"Ever felt like "hip hop is dead"? What made you fall back in love with h..."
I was so tired over the state of mind of hip hop back in 2004. I was one of the main people posting on Nas' forum back then so i wouldn't be supriced if he got that album title from all my bitching about hip hop being dead.
For 2 years i almost completely stopped checking for anything new and mostly listened to classic soul/r&b tracks of the 60's, 70's and 80's. Then in 2006 there was an emcee from Philly called Random who dropped a song called "Raze the Bar (remix)" and that joint kinda made me interested again. But he just had a few hot joints and when he started his Megaran stuff (video game sound) that was a big turn off to me.
Luckily in 2007 i discovered JOELL ORTIZ when he dropped "Hip Hop". I bought The Brick Bodega Chronicles when it dropped. That album had so many classic songs. I still bump half of that album reguarly. That album made me fall in love with hip hop all over again. Joell Ortiz was my #1 from 2007 to 2010. The Slaughterhouse album and Free Agent albums were kinda disappointing, but he had that dope mixtape with Novel "Defying the Predictable", and also a lot of unreleased joints that are extremly good aswell. In the past 2 years he hasn't delivered like he used to though, so i've been thinking someone's gonna take his spot.
During this spring and summer i've been watching a lot of battles, and especially DIZASTER. Even got to see him battle live (his last battle before Canibus). I love his style, he started making me interested in batteling again...
The artist i'm currently the most excited about: APANI B FLY EMCEE. She's not a new artist (her first 12" was released almost 15 years ago). She's always been DOPE, but she never really made a name for herself, she's always been mad underground. She's been MIA for like 8 years now, but is finally back. And i think this album could make her earn the recogniztion i think she has always deserved.
If you are one of those who never thought that you would like another female MC after Lauryn Hill and MC Lyte, you need to check out Apani. Not only is she one of the best female MC's ever...she's hotter than almost all the guys out too!!!
3. "RE: i didn't know Apani was MIA??!!!" In response to Reply # 2
Well, for 4 years anyway. Story 2 Tell dropped in 2004, so that's 8 years ago. But i guess she still did some shows and had some features up until around 2008...
Dj Joey Joe Member since Sep 01st 2007 13770 posts
Tue Jul-17-12 10:10 AM
7. "I Never Thought Rap Music Was Dead Or Fell Out Of Love With It" In response to Reply # 0
Over the years especially in the past nine years rap music has gotten grown so big that it's just so much crap out there than ever but it's tons of good music that has been coming out every month.
To me it's finding it depending on which way you want to hear or own it, for instance, if I want to hear good rap music on the radio, I know I got to probably check the college radio station for a show or two whether that be locally or online.
If I want to own or purchase it, since a lot of artist have been signing to indie labels, it's harder to find their stuff in a local record store so going online to places like UGHH or Fatbeats has been the only places to purchase them these days; and believe me it's a lot to choose from during certain months.
I'm a vinyl head but not many artists are putting out vinyl singles or albums in this digital age so it seems like a lost cause to even find or be up-to-date when tunes since it comes out on mp3s first and vinyl last if the label does decide to press any up; but you're not going to find these in stores either just online like I said above with cds.
So to me, I just never felt like rap music was disappearing or wasn't being made, it was just going different routes that I had to keep a track of if I wanted to enjoy some good tunes, don't be lazy is the main key.
Check out this show http://www.Ustream.tv/channel/HalftimeWNYU , I listen to it every Wednesday, and they play the best new rap music around and it's been on the college airways for almost 14 years now, so like I said I'm always hearing good music and know it never was dead.
--------- "We in here talking about later career Prince records & your fool ass is cruising around in a time machine trying to collect props for a couple of sociopathic degenerates" - s.blak
8. "RE: I Never Thought Rap Music Was Dead Or Fell Out Of Love With It" In response to Reply # 7 Thu Jul-19-12 08:06 AM by SummertimeOne
Come on... it wasn't about laziness. All artists i told you about were mad underground when i started listening to them (Joell Ortiz is the only one out of the 3 i mentioned that has blown up since).
Well...im still tired of the state of hip hop...tired to be digging...tired of the dope NOT being the NORM..."I Dont Understand It" like Big L said in a song...
To me it's not just about listening to my dope music at home (lets say i do find some dope underground mc's). It's also the CULTURAL EXPOSURE... for example, let's say i wanna see some shows... you can still see REAL hip hop at shows...but what about 10 years from now??? With these lames completely taking over!!!
Look at Rock the Bells...they've kept true to hip hop for 10 years...now this year, they hit us with a POP RAP line up. Since all the complaints came in, they switched it up somewhat. But even with all those OG's they have on the line up, it's still the new kids HEADLINING...Wiz Khalifa and Kid Cudi...over legends like Big Daddy Kane, Common!!! And it is a huge difference weather you perform at the main scene and the other scenes, and who headlines...i know cuz i was there last year so i saw the main stage during the day, the WU stage later, and the main stage during the headliners set. It was completely different type of shows. The Illmatic and Miseducation of Lauryn Hill shows were 2 out of the 3 best shows i have EVER been to in my life (and i've been to PLENTY over the years..)
9. "RE: I Never Thought Rap Music Was Dead Or Fell Out Of Love With It" In response to Reply # 8
Plus there is so much more to it... I missed how people used to analyze albums that came out... I miss the simplest things like grading how many mics a new album should recieve, and debating other heads opinions...SMH
Hip Hop MUSIC might live on, but the culture is in a dead end.
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