Okay, I'm a 70's baby so I got a chance to see hip-hop evolve from the baby stage through its adulthood. We should be proud of hip-hop for it's longevity. Even my dad told me when I was young that hip-hop would fade away like disco did. But back then, hip-hop was refreshing. It was full of variety, and it's vast flavors could be heard when you turned on your radio.
Now, the influx of corporations, and even more key, the merging of corporations have put hip-hop in a box. Yes, outsiders have come into the urban culture and now play chess with the future of hip-hop. As an aritst, producer, manager of a hip-hop entertainment company and a fan of the art, I am highly disappointed with where hip-hop has gone in the last 5 years.
You know as well as I know that the bulk of what we hear commercially is overly processed garbage. To put it mildly, there is not much soul in mainstream hip-hop anymore. Now, the music is so distorted that though the most hits seemingly are made for teeny boppers, I see grown men playing some of these hideous tracks. I'm not "dissing" the artist because everybody has to make a living. I don't mind a Souljah Boy or two either, but when Souljah Boy opens up a whole new market of artists and listeners, I see how stupid this game has gotten.
Meanwhile, the artist that do have something to say lack promotion and are put on the back burner of major labels. Could hip-hop be brainwashing the minds of are youth? Any smart man would atleast say possibly. This is why I don't play this trash in my car when my son is in the vehicle. Heck, I barely even listen to the radio these days. I know about swag, understand balling, don't sell dope, and don't have 20 inch rims. In addition, I dislike the terms bitch, nigga, dog, hoodnigga, hoe, etc....How can I relate to the majority of these horrid tunes?
Lastly,where is the political presence in hip-hop? I can tell you that there is little to none on a mainstream level. But there was a point when you could turn on the radio and learn about your culture, gain pride for your ancestors, and gain new uplifting knowledge. Lets let YouTube affirm my notion.
Need I say more?
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