So B Side Fans, it's been a while since I came at you with an editorial piece of what is on my mind. Because of that, and I'm even on my reviewing of genres, it seemed like a good time for one. Plus, I've had something on my mind for about a year now that has been bugging me.
What is wrong with the rap game today?
Seriously...you used to be able to find a new record once a month that was not only good, but some new artist that made you hungry for more hip hop. When I'm sitting down at work, it's very rare I actually feel like rap right now - and at first I thought I was just going through one of my cycles, but truth is, it's because nothing new and exciting is out there. Jay-Z dropped Blueprint 3 last September - that was honestly the last really good rap record to come out. Ludacris dropped Battle Of The Sexes which stunk. Young Jeezy has been promising Thug Motivation 103 for over 2 years since Recession dropped, and that continues to get pushed back. DMX hasn't been relevant in a decade, but he's going to put one out this year sometime - date again keeps getting pushed. Dr. Dre has been promising Detox will come out, shocker folks, been pushed back to no release date again. What is going on? Lil Wayne put out one of the best hip hop records of all time in Tha Carter III 2 years ago, and has followed that up with garbage. Snoop, Game, 50 Cent...the list goes on and on of guys who have once upon a time put out quality work that have gone lackluster. This trend is getting very frustrating for those of us who really enjoy the genre. When are the fans going to have the joy of good music again? Can anybody tell me that? We keep getting promised by artists and record labels that good stuff is coming soon - and when that date approaches, it's delayed for various reasons. Guys keep dropping mixtapes to generate buzz, and even those are bad!! Drake and Kid Cudi seem to be two guys that are actually working hard right now, and both are poised for big hits again this summer. Would it surprise me if they stunk? Not at all. Isn't that sad? A huge fan like me feels that jaded by the rap game nowadays. I have people frequently come up and ask, "what's good in hip hop today?"...I haven't had a good answer in over a year! I simply do not get it. These artists need to start making an effort again. Luda needs to STOP putting out one album per year and focus on putting out hit first GREAT one since Word of Mouf. Jay needs to stay retired and get some new and exciting talent in Roc-A-Fella. Kanye is due for another one and something needs to come out of the Aftermath camp soon. Even Em dropped the Refill side of his record that was a HUGE flop. He claims he knew it was bad and will be putting out something soon too. It's like, these guys know there is a lull and it's a problem but no one wants to step up. Record execs, figure this out and make something happen. With the resurgence of STP and other 90's alt bands keeping it going - rap might lose me for a long time to something that puts more emphasis on keeping fans happy.
Maybe after rappers get enough money they run out of problems to rap about.
ReplyDeleteBut I thought it was mo money mo problems? Is that what killed Biggie?
ReplyDeleteI don't know...but it's irritating. And don't rap about problems then. Jay rapped about making money and climbing to the top a lot in BP3. You can also have good raps about being successful.
Yeah, but Jay Z is awesome and nobody is cool enough to rap about the stuff he raps about!
ReplyDeleteNot rap related:
Do you listen to Cage the Elephant at all?
That is a fact!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of them. Is there a specific album I should listen to?
So you'd rather just hear about killing, drugs, sex? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteI don't really care what you rap about, as long as it flows well. I prefer rappers tell a story, but whatever. Just put something out.
Cage the Elephant only has one album out I think... I've only heard 2 songs on the radio but it's a unique sound that I think you will find interesting.
ReplyDeleteI see that now. They've got their self titled out, but then dropped a single from their up and coming record due out later this year. I'll check out the first one soon.
ReplyDeleteLook for it over the next week or so!
I realize I'm six months late on this conversation but I noticed this is a rant from B that I missed. I gotta have my say.
ReplyDeleteFirst I love the back and forth of words you have in the convo. Two, in essence for me this is a topic that just doesn't age. I've probably stated similar sentiments in another comment, nonetheless, I have to be myself and jump in here.
I've felt the same starting about 3 years ago. My cousin really likes rap. I mean he could listen to it 24/7. Lately, it's gotten so that I TOLERATE rap, yeah tolerate. For my personal taste, something just hit rock bottom in 2007 and hasn't bounced back since. Now I've started listening to past work or just the instrumental, and as I've said before I'm a sucker for a good beat. That rock bottom moment came when I was over at my cousins house just chilling. We were listening to some music, freestyling like always. Then he turns on this extremely sexually explicit rap song, and I was just like, Ok this is enough. I know that the sexual content in songs can get graphic but jeeze this was too much.
It's not just sex either, it's everything. I'm telling you, I think it really started to suck after Soulja Boy put out Crank That. I'm not saying Crank That sucked, I think that was pretty good. But it was just like this snowball effect where every boy and there brother started putting out these dance rap songs. Then, you have the preconceived notion that if your not black, from the hood or the projects, that you can't do rap and nobody will take you seriously. Then to follow up with that, and I know I've said this before, the same freakin content is revised over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again on different beats. I know that content will eventually repeat itself, that's with life anyway. But the styling or something has to change. Maybe its the beat. Lately every beat sounds the same to me. B Side your right, The Carter III was fantastic. I mean I probably listened to 'Comfortable' a million times over. Heck every time I went somewhere with my cousin that's the only CD she played, forget the radio.
All in all I guess I'm like you guys in that I hope some sort of compromise can be met between artists and consumer/listener cause its getting nerve-racking.
urghhhhh!
If you don't mind my asking, what was the super sexually explicit song you're referring to? I mean, I've heard so many it's hard to conjecture.
ReplyDeleteI know EXACTLY what you're talking about. Soulja Boy and Cali Swag and UNK and the list goes on forever. "Tracks" that were only made as dance tracks and have ZERO lyrical content or anything of substance. The problem is, it's so common now that you almost have a new genre of dance rap or something. It's awful.
There seems to be some resemblance of a pick up lately though. Em's drop was big, Kanye's next month looks to be really solid, Cudi is dropping next month, Drake's 'Thank Me Later' was pretty good too. I like some of the up and comers too - I think Wiz Khalifa (however you spell it) is poised to be a really good lyricist. Curren$y can flow. And even Nicki Minaj from the Young Money camp is almost a recreation of Lil Kim and her success. When I heard Minaj spit on Trey Songz 'Bottoms Up', I knew that if she started to flow dirty like Kim did, she'll blow up. Her album drops this month too.
Maybe a good time, we'll see!
I don't remember what track that was, but it was ca. 2007 not too sure.
ReplyDelete