The Force That Shaped Hip Hop But Disappeared From Rap

Hip-Hop moved to the burbs. But seriously, gone is the time when social commentary/consciousness was a key part of hip-hop mainstream.
That doesn't mean that there aren't hip-hop cats still bringing it, but the time when PE or BDP could sell serious units, is gone.
Lupe might be the only major label cat talking bout something
The underground lives on though.
 
It doesn't sell records anymore so it moved on.
In my opinion it sold out to the lowest common denominator for the sake of a dollar, selling it's fans and it's people into a new form of slavery by glorifying ignorant actions and willfully ignorant attitudes. Reducing women to nothing more than hoes and strippers, bragging about material items and making them the focus of a song as though it was one big commercial, sub-par rhyming technique and very limited production and beat creation abilities.

Bring back the DJ/producer combos, bring back the intelligent lyricist who focused on the ability to deliver a coherent story or message and bring back our people from "always trying to obtain, no attempt to achieve" attitude.
 
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The game is a pimpers paradise now, i blame diddy, the suits picked up on the money and power in hip hop after people like biggie and pac got cult like followings, its a shame
 
I'm sick of this argument already...

Noone put a gun to these artist's
head and forced them to put out
music.

The signed that contract, it's
their faces on tv, on the radio,
on magazines not the execs.

You want to point fingers?
You want to call out "Culture
Vultures"...

Start looking within
 
EsskimoColdBeats said:
The game is a pimpers paradise now, i blame diddy, the suits picked up on the money and power in hip hop after people like biggie and pac got cult like followings, its a shame
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Diddy aint that powerful. He still gets financing from the powers that be. Blame the corporations who extended their tenacles to the point where they controlled every facet of the industry. When rap first started it was on a grass roots level and it was quite independent where independent labels could flourish and promote artists with social commentary. Clear Channel is one corporate culprit among others. Universal is another.
 
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Zonic said:
I'm sick of this argument already...

Noone put a gun to these artist's
head and forced them to put out
music.

The signed that contract, it's
their faces on tv, on the radio,
on magazines not the execs.

You want to point fingers?
You want to call out "Culture
Vultures"...

Start looking within
Click to expand...


That's not the point. The point is the other artists who are intelligent and provide the social commentary get ignored are aren't pushed by the machine and marketed nationally like the ignorant such as "Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne etc. They've done such a good job brainwashing consumers today to the point where they even believe that a song cant be informative, have relevant social commentary and still be a hit.
 
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benji2 said:
That's not the point. The point is the other artists who are intelligent and provide the social commentary get ignored are aren't pushed by the machine and marketed nationally like the ignorant such as "Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne etc. They've done such a good job brainwashing consumers today to the point where they even believe that a song cant be informative, have relevant social commentary and still be a hit.
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I think you can go back a bit further with the examples such as Luke Skywalker and the 2 Live Crew which set a sort of gold standard at the time for how low you could go and wind up multi-platinum in an era loaded with socially conscious rappers dominating the charts. Once he hit, the quality of albums produced dropped significantly because everyone was chasing the glass ceiling Luther broke through.
 
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Nightshade said:
I think you can go back a bit further with the examples such as Luke Skywalker and the 2 Live Crew which set a sort of gold standard at the time for how low you could go and wind up multi-platinum in an era loaded with socially conscious rappers dominating the charts. Once he hit, the quality of albums produced dropped significantly because everyone was chasing the glass ceiling Luther broke through.
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People forget "Rappers Delight" was a party record. The desire to dance and have fun has always existed in hip hop.Artists weren't as focused on record sales back then especially since most of the money went to the label owners anyway.It was still organic. Let's not discount pioneers like Schoolly D, Too Short and Ice T who influenced rappers to start talking about life from the perspective of a gangster and street personalities.
 
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benji2 said:
People forget "Rappers Delight" was a party record. The desire to dance and have fun has always existed in hip hop.Artists weren't as focused on record sales back then especially since most of the money went to the label owners anyway.It was still organic. Let's not discount pioneers like Schoolly D, Too Short and Ice T who influenced rappers to start talking about life from the perspective of a gangster and street personalities.
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Yes Rappers delight was a party anthem, but Ice-T, Schooly D and even Too $hort while rapping about street life also had a heavy dose of social commentary in a majority of their tracks. It wasn't just mindless bullshit.
 
Nightshade said:
Yes Rappers delight was a party anthem, but Ice-T, Schooly D and even Too $hort while rapping about street life also had a heavy dose of social commentary in a majority of their tracks. It wasn't just mindless bullshit.
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Too short dropped jewels?(lol) The man known for his trademark "BEYAATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Making the "The Ghetto" stilll doesnt override his extensive discography of ignorant shit. Ice T glorirfied pimps, gangbangers and hustlers and made a song called Cop Killer. That's a little different than remaining neutral and providing news from the streets. Schooly D is remembered for one song:PSK. Let's be honest.
 
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benji2 said:
Too short dropped jewels?(lol) The man known for his trademark "BEYAATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Making the "The Ghetto" stilll doesnt override his extensive discography of ignorant shit. Ice T glorirfied pimps, gangbangers and hustlers and made a song called Cop Killer. That's a little different than remaining neutral and providing news from the streets. Schooly D is remembered for one song:PSK. Let's be honest.
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You heard the music but weren't listening.
 
benji2 said:
I commute back and forth to the Bay Area to see my son where Short is a God. Even if I dont want to listen, his music and disciples engulf the Bay.
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Thats nice, I grew up in Sacramento when Short became the Bay Area god, Ice T was just coming up and Schooly D was at the top of his game. I saw the rise and fall of many over those years and listened to the stories they told and the social commentary in the strong majority of those tracks. Just because they were foul did not make them any less a social commentary. For those who listened the message was loud and clear.

That is the same reason NWA and PE scared the hell out of the establishment, both had the exact same message told in two completely different ways and sold like crazy.
 
Social commentary is gone because no one has balance. Make it entertaining and danceable people will listen. For example look at thrift shop. Entertaining? Check. Danceable? check. A good message? Check.
 
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