Hip Hop And Its Four Elements

[::Ex-Soldier::]

Djing, MCing, Breakdancing, and Graffiti all form to create or support a very popular and sometimes annoying kind of music. Through graffiti, I have learned to love hip hop (I used to hate it bad) and I started to understand it. My friends used to ask me why I was into graffiti, but didn't listen to hip hop. It didn't make sense to them. I told them exactly what alot of you would say. But I want to understand why many of you hate on it, because I see many words fly around when it's talked about, and I think it's about time to clear things up. The main question here is, do you like hip hop? Why or why not?

I find that alot of mainstream rap today is all about one thing. Money. I see it everywhere. Hip hop exploited to hell. Rap videos on, and seeing as how I live in toronto, I see that hip hop is more popular down here. I can walk down the street and see some people with white, low, tshirts and say "Oh look, some hip hop heads", but usually I'd be wrong.

It'd probably be best now to quote a famous underground rapper.
"Rap is something you do, hip hop is something you live" - KRS One

I ticks me off a bit though how it is such a big stereotype nowadays. Rap videos FILLED to the PRIME with ********. Money, bling, popping people, etc. Notice how 50 cent doesn't call himself a "gangsta" but yet has pictures of himself with a gun, and is open about his love for guns. He also doesn't shut up (or maybe it's the fans that never shut up) about how he was shot I dunno how many times for drug dealing. For fucks sake, this doesn't make the man a king in hip hop! This makes him a bum! Every rapper now adays has to act tough, and front with other rappers.

To the masses, hip hop is about all that bull. But to me, and alot of other, hip hop is still....hip hop. Their are so many underground rappers now adays that I can say that hip hop still lives, and shines. Because these artists still know what hip hop is. They aren't about the bling, the rep, the money. They're about telling us stories, and enlightening us on many subjects, even politics! I can name a few that really stand out like Gangstarr, Public Enemy, Dilated Peoples, Deltron 3030, even the streets is sticking it's head out, and though he is getting popular, he still knows what hip hop is about. Because not all hip hop is about that kind of stuff.

I truely hope this trend dies. Maybe you may not like the style of music itself. I mean, many people think it just sounds bad, and it's hard to listen to. And thats ok! But when someone tells me they don't like hip hop because it's about bling and then name off a few bad artists, that is true ignorance!

Ok, anyways, i think thats a bit more than I should have typed...but thats how I spin it.

Anyways, let me know what you think, if you agree or not...ps, keep it mature.

[Delta]

cool.
I get you. Hip-hop's a style of music, like classical or what have you.
Hmm... I think the trend's all about how they package the artist.

Concerning the "bling-bling" songs:
I think the editors, mixers and all them background people turn the bass up so high that you don't really hear the lyrics, don't you think so?
:D


"I can see your lips flappin' but I don't hear ya."

[::Ex-Soldier::]

Haha, dope.

They really do turn the bass up high, it's really annoying. I was watching much music yesterday, and I just blinked, and it was loyed banks or whatever, and that is like...the pefect example of what I hate. He has extremely wack rhymes. At one part he rhymes two words that don't rhyme, but he twists one so it does... :rolleyes:

I think concious hip hop, or "hip hop that matters" is getting some steam now. With groups like...Sweatshop Union, and Kanye West, even though kanye isn't so concious as everyone thinks he is. He's not talking much about anything, he just has some different songs that no one is used to is all.

[Zen]

[color=green][size=1]


I do agree with you alot on the stereotypes of Hip Hop nowadays. Mainly perpitrated by that abundance of bad gangsta rappers, the 'crunk' wave (which started out good), and now, the Mid-West, Chingy being target of much of my hate. There are some main stream hip hop artists today that still have my heart however. That being:

[B]Kanye West:[/B] Speaking his mind and being a totally open and new sound in the game. Its really refreshing to hear him. Aswell, he's one of the few hip hop artists who do good remixs, and not all of which being rap or R&B songs ("This Love" and "The Reason" being a few)

[B]Jay-Z:[/B] One of the few gangsta rappers I like, even though he claims not to be (seeing as how he actually wasn't connected with a gang) he talks of his past of drug dealing and some violence in a way that is regretful, which I like. Aswell, I love his analogies and his ability to thoroughly chew up his rivals in any song, my favorite of his being "Takeover".

[B]Lloyd Banks:[/B] The only person in G-Unit worth the diamonds he wears. I like him alot more than the head man, 50 Cent, and a hell of alot more than Young Buc.

[B]LL Cool J:[/B] One of the original and longest lasting battle MC's and funk MC's, I especially enjoyed his battle with Canubis and his latest track "Headsprung", which sounds Dirty South, but really isn't.

[B]Fat Joe:[/B] Best (and only) fat rapper a round. I like his flow and vocal style, and although it is becoming out played, I enjoyed the "Lean Back" track.

[B]KRS-ONE:[/B] " I'm number one, oh wait, I number one, two, three, four, and five.", the original teacher, him and Jay-Z are my main inspirations in my own style of rap (which used to be abundant in the Battle Arena). I really enjoy his style of in your face rapping, aswell his ability to totally contradict himself, and still make you like him. Thats a good thing.

[B]The Beastie Boys:[/B] The Most underground main stream MC's you could ever know. These guys helped shape Hip Hop in a way few ever did. First hand, they are one of the few groups who still incorperates a DJ as a headliner in the line up and major part of the group (that being the amazing MixMasterMike). The Three Jewish Freedom Fighters are old school MC's in a highly sold-out industry. And contrary to their old school style, they still are propelling the Hip Hop Genre forward, hopefully in the right direction.

Now on track of underground MC's, there are several I enjoy, many with names I forget, there are a few I remember vaguely though.

Frog One
J-Live
Quassimoto
Aasim
Saigon
Scram Jones

There great. But Hip Hop wouldn't be Hip Hop without the DJ's. There are several great ones to take notice of, I have two particular favorite groups though, who are just, the best of the best.

[B]The X-Ecutioners/X-Men:[/B] Containing the scratch and beat making talents of the combined Rob Swift, Roc Raida, and Total Eclipse. The X-Men would be more well known if their songs had their names tagged to it. Having their songs play on both Twix commercials and on two of the SSX games on PS2. The guys are amazing.

[B]The Invisbl Skratch Piklz:[/B] The great, the untouchable, and the most unbeatable Skratch Piklz are made up of the combinded talents of Yoga Frog, Short Kut, MixMasterMike (of the Beastie Boys), and arguebly the greatest DJ to date, Q*Bert. The Skratch Piklz were so good, the were asked to withdraw from competeting in the DMC (Disco Mixing Championships) because they were discouraging the competition from entering. These guys deserve more fame for what they do. But unfortunatley, they broke up a while ago and went their seperate ways.


Of Hip Hop's four elements, I participate in two, that being Breakdancing (pop'n'lock routines and foot work mainly) and MCing (I write lyrics, and I'm trying to develop my flow style) and I'm a fan of all four elements. Hopefully, some people will come along and break the current mold artist are made in. But until then, we'll all have to wait and enjoy the legacy of the greats, like Jay-Z, B.I.G., KRS-ONE, the Beasties, and The Skratch Piklz.[/color][/size]