heard in awhile, they came back with a vengence and it was refreshing.

i also agree that there have been albums by certain artists that have been creatively inclinced but they don't get recognized by the mass media and the radio, for the most part!!!

unless you fall under a "category" i.e.: westcoast, eastcoast, or southern, the radio or MTV wont air it. they play the same 5 cuts and thats what the masses think hip hop is and it gets a negative rep.

hip hop doesn't get the respect of the masses for this very reason and its maddening!!! folks have ths misconception that its all about money, hoes, and clothes.....iced out grillz and bling bling.

i hate the fact that hip hip doesn't get respect but yet the media uses played out diction coined from the culture
example: keeping it real, bling bling (makes me wanna vomit), da bomb, off the chain..if anybody else can throw some others in, feel free.

i guess its good in a way that really revolutionary tracks aren't getting recognized cuz you know what'll happen.....something massive will come out and somebody will pick it up, bite it and put out a watered down version of it and THAT will blow up and then people will think THATS the next shit then we'll have a new genre dubbed "hip hop lite"..(bad taste....less fulfilling) on our hands, but what else is new. folks have been doing that for years, shit, look what happened to EMO. it went from "At the Drive-In" to "Fall Out Boy"

Nuff said.

fragilekida and for those who don't know,
?ustlove has a side project called "The Randy Watson Experience" and one of the tracks is a radiohead cover of "morning bell" done in drum and bass with a female vocalist....straight nasty!!!!!

fo'shiggadey!!

quote:

Originally posted by damien felps:
i hate the fact that hip hip doesn't get respect

You are so correct damien. There is just so much hate out there when there is so much great music to listen to. I completely agree with you.

quote:

Originally posted by damien felps:
fragilekida and for those who don't know,
?ustlove has a side project called "The Randy Watson Experience" and one of the tracks is a radiohead cover of "morning bell" done in drum and bass with a female vocalist....straight nasty!!!!!

I did know about this. The Roots along with a bunch of other artists got together to get some Radiohead music to mix and remix it with a new spin. "Atonement" was one of my favorite songs of all of last year. When two of the best bands around (argubaly the two best) get together, great things happen.

Puff Daddy.

Eminem.

And while I think Ghostface Killah is great, I prefer fellow Wu Tang members like Method Man and the GZA.

Not sure if this guy is the best rapper alive, but he is tipped to be one of the most significant in the next few years... in the UK at the very least. You need an opinion on this cat... Riz MC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKTsJpfC0IQ

Well first off they way u have to think about this is, u have kno what hip hop/rap is not by definition but as an industry. The industy is what MTV and BET plays. If u didnt kno they contribute a huge portion of what mainstream hip hop, rap, etc is. That is because they r the media and the main source of information without hunting for it. In my opinion Lil wayne is the best ez. Go get the drought 3 mixtape and let me kno what yall think. His flow is NON MATCED by anyone he can sound like hes from the islands or proper or just choppy. He says he is the Best rapper aliver thats Not Lyricist. I STRESS THE BEST RAPPER. Even tho his lyrics are sick but hes a clown and a FREESTYLE rapper soo he doesnt come hard on every track. N jay z was the best rapper alive no matter if u hate him or love him u kno his music and his mark on the industry. No matter u bumped had at least a song with a verse of him on it. But as wayne said "u retired how u gonna come in the game thinkin its still yours". Mark my words see how much the Carter III sells in the first week. I have a profound taste for music myself as n up coming M C. But alot of people dont understand lil wayne they think hes garbage becuz hes a Southern Rapper well ever heard him say "only down south rapper could have been in the firm" Out of high school kid could have went to Rockafella SO sombody thought he was great even then.

The best rapper alive is without a doubt, Scarface. He is one of the few that hasn't sold out to the "suburban idea" of rap. He doesn't rap about all his "bling", cash, cars, or hoes. His raps have substance & this man can flow. Scarface has deep raps like 'I Seen a Man Die', where he talks about the hardest gangsters breaking down when they realize they're about to die or 'Win, Lose or Draw', a rap that is just too deep for words. His raps on where he grew up aren't mean & cold, just listen to 'On My Block' or 'Southside'. He uses the baddest beats of any rapper out there, who can deny 'Mary Jane' didn't relax you as much as the herb, itself? 'Untouchable' was cold blooded! Jay-Z stinks like garbage, but he came through when he teamed with Beanie Seagle & Scarface on 'This Can't Be Life'! Apparently, Scarface made Jay work on his material before this song was put together. (Although, I don't understand Jay-Z's line "Flow tight like I was born Jewish", this still makes no sense to me.) This dude is raw & isn't pandering to what's popular. He is the only rapper whose albums I buy before I've heard a single syllable. He NEVER disappoints! That's why SCARFACE IS THE BEST RAPPER ALIVE!

quote:

Originally posted by Monkey_Boy:
(Although, I don't understand Jay-Z's line "Flow tight like I was born Jewish", this still makes no sense to me.)

