The thing is, he's not wrong. Hip Hop turned into a bunch of ringtone rappers, evidenced by the success of that hack Soulja Boy.

Why did a story about Eminem without including notification of his death?

necropoultryac: Why did a story about Eminem go green without including notification of his death?

What the hell happened to my post?

FTFM

Rap is in the same slump rock was before punk broke. The difference this time is the record companies are pretty much dead as far as what's new so whatever it is that breaks next won't be getting airplay.

Hip Hop is fine..as long as you understand that Hip Hop is not one genre of music, it's an entire community of things.. music, art, fashion, entertainment..
getting that out of the way-

Rap became garbage when all that down south ghetto trash rap became the norm. I am embarrassed for the rap I am hearing on the radio these days.
I actually heard a song called "Stanky Leg" on the radio yesterday (XM 20).. I swear to jeebus I thought it was a joke commercial lampooning terrible rap.. once I realized it was a serious song, I wanted someone to euthanize rap entirely.

the terrible song I am referencing:
Link

I feel so f*cking sorry for today's rap.

Hip hop once had substance?

Johnny Stat Box: The thing is, he's not wrong. Hip Hop turned into a bunch of ringtone rappers, evidenced by the success of that hack Soulja Boy.

he's right, but I can't say that he's necessarily above all that. He's not nearly as gimmicky as the Soulja Boys and Whoever Wrote Laffy-Taffy, but he's hardly guilt-free and it was going on around his time too.

Dr.Knockboots: Hip Hop is fine..as long as you understand that Hip Hop is not one genre of music, it's an entire community of things.. music, art, fashion, entertainment..
getting that out of the way-

Rap became garbage when all that down south ghetto trash rap became the norm. I am embarrassed for the rap I am hearing on the radio these days.
I actually heard a song called "Stanky Leg" on the radio yesterday (XM 20).. I swear to jeebus I thought it was a joke commercial lampooning terrible rap.. once I realized it was a serious song, I wanted someone to euthanize rap entirely.

the terrible song I am referencing:
Link

I feel so f*cking sorry for today's rap.

Link (new window)

Hip Hop was supposed to be getting better around the time his last album dropped due to a growing number of "intelligent" or "conscious" MC's.



Sadly, there is no such thing as an intelligent MC if Mos Def can be so stupid. He's supposed to be one of the smartest and look at him on Bill Maher's "Overtime" segment. I guess when you compare Mos to other morons he looks smart. I can't defend hip hop in that manner anymore.

Ironic that hip hop now is considered recently in a state of decline in terms of substance. It's ALLLLLLLLLLLWAYS been stupid.

/whoomp there it is
/who let the dogs out
/baby got back
/ice ice baby
/hammer time
/shaq-fu
/kriss kross

Face it, for every Kool Keith there's a mountain of garbage.



//bonus slashies - metalhead, especially the RAWR KILLYERMOTHERKILLYERFATHER type

shut up.

/you people talking shiat about hip-hop go back to your holes. all your examples were ghost-written by A&Rs, turn off your radio, check out hasan salaam or jean grae. dumbasses.

Peter_Veal: Ironic that hip hop now is considered recently in a state of decline in terms of substance. It's ALLLLLLLLLLLWAYS been stupid.

Face it, for every Kool Keith there's a mountain of garbage.

How is this different from every single form of music? There's always a mountain of garbage in every single genre. The issue is no one can ever agree on is what is garbage and what isn't.

ps - if you think the stanky leg is bad, check out the song "cell phone watch" or the "rapper" (i use the term loosely) called "OJ da Juiceman."

/do the stanky leeeg.

Saborlas: Hip hop once had substance?

When it was about killing cops and promoted crime, violence and prejudice against women. Oh wait..

Glitchwerks: Peter_Veal: Ironic that hip hop now is considered recently in a state of decline in terms of substance. It's ALLLLLLLLLLLWAYS been stupid.

Face it, for every Kool Keith there's a mountain of garbage.

How is this different from every single form of music? There's always a mountain of garbage in every single genre. The issue is no one can ever agree on is what is garbage and what isn't.

Yup. I can see parallels in metal, in country, in pop music. There's always some act in that genre that makes you embarrassed as hell to admit you listen to it, because when you mention you like a particular style, an uninitiated person will usually choose that embarrassing example.

