Isn't it strange that a rapper, who can still be technically good, can all of a sudden sound dated and just kind of sound out of place on new music?
The earliest I noticed this was with someone like Chuck D by the time he did that Janet Jackson record of Treach by mid 90s.
Today I find that to be the case for rappers like Method Man and Ludacris. I mean skillwise these cats haven't really declined but when I hear them it sends me back 10 or 20 years in not a good way.
Similar, but different from the conversation about rappers losing their ability to rap. Know what I am talking about?
On the other hand, there are a few rappers who have been working for 20+ years who still sound "fresh". Namely, Nas, Jay (at times), Snoop, De La Soul.
********** "Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson
2. "TI immediately came to mind. " In response to Reply # 0
His newest album recently dropped. I'm probably going to give it a few spins but I have not been impressed with him in a while. Maybe he just doesn't appeal to me anymore from a musical perspective.
>On the other hand, there are a few rappers who have been >working for 20+ years who still sound "fresh". Namely, Nas, >Jay (at times), Snoop, De La Soul.
I'm not too big and really have never been too high on Snoop but I do agree with your assessment on the others.
from what ive seen rappers can change this. there have been times other rappers sounded dated and washed then years later came back and sounded good. not sure how that works.
7. "These two don't really fit the criteria IMO" In response to Reply # 4
Because both have fallen off significantly in terms of talent.
Think the spirit of the OP is to identify rappers whose talent is at the same or a similar level as it was in their primes, who just don't appeal to you anymore even though based on their talent level they still should.
12. "anyone who has been rapping for ~20 years is going to sound dated" In response to Reply # 0
their style was formed in a musically different era
i think 90s east coast rappers in particular sound the most dated because not many young artists are mimicking boom bap rapping. that said, hov has been able to keep up somehow. juicy j doesn't sound dated but that's because his flow has been so influential on younger artists. wayne is on the cusp. 40 water still sounds fresh but i think that's because his flow is so singular
16. "To be fair, he started that a long time ago" In response to Reply # 13
>like that new Ice Cube Lethal injection album was an exmaple of when he really started to fall of. that was 93. By 94 he was done - we be clubbin' came out he was done.
Break it off break it off make it soft (4X) Brrr (we be clubbin') uhh (uhh) (we be clubbin' 2X)
18. "I know at the time it was a dramatic shift for him but ..." In response to Reply # 16
... I love(d) Lethal Injection. Still think it's really good.
Like I said I can understand why folks trash that album and say that's when he fell off, it was definitely a huge shift in his typical sort of aggressive style and commentary (though that album had sprinkles of the AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted-style content) but still .. that album had some gems.
23. "Anybody with Lil in their name" In response to Reply # 0
I can just picture someone in 2050 saying “why were all these assholes calling themselves Lil, grandpa?” in a future world where grandkids grow up cursing and their grandparents have face tattoos
Isn't it strange that a rapper, who can still be technically >good, can all of a sudden sound dated and just kind of sound >out of place on new music? > >The earliest I noticed this was with someone like Chuck D by >the time he did that Janet Jackson record of Treach by mid >90s. > >Today I find that to be the case for rappers like Method Man >and Ludacris. I mean skillwise these cats haven't really >declined but when I hear them it sends me back 10 or 20 years >in not a good way. > >Similar, but different from the conversation about rappers >losing their ability to rap. Know what I am talking about? > >On the other hand, there are a few rappers who have been >working for 20+ years who still sound "fresh". Namely, Nas, >Jay (at times), Snoop, De La Soul. > >********** >"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then >they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson > >"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"
Dj Joey Joe Member since Sep 01st 2007 13770 posts
Sun Dec-23-18 02:39 AM
28. "Masta Ace & Ghostface Killah" In response to Reply # 0
I liked both of them back in the day, but lately (especially in the past seven years) it seems like they lost that energy in their rhymes, now their material sounds redundant, nothing special to their flow & style.
The last album I liked by Masta Ace was "Long Hot Summer", and the last album I liked by GFK was "Apollo Kids".
--------- "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
31. "T.I. and Jeezy," In response to Reply # 0 Fri Jan-04-19 09:26 PM by Alphabet
Even though they are godfathers of the modern trap sound...they sound outdated compared to their current musical offspring..not so much because they fell off skill wise because T.I. always been able to rap well..and Jeezy actually started to get better with his bars over time also...but the trap sound they started evolved into a whole other type of rap style that we currently hear in that genre.. Even cats like Yo Gotti or Boosie sounds older than the current crop of trap or mumble rappers. Gucci has stayed current because his style has been more influential and duplicated for the ones coming after him..
Same can be said of Wayne. When he does his autotune style singing/rambling styles he can be current, but when he flashed back to 'Mixtape Weezy" and really rappin for real is when when he sounds dated ironically...
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