Fact: I am an angst-filled, pasty white, red headed teenager, in love with his Coffee, his pretension, and his Keruac novels. I pontificate endlessly on musical subjects from the Jesus and Mary Chain to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Modest Mouse to Russian Circles. The Beatles to the Kinks to the Clash to the Dead Kennedys to Cursive. Just thought I should clarify that before I said:
I feel that Hip Hop is the new Jazz, and I've held to this for years now (it was cool to hear someone else echo this thought in the newest Bass Player). Sure, there's a lot of garbage. But just like with Jazz, and every other genre, you've got to dig through the trash to find the gold. Just like Jazz, if you don't dig it, get off the train. That just means it's not your music. Your distaste for Hip Hop does not suddenly make it garbage.
IMO, people like NAS and Lil' Wayne are doing something that no one else around is: Seamlessly blending something marketable, with something just controversial enough to be political, not to mention having deep, thought provoking ideas to the lyrics, and having something enjoyable to listen to. Between Untitled, Tha Carter III, and N.E.R.D.'s newest, this year has seen some of the best Rap and Hip Hop in recent memory. Between that, Madvillan, Danger Mouse and all he's doing for the music world, Atmosphere, hell, I'll say it, Kanye West (sure he's a douche, makes some cool music though), there is a lot of good to be found. EDIT: The above, Atmosphere, one of the most successful underground DJ's around= White. Saying you have to be black to Rap is like saying you have to be white to play Guitar. It's a racist statement.
However, if you want to take it at face value and say that the endless repetition and sampling of artist's like Soulja Boy represents the depth and bounds of all that Hip Hop has to offer (which would be like saying Stryper represented all of Metal in the 80's and Daughtry represents all of Modern Rock), cool, whatever. Just don't come on to a forum and complain like you're going to change something. If you don't like it, just turn it off, and leave it alone.
I feel that Hip Hop is the new Jazz, and I've held to this for years now (it was cool to hear someone else echo this thought in the newest Bass Player). Sure, there's a lot of garbage. But just like with Jazz, and every other genre, you've got to dig through the trash to find the gold. Just like Jazz, if you don't dig it, get off the train. That just means it's not your music. Your distaste for Hip Hop does not suddenly make it garbage.
IMO, people like NAS and Lil' Wayne are doing something that no one else around is: Seamlessly blending something marketable, with something just controversial enough to be political, not to mention having deep, thought provoking ideas to the lyrics, and having something enjoyable to listen to. Between Untitled, Tha Carter III, and N.E.R.D.'s newest, this year has seen some of the best Rap and Hip Hop in recent memory. Between that, Madvillan, Danger Mouse and all he's doing for the music world, Atmosphere, hell, I'll say it, Kanye West (sure he's a douche, makes some cool music though), there is a lot of good to be found. EDIT: The above, Atmosphere, one of the most successful underground DJ's around= White. Saying you have to be black to Rap is like saying you have to be white to play Guitar. It's a racist statement.
However, if you want to take it at face value and say that the endless repetition and sampling of artist's like Soulja Boy represents the depth and bounds of all that Hip Hop has to offer (which would be like saying Stryper represented all of Metal in the 80's and Daughtry represents all of Modern Rock), cool, whatever. Just don't come on to a forum and complain like you're going to change something. If you don't like it, just turn it off, and leave it alone.
