Hip Hop Really Deserves to Die At This Point

[Awesome Wells]

Natural order. For creativity, individualism, and art to become the wave again - the music has to become monotonous and predictable. Then the cycle will repeat, the fans will turn their backs on experimental for the satisfaction of what's consistent and familiar.

The good thing is there are some artist who don't know how to be anything but who they are and there are some who can be whatever that's necessary to reach as many people as possible.

All true.

I think with Hip Hop, we probably reached that point around 20 years ago, and just got stuck in the predictable and monotonous cycle, so labels can profit. I said the same about a lot of these artists not knowing how to be anything other than what they are. The thing that's wild that someone pointed out to me over the weekend that's mad true is, back in the day, the artists had more positive influence over the listener. They could lead with commentary and thought-provoking music, and inspire the youth to read more history and protest, etc.

Today, artists are basically doing any and everything to please their following, even if that means not growing as an artist for fear of losing younger listeners, or dumbing down their sh*t, to simplify the listen and be as catchy as they possibly can be, to grow their fanbase. Like Erick Sermon said recently, "Hip Hop's great at telling people how to get high or locked up now".

But Hip Hop's intelligent influence and ability to spark the minds of listeners for the betterment of the culture is dead as a MF.

 

[Rozay Oro]

I agree.

But the new talent still needs the OG's for guidance. Every generation should be learning from the one before. Problem is, the newer talent is starting everything from scratch. So they don’t know sh*t about development or even how to reach a certain standard or level of greatness. Nobody's teaching them. And they're not going back and listening to classics so they can work with some kind of blueprint. They're all just doing whatever they know, but with a limited perspective.

Which is why the music is so trash.

Denzel Curry and etc are just now the minority now.
the labels are pushing young kids from the trenches with murderous raps or thot rap broads.

Culture is dead if we gonna be honest. They want to destroy us and the youth psychologically. Best way to do it

 

[Mike Wins]

Said this before but the concept of Drake having passionate stans in their 30s and up some of the funniest shyt ever to me.

And I fukk with plenty of dude's music, but I like McDonald's once in a while too, you know? Fact is he a manufactured corporate puppet who don't write his own music. He don't stand for nothing and don't got shyt to say. Not worth taking him seriously on any level.

 

[Mac Ten]

Very true.

Dres from Black Sheep spoke about this. He said right after they got their deal, he knew a lot of other dope MC's who were making conscious rap, who were being turned away from labels because they weren't "street enough". There was a concerted effort on the part of major labels around '93-'94, to not sign anything that wasn't driving that image, which was why so many people tried to switch to that. Just to get on. UMC's said they felt pressure to be "more hardcore" because they couldn't get promoted by EMI for their second album, without making the switch.

This is why Rawkus was started. To give people an alternative to what the system was intentionally pushing and promoting 24/7.

My dude !! I’ve been on a Rawkus Records binge today on Cinco De Mayo. I wish that Soundbombing 2 was on Apple Music though along with Lyricist Lounge 2.

Those along with Train Of Thought, Black On Both Sides, Quality, and Hip Hop For Respect are my favorite projects from that camp.


It was Loud Records for Backpackers

 

[TrapHouse Rock]

its 2024 hip-hop is a walking, talking vagina str8 puss

I placed every thread about this cat fight on ignore

"ooh gurl did u hear Drake gotta a baby by.......ken be beatin on old gurl *snaps fingers*"

its all estrogen 100% sissy shyt

 

[Awesome Wells]

My dude !! I’ve been on a Rawkus Records binge today on Cinco De Mayo. I wish that Soundbombing 2 was on Apple Music though along with Lyricist Lounge 2.

Those along with Train Of Thought, Black On Both Sides, Quality, and Hip Hop For Respect are my favorite projects from that camp.


It was Loud Records for Backpackers

True! Rawkus shutting down was one of the saddest things to happen in Hip Hop.

They didn't get the support they needed from listeners, so it was hard for them to bring in the kinda bread to keep their distribution deals for longer than just a couple years. Rawkus should've been Def Jam for the new underground generation. The industry could use a label like that today. BADLY!!

 

[Shadow King]

Artists from the '80s, '90s, and early '00s did it for their love of the culture and the people.

Selling records, making money, and getting famous was just a plus to them. They made classic albums, songs, etc because they wanted to carve out their legacies in Hip-Hop.

Even when rappers did beef back then, a lot of it was due to wanting to be the best. That competitive spirit most of the time was out of love for the genre which at times further served as motivation to make the best (original sounding) music possible and that's why so much great music was released back then because it derived from their love of the culture.

Many of these rappers and artists today don't care about the meaning of Hip-Hop culture let alone exhibit that same love and gratitude for the genre...they just use the genre to make money and gain clout/fame (similar to a vulture) which has led to the genre's downfall because no love or care is being put into the music.

