"That Ain't Real Hip-Hop"...

[Confucius87]

I go onto alot of different forums, mostly Hip-Hop/Rap. And whenever the question comes up of what's happened to the game, the usual answer is "It's the South's fault. The shit they puttin' out ain't real hip-hop.", or something to that effect.

Now granted, it is alot of wack shit in the South. But that could easily also be said about the North, East and West. But that's not what I'm here to speak on.

What I want to know is, who is in the position to say something is real or if it isn't? If the topic really does apply to that musician's life, then isn't that alone credible enough to be deemed as real? Even if it is as simplistic as "Poppin' bottles and fuckin' models".

Now rather you can relate to it or not is a different story. Alot of people can't relate to Soulja Boy, but shit, that's also true about Scarface or Biggie rappin' about pushin' kilograms of Cocaine.

So once again, who has the right and how can someone say the music isn't real anymore?

 

[Devious]

i think when people talk about rap today not being "real" they mean that it is no longer an art form, it is commercialized. rappers aren't making albums they want to make because they want to make them, they are making commercialized music to try to cash in as much as they can. the rap game has sold out, and that isn't "real."

i mean it used to be about who's "realer," who's from the streets, who lived the life that they rap about on their albums and who has skill. now it's all about who sold more albums, or how much your corny single gets played on radio and MTV. that's not what hip-hop is supposed to be about, and i think that's why a lot of people have a problem with where they see rap headed. at least that's my opinion on it.

 

[Outlaw213]

i think when people talk about rap today not being "real" they mean that it is no longer an art form, it is commercialized. rappers aren't making albums they want to make because they want to make them, they are making commercialized music to try to cash in as much as they can. the rap game has sold out, and that isn't "real."

i mean it used to be about who's "realer," who's from the streets, who lived the life that they rap about on their albums and who has skill. now it's all about who sold more albums, or how much your corny single gets played on radio and MTV. that's not what hip-hop is supposed to be about, and i think that's why a lot of people have a problem with where they see rap headed. at least that's my opinion on it.

You're exactly tellin how it is.
You know right now I buy alot of older albums, like around 96' or 98', and it's incredible how many classic albums came out at that Time like Outkast's Aquemini,and Atliens,Ghostface,Raekwon,Gang Starr with Moment of Truth,Redman and alot others, but what was really the last classic album nowadays??
And then you're waitin for someone to drop an album, who didn't put out one in 5 Years and you get disappointed, cuz his whole style changed or shit like that.

 

[roaches]

I do.

 

[S O F I]

Read Becker's "Art Worlds".

 

[Universal]

hip-hop is on vacation.