One of many music rants.
Posted By Mark on April 22, 2009
Being an 80’s baby, growing up to music in the 90’s, I think I’m free to say that there is truly a big difference between hip-hop and rap music. Back in the 80’s and 90’s, it could of been true that there was no real difference even with the vulgar nature of upcoming westcoast/midwest artists (NWA, Bone Thugs, Eazy E, etc). Back then it was about enjoying life, being broke(lol) and “fly honeys”. Now what we call rap is about cars, rims, ho’s, selling/peddling drugs, golds, dopeboys, trucks, and stompin’/having sex with someone in the club.
Excuse me if I sound like an old man when I say this but, back in my day it was totally fine to blare music out in the front yard because there was never anything risque. Now if you play music outside, there’s a 100% chance that the lyrics from said song is either too vulgar or intolerable to others. But it doesn’t matter because it’s the latest club banger. Back then, you could go to a club and if rivals are there, they settle all that noise with a dance-off or something along those lines. Either way it was ridiculously epic (fisticuffs ftw). Now though? Let someone you don’t like show up in the club. They might throw up the wrong set, give you a bad luck or if worse comes to worse, step on your shoe. Someone’s getting shot or shot at that night, maybe stomped if people are acting sparingly. But yeah, I’m sure you might be getting the point by now.
Believe it or not, music influences everyone. And the rap that’s being played now only resets the stereotype as opposed to the hip-hop back then that was about breaking the stereotype. They say history repeats itself, and this argument makes me one firm believer. If you don’t believe there’s a difference, maybe I’ll throw you a little example.
VERSUS
Another thing that kills me. Deejaying. DJ’s now are absolutely NOTHING like DJ’s back then. I mean think about it. Recently, when’s the last time you heard a DJ in the “rap game” that’s stood behind a set a turntables going through a set of vinyls ready to scratch it up? I can’t recall a time since MAYBE, MAYBE DJ Skribble, but he was under MTV payroll, so he really doesn’t count. DJ’s now-a-days are basically rich Hypemen. Don’t believe me?
CUE THE EXAMPLES.
VERSUS
DJ Khaled says maybe forty times in his songs that he’s a DJ, but he’s not really doing anything. It perplexes me. How can you call yourself a DJ when you’re just a hypeman? Getting the picture now? Good! I’m not saying I despise rap now, but please don’t confuse it for hip-hop when it’s clearly not. Same goes for being a DJ. You’re a producer. Get over it.
FIRST OF ALL: YOU ARE REALLY GOOD AT BLOGGING. I love how you gave examples for everything you said. You’re going to have a big reader fan base for this blog, I can feel it.
Second of all: I agree with pretty much everything you said. Especially the whole “back in the day it was acceptable to blast music because it wasn’t risque” and how it is now but it’s STILL okay because it’s a club hit - you hit the nail right on the head (I DON’T EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM YOU THOUGH).
And that sucks people at the club take things too seriously. Lol. Dance offs are alot better than fights. People must be in love with drama.
Well thank you for sending me that. I did enjoy the read, but let me have met that guy back in my prime music years, I would have ripped him a new one.
In his DJ’s arguement, he does hold truth. A lot of “DJs” pull Basement Jaxx shit and just jump n shout. DJ Kahled is a huge pusher of this motif. . .alongside a few others whom I do not know. . .BUUUUUUT, is he forgetting to mention people such as Hi-Tek? DJ Premeir?WB (from Joe Budden’s set)? Jam Master (RIP)? Kid Rock? Clue (oh yes, he had his disc days)? Tony Touch? DJ Spinna? The Beatnuts? Then if we REALLY wanna stay technical with this, what about how a lot of DJ’s that took birth in hip-hops electro elements went on to be House/Dance/Techno djs? DJ SPINNA? J DILLA? Aphrodite? Bassabin Twins? The Forth? GO EXPLORE!!!
Then with the lyrics. . .I love how the oldheads always wanna point out the “good” hip-hop. He said it himself, there were PLENTY of vulgar artists out there, such as flippin every West Coast rapper from back in that timeframe? BIG? Scarface? Early Wu-Tang? BIG L? Nas? Eric Sermon? Redman? etc? He is being too biased in this argument, even though complete objectivity is a myth.
Then lets shift to hip-hop these days. He is leaving out the mainstream artists that ARE hip-hop and have made it and maintain hip-hops technical elements, such as Mos Def,Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco, Charles Hamilton (not that big yet), Common, Dead Prez, Ludacris, Nas,Joe Budden, Kanye West, Dwele, MURS, etc. Once again, the oldhead is fuckin up.
If he loves music as much as he says he does, he needs to acknowledge ALL of hip-hop and rap. The good, bad, happy, sad, etc. Dont try to hide this, because this is culture your dealing with. There is a concept to your argument that, unless you like getting your ass psycologically slapped, you need to learn, its called balance. Try it and holla.