In regards to this Yachty vs Anderson Paak twitter disagreement.
( http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/lil-yachty-responds-to-anderson-paaks-subliminal-shots-news.23754.html )

I know majority of yall dont mess wit Lil Boat & thats cool but, let's imagine he could name every song Pac and BIG have ever written, it still wouldn't change the way people feel about his music today. Being able to name someone's songs has no value in this game outside of stroking backpackers ears.

Folk gotta stop making these old bammas psuedo Gawds.

the ones who cherish it the most, and that's ok. From what I read there, it's not like Lil' Yachty was shitting on the old stuff. I guess that's all I ask.

that's my whole thing about these new artists...who ASKED him to name 5 songs? no one, he just said it like it was proud and to me, personally, i'm like 1. how is that possible and 2. why would you be proud of that?

his later explanation goes along the lines of "i don't have to like what everyone likes..." which is fine, but I'd rather here "i'm not a fan of biggie and pac so i honestly can't name..." than him saying "i don't know their songs but who cares cuz i'm still getting money."

now to be honest, he's from ATL, so I can actually understanding not knowing PAC songs but Biggie seems odd to me...because I hear biggie everywhere I go when i travel. But whatever...

I personally find it odd when rappers don't study their own craft. i find that odd in any field. so if someone is a great in your field and you don't know their work it's like...okay, how long will you really last without knowing history? this is in ANY Field, not just music.

>
>
>I personally find it odd when rappers don't study their own
>craft. i find that odd in any field. so if someone is a great
>in your field and you don't know their work it's like...okay,
>how long will you really last without knowing history? this is
>in ANY Field, not just music.

he was born in '97.

I couldn't name 5 songs from a rapper that was at his most popular years before i was born either.

if i was a singer, i wouldn't say randomly "i couldn't name 5 Whitney Houston songs, but i'm getting money so that's all that matters." that's just tacky.

And also, are you a rapper or singer? if not, then who cares if you know 5 songs. But take myself, I work in a very specific field of research, so if someone asked me to name 5 ppl in that field, I can because it's my job to stay up on past events and how they shape future innovations. and to me, that's kind of important. biggie wasn't just a fly by night rapper, but Lil Boat probably will be. And when it comes to skills, sales, fandom, I'd think an up and coming rapper would study the greats (even if they don't like them) to learn how or how not be successful.I mean, I don't fault him...but personally it does make me think an artist like this is only for money. and if that's true, that's perfectly fine.

That'w what I suspect, anyway. With alot of them. They see the old stuff as a separate thing that is unlike what they do and like, in alot of ways.

infancy when most of us were born. I'm 1984....and that's the year when Rap really started becoming big. There's not a single rapper who died before 1984 who has five songs that ANY of us could name, LOL.

BUT...Marvin Gaye died in 1984, and I could name ten of his songs in High School. Michael Jackson didn't die before my birth, but I could have named 20 of his songs in High School. And I mention these artists because that's the closest comparison, since Rap wasn't even big before my own birth.

And with that...2Pac and Biggie songs are STILL everywhere. Every kid saw Straight Outta Compton, and at least heard the two Pac songs in there. And everyone has seen these Sprite commercials with "Keep ya head up." And Biggie had a movie that came out when Yachty was 12, so even if he didn't see it then, it's common for kids his age to know the movie and some songs.

And then...final point...as Steph said....HE BROUGHT IT UP!!! Like he was proud!!! If Ebro was an asshole and put him on the spot saying "Name five Pac and Big songs" then I wouldn't be mad at him. But he brought the shit up on his own, as to say "yeah, I don't know or care about that old shit, I'm new era."

Oh, and one more point...he's completely garbage. Like, not even a dope wack rapper.

but that goes for other issues such as rappers downplaying their academic successes and claiming they are "rock stars, not rappers"

>now to be honest, he's from ATL, so I can actually
>understanding not knowing PAC songs


PAC is more loved in the south than big (its not even close).

know Biggie more than Tupac. Atlanta is closer to the east coast, even though it's in the south.

