Rap Music. The Downward Spiral.

Rap music, everyone has different opinions on it. Some feel it is a creative outlet to express the struggle of the urban culture or tell stories over beats. Others feel that it is a talentless form of poetry over music.

Im not particularly sure how you, the reader, feel about the hip-hop/rap culture but I'm sure you have noticed a few things about it.

Around 2002, it was more noticeable then, there started to become a trend of making a dance or making something up that everyone would know and only having that hit to rely on for your success. Since then their has been Huey (Pop, Lock, and Drop It), Yung Joc (made the motorcycle dance), and countless other dances spawned off of Crank Dat Soulja Boy. It is not necessarily the fact that people do the dances it is just the fact that the people are so shallow minded and dont realize that the rappers that make the songs are record label produced bullshit. There are new rappers coming and going now adays and it seems like no one has a true permancence anymore like the greats of yesteryear such as; Jay-Z, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, KRS1. Not to say that there arent good rappers now a days. Some truly good rappers are masters of their crafts and know what their doing. Good examples are; Kanye West, Custom Made, Lupe Fiasco, Tech N9ne.

Another trend in hip hop that I particularlly care for is older rappers dropping hot albums. I mean older rappers, as in you've been in the game for a substantial amount of time and had at least 5 albums drop. Some veterans are dropping hot albums. Nas put out "Untitled and Hip Hop is Dead". Dilated Peoples put out "The Release Party". Redman release "Red Gone Wild".

Very often will you stumble upon a rapper or a group of rappers who arent all about "getting money and bitches". Rappers who can expand beyond what is normal concious thought in the rap world. A good example of these kind of artists are the artists on Rhymesayers (Atmosphere, Brother Ali) or Def Jux (El-P, Aesop Rock, Cage). Their rhymes will often tell a story and will show how their lives are impacted by music ir will show the constant struggle they go through on a day to day basis.

Overall I feel that hip hop has decreased in its overall likeability to me. Now hip hop is all about trends and lyricism and true genious is put on the back burner while everyone shows off their new dance or what kind of cars or clothes they have.

I would definitely recommend you listen to any of these artists:
Redman
Method Man
Nas
Jay-Z
The Roots
Dilated Peoples
Eminem (anything before encore)
The Alkaholics
Kottonmouth Kings
Snoop Dogg
Dr. Dre
Aesop Rock
Cage
El-P
Atmosphere
Brother Ali
KRS1
Canibus
Jedi Mind Tricks
Ill Bill
Sabac
Immortal Technique
Ice Cube
Wu Tang
N.W.A.
Camp Lo
The Coup
(older) DMX
Jadakiss
Styles P
among many others....