word!...good story. I'm half black and half white and I'm 35 years old. I started out break dancing from 3rd thru 6th grade way back in 1983-86. That's what got me into hip hop and my love and respect for the culture grew from there. Late 80s and 90s were definatly the golden years....so far anyway. I'm still hoping for a revolution in this country so we can take back our air ways and do away with these phony rappers and cheesey beats.
Even then there's a divide in hip-hop. Half of it appeals to materialism and is all about the money. The other half appeals to current issues and what is going on in the world, as well as being a creative outlet. I wish the former would just die off. Yeah, there's a place and a time for the "money, bitches, and cars" type of hip-hop, but when that's all you can "rap" about there's a problem. You aren't being a role model to a generation of kids like I had when I was growing up, and honestly, I think the current hip-pop bullshit they play on the radio is just raising up a generation of disrespectful ingrates.
I know what you mean, but you can't deny that there has always been materialism in hip hop. Just look at Slick Rick and his chains. Biggie smalls preached it. "50 inch screes, money green leather sofa. Got 2 rides a limosine with a chauffuer." But I agree with you that all the shit on tv and radio these kids are exposed too today should die, but money bitches and cars will always be around, and they were around before hip hop. Prime example is Muudy Waters. But for the most part I think were on the same page.
i got into hip hop when i first heard the song "let me ride" by dr dre. it was so funky that it made me explore other artists....i just took off running. its sad because i am having a falling out with hip hop. as newer music emerges under the genre "hip-hop" i just feel like it isnt the same. some of the essence is gone... i mean, some stuff is clever, and i like some newer artists, but it just doesn't have the message or passion as songs like "fight the power" or "C.R.E.A.M" anyone agree? im Caucasian by the way
well i kinda grown away from rap or current rap i should say.. but back in the day....EAZY MUTHA FUKIN E started it all,,,ice t ,,,eric b and rakim,,,,,,and of course the god father of acip rap in the D ~ESHAM!
i grew up in a middle class enviornment. half of my family is from Indiana and my ancestry is a mutt mix of Irish, Scottish and English. it doesn't get much whiter than that. i've been a fan of Rage Against The Machine since i was 10 or 11 so i guess if you want to get technical that was my first exposure to hip hop. with the exception of Rage i mostly listened to punk and classic rock at that time. i started playing bass when i was 12 and started opening my ears to other genres. i used to go to this skatepark in Houston all the time and they had a jukebox with all sorts of good stuff. i remember Dr. Dre's The Chronic and Check Your Head by the Beastie Boys being a few of the cds in the jukebox and i would jam the fuck out of them. when i was 13 i was still new to weed and i loved it, thats when i discovered Cypress Hill, UGK and Bone Thugs N Harmony. ever since then i've been sucked in. i just think its a fascinating culture. the similarities between hip hop/rap and punk rock are pretty interesting too. they both are full of raw emotion and attitude and expose the not so bright sides of life. both can be full of politically charged lyrics or just be songs to make you feel good and want to dance and anything inbetween.
I used to listen to 'radio rap' (you know the kind I'm talking about ha), then my neighbor was like "WTF is this shit?" and lent me God Loves Ugly (Atmosphere) Thank God I was saved
When I was a new smoker, my friends got me really really high, like I couldn't even move haha. We were driving around town and listening to Ready to Die by Biggie, and honestly, I've been into rap since then. That was one of the most amazing musical experiences I have ever had.
My cousin used to emcee he put me onto hip-hop when I was about 6 or 7. Plus my parents had a nice vinyl collection.
idk probably just watching MTV(in the 90s before they fell apart). i remember being in 3rd or 4th grade and gettin in trouble for bringin 2Pac cassettes and south park vhs's to school. then around 99 i started battling on forums....and discovering alot of talented underground artists as the radio exponentially got worse.
I'm white, but my old neighbor was black and BIG was his favorite rapper, so he got me into it. I've branched out from there, but Biggie's still my favorite.
I grew up listening to radio rock and the stuff my Dad listened to (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Marley, Johnny Cash, Jimmy Buffet) and I can remember being a little kid around 4 or 5 and hearing a rap song on tv. I told my mom that I like rap and she said "Oh no honey you don't like that. They just talk about violence and bad things." So I just never listened to it after that. At age 12 I was still a big rock fan and all I knew was the bad radio rap. I couldnt stand that and I hated it and thought all rap was like that. I was playing tony hawk's underground and I heard some tracks by del, atmosphere, aesop rock, and the living legends. I had no clue what it was. I was like "This sounds like rap but they dont talk about horrible subjects like the popular guys." I made myself believe that it wasnt rap b.c. it sounded good and were talking about subjects that werent as raunchy. I liked those songs, but I still wasnt convinced. At age 15 I met a kid my freshman year of high school who showed me those exact same guys I had heard on the video game. He also showed me tupac, wu tang clan, and other old school guys. I was hooked right there. I started exploring all kinds of old school and underground rappers.
I've spent most my adolescence a devout metal head; with a small and hidden passion for hip-hop. As we know people mature and cliques and stereotypes dissolve. I now listen to all sorts; from Death Metal through Hip Hop to Classical. I guess the roots of my hip hop appreciation were kinda recent compared to many people, I started listening to it just after the Marshall Mathers LP dropped. Stuck to mainstream rap like Eminem for a few years until metal became a smaller part of my music library and now I spend a lot of my time listening to a load of more underground stuff.