"The artist who truly suffers, his stuff is the best, cause his heart bleed on his sleeve" - Nas

[bouncy]

I don't think its true in totality. Yes, an artists who suffers will express themselves and create good music but, the same can be said of the artists who truly enjoys life. I don't mean buying stuff, I mean the artist who can truly enjoy what life gives you, the good, and the bad.

Music is about emotions, and emotions aren't always a simple good or bad. We are just used to companies playing off of our pain so we think that makes the best music but, think about all the music that is about sex, our parents/family, and friends or our mates. A lot of those weren't depressing but they hit our emotions just like the negative ones.

 

[The Ruler 09]

I don't think its true in totality. Yes, an artists who suffers will express themselves and create good music but, the same can be said of the artists who truly enjoys life. I don't mean buying stuff, I mean the artist who can truly enjoy what life gives you, the good, and the bad.

Music is about emotions, and emotions aren't always a simple good or bad. We are just used to companies playing off of our pain so we think that makes the best music but, think about all the music that is about sex, our parents/family, and friends or our mates. A lot of those weren't depressing but they hit our emotions just like the negative ones.

I think this was already mentioned quite a few times, by myself included, but just out of interest what GREAT rappers have there been that don't have an element of this? I can't think of many...

 

[bouncy]

I think this was already mentioned quite a few times, by myself included, but just out of interest what GREAT rappers have there been that don't have an element of this? I can't think of many...

An element of what?

 

[The Ruler 09]

An element of what?

An element of suffering within their experience, I guess you could argue all black people experience in element of this within the Western world because of how shyt is set up. Like if you go even from Melle Mel...

"Broken glass, everywhere, people pissing on the stairs, you know they just don't care"

Even that is from an experience and an environment.

 

[bouncy]

An element of suffering within their experience, I guess you could argue all black people experience in element of this within the Western world because of how shyt is set up. Like if you go even from Melle Mel...

"Broken glass, everywhere, people pissing on the stairs, you know they just don't care"

Even that is from an experience and an environment.

Well yeah, every great rapper has rhymed about painful emotions but, I think too many artists think painful emotions make them a great artist when it doesn't. Its the artist who can give you ALL emotions, and do it both in simple and complex ways. An artist who just shows pain eventually will be disliked because they will be seen as the negative person or complainer.

 

[The Ruler 09]

Well yeah, every great rapper has rhymed about painful emotions but, I think too many artists think painful emotions make them a great artist when it doesn't. Its the artist who can give you ALL emotions, and do it both in simple and complex ways. An artist who just shows pain eventually will be disliked because they will be seen as the negative person or complainer.

I can't think of that many rappers who just solely spoke about pain no, but I don't think that was the point, I think it was more to have an understanding/or experience of that makes one a better artists. I agree it's an artist who can give you all emotions, but unless you have an understanding of the aforementioned then you can't give all emotions. I don't know, Pac is the most popular rapper ever and he had a lot of music about pain, struggle etc, I know he had other shyt but he spoke about that shyt a lot too...

 

[bouncy]

I can't think of that many rappers who just solely spoke about pain no, but I don't think that was the point, I think it was more to have an understanding/or experience of that makes one a better artists. I agree it's an artist who can give you all emotions, but unless you have an understanding of the aforementioned then you can't give all emotions. I don't know, Pac is the most popular rapper ever and he had a lot of music about pain, struggle etc, I know he had other shyt but he spoke about that shyt a lot too...

But let's be real, PAC got big because of beefing, and his death. We can't look at him. Look at someone like Scarface. His music is mostly about pain, and a lot of artist respect him but, his sells aren't big.

Again, we are taught from the day we are born into this world that pain is something big as far as the arts. Look at movies, the news, TV shows, a lot of them use pain to get you to watch but most of them are not that great just good. The difference with music is you can show all emotions with an album. But if most of your songs are about pain or negativity, people will get tired of you. Look at Nas, his music is mostly about issues in the world, and he don't sell as much albums as he did when he talked about the happy times and bad times. Jay is still selling because he does the opposite, he talks mostly about the good times, and only sometimes about the pain. People try to dis Nas by saying he is trying to kick knowledge but that is a simple way of saying he complains too much. Don't get me wrong, I love Nas' music, but I also understand how people feel even when they don't because I love studying people. I been doing it since I was a child. Its what protected me.

 

[The Ruler 09]

But let's be real, PAC got big because of beefing, and his death. We can't look at him. Look at someone like Scarface. His music is mostly about pain, and a lot of artist respect him but, his sells aren't big.

Again, we are taught from the day we are born into this world that pain is something big as far as the arts. Look at movies, the news, TV shows, a lot of them use pain to get you to watch but most of them are not that great just good. The difference with music is you can show all emotions with an album. But if most of your songs are about pain or negativity, people will get tired of you. Look at Nas, his music is mostly about issues in the world, and he don't sell as much albums as he did when he talked about the happy times and bad times. Jay is still selling because he does the opposite, he talks mostly about the good times, and only sometimes about the pain. People try to discuss Has by saying he is trying to kick knowledge but that is a simple way of saying he complains too much. Don't get me wrong, I love Nas' music, but I also understand how people feel even when they don't because I love studying people. I been doing it since I was a child. Its what protected me.

Nah, I don't agree with that, Me Against The World was a popular record. Also this isn't about popularity, it's about being a great artist, and Face is that, he talks about other shyt too.

