My friends and I had a somewhat hot discussion about Hip Hop artists who continue to rap beyond 35. My friends were the ones who were against artists who rap beyond this arbitrary cutoff age. Personally, it doesn't matter to me how old an individual is in regards to Hip Hop. What gets to me is the number of people who actually believe that if one is over 35, he should put down the microphone. But mostly, it's the fact that no one can voice a valid reason as to why a Hip Hop artist should sign up for early retirement.
The best and yet most invalid reason that I find being regurgitated shamelessly is that Hip Hop is for young people! Maybe when I didn't have hair on my nuts, I would have agreed. Today, I am a 28 year old MAN goin on 29! I love Hip Hop and I can't imagine it being slated for only "young" people. How should my listening habits be defined these days? Should I start listening to something other than rap? Perhaps, I ought to embrace a bunch of kids who rap about nothing? Or, I could just turn everything off and die? Is it because I am nearing 30 that something should click in my brain making me hate Hip Hop? Or, do I wait for 35 to have that imaginary click occur? WHAT THE FUCK ARE PEOPLE MY AGE AND OLDER SUPPOSED TO DO WITHOUT QUALITY GENUINE HIP HOP?
Here are my arguments as to why I support a mature Hip Hop scene.
1) Quality
Look at the Hip Hop that we have from these so-called artists today. The south is making a major impact on the scene but in the form of what? Stripper music and kiddy dance songs. I am not a stripper and I could care less about a bitch throwing her clothes off in front of me. If this woman and myself are about to engage in some physical activity then that's a different story. But, I am a grown ass man. Watching naked women doesn't do as much as most would think.
On the other hand, there's the good stuff that still comes out. Common has been in the game for a long time, long enough to be considered over-the-hill as he'll be 36 on March 13th according to Wikipedia. Snoop Dogg is still doing it and he'll be 37 in October. LL Cool J is already pushing 40. Jay-Z should be seeing 39 at the end of this year. And Nas will be 35 in September.
Now be honest. As far as QUALITY is an issue, who would be getting serious play time in your (non-Apple) mp3 player?
But how can today's Hip Hop artist show his/her quality? It's in the rhymes. Compare the poetry of a 5 year old child to that of a developed poet such as Langston Hughes. We all know the difference. The child doesn't know how to string along complex thoughts, develop story plots in rhyme, and make you think about things with references, metaphors and similes. It's that ability to put words together and tell a tale. At one point in Hip Hop, rappers were considered the storytellers who weaved together ideas that made people take a look at themselves and their situation. But today, the niggers are cooning and bafooning and the bitches are getting low!
2) Subject Matter
Sorry, but I don't crank a fucking thing! Doing the Batman reminds of Adam West and two fingers. The point is, myself along with many others can't relate to the dumb shit that's going on in Hip Hop today. Don't get me wrong. Hip Hop has and will always have that great dance element. But, once again a quality issue, we have children engaging in displays of stupidity as opposed to groups who actually come together to give the people something they can appreciate. When we were growing up, we were trying some difficult maneuvers like busting our kneecaps on some Kid 'N' Play shit.
This goes back to the issue of what am I supposed to listen to? I love Hip Hop and I exist in a market that's looking for the quality and substance that existed 10+ years ago. I already have the music that existed then but it only serves as a point of nostalgia for me. There are new problems that we tackle these days. Where is the talent that is supposed to speak to me on that level? Or, am I supposed to be content in hearing some kid with no hair on his nuts talk about fucking bitches? HELL NO! And, if I am going to hear stripper music, let it be in a strip club. I don't need hear that shit on the radio or watch it on TV. As I usually say, if she ain't naked in front of me, READY TO DO SOMETHING, it don't mean shit to me. Where's the support Obama lyrics? Where's the rap about Sean Bell? These are things that I am thinking about and people are too scared to RHYME about it!
3) Marketing
You all know marketing is my thing. I see the industry in a certain light that I don't think many people can see. But, one thing I am sure we are aware of is the control over what gets produced and what doesn't. Why should the cooning antics of a Souljah Boy get more airtime over a nearing-40 Jay-Z? Why is that cornball "selling" more than a lot of other people? I absolutely know it is not because of a quality issue.
The truth of the matter is that niggers and bitches sell albums. But, who is buying the garbage that is being produced. 70% of Hip Hop is purchased by white people. The rest are of course black, asian, hispanic and so on. Damn near 100% of those producing and selling Hip Hop are in the game for the money, not the love. Many of them see it as a way out of some dismal situation. Many others see it as a way to simply collect a lot of money, another business venture. The market of the music industry can be defined as a "sex and stupidity" demand married to a "money hungry" supply willing to do whatever they can to ensure their own income.
Conclusion
The market of Hip Hop needs to change. We can't continue to arbitrarily keep it young. It's the youth, who only care about excess and opulence, that are destroying Hip Hop. We have to get back to the love of it all where young and old have a place not because they are appealing to ignorance and stupidity but because they are keeping it real. That love still exists in those "old" guys which is why they can't stay away or stay retired. Hip Hop is not just a hustle for them. Hip Hop is a way of life. They are the leaders and, as fans, we are the followers. How are we supposed to maintain some level of integrity in Hip Hop when the followers are alienating their own leaders due to age? How is Hip Hop supposed to stay alive when we would rather embrace youth over quality?
As a REAL Hip Hop fan, I would never disrespect myself or those rappers because of age alone. These people have given a lot over the years and we've responded with so much love over those years. What happen? Why should it stop now? Why should it stop when those rappers still have a lot to offer and there's a market for it? I know I am not the only one buying it! Even if it's only 500,000 other people purchasing with me, those are the rappers who still command a sizeable market WITHOUT marketing capital like an Ice Cube who will be 40 next year. He's doing other things but LOVE keeps him in the studio! If that ain't the kind of real we want in society, then Hip Hop is truly on it's way out.
