Why don't more rappers make music the average guy can relate to?

[RTF]

I do agree that rappers need to quit dissing the average joe shyt. Honda Accord's, Rav4's, certain brands etc. there's no need to diss to get your point across.

 

[OG Talk]

Life is real, life is harsh. I don't need a form of entertainment constantly reminding of this fact..

Although I disagree personally, I respect this and honestly that's all that really needs to be said...

All these other rationalizations and explanations are unnecessary and frankly just red herrings...

The majority of Americans feel the same way you do...Which is why the 9 out of the 10 highest grossing movies of 2012 are all science fiction based...

Of course hip hop is gonna follow those trends...More people are finding comfort in escapism than ever before...

*goes to order my fish filet from the dollar menu while bumping N1ggas In Paris

*tries to convince myself that it's because I relate

 

[RTF]

Although I disagree personally, I respect this and honestly that's all that really needs to be said...

All these other rationalizations and explanations are unnecessary and frankly just red herrings...

The majority of Americans feel the same way you do...Which is why the 9 out of the 10 highest grossing movies of 2012 are all science fiction based...

Of course hip hop is gonna follow those trends...More people are finding comfort in escapism than ever before...

*goes to order my fish filet from the dollar menu while bumping N1ggas In Paris

*tries to convince myself that it's because I relate

Also, we want to be transported into another place. Me, I prefer my raps somewhat based on reality, like I enjoy my movies. I can relate to some aspects of Cube's Death Certificate & Boys in The Hood but not really, the fact the stories are steeped in something I understand and feel make it great. I've never stepped foot in Cali or St. Louis but Summer Vacation is brilliant. I felt the story.

Now, I would agree rappers rarely use any context. Jay did try on NIP (we ain't even supposed to be here) but a lot of the stuff these days is just wild. No consequences. No downfalls. that French Montana shyt. I can't mess with it because I find it insulting.



Doesn't mean I want to bump Sideline Story and here another student loan reference by Cole

 

[mortuus est]

Jay z and camron have loads of songs i can relate to dunny

 

[Homeboy Runny-Ray]

alot of wierdo rappers in here being passed off as a representative of the average guy.

also, good music is good music. i could care less what theyre rapping about. the problem is, most of the best "average guy" rappers are way too average skillswise. and thats not even counting all the wack ones. most average guy rappers havnt been jammin in about 20 years, therefore most of them get ignored. and rightfully so.

I do agree that rappers need to quit dissing the average joe shyt. Honda Accord's, Rav4's, certain brands etc. there's no need to diss to get your point across.

why? your average person in the hood disses brands all the time. even kids. and this is all without a rapper's cosign.

i think some of you are just trying to mold hip-hop into what you personally want it to be, not realizing that youre really just trying to take all the life & authenticity out of it.

Have you ever heard of the blues? What do you think rap music was primarily about prior to the No limit-Cashmoney era? The foundation of rap music was laid down by this song. Listen to it and tell me hiphop was supposed to be about rapping as if everybody can live like Mitt Romney.

Grandmaster Flash - The Message - YouTube

this wasnt what rap was about either. hip-hop was around for nearly a decade up to that point, and they did that song against their will. they didnt want to do it because it was too serious and not what rap was about.

 

[No1]

Although I disagree personally, I respect this and honestly that's all that really needs to be said...

All these other rationalizations and explanations are unnecessary and frankly just red herrings...

The majority of Americans feel the same way you do...Which is why the 9 out of the 10 highest grossing movies of 2012 are all science fiction based...

Of course hip hop is gonna follow those trends...More people are finding comfort in escapism than ever before...

*goes to order my fish filet from the dollar menu while bumping N1ggas In Paris

*tries to convince myself that it's because I relate

In Paris was hot partially because of who made it to be honest. You know how Jay is a surrogate father to a lot of these guys. But that's the problem with you, blackthoughts and the sheff, heck, it's the problem with everyone of you older hip hop fans. You're firmly settled in life and think that for music to be relatable it has to reflect YOUR life as it is currently.

You know what the most relatable line on Life is Good was to me? "When you're too hood to be in them Hollywood circles, and you're too rich to be in that hood that birthed you."

Everyone I know who left home, went to college grad school, got a career, whatever and is around my age understands that line. Your entire circle changes. Heck, my younger cousin just started college 4 weeks ago and already feels that way. It's almost like you don't fit anywhere for a minute. We had a discussion in the TLR about that.

The most relatable line on Watch the Throne, "Domino, domino, only see a few blacks the higher up that I go....I'm all dressed up with no place to go."

I didn't need to be rich to understand that emotion. Anyone in the midst of progress understands that. More importantly, a lot of times people just wanted to have fun and go wild. NIP had an infectious beat.

Like I said before, you're no longer Hip Hop's audience and you don't understand that audience so you overgeneralize their listeners and would much rather believe that it's all because they're sheep being fed by "the man" than buying shyt they would independently want to hear.

Look at J. Cole, he released Lost Ones as a single about teenage pregnancy, but it was nowhere near as big as "Nobody's Perfect." It matches the 2Pac analogy Tre was giving perfectly. His audience didn't change, they just bumped one song more.

 

[OG Talk]

Also, we want to be transported into another place. Me, I prefer my raps somewhat based on reality, like I enjoy my movies. I can relate to some aspects of Cube's Death Certificate & Boys in The Hood but not really, the fact the stories are steeped in something I understand and feel make it great. I've never stepped foot in Cali or St. Louis but Summer Vacation is brilliant. I felt the story.