It's not about the sales, it's about the art, I think everybody mostly would say Nas is making better music than Jay currently.

 

[bouncy]

Nah, I don't agree with that, Me Against The World was a popular record. Also this isn't about popularity, it's about being a great artist, and Face is that, he talks about other shyt too.

It's not about the sales, it's about the art, I think everybody mostly would say Nas is making better music than Jay currently.

Great is an opinion though, the only thing that can be proof of your greatness is how many people buy your music. My man down the block can be the greatest rapper around but, he isn't great to you because you never heard of him or if you did, you don't buy his music, so he can't be that great. Of course politics play a part but, if an artist doesn't go through beefs, or controversy, and still have a lot of sales, he is a great artist because he can get people to buy his stuff because he hits their emotions. Hence a great artist.

Me against the world came out after PAC got shot, and when he was all over the news for the rape case. Don't get me wrong PAC hit your emotions, especially with dear mama but it wasn't just the music that sold that album, it was the controversy of his life.

 

[The Ruler 09]

Great is an opinion though, the only thing that can be proof of your greatness is how many people buy your music. My man down the block can be the greatest rapper around but, he isn't great to you because you never heard of him or if you did, you don't buy his music, so he can't be that great. Of course politics play a part but, if an artist doesn't go through beefs, or controversy, and still have a lot of sales, he is a great artist because he can get people to buy his stuff because he hits their emotions. Hence a great artist.

Me against the world came out after PAC got shot, and when he was all over the news for the rape case. Don't get me wrong PAC hit your emotions, especially with dear mama but it wasn't just the music that sold that album, it was the controversy of his life.

Nah, I don't agree with that at all, I don't think greatness is about how many people buy your music. Vanilla Ice was GREAT?. He would be great to me if I heard his music and it was great music lol. Pac is THE most popular rapper though, a large part of that is how deeply he related to people.

Without the suffering there's no Dear Mama, no even Keep Ya Head Up, Blasphemy, Against All Odds, PAIN lol, and countless other songs, Brenda's Got A Baby, Trapped, you could go on and on...

 

[DANJ!]

Either one of two things drives great art:

Pain/hurt/suffering

or

desire to succeed/point to prove

This is why music is full of big comeback albums, great debuts that were hard for the artist to live up to, albums that were packed with hits, etc. When an artist has his/her back to the wall in some form, they usually drop their best work.

This also explains why some artists have these types of albums... and then everyone puts them on a pedestal and start to praise them on "do no wrong" level, they become comfortable and never match that album again.

 

[bouncy]

Nah, I don't agree with that at all, I don't think greatness is about how many people buy your music. Vanilla Ice was GREAT?. He would be great to me if I heard his music and it was great music lol. Pac is THE most popular rapper though, a large part of that is how deeply he related to people.

Without the suffering there's no Dear Mama, no even Keep Ya Head Up, Blasphemy, Against All Odds, PAIN lol, and countless other songs, Brenda's Got A Baby, Trapped, you could go on and on...

I already wrote if you can still sell without the contraversy, that proves your greatness. Vanilla Ice only sold big one time. The same for MC Hammer, the same for 50 cent. These artist always had contraversy to help them sell or just the right time but, as time went on they were gone. 50 just can't let fame go so we see him every where but, he aint selling nothing, and that's because he just hits negative emotions most of the time. Negative meaning street shyt and how to show he can protect himself from pain.

Who doesn't have suffering in this world? Of course PAC suffered and can make those songs but, so can anyone else. PAC got big because of acting, and the contraversy, then his death. I was there, and people were not going crazy over the "strictly for my nikkas", and "2pacalypse" PAC. Look at the sells of those albums, then look at me against the world, and you can see a major difference in sells. I get around is what really got shyt going for that album, but it was the shooting and rape case that made PAC who he is as far as record sells. People love to rewrite history.

 

[The Ruler 09]

I already wrote if you can still sell without the contraversy, that proves your greatness. Vanilla Ice only sold big one time. The same for MC Hammer, the same for 50 cent. These artist always had contraversy to help them sell or just the right time but, as time went on they were gone. 50 just can't let fame go so we see him every where but, he aint selling nothing, and that's because he just hits negative emotions most of the time. Negative meaning street shyt and how to show he can protect himself from pain.

Who doesn't have suffering in this world? Of course PAC suffered and can make those songs but, so can anyone else. PAC got big because of acting, and the contraversy, then his death. I was there, and people were not going crazy over the "strictly for my nikkas", and "2pacalypse" PAC. I get around is what really got shyt going for that album, but it was the shooting and rape case that made PAC who he is as far as record sells. People love to rewrite history.

I don't agree with any of this pretty much. I don't understand how you can say his songs weren't a factor in Pac's popularity...

 

[Da King]

Bigger Jay got more trash he became


MCHG is simply

 

[bouncy]

I don't agree with any of this pretty much. I don't understand how you can say his songs weren't a factor in Pac's popularity...

I didn't write that. I stated it was the contraversy that made him a great to people now. When he was alive, and no contraversy, he was not selling like he was after the bullshyt. This is a fact. If it was all about emotions, why didn't 2pacalypse and strictly for my nikkas sell at least platinum when they were released? Brenda's got a baby was PACs first or second single ever, and he was on interscope, not some unknown label with no funds.