All supporters of Hip Hip music are well aware of what’s become of the genre. There are rappers out there who have staked their claim as superior MC’s without offering the product to back it up. Some of these self proclaimed greats might enter the game with a street buzz achieved from the mixtape circuit, a hot single, or endorsements from already well know artists, but one thing is missing once these artists establish themselves—–improvement. Why don’t we hold these rappers accountable for their lack of advancement of their skills? The usual experience has been once an MC enters the game and is successful, they lose their hunger and drive for progress. Obviously there are many factors involved in keeping an artist from reaching the pinnacle of their talents, especially when it comes to rap music and the conditions pushing most artists into the business. But should we just accept those circumstances and give these MCs a pass, or should we expect more from the people representing the genre of music we love?
Hip Hop has become a lucrative venture , and due to its global popularity, there are those who enter the the business with the intention of eventually getting a large pay day. The majority of the MCs in that category don’t have much talent, but might’ve come up with a catchy chorus or a popular theme that will surely thrive in the current market. In that instance, what would be the reason driving someone to improve upon their craft? They’ve already achieved what they set out to do, got paid, and will continue to milk the same formula that got them there until it is no longer appealing to consumers. I can’t get upset with anyone who climbed out of the gutter to the top of the mountain and decided to relax until they fell off. I can’t blame these artists for taking advantage of a fatal flaw in the Hip Hop genre, it is a money driven business that values currency over substance. What bothers me is those rappers that have potential to be great and make no effort to live up to it. There are those who start their careers with albums or mixtapes that leave the listeners yearning for more, but sadly fans are usually disappointed when the second and third efforts are no different or even worse than the first.
In all aspects of life we’re always looking for ways to improve things; the whole cell phone craze for example is the epitome of our efforts to enhance what we use on a regular basis. The same values apply to other forms of technology, school, work, and sports. We should place the same accountability on these rappers. MCs who made a name for themselves shouldn’t be able to just continue to get by off reputation. We should demand a product that’s worth the $15 cost of the cds we spend our money on. Granted a lot of music is illegally downloaded nowadays which might contribute to the lack of motivation of the artists, but people still buy albums and rappers are a lot more marketable than they were in the past due to the overwhelming use of the Internet. We want to to expect more from our favorite MCs so everyone can continue to be provided with good music. I don’t want to be the one to judge, I have plenty of my own shortcomings that I need to address. I could never know how it feels to go from broke to rich in a matter of months and how I would react afterwards. What I do know is that I have integrity and I am always looking to get better at what I do. I want to see these young and up and coming artists passionate about their music so they can live in eternity in the minds of listeners no matter how much time has passed. There are many timeless classics that I listened to over a decade ago that I still bump today. Current MCs should want to create that same longevity and they could continue to make money of their creations. If these rappers don’t make any effort elevate themselves and their music, a couple years from now they’ll be right back where they started without a second chance forthcoming.
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Hip Hop has become a fictitious braggadocios bravado driven excuse for music. Once the corporate vultures recognized the benefits of exploiting young impoverished artists, the integrity of the music suffered miserably. But fans of the culture should not fret, because beneath the ashes there are still some artists that evoke passion, hunger, and truth within one of the most popular genres on the planet. Freddie Gibbs is one of those rare MCs that is believable, knowledgeable and eager to spread his thoughts with pure Hip Hop. “The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs” isn’t a mixtape that’s gonna blow listeners away with content; it doesn’t contain anything that hasn’t been done before, but then again that’s not really what a mixtape is for. What Gibbs did was show that he can master the current landscape of Hip Hop while adding his own elements to the game that place him far above the average watered down rapper.
The mixtape starts off with Just Blaze produced ”GI Pride”, an ode to Gibbs’ hometown: Gary, Indiana. He paints a concrete picture of his city with descriptions of the everyday grind and the struggle of growing up in a poverty-stricken community with lines like “Before you muthafuckas bother me, just take a look at this economy, because economically we at the bottom.” This was a great track to kick off the mixtape and introduce the world to his sound and what molded him. In spite of the traps such as drugs, prison and guns put in place to halt his success, he still managed to rise above it and bring listeners his story. The next track that really stands out is “Never Ending Cycle”, here Gibbs questions himself in the chorus “When will I ever wake up?” over smooth production. Gibbs recognizes the conditions that surround him that provoke violence and murder, but he also places the responsibility of change on himself with lyrics like “But I got out the streets to do this shit for a livin, as rappers we should pay attention to the message we sendin’.” No matter how bad things appear in the system meant to destroy, the onus remains on the individual to better the situation.
