Also. Rapping about materialistic objects is what makes Hip Hop such a turn-off to most people. Do you think that's what music should be about? Honestly. Are you going to tell me that rapping about money, hos, bitches, and clothes, is everything you'd imagine Hip Hop to be?? Because that would be a real shame, if you did. I grew up in a bboy community. And I also grew up around gangsters. But then I kicked it with skaters too. Bboys mostly were on A Tribe Called Quest; lots of break beats, lots of old school classics Gangsters; Goodie Mob, Mobb Deep, shit with a lot of kick in the bass, mostly talking about guns and violence. Skaters; mostly on that Wu, Nikatina, Aesop, Atmosphere .. etc.
Can people please quit posting on these music threads talking about relaying messages, how deep so-and-so's music is, and quit insulting people telling them they don't understand certain forms of hip hop. Nobody on this whole damn website knows everything about hip hop or any kind of music. If you did, you'd be working at Rolling Stone, XXL, MTV, or be an executive of a major music label instead of writing shit on here. Quit talking down to people trying to express their opinion. And Verbae, all famous rap artist(s) have songs that express their thoughts on a subject and/or struggles and every famous rap artist has a few songs that were made with the main purpose of being a hit record to earn money. Tupac had California Love, Nas had Hate Me Now, Outkast had Hey Ya. And if you think Lil Wayne doesn't have songs expressing his personal struggles and his difficult childhood living environment then you need to start listening a little more carefully.
take the stick out your ass homie. see how offended you get? you gotta say stupid ass insults? and YOU were the one that called ME a fuckin internet thug? read your own damn posts and tell me your not actin all thug sayin shit like "beezy" who you think you are? fuckin mac dre wanna be?
i respect u for at least trying to talk about ur feelings on this with intelligence. But some of the artists u call out (Pac, Wu-Tang, AZ and esp Mobb Deep) are so far removed from what u call the 'backpacker steez' its not even funny. what ur missing is that just b/c u like a certain style of rap it does not mean that style all the sudden becomes something different, hip hop. its still all rap music. Hip Hop is a culture that is reflected in many art forms. One of the art forms within hip hop culture is rap music. and yes, there are many styles of rap from backback to gutter music. different people like different styles of rap, nothing wrong with that. what is wrong is thinking ur opinion determines what is hip hop and what isnt. hip hop is culture, rap is music. u are entitled to like style of rap music u like, but it doesnt mean ur personal taste makes it hip hop which is somehow more meaningful then what u consider rap. i am sicilian, my wife is black, we have children together. my 8 yr old likes soulja boy, are u gonna tell her shes not hip hop? we live in a inner city area. kids love soulja boy and wayne around here, are u gonna come around here and tell them they are not hip hop? 80% of people at a so called backpacker rap concert are white college kids. i promise u that most of those kids wouldnt dare attend a Mobb Deep show in a inner city area. u just have to realize that there are deep flaws in ur perspective on this. u cannot tell someone from a city or a project that b/c they like wayne, or anyone u put in his category, that they dont like hip hop. in fact i know u wouldnt dare. i respect u like what u like, but u gotta have respect for the culture too and realize hip hop is the culture, and rap music is one part of that culture. think about the roots of it, do you think the founders of this shit would appreciate certain fans having an elitest attitude about the music. this is so far removed from what hip hop is about. think about it...
True. But initially, what's their aim? Their goals? Throwing out one heart-felt track, but is consistent with rapping about the glorification of degrading women, and how much money they have (when in truth, it's all a facade), is pretty wack to me. How is this helping to guide our youth; children whom look up to these artists they see on T.V, or listen to on the radio? Do you understand that this is what is keeping minorities in a sinkhole? Music influences, and molds a person --if they listen to it enough. Do you deny that? E.G; a kid growing up watching MTV. No positive role model in her life, and lives her life vicariously through the television screen. All that she sees (on MTV,VHI,BET) is the glorification of woman being viewed as a sexual object, nothing more. And it's telling her that it's okay to dress like a two cent ho-bag, because all of those hoochies in the rap video do? Does this sound a bit far-fetched? Because it's really not. Music that is degrading to women, won't build her esteem, but kind of nudges her into that, it's okay to be treated with no-respect, by men. True, all of this doesn't necessarily emit from rap videos, and has a lot to do with how they're raised as well. But can you see how confusing it is for a child growing up, trying to feel empowered as an individual, when all she knows is how not-to-feel like she's worth something? Btw, your quip about Lil Wayne? Clearly you didn't see where I said that I used to like his music. Now? Not so much. But to each his/her own.
I'm sorry, but you can't be "Hip Hop", for listening to the music. What the.. And yes, I would tell them they weren't "Hip Hop" for listening to Soulja Boy. No one is Hip Hop. Hip Hop is the culture. When referring to "Hip Hop", what I'm calling out is it's essence, by referring to the artist who made the track. I don't know where you're from, but out here in California, we keep Hip Hop strictly a civil culture, and people of all different ethnic groups support it. For you to racial profile underground Hip Hop as being a white-college-kid-trend, is just ignorant. But to answer you, I wouldn't go to a Mobb Deep concert in an inner city area. One, they're not on tour. And two, because our society (in some areas, mostly in the "ghetto") have yet to evolve to overlook one's skin-color. And that's pretty pathetic, but that's the reality of it. *See, you've taken what I said out of context. But when I said "with the exception of some few whom have been successful as commercial artists", I did not state that they themselves were "on that backpacker steez". But I can see how you could get that idea. (Pac, Wu-Tang, AZ and esp Mobb Deep) <--- They're commercial, but "positively influenced the inner circle of the Hip Hop communities". Does that make sense? Do I really need to break down everything I say, so that we don't have these misconceptions?*
again someone mentions that hip hop is mostly "that backpacker steez," is the attempt to make quality music, and that the music comes from the soul for the soul (seems like the rest was you talking on down on me for disagreeing with you, and things that have already been said that have not shown any true technical differences). who are you to judge what comes the soul? just because you cant relate to it, doesnt mean there arent others who can even though you said excluding wayne because you dont like his music is silly, yet one of the criteas of being hip hop is the intention of making quality music. to say he doesnt try to make quality music is a lie that i dont think anyone could state and truely believe and could someone please explain to me what "that backpacker steez" is, and not a. list a bunch of artists b. say its music from the soul also i dont even like lil wayne for real, or most of these dudes on the radio. just standing up for something i think is true. sorry for having an opinion?
