Elevation?
written by 4 bars
written by 4 bars
So I’m listening to the remix of Lupe’s smash “Superstar” and I’m thinking to myself, “am I stupid for not being able to grasp this dude’s verses fully?” This is after Jeezy so eloquently spits:
“Took my first ten grand and bought a Honda Accord (hey!). And then I pack them things, inside the Honda Accord. And put them on the highway and watch the Honda Accord”
The “hey” ad lib is my favorite part btw (heavy sarc). But I was thinking that Lupe is clearly one of the most intelligent rappers the game has seen in a while, so much so that I’ve joked with my boys about how there needs to be a manual that you can refer to while listening to his albums because I honestly feel like I’m a pretty smart dude but SO much goes over my head when I listen to him. And what’s really cool is that he’s actually garnering some ‘superstar’ like attention with the massive appeal to his song ironically yet appropriately titled (even though most people only know the hook). But the question I’m posing is this, I touched on it a while back, the issue of balance in hip hop and I was thinking of how this balance should be achieved. Should hip hop continue to be dumbed down since, at this point, a lot of the rappers are more educated and intelligent than their audience (the black audience at least, sigh)? Or should we continue to elevate the game in order to in turn elevate the awareness and consciousness of the black audience?
A friend of mine who’s about 10 years older than me said that “hip hop was created for and by the common people, and that’s no longer who it’s for” and it made me think; his statement is true, but who are the “common” people now? Is it the audience that prefers Souljah Boy or Jeezy to Talib or Mos Def? And if this is the case, maybe the answer isn’t elevating the whole game but creating a balance where the D4Ls and Shawty Lo’s can exist and flourish without critics alogn with the Wale’s and Killers Mikes in hip hop. Cause honestly, I feel there is a need for both. I honestly enjoyed supersoakin that hoe from time to time (til they f’n killed it like they do every other popular thing) but I also need my constant Little Brother doses (go cop Getback btw, the more I listen, it may be the best album of 07). Where does this balance need to come from, though, and who is the audience that needs to be/doesn’t need to be changed/effected?
7 comments:
I think Dumb it Down answers that question perfectly. It's not so much about being intelligent as it is about having a gift and being great at your craft. I'm 100% sure on David Banner's best day he couldn't pull off some of the stuff that Lupe has, and I'm pretty sure he's got a degree or two under his belt (in English no less).
From what I recall, hip-hop is still purchased mostly by white people. Cool. So are we only taking into consideration the average black person or the average person, period?
Diversity is all I ask. There's no such thing as an average person. I know plenty of unintelligent college grads and I know one Nas that wrote Illmatic when he was like 17. Just give people more choices so they can choose what they like as opposed to force feeding them the same choices (or lack thereof) via radio.
I cosign with Just K. There needs to be more diversity.
Radio plays a large role in what is popular. Once radio gets the change going, I think the audience will adapt...
The Lost Boyz. They were never ultra lyrical but they were entertaining without seeming unintelligent. The lyrics were simple, the music was good, and completely relatable. Every guy in NY could relate to the way Mr. Cheeks stepped to Renee.
Diversity is key, and so is being able to really feel the music in a way. The Lost Boyz did that, BIG did that, Pac did that, Ice Cube did that (and I always thought he just meant a fat burger til I visited Cali, but Cali ppl knew what he meant), Lupe does that (Hip Hop Saved Me?! Come on it's all in there).
In terms of a balance, it comes from being able to listen to Little Brother and Saukrates and also like Too Short; or love Brenda's Got A Baby as much as It's All About You. Sometimes I feel bad when I don't bother to amuse the brothers out here selling their music in the streets cuz I wonder "well what if he is really nice."
Aight now I said all that let me address some of what you asked Four Bars. A lot of the time rappers speak intelligently but in a street context. We might not ever know what they're talking about at times if it's just something we aren't familiar with. Lupe I think goes over everyone's heads in some form. If you aren't into fashion then you might have no idea who Junya Watanabe is, and might not know what "O scadie sama desta" means either. THAT to me is the diversity within the artist and THAT is where we can look for a balance.
And I do also with radio played more than Chris Brown and Lil Wayne cuz then I might actually start listening again.
IF I HEAR THAT DAMN CHRIS BROWN SONG ONE MORE TIME IM GOING TO KILL MYSELF, OR CUT MY EARS OFF. DAMN!!! ITS MAKING ME DISLIKE THE BROTHER EVEN THOUGH ITS NOT HIS FAULT.
Sorry I had a much needed moment.
Its ok K-Storm. I think we can all agree. Radio does need to stop riding certain people. I guess that's what happens when you get a spot on the money train. I agree with pretty much most of what has been said. I would like to add also that I appreciate how people are capitalizing on the this technology era we're in where the internet is the driving force in the success of many people. It's a good thing and a bad thing (cuz we end up with Cassies and Souljah Boys getting large with little talent). But at the end of the day I would endure ten thousand Shawty Los if that meant access to one Lupe Fiasco.
From the 1st Post that I've ever written for PTM...
I Believe the money hungry executives are more to blame [for the downfall of hip-hop] than both of them [fans & artists]"
Three companies own like 80% of the radio stations in the country and One company owns the major music television stations. Add that to the "Nelly" cookie cutter formula that I talked about a few weeks ago and you have the lack of diversity that we have today.
There's this ridiculous view that only one type of music can sell at one time. If DMX, Kanye, Big Pun and Puffy can all go platinum then it shows that if you put quality out there although different, people will buy it.
But many record labels absorbed their "Hip-Hop" satellite companies (i.e. Loud) and started running that genre directly. This took alot of the A&R responsibilities out of the hands of people who actually gave a s**t about the music.
I feel you 24 because there's a ton of rappers that I end up ignoring and i wonder how nice he/she could be. I mean if 2008 politics existed in 1996, alot of rappers wouldn't have had careers. Jay-Z and Nas, both had lackluster sales out of the gate would have gotten dropped never to be heard from again.
Its tuff.
I agree wit JuSHH. It's "tuff" to have a balance in the game...
Personally I've always been fascinated by the careers of people like Nelly, Flo Rida, Lil John, and other rappers from the "dummbed down" south who have fun with their music rather than trying to teach a lesson or uplift the people through music or whatever.
Some people say its a regional thing and that the reason the music from the south comes out the way it does is because of the way people live down there. (nicer weather=partying more=party music)
Some people also say the same thing about the east. (cold rhymes, stares, and hearts, because of the cold weather)I cant say if that's true but it raises some questions...
Who know's???...lol.
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