As far as outside looking in but it doesn't bother me. I don't know who this person is anyways.

the greatest ones study those that came before them. in most arenas

He even said that his manager made sure he listened to the classics. It's all about the OGs you got around you. If nobody is introducing you to the music can't expect them to know.

he knows whassup.


I'm not a Young Thug fan, but I've LISTENED and I hear technical skills, near-rhyme...all kinds of harbingers of a person who has studied the craft, even if he's taking it another direction...whatever the fk you wanna call it.

I respect it.

Also them ain't the greatest rappers evarrrr (for me).

Breakfast Club interview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCi_XpwMV1g#t=3m25s

anderson paak>>> every trap rapper that ever existed

On the Taxstone podcast, Beanie Sigel made a very astute observation (I think he was asked about Uzi Vert). This generation gets a pass for being "just kids" when it comes to the level of their artistry and skills...but Rakim, Nas, Pac, Big, etc. were writing their classics and more at that age. For me, being a teenager in the mid-late 90s era, by virtue of their subject matter and rhyme style, these guys just seemed so much more..."grown" and adult to me, whereas rappers these days strive to be seen as contemporaries of the audience.

that generation was forced to mature fast but also stayed young longer. You know how many old "teenagers" that generation fostered? So it's only right that this generation gets a pass for being "just kids".

instead of a regression. They have all the tools and if anything, more freedom of expression and subject matter.

>This generation gets a pass for being "just kids"

Which is mind blowing from an artistry perspective

I mean Nas was still in his teens when he wrote Illmatic (and high school age when he wrote Live at The BBQ and Back to the Grill verses)

Nobody's asking the new jacks to write Ready to Die pt. 2 but there has to be more than what they're putting out...right?

>but
>there has to be more than what they're putting out...right?
>

obviously whatever youre hearing now is not for you.

Why should he be expected to be aware of them?
It wouldn't be surprising if *insert "good" rapper* didn't know 5 Springsteen songs. Because Springsteen is not similar to their style.

I'd be surprised if Yachty didn't know 5 Guwop songs though.

.

Any master knows you study what came before even briefly if you want to master whatever you are doing not to copy but take it somewhere they haven't.

and not knowing who Isaiah Thomas is or what he accomplished.

Soulja Boy did a similar thing a decade ago and he was roasted as well.

and most great new rappers do...

he did alright for himself for some kid that started in his bedroom and was all over the internet making it work before niggas even knew what the internet was gonna do to the game.

i'm honestly curious

by the time people had started to get a better handle of his moves his musical star had already passed. however i'd say he's at least top 5 most important to the current rap scene (Gucci is #1 imo)

obviously soulja is trash as a rapper but the way he came up (savvy use of the internet and social media, no label, grinding out tours and songs like a mf) is the thing that inspires the ugly gods, famous dexes, and lil yachtys

true that he did influence them.

Lil B has more of an influence imo with the under 20 crowd...

Shit he had a huge influence on Souljah Boy

but i remember old heads 40+ telling me how nice Rakim was when Eric B Is President came out

Lil Yatchy won't be around in two years no one will remember that shit. So that's not a good argument imo

Did old heads back when Illmatic and Enter The Wu Tang came out bitch and moan about these new rappers not doing it like Run DMC and The Furious 5 and shit?

since the first young nigga discovered fire. thats life.

And never really liked rap until he heard Wu, B.I.G and Nas. He had respect for Public Enemy and loved Run DMC when he first heard "walk this way". But people around his age group really started getting into the music around the time of those aforementioned acts. He hated the sampling of most others and was critical as hell. But when he really listened to the way the lyrics flowed on certain tracks and the way the beats were sampled and used, it connected with him. Especially when it came to Nas.

and that 99% of what was new for them grows more irrelevant by the day

index fanga...

