Hip-Hop is a Lifestyle

I'll be building this blog based off my friend B-LeaVe's blog about rap: Found here


Anyway. Without being as brash as B, I'd like to shed some light myself on the state of hip-hop and other things without as much bias (not to say there won't be any bias, because there will be.).

Sure,
when you think of good rap, you think of Eminem. Eminem is the
household name for any mainstream artist with lyrical quality, right?
Fact is, he's a beast at what he does. Listen to his verses on Renegade
by Jay-Z to show how easily he outshines so many out there. But then
again, he's receeding into negativity due to the likes of Akon and 50
Cent and T.I.

So what's left for good artists? Well, recently
MTV took a huge leap of faith and decided to make an underground rap
icon, Aesop Rock, the artist of the week. This was great news for
everyone, but it irked me how people thought he sold out. If anything
this is wonderful, because his style is finally being shown to the rest
of the world. Hopefully this is a good omen. Don't expect AR to rap
about dubs with Dupri, so don't try and say he's sold out. It's a good
step towards progression after the past few years of nothing but bling
and arrest warrants. I'm actually very happy people like Lupe Fiasco
and Gym Class Heroes get airplay. We needed something new for a long
time coming.

People like Kanye West are progressing in the ways
of production with sampling, but because of his offair antics (similar
to how Tom Cruise acts), he's looked down upon. That's a real shame,
too. Not to say he's the next Nas, but it's good to know his last album
has sold more than 50 Cent's new album. Why do I bash on 50 Cent? I
bash on him because he pulls that hard image into the mainstream
(dispite The Game and others proving he hasn't even been shot as many
times as he has), when he's not hard at all. Who cares if you grew up
poor in bad neighborhoods? You live in the Hamptons now. If you want to
look at an artist who continually doesn't give a fuck, look at DMX. I
swear he has to have the largest arrest list in the industry.

Anyway,
back to the statements at hand. The true state of hip-hop is dwindling
due to bias. The reason people like Paul Wall do so well is because
they rap about what (oddly enough) people want to hear about: Being
more successful than you. That's why when Aesop Rock (who wears thrift
store sweaters, blue jeans and baseball caps) was chosen as Artist of
the Week, people shook their heads in dismay. He had to have been
chosen for some reason, right? God forbid MTV ever think about "He has
talent!" before "He can sell to the public". Haha, everyone thinks MTV
is the devil, but that's not the case. MTV airs what the people want to
hear. If you take the initiative to vote Tech N9ne on TRL, then things
will change.

To be blunt (and probably offensive) when I say
this, the fact is Hip-Hop is dead because the public made it so. You
chose to listen to bullshit, so this is what happens. Funny how most
people who listen to underground rap compared to the mainstream are
seemingly more intellegent (in general) than those who listen to the
radio. See, when you choose D4L or Dem Franchise Boyz over Atmosphere
or Hangar 18, you look like an idiot. Not to insult you, which I'm not
meaning to do, but the fact is if your defense on music is "Because
it's cool" instead of "Because they're good", then you've killed
yourself in that argument before it even started.

Here are some
good artists to look for: Aesop Rock, Atmosphere, Hangar 18, Danny!,
Lupe Fiasco, Pharaohe Monch, Sage Francis, Cannibal Ox, MF Doom,
Immortal Technique and Tech N9ne as a start.

And yes, before you
think I'm too biased, I do listen to mainstream. Here's a short list:
The Game, WC, Eminem, Wu Tang Clan, Redman, Fort Minor, Gym Class
Heroes, Jay-Z and Ludacris for example.

Look at my other blogs.
They're all free internet releases of GOOD underground rap music. I'll
continue to post free releases, and promote them for that reason.
People need to broaden their views and give underground a chance. The
people I promote aren't waiting for a label to release their shit, they
took initiative, got on their grind, and made it happen themselves.
Hip-Hop isn't just music, it's a lifestyle.