Hip-hop had a soul (and a heart) back then, it's gone now.

Eh...the evolution of the MC made it so that they had to compete and care about the craft but by the 90s all the superficial rewards were just as important as the art and culture itself for most rappers.

 

[DaHNIC82]

True! Rawkus shutting down was one of the saddest things to happen in Hip Hop.

They didn't get the support they needed from listeners, so it was hard for them to bring in the kinda bread to keep their distribution deals for longer than just a couple years. Rawkus should've been Def Jam for the new underground generation. The industry could use a label like that today. BADLY!!

They had grassroots support but the 2000s came and they were forced to cater to different demographics due to switching distributers.

Kool G Rap said Rawkus signed him for a shyt ton of money and then wanted him to make records like 50. Wanted him to work on his muscles and shyt. Said nikka ain't no fukking punk ass white boys gonna tell me how to make my music

 

[Mac Ten]

True! Rawkus shutting down was one of the saddest things to happen in Hip Hop.

They didn't get the support they needed from listeners, so it was hard for them to bring in the kinda bread to keep their distribution deals for longer than just a couple years. Rawkus should've been Def Jam for the new underground generation. The industry could use a label like that today. BADLY!!

Yeah maybe…

When Loud shut down, I knew street Hip Hop was going to die off.


Rawkus looked out for the nerds and backpackers.

 

[CHICAGO]

HIP HOP IS A REFLECTION OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

THE DEEPER THE COMMUNITY
FALLS INTO THE GUTTER
HIP HOP FOLLOWS.




​

 

[New Jeruzalem Journalist]

I've been heavy on the lyrics lounge shyt....got a thread on it....




this shyt came out in like 97

This is a throwback. They were local Jersey cats. I have their original demo on a cassette somewhere cuz my man was real right with them. I actually had to cover a day of the trial for the one member that's doing a bid for murder for one of my journalism classes shortly after this album dropped.

Lyricist Lounge 1 was a top 5 Rawkus release. Probably my most played album with Heavy Mental my senior year of HS.

 

[Awesome Wells]

They had grassroots support but the 2000s came and they were forced to cater to different demographics due to switching distributers.

Kool G Rap said Rawkus signed him for a shyt ton of money and then wanted him to make records like 50. Wanted him to work on his muscles and shyt. Said nikka ain't no fukking punk ass white boys gonna tell me how to make my music

Yup!

They were trying to have G Rap over Neptunes beats. He told them they were wack. HAHA! That wasn't the best situation for either party. I wanted that to work out, but it was drama from day one. Thing is, G Rap was acting up a lot. He took their money knowing that they were going to have a hand in trying to shape his next chapter, but then when they started doing all the sh*t he agreed to, he was being defiant.

G Rap is one of the best ever, and one of my favorite MC's of all-time. But dude isn't the easiest person to work with. He has trouble at every label. Pharrell was trying to bring back "Ill Street Blues" G Rap because that was what G said he wanted to do, but then when Neptunes tried to, he said he wanted to switch and make more "commercial" records, not do the old sh*t he used to do. LOL!!

 

[Awesome Wells]

Yeah maybe…

When Loud shut down, I knew street Hip Hop was going to die off.


Rawkus looked out for the nerds and backpackers.

Stones Throw kinda took over for the nerds and backpackers.

And I think the label is dope, but their roster is all over the place.

 

[Morose Polymath]

My dude !! I’ve been on a Rawkus Records binge today on Cinco De Mayo. I wish that Soundbombing 2 was on Apple Music though along with Lyricist Lounge 2.

Those along with Train Of Thought, Black On Both Sides, Quality, and Hip Hop For Respect are my favorite projects from that camp.


It was Loud Records for Backpackers

Soundbombing 1 & 2 are Hip-Hop classics. The songs, the scratching, the skits, the freestyles, etc.

Those albums were the soundtrack to my High School days

Damn, I miss this era

 

[Mac Ten]

Soundbombing 1 & 2 are Hip-Hop classics. The songs, the scratching, the skits, the freestyles, etc.

Those albums were the soundtrack to my High School days

Damn, I miss this era

I need those joints on CD mayne… Lyricist Lounge 2 as well.


U can’t even find the whole Rawkus catalog on Apple Music which kinda sucks too.


Rawkus had a good thing going too. They fumbled Kool G up bad.


They should have let him be himself like how Master P did with Snoop when he went to No Limit.


We can’t have Kool G Rap rapping over Neptunes beats. Maybe Dr. Dre beats.

Imagine a Kool G album produced by Dr.Dre.


He was a gangster rapper and that would have fit Dre’s formula. I don’t think him and Rakim would have meshed very well.


Kool G and Dre would have been better