>index fanga...

some of these replies are hilarious though.

no one likes to be told that the thing that they spent a lot of time "getting good at" doesn't matter. it purports to invalidate their opinions (it doesn't) and implies that the time getting good at 90s hip hop was wasted (it wasn't)

a lot of people really bought into that "rap is something you do, hip hop is something you live" mantra and just can't let go. it's music. it's supposed to evolve and change. otherwise it's stuck, endlessly repeating itself and failing to change with the times, like post-70s jazz or maybe 00s rock, eventually fading into a niche genre that no one cares about. hip hop deserves better than that

kids

"Oh...but the melodies"

or whatever it was on TV? If so it's not just not knowing a BIG verse. it's about not knowing a verse that you are performing for people. It shows a lack of respect for your fans AND a lack of respect for BIG. it's not like some imptomtu shit. It's something that was supposed to be rehearsed.

If this is not about that, then never mind.

from 90's to care about big/pac. a lot of them were born after both were murdered.

not only are they removed by age, but also by music. the music has changed dramatically. they aren't trying to be the best lyricis or make great art. they just want to vibe and get lit.

>let's imagine he could name every song Pac and BIG have
>ever written, it still wouldn't change the way people feel
>about his music today.


Being well-versed in the past would probably change
his view of the present tho, so we wouldn't be having
this conversation about his current music, because it
most likely wouldn't exist. Alotta this stuff wouldn't.
This concept applies to pretty much anything.
When you know and understand history, you approach the
present differently.

At the same time, alotta these same cats who worship the
90s will quickly tell you that their era is better than
the era that preceded it. The difference is they did have
some knowledge of and respect for their predecessors.
A culture that doesn't respect its elders/ancestors is
a weak culture. I mean look at Black folks in America right now.

The celebration of "not knowing" is crazy in these times. Just reminds me of that Chris Rock joke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3PJF0YE-x4

dont really have grounds to fuck w/ lil yachty

WE collectively dumbed the genre down - we had a lot of industry help tho

yachty just giving niggas what they want

http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/2013/10/Chris-Rock-HUH-WTF.gif

http://i42.tinypic.com/vfywkm.gif

Although I guess it's all coming back around. Pretty sure a quick pass with a double time snare and Kool Keith could re-release half his shit as "Lil Oct" or BlAK Elvi$.

made the horrid garbage bullshit he puts out? That would be a problem to me.

>made the horrid garbage bullshit he puts out? That would be a
>problem to me.

Think its more about wearing ignorance as a badge of honor....

You will lose...

There is no Top Tier (Stadium status) rapper that talks like this because they are true students of the game...

Yatchy is literally a child.. You cant tell a hard headed 18/19 year old shit... they gotta learn it on their own.. but because he is getting the look now.. could come back to bite him when he is Dem Franchise Boys of 2016

He's still a favorite around here though

yes that's my only issue really with these new artists - "being PROUD of not knowing the history".

with all the tools and information available how can you be happy to be ignorant

I don't expect Yachty, Lil Uzi, or any of those guys to really know or fully appreciate old rap because it was truly before their time. Big and Pac died 20 years ago. Most of these guys are around that age.

My only gripe is that they shouldn't act as if the old stuff is trash. They listen to old rap with young ears so they honestly don't understand why a lot of the old stuff was so acclaimed. Not to mention, old heads make it a point to shit on the newer guys when they don't understand the new style. I had to get someone to explain Lil Uzi Vert to me.


---------------------------------------


---------------------------------------

>My only gripe is that they shouldn't act as if the old stuff
>is trash. They listen to old rap with young ears so they
>honestly don't understand why a lot of the old stuff was so
>acclaimed.

to be fair older stuff probably sounds staid, not particularly expressive, and not danceable to the young guys. i'm struggling to pull specific names but i have a vague association with rock music: some very early rock band from the 50s that plays really conservatively (old stuff) vs some powerhouse crazy 70s rock band (new stuff). maybe the kinks vs zeppelin? i can sympathize with these younger guys because i remember getting into rap in the early 90s and thinking artists like run dmc and bdk were boring as fuck musically. i still think that