/"So you like Metallica? I like that one song that goes 'dun nun nun nun dun nun nun!'"

The real issue here is...Where the fark is my Sunday Heavy Metal House Call!?

Where the fark is our metal thread?

SPna15: Where the fark is our metal thread?

Go submit one. Do we have to do everything around here for you?

Mainstream hip hop is dead.

Listen to Anticon.k (new window) Better fresher Indiehop

satanicsantoku: shut up.

/you people talking shiat about hip-hop go back to your holes. all your examples were ghost-written by A&Rs, turn off your radio, check out hasan salaam or jean grae. dumbasses.

Anyone who says the current rap scene is dead is someone too lazy to do the scant amount of work it requires to find all of the creative new acts out there.
That rule applies for any style of music, really.
Any style of art.

To those knowledgeable about the topic: what would you tell someone who doesn't know all that much about hip-hop/rap (but would like to) should be explored and what should be avoided (both vintage and recent)?

Glitchwerks: SPna15: Where the fark is our metal thread?

Go submit one. Do we have to do everything around here for you?

I did.

Japancakes: To those knowledgeable about the topic: what would you tell someone who doesn't know all that much about hip-hop/rap (but would like to) should be explored and what should be avoided (both vintage and recent)?

Stick to independent labels like Definitive Jux or Big Dada. A personal favorite label of mine is Ninja Tune, however they are absolutely nothing like mainstream hip hop. They are a fun mixture of everything under the sun.

It's worth mentioning that the latest release from Big Dada is Two Fingers featuring Sway, which is a scorching grime (UK rap) record with absolutely MAD production from Amon Tobin and Doubleclick. People are going absolutely bonkers over it on P2P sites.

flaminglip: SPna15: Where the fark is our metal thread?

Hopefully gone forever. Metal is for angry 14 year olds, as is hip-hop.

Metal fans, upgrade to this.

Hip-hop fans, I really don't know. I'm afraid your ears have been raped so many times they might not be able to feel anything anymore.

Aren't upgrades supposed to be, you know, better?

flaminglip: SPna15: Where the fark is our metal thread?

Hopefully gone forever. Metal is for angry 14 year olds, as is hip-hop.

Metal fans, upgrade to this.

Hip-hop fans, I really don't know. I'm afraid your ears have been raped so many times they might not be able to feel anything anymore.

If you're going to rip on all metal as a whole, could you at least post something less laughable than your example?

Glitchwerks: Japancakes: To those knowledgeable about the topic: what would you tell someone who doesn't know all that much about hip-hop/rap (but would like to) should be explored and what should be avoided (both vintage and recent)?

Stick to independent labels like Definitive Jux or Big Dada. A personal favorite label of mine is Ninja Tune, however they are absolutely nothing like mainstream hip hop. They are a fun mixture of everything under the sun.

It's worth mentioning that the latest release from Big Dada is Two Fingers featuring Sway, which is a scorching grime (UK rap) record with absolutely MAD production from Amon Tobin and Doubleclick. People are going absolutely bonkers over it on P2P sites.

Sincere thanks.
That's my week's musical exploration path laid out, then.

Hasan salaam and Jean grae are at the top edge of my "to be instantly checked out" list as well.

Much love.

Eminem is more talented than most of the rappers I've heard the past several years.

Contemporary, well-known mainstream stuff worth listening to: Tupac, Outkast, Jay Z, Eminem, (sigh) and yes, Kanye West.

Real hip-hop: Aesop Rock, Sole, Atmosphere, Mr Lif, The Cunninglynguists, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born, The Roots, Jurassic 5, Talib Kweli, De La Sol, A Tribe Called Quest, Jedi Mind Tricks, Dialated Peoples, DJ Shadow, Kool Keith, Brother Ali

Older stuff to look into:
G-Funk (Dr Dre, NWA, early Snoop Doggy Dogg)
Electro-hop/rap(Grandmaster Flash, Kool Moe Dee, Afrika Bambataa)
Defies description: mid-career Beastie Boys (Paul's Boutique is a must)
Biz Markie
Salt n Peppa
Busta Rhymes (often overlooked - this guy was great)
Bahamadia (hard to find her stuff, but she's amazing)
Public Enemy (before the crack ate Flav's brain)
Digable Planets

The guy who said that hip-hop was like rock was right - not that it is dead, but that it has splintered into dozens of sub-genres that are all interesting in their own way.

flaminglip: SPna15: Where the fark is our metal thread?