“The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs” has songs for all fans of Hip Hop to nod their heads too; from the hardest gangstas in the mood for that hood music to cats just looking for some music to ride to. “What it B Like” produced by Polow da Don is one that can get the whole club crackin as Gibbs spits over Polow’s trademark base lines questioning people from all walks of life “What it B like?” Gibbs tells a couple of stories on the mixtape that contain a definitive beginning, middle and end in “Queen (Luv u to Death)”, a tale about a chick who seems like the perfect woman but later turns out to be a conniving thief, and “Close Your Eyes” which is a story about his experiences from childhood to adulthood. This mixtape can appeal to any advocate of Hip Hop and good music; Gibbs shows a rare tenacity on the mic that has been missing in the commercialized state of rap music. Will Freddie Gibbs stay true to himself once to spotlight shines on him? Will his music remain the same once the major record labels come calling with promises to take him to the next level while trying to change the very essence of his sound? Only Freddie Gibbs knows the answers to those questions, but what I do know is that I just listened to the whole mixtape for the third time while writing this and I didn’t hear an ounce of conformity in him.
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Just in the nick of time for Holiday Shopping, we just got a new delivery of the Paul Frank Julius “Hoodie Buddy” Headphone hoodie which has built in, machine washable head phones and a front pocket for your iPod, iPhone, or any other MP3 player in two great colors. We had it available in Black last month and it sold out really quick.
At $36.00 each these hoodies are an incredible value for gift giving or a little something for yourself. But on thing is for sure, they are far too cute to last long.
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There isn’t another rapper in the game right now more real, raw, honest, or revolutionary than Immortal Technique. He is the epitome of a true artist who has never compromised his integrity, a difficult task to maintain in the cut throat music business. He had previously been offered deals by Sony and Def Jam, but turned them both down stating that he “wanted control of his own music.” This is a stand rarely if ever taken by rappers who eventually become completely controlled by the labels that own their music.
Immortal Technique’s lyrics primarily focus on issues such as poverty, racism, politics, religion and social class. For an MC attempting to reach audiences with lyrics that greatly differ from the average topics in Hip Hop, his verses expressing deep insight on many social issues are a welcome change. What separates Immortal Technique from other artists typically known as “political” or “conscious” rappers is his fearlessness to speak on issues considered taboo in the main stream. On the track “Bin Laden“, Technique delves into America’s involvement in affairs of the Middle East and touches on theories on the 9/11 attacks. He has the freedom to speak his mind without worrying about corporate sponsors or label demands. Immortal Technique address other topics of relevance by storytelling with intrinsic themes in poverty and social class. The song “Dance with the Devil” tells the story of young man’s aspirations to rise from impoverishment while dealing with the many obstacles associated with hood life.
Fans of Hip Hop who are interested in thought provoking music will enjoy the collection that Immortal Technique has to offer. He currently has three albums to date: Revolutionary volumes 1 and 2, and Third World where he explores a wide range of topics while also staying in tune with current events. He doesn’t concentrate too much on style, but naturally provides substance and depth to his music while displaying a wealth of knowledge unmatched by his peers.
We currently live in a time where most rappers are no more than manufactured constructs built and assembled by their record labels. Style, substance and truth are all thrown to the way side for fabrications used to paint a picture of a character that doesn’t exist. Beneath the surface of main stream Hip Hop, there are a number of rappers serving as polar opposites to their counterparts who dwell above ground, one of them being Brother Ali. The Minneapolis born MC not only delivers a wide range of topics and content, but offers a unique style and tenacity that is unseen in many rappers today praised by the masses.
Brother Ali is an incomparable individual indeed, he was born with a rare condition called Albinism, a disorder that causes lack of pigmentation normally seen in skin, hair and eyes. There has been debate and confusion surrounding his race and ethnicity due to his condition that he has been forced to address constantly. One thing that has been prevalent in his response to this particular dilemma and others in his life is his honesty, a quality that has been lost in today’s Hip Hop. His most celebrated release, “Undisputed Truth”, supports the claim of its title as Ali allows his listeners into his personal life with songs about his divorce, homelessness, custody battles, and his racial identity. It is a rarity for rappers to delve so deep into their private affairs, but Brother Ali welcomes listeners into his world with descriptive lyrics and clear imagery. On the song “Faheem”, Ali speaks to his son about their situation being homeless and in poverty. “I just pray you don’t remember us sleeping on the floor/and me cleaning mouse droppings outta your toys/it took a lot of hard for us to get where we at/and young man we ain’t quittin’ at that.”
Ali has video titled “Uncle Sam Goddamn“, a track with an indepth look at America’s horrible past of genocide and murder. The dreadful yet actual images of enslaved Africans and native Americans in the video serve as a perfect back drop to Ali’s lyrics as he holds this country to task for its past crimes. ”Welcome to the United Snakes/The land of the free, the home of the slave.” The sentiments expressed in this song are those you would expect to hear from artists like Dead Prez, Ice Cube or Nas, not from a white rapper born in Minneapolis. The production on this track, like most of his others, has a very soulful sound to it that Ali compliments perfectly with his melodic rhyming style where it almost sounds like he’s singing some of his lyrics. With his willingness to get personal with his audience through his music and express his opinions on the ills of society, Brother Ali brings an element to the rap game that has been missing—-Undisputed Truth.
