The Fall of Hip Hop Music

In the early days of Hip Hop, most notably around the last fifteen years of the 20th century, there had always been an underlying, but often vocal, opposition to popular American music, or "pop" music. The idea was always that, by surrendering the people's music, designed for the downtrodden inner-city, to corporate America, Hip Hop contradicted everything it stood for. However, that which the soothsayers of rap feared has come true, and those cunning profiteers, who take control of every potential cash-crop they detect, have commandeered the music so seamlessly that the glory days of yesteryear and the code under which they operated, are all but forgotten.

Back then, the unwritten code implied that an artist must "pay dues", such as battling other MC's in the streets or hosting parties held in city parks or apartments, before they can be respected as a true rap artist. This code was enforced musically and collectively by those already anointed, rather effectively destroying the fragile careers of artists who had bypassed these rites of passage and crossed over into the mainstream by way of a marketing strategy.

The two most notable causalities were MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice, both of whom won Grammy Awards, at a time when such honors was considered a scarlet letter in the music's culture. Such brutal attacks proved that the music was, indeed, larger than any man, and no feelings would be spared to safeguard the musical frontier which had refused to join the empire

Today, we see events like the annual Hip Hop Honors, which decided to commemorate The Dirty South for their “dominance” in rap music over the last decade, a dominance measured by sales, not talent, and is clearly a result of the over-exposure that comes from squeezing a successful product for everything it's worth. The landscape has been mangled. Artists that were previously banished are now celebrated, like the actor-turned-rapper and exemplar of pop star, Drake, who has shrewdly conformed to the south's unique interpretation of rap music and has seamlessly integrated with its clique, despite the fact that he hails from Canada, thousands of miles away.

In 2010, Drake, the canuck, who has outrun a sure exile by about fifteen years, wears his mainstream accolades with pride and is adored by fans, which are appearing more and more like the crowd at the Mickey Mouse Club and less like a classic "park jam". Just like Ice, who was harshly vilified and torn from grace, he has bypassed the code and has been inserted into the chain-wearing, campaign-popping world of dancing floozies and big rims. Most certainly under a team of business advisers, he masquerades as a tried and true member of the Dirty South and whistles "Dixie" all the way to the Canadian bank.

It is truly a sad state of affairs, and the real victims are the abandoned artists who are still out there. Much like the Samurai of the far east, whose ideals were smothered by their countries' desire to join the industrial surge of the west in the 19th century, they remain on the fringe and never receive what's rightfully theirs. These forgotten souls, remnants of the original colonies and second-generation frontiersman, like Slum Village, Guilty Simpson, Aesop Rock, Madlib, Oh-No, MF Doom, Kool Keith and Del the Funky Homosapien press on, following the original commandments of hip hop, equipped with the technology of the day and a skill set that's 30 years evolved.

They receive no support from major radio stations, which are in the pocket of the evil syndicate and only serve as a promotional tool for the mainstream acts, and they certainly are not honored with an award show honoring their "dominance". They aren't even invited. Their fan base consists of hip hop romantics, and their work fits the description of cult classic. Like most of our distorted perceptions of history, the present time period will be remembered as the era of the Dirty South and artists such as Drake, while those who has taken the art where it should be melt into obscurity.

So, if you enjoy the new breed, understand that you are perfectly normal. Many have adopted the music that was hijacked and taken from the ghetto by the same people who use all of their interests to control them. However, just know that when you claim to be a fan of hip hop, the music you enjoy is not in it's pure state but rather, is a deformed mutation of it.

To the rest of the fans, keep it real.

Controversy in Hip Hop: Misogyny, Violence, Weed & Hypersexuality Read more at Suite101: Controversy in Hip Hop: Misogyny, Violence, Weed & Hypersexu

The lack of political correctness in hip hop has ensured critics are often voicing the negative aspects of the culture but is there a deeper meaning to it?

Finding a more politically incorrect genre of music than hip hop would be difficult, especially according to most authorities worldwide. Perhaps its critics are right in thinking that artists merely employ purposely offensive shock tactics to sell records and cause a stir or perhaps just like every other art form hip hop is just a blend of complex contradictions. When it comes to issues like violence and misogyny, hip hop may not have been the genre that said it first – developed in the 1970’s, it’s a relatively new genre - but granted it probably said it the loudest!

Exploitation of Sex?

Hip hop and the so-called gangsta rap sub-genre in particular is notorious for the exploitation of women and sexually explicit lyrics, there’s no doubt about it. Politician and anti-rap actvivist C. Delores Tucker called the genre "pornographic fifth," claiming that it was demeaning and offensive to African-American women. She then stated in 1996 statement following her demfamation suit against the estate of Tupac Shakur, "I feel thousands of young women have been defamed by this greed-driven, race-driven and drug-driven music. This sexist lyrical filth particularly defames Black women, promotes drug use, violence and panders pornography to children."

When asking about why hip hop lyrics must be so crude, surely it would be better to consider British boy band Blue’s 2001 cover version of the 1998 Next single ‘Too Close,’ which is full of innuendo promoting sexual promiscuity – surely somewhat inappropriate for their predominantly pre-teen audience. Admittedly the lyrics of Digital Underground were more perhaps more explicitly crude but often dealt with the importance of having protected sex, even naming their 1990 debut album Sex Packets; which, therefore, does beg the question, what is more immoral?


Glorification of Drug-Use?

Rappers are no angels, in fact plenty quite freely proclaim ‘to be in love with Mary Jane’ in the words of the 1978 Rick James classic. Admittedly the use of cannabis seems to be culturally accepted within the hip hop world (despite being an illegal substance in a vast majority of countries worldwide), as is explained in a 2006 XXL editorial by Byron Crawford, which called substance abuse "The new fourth element of hip-hop." In the genre’s lyricism, however, for just about every reference in favour drug abuse, there is one against.

It could be argued that cannabis is glorified by rappers as artists like Cypress Hill, Dr Dre and countless others. It must be said, however, that they are not the only ones; what about musicians like Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix? Anti-rap activists, such as Tucker, seemed to neglect to highlight the blatant substance abuse of such artists outside the rap community. Surely this is not an issue that should be seen as unique to hip hop.

Glorification of Violence?

Violence is an area of extreme contradiction in hip hop. It seems incongruous that 2pac, often pictured in promotional materials with a gun in his belt, also urged young people to “put the .44 away.” His former label Death Row Records logo could also arguably be seen as promoting violence, as could the famous cross-hair Public Enemy logo and countless album covers but do not always acknowledge the symbolism behind imagery such as this.

Many overlook the powerful message of fighting oppression that such symbols represent. Critics are quick to recognise the word ‘gun’ in hip hop lyricism and seem to develop selective hearing with the messages that follow.In a 2006 article in British newspaper The Independent journalist Sonia Poulton explained that "instead of condemning gangsta rap we should instead question the environments that inspired this music." She also stated that she felt it that condemnation of violent lyrical content was an "uneven playing field," as few condemned John Lennon or Eric Clapton for their gun references. An artist’s work can be interpreted in countless different ways; surely hip hop should be no exception.