Now, I would agree rappers rarely use any context. Jay did try on NIP (we ain't even supposed to be here) but a lot of the stuff these days is just wild. No consequences. No downfalls. that French Montana shyt. I can't mess with it because I find it insulting.



Doesn't mean I want to bump Sideline Story and here another student loan reference by Cole

Well said..

I personally don't have a problem listening to Seinfeld rap or materialistic rap.. I just have a preference for artists I can personally relate to or atleast empathize with...
The YOLO, poppin bands and bottles and party stuff is cool and has it's place.. Their just used to be way more diversity in the mainstream...

But you're right at the end of the day you gotta be interesting or entertaining...Which is why I would rather listen to Rick Ross (who can't relate to) than J. Cole who I can....


At the end of the day the lack of diversity is at an all time low...And that goes for all art and entertainment, not just hip hop...

 

[Non Sequitur]

So you sign a contract and magically that advance makes you rich? A dentist makes 3 times as much money as the average rapper and they live humble as fukk.

My dentist drives a...

 

[Family Man]

most rappers arent the average guy

fukk is you talking about CAC?

 

[Mr Uncle Leroy]

would you purchase music from a relatable rapper?

 

[Loose]

I wouldn't take a satirical joke in a Chris Rock HBO special as an example though lolz

Being a rapper is the same as running a business
You can't compare a businessman's salary to a dentist's, a dentist has a constant flow of income (depending on their practice), while a businessman has to maintain, support, and build, which is a rapper's same routine. Lil Scrappy and them were probably shytty businessmen or had shytty agents Mac Miller sold 145k independent, that's almost half a millie. Curren$y is stacked from building off mixtapes.

Currensy and Mac Miller aren't that rich at all

 

[DaPresident]

Its entertainment...


I listen to get the fukk away from wherever I am at the time. Sometimes they say stuff I can relate to, other times, no. I listen to lyrics and whatnot, but most of the time, I just need an escape from bordem, anger, hurt, or depression. Some wild emotion I'm going thru at the time.

I've honestly gotten what I've wanted out of rap. I was the guy arguing Nas and Jay-Z at lunchtime to cats who felt Gucci and 3-6 Mafia were better. I've had enough of that. Now I understand what they were saying. They didn't want to be preached to all of the time, sometimes they just wanna hear ignant shyt.

I stick to my fav artists (im a mid-80's baby) I grew up listening to, but now, I just listen for beats and funny one liners. I'm done looking for a message or tearing up the song to understand the lyrics. I just wanna mellow out, hit a blunt, and listen to the music that fits my mood at the time...

So fukk artists I can relate to, most of 'em lyin in they raps anyway. nikkas cant relate to this 9 to 5 I go to errday, barely getting paid enough...every rapper now got 80 chains on or drive something foreign....I got a dodge and you know what? I love that shyt lol

 

[OG Talk]

In Paris was hot partially because of who made it to be honest. You know how Jay is a surrogate father to a lot of these guys. But that's the problem with you, blackthoughts and the sheff, heck, it's the problem with everyone of you older hip hop fans. You're firmly settled in life and think that for music to be relatable it has to reflect YOUR life as it is currently.You know what the most relatable line on Life is Good was to me? "When you're too hood to be in them Hollywood circles, and you're too rich to be in that hood that birthed you."

Everyone I know who left home, went to college grad school, got a career, whatever and is around my age understands that line. Your entire circle changes. Heck, my younger cousin just started college 4 weeks ago and already feels that way. It's almost like you don't fit anywhere for a minute. We had a discussion in the TLR about that.

The most relatable line on Watch the Throne, "Domino, domino, only see a few blacks the higher up that I go....I'm all dressed up with no place to go."


.

This is actually bullshyt...

I saw you misrepresenting my thoughts earlier in this thread so let me take a moment to make this clear...

First off.. When I speak it's always for myself and never for the culture...I'm not that arrogant or presumptuous and I'm not on a mission to convert anyone to my way of thinking.. I try to end as many sentences as I can with "imo" just to be clear about that..

2nd I don't need music to reflect the way my life is currently...That's just ridiculous and if that was the case I would have probably stopped listening to 95% of all music years ago...

To ME (again personal preference) hip hop is usually best when it is a voice for the opressed that normally wouldn't have a platform or social commentary on the enviornment...But that's just what I like personally... Some people might feel hip hop is at it's best when it makes you want to dance and forget all your problems....Cool... That's just not me...


You keep saying that hip hop is for young people...Okay maybe so...Then why are all of the people in control of putting out the images and messages that are currently most popular all older than me? You're insinuating that people like me are some how out of touch with the pulse of the youth, when I coach Pop Warner and AAU in the inner city and am involved with 100blackmen...You using college students as the litmus test of the core hip hop audience leads me to believe that you might be the one thats a bit out of touch..The majority of the young dudes I deal with everyday will never even make it to college and a lot won't graduate from high school...They don't relate to these rappers.. They idolize them...Which in itself is a terrible thing in most cases (imo)...

 

[G.O.A.T Squad Spokesman]

would you purchase music from a relatable rapper?

I own a J-Cole album.

 

[TrapHouse Rock]

i need a few dope lines here and there to remind me you're still human, and i need a few "other" emcees to be kicking regular shyt when i'm in the mood for that.

but if you have a bar here and there to remind me you are in some degree regular folk, you can spit that superhero superhuman rich ass motherfukker shyt all day and i wont care