>Not to mention, old heads make it a point to shit
>on the newer guys when they don't understand the new style

it does go both ways. there is a literal generation gap in rap music. i think the main divider is indeed the drums, as posited by rosenberg and/or ebro in the very informative hot97 interview with lil uzi vert. 808s don't really sound like anything but they don't have to because the vocalists, bass lines, and synths do almost all of the work to propel the song along and establish the beat. there isn't really a need for a snare to tell the listener where the beat is. and i think that's super progressive musically. it's awesome and refreshing

the other part is the "lack" of lyricism, which is a fair criticism, but most of these guys are trying to sound good over these expansive beats that are fun to dance to. they aren't trying to wow the listener with crazy rhyme schemes, multis, and mind-bending lyricism. they simply don't value it. and i kind of reached that point too. we had 15 years of rappers trying to do all that stuff. it still exists. if i want to listen to something like that i can dig into my vault of songs that feature "traditional" great rapping. and it's not like that kind of rapping completely fell off the face of the earth either. a lot of artists are still making that kind of rap. they're just not 20 years old

>I had to get someone to explain Lil Uzi Vert to me.

i'm very curious as to what this explanation was. did it work? did you "get" uzi?

i dont understand it. Sure the old stuff sounds old... cause its old. Its still music tho and its odd how youngins cant appreciate how the pioneers used what they had at the time to make music.

its very Dwight Howardish..lol.

Hip Hop is like the only genre where understanding, respecting and saluting our history is looked on negatively. None of this fodder makes any sense. Can you name a Biggie/Pac song... Nah dawg who cares its in the past. OR Of course I can I am a Hip Hop Hotepper (what y'all call backpackers like being a backpacker is a bad thing).

Y'all marginalize it so much that its no wonder there is no love in it anymore. Sheesh.


Whatever. Y'all gone think-piece a whole history into irrelevance.

who have yet to pen any type of classic album or verse.

You want me to support you, put up some quality shit.

He's like if that awkward cousin you see every year at the family reunion who won't stop talking about anime somehow became a successful rapper.

As a former awkward teen I have to admire that

(But not his music tho!)

can't speak to him as an interviewee or artist independent of that song though

it's kinda one of my favorites of the year, though


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz

the other two or three songs I heard not so much

Best believe young rockers know their Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones. Not necessarily know all the songs, but they respect the work put in before them.

Young rappers are the only ones who get passes for being ignorant and proud...as long as they are getting money. If people only knew the struggle it took to get rap accepted as "real" music. To get it played on the radio for more than a few hours per week and not in the middle of the night.

It hurts to be reminded of how rap is falling apart and really won't be relevant in the future. Those who wanted to end rap back in the day couldn't themselves so now they are giving us the rope to hang ourselves with. PE, Ice-T, SOM, Fresh Prince gave respect to those that came before them and they were all gold and platinum artists. Other rappers from the golden era(s) also gave respect to those before them.

It bothers me 'cause no, I do not have to like these young cats and they don't have to make music for me.....but I hate seeing traits that tend to plague a lot of Black people; the whole ignorant and proud steez. If enough fall into that trap, then I'm sorry, you can never build from that. So at least one of the answers to, 'why can't Blacks........' That's it right there.

so why even revisit?

:(

To be fair...

Yatchy and Anderson are more than a decade apart in age..

At Yatchy's age the ONLY shit I listened to was East Coast Rap (+ Outkast) and Dancehall... and was real as shit about the east coast/west coast bias.. This IS '97

by the time I left college 4 years later I was bumping All Eyez On Me, Tricky/Massive Attack, Bjork, Roni Size and had crates of Go Go music.

If Yatchy wants to be great he will eventually study the greats. Otherwise he will be a passing fad like the Shop Boyz or that OTHER Young Chris on Rack on Racks.. Atlanta produces a lot of those guys for whatever reason.

Don't get it twisted though.. It DOES matter to study the greats and your history... and anyone at the top of the game right now.. Drake, K Dot, Cole, Ye, Nicki, Future has done so...

Atlanta has waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more of them in the graveyard than Jeezy/T.I./Outkast types.