i didnt read this thread, but i think its funny. because how did hip hop go from colorful outfits, being different, and having fun, to white ts, baggy jeans, and a uniform. wtf.
people who live hip hop culture are hip hop. krs one "rap is something u do, hip hop is something u live" and i hate to call u out, u seem nice... but u would NEVER go to a project or hood in any state and tell black, mexican, white, or any kids that b/c they like wayne or soulja boy that they are not living hip hop culture. u wouldnt in 1000 years, b/c u wouldnt go near the 'ghetto'. people in what u call the 'ghetto' actually dont discriminate against any culture. they have been through that so most dont continue that cycle. they discriminate against fake ass haters who think they know everything. come around sometime and test that. be real and you'll be fine, be fake and see what happens. and sorry, but go to any show in ur 'backpacker steez' look around and tell me who's most represented? it isnt inner city youth. that's a fact. i've been to atomosphere, common, and kanye shows on the west coast.. so tell me i'm wrong. i have also been to a snoop show in san diego... hella crips, blacks, mexicans, and even a few white kids. no problems though b/c no one goes around acting like thier shit dont stink. stick to ur 'backpacker steez'... leave well enough alone. this is an arguement u'll never win. sorry... ur opinions dont define anything, other then what u like and what u dont like. i have respect for ur opinions, but that's as far as it goes. but ur skateboard in ur backpack, go down to the mall, and stick to what u know. dont make broad generalizations about things that are based on ur opinions.
i wouldnt go near the ghetto either. fuck that shit, its not cool, nothing cool about being in a dangerous area. you should want to change that shit, not glorify it.
it is what it is... and i am not specifically trying to glorify it, but this chick has the balls to say she would go to an inner city area and tell kids there that b/c they like wayne that they are not hip hop. she wouldnt dare, ever, to do such a thing. hip hop culture doesnt exclude people based on what MC they happen to like, these fake haters on here think that they can.
wayne and kanye make more then club music, they just happen to have songs that can get played in the club. i knew what you meant by quality music, but i dont think you know what i meant; wayne, and millions of other people, THINK HE IS making good music i knew those definitions of a backpacker, im just confused as to why that has to be the main source of hip hop fans music. just because someone has a song on the radio doesnt mean ALL their songs are crap and mainstream
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lb0HImG_MU&feature=related]YouTube - Warning - Biggie (Original Version)[/ame]
[quote name='frankincense']people who live hip hop culture are hip hop. krs one "rap is something u do, hip hop is something u live" True. Hip is something you live, therefore making it a "lifestyle". He didn't say it's *who you are*, no, but essentially it is. But calling yourself Hip Hop? It just doesn't sound right. and i hate to call u out, u seem nice... but u would NEVER go to a project or hood in any state and tell black, mexican, white, or any kids that b/c they like wayne or soulja boy that they are not living hip hop culture. u wouldnt in 1000 years, b/c u wouldnt go near the 'ghetto'. What are you talking about? I grew up in a "ghetto" neighborhood. And hung around mostly African-Americans, Latinos/Filipinos, and white kids. But I didn't need to tell them anything, because they put me up on game and schooled me in Hip Hop, growing up. Again, I don't know where you're from, but where I'm from, we're not afraid to voice our knowledge (or opinions) on Hip Hop, to no one. Regardless of your skin-color. Why should it even have to be about that? Grow the fuck up. people in what u call the 'ghetto' actually dont discriminate against any culture. they have been through that so most dont continue that cycle. they discriminate against fake ass haters who think they know everything. come around sometime and test that. be real and you'll be fine, be fake and see what happens. You think I don't know this? and sorry, but go to any show in ur 'backpacker steez' look around and tell me who's most represented? it isnt inner city youth. that's a fact. i've been to atomosphere, common, and kanye shows on the west coast.. so tell me i'm wrong. i have also been to a snoop show in san diego... hella crips, blacks, mexicans, and even a few white kids. no problems though b/c no one goes around acting like thier shit dont stink. I never acted like my shit don't stink. But I've been having these disputes on Hip Hop for years now, with fellow Hip Hop heads --from all walks of life. It's not shit I'm pulling out of my ass with; this is years upon years of knowledge I've gathered through simple conversations with musicians, bboys, and friends. stick to ur 'backpacker steez'... leave well enough alone. this is an arguement u'll never win. sorry... ur opinions dont define anything, other then what u like and what u dont like. i have respect for ur opinions, but that's as far as it goes. Um. Okay. This wasn't an argument to begin with, but naciremaBK was just full of questions, and I was kind enough to dish out my opinion. You've contributed no knowledge whatsoever, except your lame attempt to refute my arguments. What have you done for the Hip Hop community? Or your community in general? I don't see you spittin' any knowledge, of any sort. So try again, but I'm impervious to your inane insults.