Hopefully gone forever. Metal is for angry 14 year olds, as is hip-hop.

Metal fans, upgrade to this.

Hip-hop fans, I really don't know. I'm afraid your ears have been raped so many times they might not be able to feel anything anymore.

"Upgrade" to 13-year-old with a guitar?

lexslamman: Contemporary, well-known mainstream stuff worth listening to: Tupac, Outkast, Jay Z, Eminem, (sigh) and yes, Kanye West.

Real hip-hop: Aesop Rock, Sole, Atmosphere, Mr Lif, The Cunninglynguists, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born, The Roots, Jurassic 5, Talib Kweli, De La Sol, A Tribe Called Quest, Jedi Mind Tricks, Dialated Peoples, DJ Shadow, Kool Keith, Brother Ali

Older stuff to look into:
G-Funk (Dr Dre, NWA, early Snoop Doggy Dogg)
Electro-hop/rap(Grandmaster Flash, Kool Moe Dee, Afrika Bambataa)
Defies description: mid-career Beastie Boys (Paul's Boutique is a must)
Biz Markie
Salt n Peppa
Busta Rhymes (often overlooked - this guy was great)
Bahamadia (hard to find her stuff, but she's amazing)
Public Enemy (before the crack ate Flav's brain)
Digable Planets

The guy who said that hip-hop was like rock was right - not that it is dead, but that it has splintered into dozens of sub-genres that are all interesting in their own way.

I find your lack of the Wu utterly disgusting. Especially the lack of the drunken master of the 36 Chambers;

lexslamman: Contemporary, well-known mainstream stuff worth listening to: Tupac, Outkast, Jay Z, Eminem, (sigh) and yes, Kanye West.

Real hip-hop: Aesop Rock, Sole, Atmosphere, Mr Lif, The Cunninglynguists, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born, The Roots, Jurassic 5, Talib Kweli, De La Sol, A Tribe Called Quest, Jedi Mind Tricks, Dialated Peoples, DJ Shadow, Kool Keith, Brother Ali

Older stuff to look into:
G-Funk (Dr Dre, NWA, early Snoop Doggy Dogg)
Electro-hop/rap(Grandmaster Flash, Kool Moe Dee, Afrika Bambataa)
Defies description: mid-career Beastie Boys (Paul's Boutique is a must)
Biz Markie
Salt n Peppa
Busta Rhymes (often overlooked - this guy was great)
Bahamadia (hard to find her stuff, but she's amazing)
Public Enemy (before the crack ate Flav's brain)
Digable Planets

The guy who said that hip-hop was like rock was right - not that it is dead, but that it has splintered into dozens of sub-genres that are all interesting in their own way.

What? No KLF?

...yeah, where the hell is the metal thread?...

flaminglip: SPna15 and Peter_Veal:

Look, metal was all about being belligerent, as was hip-hop, but its a worn out meme now. Thats why I like acts like Hot Snakes, Mclusky, Rye Coalition, and Shellac. They suck just enough to offend you, but rock so much ass that your mind just doesn't know what to do.

Thats also why I like Boards of Canada, Amon Tobin, and others who break apart hip-hop memes for different means.

Speaking of memes, I see we have the obligatory I-only-like-obscure-bands-and everything-ppl-have-evar-actually-heard-of-automatically-sux troll reporting for duty.

flaminglip: SPna15: Where the fark is our metal thread?

Hopefully gone forever. Metal is for angry 14 year olds, as is hip-hop.

Metal fans, upgrade to this.

Hip-hop fans, I really don't know. I'm afraid your ears have been raped so many times they might not be able to feel anything anymore.

I think I'll be the only one here and say +1 for bringing Hot Snakes.

KNaBisco: What? No KLF?

I think you mean the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu.

Glitchwerks: KNaBisco: What? No KLF?

I think you mean the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu.

Indeed.

Glitchwerks: I think you mean the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu.

Futhermore known as the JAMs

I initially came for a tackhead reference and am leaving disappointed.

if you want to hear some awesome rap that makes you want to break shiat, bob your head, slap biatches, and work out to check out bumpy knuckles aka freddy foxxx. my fav song is R.N.S.
cool boston rappers that have substance: mr lif (fav track "be out), edo g, crumbsnatcha, slayne (white)

mainstream hiphop is for lazy kids and wanna bes

good music, even rap, is out there....dont rely on mtv, the radio, myspace to show it to you.
eminem's first 2 albums are MUSIC classics. i suggest you go back and read and listen to some of it. eminem is in the same ring as 2pac n big

LewDux: Saborlas: Hip hop once had substance?

