On what's wrong with hip-hop

Look at art throughout human history; from the first cave paintings and hummed tunes to their most modern relatives, all are designed to express something inherently hard to express: emotions. The reason we create art, the reason we need it in our lives, is that we really have no other way of truly expressing our emotions. Look at a Van Gogh or a Picasso, or a poem by Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost. All art transmits some kind of emotion(s) from its creator to the masses, and all great art does it in an elegant fashion.

We consider a poem art, but not a newspaper article. Why? Both are just words on paper. Both have an author, an intent, and a reader. So why is only the poem considered art? Because the poem is designed to evoke an emotional response from us. A newspaper article, while we may have an emotional response to it, is (ideally) a simple, factual account of a recent event. The poem expresses something timeless, something we otherwise would not be able to capture. Think about the differences between the emotional states of the authors.

So what does this have to do with hip-hop? In my opinion, rap songs are like the newspaper articles of music. Generally, they recite the author's most recent lay, his/her latest drive-by victory, or why some other artist should kiss their ass. Where's the emotion behind that?

What I'm trying to say is this: people need art. People have been creating and enjoying art since the beginning of time. But what we are really looking for is that emotional connection, a way to explain another little peice of what it means to be human. The style known as hip-hop is like a canvas, but the people holding the brushes are newspaper journalists. The emotional connection simply is not there anymore, and it shows.

Okay, now that I've said all that, let me say this: I have nothing against newspaper journalists. They do what they do. And although the style of hip-hop simply does not appeal to me, I don't think all hip-hop is un-artistic. Just most of it. Nor do I think all hip-hop artists are unskilled barbarians. Just most of them.

And just for reference, I like classical and some jazz, but mostly alternative rock. My favourite band is Tool.

I have many problems with the above writeup. First, JoeTheBagel makes the assertion that hip-hop lacks emotion because it discusses activities which are glamourized by the commercialized ghetto-fabulous lifestyle. Seems to me doing drive-bys and spending wads of cash evoke stronger emotions than standard American middle-class activities do. Don't confuse the 'hard'ness that gangsta rappers and jiggy rappers try to portray with a lack of emotion. Secondly, if you don't know anything about hip-hop, how can you know what's wrong with it? Node what you know! Nobody cares why you don't like something unless you actually have experience with the thing and are judging it based on intimate knowledge rather than stereotype. I was going to request that the above writeup be nuked, but I figured it was a legitimate topic, so here I offer my own idea of what's wrong with hip-hop to supercede the above. Editors may delete this paragraph when deleting the above writeup or msg me and I will do it.

The biggest problem with hip-hop today is its commercialization. In the early days before rap music was commercially viable, the hip-hop culture grew out of a sense of community and fun-loving party attitude of a whole generation of the lower income youth in the Bronx. Innovators such as DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa furthered hip-hop as a culture in a positive way. Hip-hop had huge potential to bring awareness of poor urban culture to the masses. Of course, as soon as the record executives discovered this, they commodified hip-hop and the downward trend was begun.

In the beginning, rap stayed relatively real. Gangsta rap very much reflects inner-city culture and so communicates the thoughts and feelings of a large group of people. Whether you find gangsta rap offensive or not, it still can be considered art as it expresses real attitudes and opinions. Also at this time there were still mainstream acts representing the best spirit of hip-hop, such as KRS-One and Run DMC.

But as the gangsta rap phenomenon developed, and more middle-class kids started getting into it, there arose a demand for a new kind of softer rap. Since so many parents disapproved of gangsta rap, there was a huge commercial need for hip-hop which satisfied Middle America's sensibilities. Ironically the original true hip-hop would have fit the bill, but instead the commercial radio scene is dominated by a mix of fake gangsta rappers and money-flashing jiggy rappers who represent nothing but their own lavish lifestyle.

Well, this is no worse than the commercialization of any other kind of music. When there is significant money to be made, you suddenly find that most people doing it care very little about the art. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that getting signed by a major label and being widely distributed requires a different skill set than producing creative and thought-provoking music.

Of course, the true hip-hop still exists even if it is drowned out by all the over-produced cliché-driven rap. I suppose it's no harder to find the gems of hip-hop than it ever was. If you're interested in hearing cutting-edge beats with substance, I suggest checking out the following list:

• The Roots
• Blackalicious
• Brand Nubian
• Jurassic 5
• Mos Def
• Guru (Jazzmatazz Series)
• Atmosphere
• KRS-One
• The Coup
• Aceyalone
• Jeru The Damaja
• The Pharcyde
• The Fugees
• Talib Kweli
• Aesop Rock
• Pharoahe Monch
• Spearhead
• J-live