Stereotype that jews are tight with their cash...

Lil' Wayne....really???!!!

i don't know, when i think of the best rapper alive....weezy doesn't even enter the picture!!!
i've never been a big fan of his but then again, he's never really done, or said anything that made him stand out from anybody else....lyrically.....he hasn't made any noise, not even a buzz....i've never heard anybody hit me up and tell me, "yo...you gotta check this cut by lil wayne." in order for a buzz to be created, people from other sects of the country have to be spreading the word......not just the south!!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: damien felps,

quote:

Originally posted by Jglass:

quote:

Originally posted by Monkey_Boy:
(Although, I don't understand Jay-Z's line "Flow tight like I was born Jewish", this still makes no sense to me.)

Stereotype that jews are tight with their cash...

Ooooooh! Well, at least now I know where he's comin' from. Still, that's a very obscure reference. The way he's using the word "tight" is completely different than what he's refering to the Jews about. He means "TIGHT" like-"Cool", "Amazing", or "Extraordinary" & the Jew reference to "TIGHT" is-"Withholding", "Suppressing", or "Restraint". So, really, it STILL makes no sense. Except now it makes no sense in a different way . No wonder I don't like him. I do thank you for the clarifacation, though !

Wow

who kills all the beats?

notice how when Lil Wayne remakes a song. no1 does after him. notice that anyone that is beefing with him is basically dropping from the map.Notice how he has came out with like 5 CDs in the last 2 years. and they have dominated all mixtapes. Dedication.Carter.Drought.Cant feel my face.Fuck Jay Z. He forgot who he said he was. now he a bitch. like all rappers become when they get old. like Eminem who went soft. he went from talkin bout killin to shakin ass with akon. haha. Jay Z is soft. Show me what u got? by the way got killed by wayne. so did walk it out. so did go getta. so did mims.mr jones. so did promise. god damn. he is the rawest. no1 can take the dude in freestyle. no1. never. no1 beef wit him. cuz they slums. no1 can hit this dude. next closes now is Jeezy..and he aint even close.and im so sick of mothafuckas sayin he aint even close. come the fuck on. i used to think the same shit. then i listened to the shit. idk where ya'll be but up here in every car there is only one CD present. Da Drought 3. one cd. no more.

I gotta go with the Ghost. Way after the prime of rappin' (36 ironically) and you drop an album like Fishscale? That's rare. Jay-Z drops Kingdom Come the same year. That pretty much takes him out of the running. Honestly I never really listened to Nas much. I really want to check out Hip Hop Is Dead, that song was really good when I heard it. But I can't really say for sure until I give it all a spin. But with what I know right now, gotta say Ghost.

My vote for now and always is Chuck D.

Rapping needs to be about charisma, and I don't know a more spellbinding voice in hip-hop.

quote:

Originally posted by Nhazghaal:
I gotta go with the Ghost. Way after the prime of rappin' (36 ironically) and you drop an album like Fishscale? That's rare. Jay-Z drops Kingdom Come the same year. That pretty much takes him out of the running. Honestly I never really listened to Nas much. I really want to check out Hip Hop Is Dead, that song was really good when I heard it. But I can't really say for sure until I give it all a spin. But with what I know right now, gotta say Ghost.

Hip Hop Is Dead kinda sucked. I love Nas though, Illmatic and Stillmatic are so sick, it's ridiculous.

quote:

Originally posted by Jglass:

quote:

Originally posted by Nhazghaal:
I gotta go with the Ghost. Way after the prime of rappin' (36 ironically) and you drop an album like Fishscale? That's rare. Jay-Z drops Kingdom Come the same year. That pretty much takes him out of the running. Honestly I never really listened to Nas much. I really want to check out Hip Hop Is Dead, that song was really good when I heard it. But I can't really say for sure until I give it all a spin. But with what I know right now, gotta say Ghost.

Hip Hop Is Dead kinda sucked. I love Nas though, Illmatic and Stillmatic are so sick, it's ridiculous.

See, and everybody acknowledges Illmatic as a classic, but most of my friends that have heard it say it's kind of boring. I mean, I think Ready To Die is overrated honestly. And I kind of associate them in my head, maybe not lyrically or thematically but as a sound and an era. I'm just not that big a fan of old old hip-hop outside Wu-Tang (another reason they're the GREATEST THING EVER.) I figured Hip Hop Is Dead would be like, Nas in a relevant-to-me today kinda package. Does that make sense at all?