Remember when you used to listen the radio and hear good Hip Hop music? I recall a time when I sat in my room with my radio on, two tapes in the dual tape deck waiting for my favorite song of the week to come on to record. Sometimes I would just leave a cassette in and press record until the button popped back up. (Now that was an original mixtape.) Back then you were able to trust the DJ talking to you between a set of 8 – 10 dope tracks; you were confident that he was delivering the best music Hip Hop had to offer. There were radio singles, but sometimes you heard tracks off an album that weren’t meant to be top sellers, just quality. The radio wasn’t the only trusted source for good music, but television had some excellent programming before “Yo MTV Raps” and BET’s ”Rap City” were dismissed by teen friendly shows like “TRL” and “106th and Park.” The days of turning on the radio and not feeling like you’re in the club, or finding a real music channel that isn’t 90% reality shows are long gone. The decline in records sales doesn’t help the situation either, artists aren’t getting the same opportunity for record promotion that was so prevalent back in Hip Hop’s glory days. Fan’s have to dig much deeper to find artists avoiding popular trends and status quo. No longer is good music spoon fed to the consumer, because now the hand that feeds you is keeping the good stuff in the basement.
When Hip Hop was at its pinnacle in the early to late 90’s, a variety of MC’s who wouldn’t see the light of day in todays market were getting plenty of air play in all forms of media. Artists like Jeru da Damaja, Gang Starr, Organized Confusion, and many more were regulars in the radio and video rotation, but now they would be considered underground, and their voices would never reach the ears of somebody not willing to do a little research. We’re dealing with an era where the Internet gives you open access to almost anything you’re searching for. Within that wide open platform it can be difficult to sort through the abundance of media out there, yet there is not a more important time than now to look beyond what’s simply within your reach. The radio and T.V. has turned against us, and if those sources are solely relied on you will only be exposed to a small sample of the music; this is a prime example of why the culture is so misrepresented and abhorred by older generations.
Finding an artists outside of the generally marketed rappers can seem like a burdensome task, but there are plenty of other options that provide quality music for those willing to search it out. There are Hip Hop sites all over the Internet that promote a wide range of music on their sites, like hiphopdx.com. Streaming Internet radio like ”Pandora“ allows you to search for specific artists and create a station based on the genre. A lot of the times something brand new will be played that might catch your ear and the information on the artists is there for you to look into. Get out and attend Hip Hop shows, a local opening act may attract your attention.
The general public can be easily swayed by trends and fads, record labels promote artists that have the best chance of increasing their revenue. The fans no longer decide whose album gets supported and pushed to the forefront to deem their release important. It’s up to the people who really love the culture to go outside the norm and support artists putting their souls and passion into the music. We as fans have to reclaim our voice in a culture we helped create. I’m also guilty as a person who claims a deep affinity for Hip Hop; I rarely take the time to give new artists a chance to crack my rotation. I’ll take the first step forward and write an artist profile once a week here on hoodiepeople.com to show my commitment to recognizing new and innovative musicians in the game. Think of the movie the “The Matrix”,imagine if Neo relied on the Architect to tell him that he was living in a false reality? He would’ve continued to accept anything the machine provided for him without a chance of escape. In that same regard we cannot rely on the radio, T.V. or record labels to provide us with music that is in direct opposition to their very existence.
We just added Married to the Mob hoodies to the website and they are dope. A little pricey, but the quality and attention to detail in each hoodie is well worth the money. That’s what you’ll notice first about these hoodies. They have a ton of extra detail like sturdy zipper pulls, extra pockets, logos, [...] […]
Hoody Deal of the Week: 35% Off This Week Only + Free Shipping: Save $28 AlpineStars Attn Deficit Hoodie Was $60.00 + $7.00 Shipping / Now $39.00 + Free Shipping Coupon Code: HoodyDealz Check out more pics and all the details of this fresh new Astars Zip Front Hoodie here. […]
Here is a list of the Oscar winners in case you missed it. For more information on the Oscars visit www.oscar.com Writing (Original Screenplay) The Hurt Locker Written by Mark Boal Writing (Adapted Screenplay) Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher Visual Effects Avatar Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham […]
Twice a year the fashion/apparel world converges on Las Vegas for the Magic Tradeshow. This was our 4th trip and each year we come away with a ton of strong contacts, new brands, and a bit of sleep deprivation from running around to meetings all day and partying it up all night. This trip started [...] […]
Although last week’s episode didn’t contain as much excitement and intrigue as “The Substitute”, there were still plenty of great moments to keep viewers interested. The episode focused a great deal on Jack and his personality differences in the two universes. Off the island, we found that this version of Jack had a son and [...] […]
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Hip Hop has become a fictitious braggadocios bravado driven excuse for music. Once the corporate vultures recognized the benefits of exploiting young impoverished artists, the integrity of the music suffered miserably. But fans of the culture should not fret, because beneath the ashes there are still some artists that evoke passion, hunger, and truth within one of the most popular genres on the planet. 
