Hip Hop Is Alive and Doing Well

Comments made by rapper/actor Common in a recent interview have re-sparked a decade old debate that seems to resurface whenever Jay – Z doesn’t have an album dominating the top of the Billboard charts.  According to Common, hip hop doesn’t have the same soul as it did back in the day. “It’s sad, because hip hop does not have the same impact today that it did when I was coming up.  I think about my daughter and hip-hop has no real impact on her lifestyle. I remember wearing medallions and finding out about Farrakhan and that movement because Chuck D talked about it. Hip-Hop had a big relevance on life. When the corporations took over music, the music lost its soul. Music used to be artist driven and pure. I always thought hip-hop artists were leaders.”  Southern rapper and producer David Banner echoed these sentiments in an interview with Vibe magazine when he stated that “It ain’t about how good you can rap anymore. Dope beats? What happened to that? Now it’s all about what features a rapper is going to have or who he’s having sex with. But we allowed it to happen and it’s our fault. Don’t blame it on no regions or anybody.  Blame it on yourself for not liking better music, the magazines and blogs need to put out better information.”

In its early days, hip hop was a rhythmical soapbox artists used to speak on issues that reflected what was going on in their communities.  President Carter and then Reagan ran the government and the country was in the throes of an economic downturn.  The nation was still in the early stages of adjusting to life after the Civil Rights Movement and although it wasn’t unimaginable to see Blacks to riding the waves of financial and social prosperity, it most certainly wasn’t as common as it is today.

Fast forward twenty or thirty years and the landscape of our nation is totally different.  Technology has advanced by leaps and there is a new, globalized consciousness.  As we have entered the Age of Obama, Blacks have progressed to a point unforeseen by our slave ancestors.  The most current Forbes List includes a veritable list of prosperous Black business people, including rap heavyweights such as, Jay – Z, Chamillionaire, 50 Cent and Kanye West.  The Sugar Hill Gang and KRS One never had it so good.

Just like in all other creative outlets, the landscape of rap music has changed.  As Black rappers have amassed considerable fortunes, the narrative of their lyrics have changed.  There are still struggles; Black rappers still battle pigeon-holing by large music corporations and selective visibility in the media but the advancement is evident, which might explain why the lyrics are less proactive and socially conscious than those of rap’s forefathers.  In an age where rappers are living, breathing examples of the American Dream, it is rare to hear lyrics that are reminiscent of songs like “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and “Its Like That” by Run DMC.  Yes, there are artists who are keeping with the tradition but they lack the exposure of bigger, more profitable names. 

Are the lyrics that much more different?  Rakim rhymes often echoed the desperation and survialism of a young Black man in the hood and almost thirty years later, Nas is doing the same thing.  In 1987, a young LL Cool J rapped “I Need Love” and now, Lil’ Wayne of Cash Money Records and Young Money fame has reflected on the attitudes about love and commitment in the 21^st century in “I’m Single”.  The subject matter is intrinsically the same – it’s just that the thoughts and opinions are of our present time.  Rappers still speak on discrimination (Hurricane Katrina, the vilification of Michael Vick by the media,) politics (Diddy’s Rock the Vote, Jay – Z and Jeezy’s  “My President is Black” remix) and a multitude of other relevant issues.

Is hip hop really dead?  As with everything else in the world, this beloved art form has simply evolved.  Maybe not all artists are as eloquent as Nas or as socially conscious as Mos Def, but the smorgasbord of variety isn’t bad for hip hop.  Just as there’s different flavors in coffee flavor from mild to full and robust, the sounds of hip hop are just as varied and there is something for everyone to enjoy, just so long as you’re prepared to look for it.