When it was about killing cops and promoted crime, violence and prejudice against women. Oh wait..

That and ego. Lots and lots of ego. It's a critical ingredient of hip-hop. Kanye's just the latest flavor. In ten years, it'll be some kid who's 13 and unknown now who's the poster boy for egotism in hip-hop.

(I'm so cool and obscure, I have all of said 13-year-old's tracks already.)

Scarface is the shyt

You may know him as Upgrayd in Idiocracy

another white rapper worth mentioning is trouble andrew. ex snowboarder. his shiat is pop-ish but enjoyable, slightly lyrical, worth a listen

also this chick called santogold i think she changed her name to santigold. shes wicked talented. prob the only chick rapper worth listening to

drjekel_mrhyde: Scarface is the shyt

You may know him as Upgrayd in Idiocracy

Awesome, Scarface never gets the love he deserves.

bostonowns: also this chick called santogold i think she changed her name to santigold. shes wicked talented. prob the only chick rapper worth listening to

lexslamman: Contemporary, well-known mainstream stuff worth listening to: Tupac, Outkast, Jay Z, Eminem, (sigh) and yes, Kanye West.

Real hip-hop: Aesop Rock, Sole, Atmosphere, Mr Lif, The Cunninglynguists, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born, The Roots, Jurassic 5, Talib Kweli, De La Sol, A Tribe Called Quest, Jedi Mind Tricks, Dialated Peoples, DJ Shadow, Kool Keith, Brother Ali

Older stuff to look into:
G-Funk (Dr Dre, NWA, early Snoop Doggy Dogg)
Electro-hop/rap(Grandmaster Flash, Kool Moe Dee, Afrika Bambataa)
Defies description: mid-career Beastie Boys (Paul's Boutique is a must)
Biz Markie
Salt n Peppa
Busta Rhymes (often overlooked - this guy was great)
Bahamadia (hard to find her stuff, but she's amazing)
Public Enemy (before the crack ate Flav's brain)
Digable Planets

The guy who said that hip-hop was like rock was right - not that it is dead, but that it has splintered into dozens of sub-genres that are all interesting in their own way.



Brooklyn zoo unimpressed by your list.

/ain't nothin f*ck with

if you think some dipshiit yapping to the rhythm of a drum machine is entertainment

then you're on the right planet, baby.

Johnny Stat Box: The thing is, he's not wrong. Hip Hop turned into a bunch of ringtone rappers, evidenced by the success of that hack Soulja Boy.

Hip hop has been ringtone rappers ever since the late 90s, starting with eminem.

There is a reason why the music industry is sinking, they are attached to the SS Rapnhiphop which has a limited audience that grows up and then doesnt give a shiat anymore.

List compiled. Many paths to be explored. (hip/hop and non-)

Sincerest thanks to y'all.

flaminglip: Wrong_Intentions: Speaking of memes, I see we have the obligatory I-only-like-obscure-bands-and everything-ppl-have-evar-actually-heard-of-automatically-sux troll reporting for duty.

Go cry populist baby.

Populist, populist, let's see...(pop open my iTunes): Alanis Morrisette, the Bad Plus, the Cranberries, Charlie Parker, Dead Meadow, George Harrison, Little Walter, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Infectious Grooves. Yeah, I'm such a populist. Get off your high horse of thinking you're a rebel because of what bands like.

Wrong_Intentions: flaminglip: Wrong_Intentions: Speaking of memes, I see we have the obligatory I-only-like-obscure-bands-and everything-ppl-have-evar-actually-heard-of-automatically-sux troll reporting for duty.

Go cry populist baby.

Populist, populist, let's see...(pop open my iTunes): Alanis Morrisette, the Bad Plus, the Cranberries, Charlie Parker, Dead Meadow, George Harrison, Little Walter, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Infectious Grooves. Yeah, I'm such a populist. Get off your high horse of thinking you're a rebel because of what bands like.

You started the whole "you suck cause the bands you like are obscure!" namecalling.

/insert joke about irony.