The best and yet most invalid reason that I find being regurgitated shamelessly is that Hip Hop is for young people! Maybe when I didn't have hair on my nuts, I would have agreed. Today, I am a 28 year old MAN goin on 29! I love Hip Hop and I can't imagine it being slated for only "young" people. How should my listening habits be defined these days? Should I start listening to something other than rap? Perhaps, I ought to embrace a bunch of kids who rap about nothing? Or, I could just turn everything off and die? Is it because I am nearing 30 that something should click in my brain making me hate Hip Hop? Or, do I wait for 35 to have that imaginary click occur? WHAT THE FUCK ARE PEOPLE MY AGE AND OLDER SUPPOSED TO DO WITHOUT QUALITY GENUINE HIP HOP?
Here are my arguments as to why I support a mature Hip Hop scene.
1) Quality
Look at the Hip Hop that we have from these so-called artists today. The south is making a major impact on the scene but in the form of what? Stripper music and kiddy dance songs. I am not a stripper and I could care less about a bitch throwing her clothes off in front of me. If this woman and myself are about to engage in some physical activity then that's a different story. But, I am a grown ass man. Watching naked women doesn't do as much as most would think.
On the other hand, there's the good stuff that still comes out. Common has been in the game for a long time, long enough to be considered over-the-hill as he'll be 36 on March 13th according to Wikipedia. Snoop Dogg is still doing it and he'll be 37 in October. LL Cool J is already pushing 40. Jay-Z should be seeing 39 at the end of this year. And Nas will be 35 in September.
Now be honest. As far as QUALITY is an issue, who would be getting serious play time in your (non-Apple) mp3 player?
But how can today's Hip Hop artist show his/her quality? It's in the rhymes. Compare the poetry of a 5 year old child to that of a developed poet such as Langston Hughes. We all know the difference. The child doesn't know how to string along complex thoughts, develop story plots in rhyme, and make you think about things with references, metaphors and similes. It's that ability to put words together and tell a tale. At one point in Hip Hop, rappers were considered the storytellers who weaved together ideas that made people take a look at themselves and their situation. But today, the niggers are cooning and bafooning and the bitches are getting low!
2) Subject Matter
Sorry, but I don't crank a fucking thing! Doing the Batman reminds of Adam West and two fingers. The point is, myself along with many others can't relate to the dumb shit that's going on in Hip Hop today. Don't get me wrong. Hip Hop has and will always have that great dance element. But, once again a quality issue, we have children engaging in displays of stupidity as opposed to groups who actually come together to give the people something they can appreciate. When we were growing up, we were trying some difficult maneuvers like busting our kneecaps on some Kid 'N' Play shit.
This goes back to the issue of what am I supposed to listen to? I love Hip Hop and I exist in a market that's looking for the quality and substance that existed 10+ years ago. I already have the music that existed then but it only serves as a point of nostalgia for me. There are new problems that we tackle these days. Where is the talent that is supposed to speak to me on that level? Or, am I supposed to be content in hearing some kid with no hair on his nuts talk about fucking bitches? HELL NO! And, if I am going to hear stripper music, let it be in a strip club. I don't need hear that shit on the radio or watch it on TV. As I usually say, if she ain't naked in front of me, READY TO DO SOMETHING, it don't mean shit to me. Where's the support Obama lyrics? Where's the rap about Sean Bell? These are things that I am thinking about and people are too scared to RHYME about it!
3) Marketing
You all know marketing is my thing. I see the industry in a certain light that I don't think many people can see. But, one thing I am sure we are aware of is the control over what gets produced and what doesn't. Why should the cooning antics of a Souljah Boy get more airtime over a nearing-40 Jay-Z? Why is that cornball "selling" more than a lot of other people? I absolutely know it is not because of a quality issue.
The truth of the matter is that niggers and bitches sell albums. But, who is buying the garbage that is being produced. 70% of Hip Hop is purchased by white people. The rest are of course black, asian, hispanic and so on. Damn near 100% of those producing and selling Hip Hop are in the game for the money, not the love. Many of them see it as a way out of some dismal situation. Many others see it as a way to simply collect a lot of money, another business venture. The market of the music industry can be defined as a "sex and stupidity" demand married to a "money hungry" supply willing to do whatever they can to ensure their own income.
Conclusion
The market of Hip Hop needs to change. We can't continue to arbitrarily keep it young. It's the youth, who only care about excess and opulence, that are destroying Hip Hop. We have to get back to the love of it all where young and old have a place not because they are appealing to ignorance and stupidity but because they are keeping it real. That love still exists in those "old" guys which is why they can't stay away or stay retired. Hip Hop is not just a hustle for them. Hip Hop is a way of life. They are the leaders and, as fans, we are the followers. How are we supposed to maintain some level of integrity in Hip Hop when the followers are alienating their own leaders due to age? How is Hip Hop supposed to stay alive when we would rather embrace youth over quality?
As a REAL Hip Hop fan, I would never disrespect myself or those rappers because of age alone. These people have given a lot over the years and we've responded with so much love over those years. What happen? Why should it stop now? Why should it stop when those rappers still have a lot to offer and there's a market for it? I know I am not the only one buying it! Even if it's only 500,000 other people purchasing with me, those are the rappers who still command a sizeable market WITHOUT marketing capital like an Ice Cube who will be 40 next year. He's doing other things but LOVE keeps him in the studio! If that ain't the kind of real we want in society, then Hip Hop is truly on it's way out.
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