That's what LL said back in the 80's, but I beg to differ today. I can definitely live without the radio today. Remember the days when Hip Hop was making its way into the mainstream, and there were battles against the rappers that stayed on wax and not brought to real life? Remember how LL killed Cool Moe Dee on Mama Said Knock You Out? That was REAL Hip Hop. Remember how Public Enemy always brought us the truth in their lyrics, even with crazy looking Flava Flav up front with that stupid looking clock, asking us if we know what time it is? Remember Salt & Peppa bringing us knowledge on Lets Talk About Sex? Man! Those were the days!
I was definitely what I would call a Hip Hop head back in the day. I loved watching BET, to get my fix of East Coast rappers, and styles of that time. I loved hearing how the rappers flowed. They rapped about things like Adidas, Love, killing other MC's with lyrics, around the way girls, and dancing. Their flow was so tight, that you would recite the lyrics along with the song and at the same time gain some knowledge and black pride. Not only that, you had fun! They smiled in the videos, they danced and most of all the creativity was THE BEST. I wish I would turn my T.V. to BET now!
Now, the so called "rappers" all look alike, sound alike, and it seems that the only thing they can rap about is sex, drugs and killing. Wow! Now, that's what I call creative. NOT! I get in plenty of disagreements with my family about Lil Wayne. They say, he's got swagga, he can flow. I'm like O really? I guess telling a story about how much money you made selling drugs and the millions of woman you've slept with in a different way means you can flow? I beg to differ. Then we have the clones of Lil Wayne. Who are all these dudes that want to wear the dreads, look dirty, pants hanging so low I can see your butt, and rap about the same things that the other dude rapped about yesterday? Why do they all have to have that Autotune mess on their songs now? And by the way, it's not new, Roger Trout did that a long time ago. I can't thank Jay Z enough for D.O.A. (Death of Autotune):"na na na na, hey hey hey goodbye. I know we facin a recession But the music yall makin gonna make it the great depression" No truer words have ever been spoken. Every thing is so gimmicky now, it's ridiculous.
I miss the days of Salt & Peppa "My Mike Sounds Nice", and LL crooning to us as he says "I need Love". Don't get me wrong, I think there are still some rappers that can flow like no other. We still have Jay Z (the greatest), Kanye (the best), Common (so smooth with it), Mos Def (no words), T.I. (what can I say) and Nas (yo, where you at?). Yes, they all speak on some things that I would prefer not to listen to, but you can't deny the flow they all bring. That's what I call SWAGGA!
My son's IPOD is full of songs from back in the day. I am proud to say that I've introduced him to some music that kids his age probably have no clue about. He loves "old school" rap, and I love hearing him recite the lyrics from back in the day. Yeah, he also likes the crap they play on the radio today, but believe me, I sensor it as much as I can. In my car, it gets no play.
Bring back the days when music was good. When music was fun. When rappers were just as arrogant as they are today, but had the lyrics to back it up. I miss BIG. I miss Pac before he started trippin. I miss EPMD, Special Ed, MC Lyte and Queen Latifah. I could go on and on, but I won't. I won't even touch on R&B today, that's a whole other post.
If you all have something from back in the day that you miss, Holla at your girl. I'm feeling like Mary J right now, I want to Reminisce on the love we had.
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6 comments:
Awe Sweet T, I am one who can’t live with out my radio, iPod, computer (iTunes and that special site I love to visit), or my sidekick…serves as a backup when the iPod is dead. Oh yeah I can remember the days of Hip Hop when a battle was just with words and not with guns and knives. Oh how I remember when LL crushed Kool Moe Dee on “Mama Said Knock You Out” will take it a few years later when he smoked Cannabis in “4,3,2,1!” I also remember when he made the “Pink Cookies in a Plastic Bag” and know one knew he was speaking of sex, lol. Ooooh how I remember when FLAVOR FLAAAV jump around being the best hype man fro PE, while screaming 911 was a joke, and Chuck D yelling “FIGHT THE POWER!”; I’m not even gonna comment on Salt & Peppa!
B.E.T.is now filled with reality shows no more Rap City, that went down when they added Tigga…No offense but the truth is the truth. Now we have 106 & Park with Roxi and Terrance J and I mean no harm since Free and A.J. were kicked off that holds no water with me. I mean come on can I get a full video! Today you still have rappers rapping about clothes expect now it’s about LV, CL, Gucci, and other designers but guess what??????? WE OR SHOULD I SAY SOME DON’T WANT TO LISTEN BECAUSE THEY CONSIDER IT FAKE ,SOFT,or NOT REAL HIP HOP! In my opinion those very rappers get slammed because they are rapping about designer clothes that others can not afford, but hey that’s their reality and not ours so I’m not one to knock their hustle, keeps me up on the latest.
I will agree that some of the rappers today all sound alike, and I swear on some days I’m gonna make my own video and song about something non relevant, but sometimes you just have to have fun and drop something so stupid that it does not require one to think but have fun with it.
On the subject of Lil Wayne outside of what’s played on the radio and you looking at his appearance what other music have you listened to by him? His underground music is the hawtest, but when it comes to store sells you gotta make your money and most time they give the public what they want…you have to listen to his lyrics and block out his image. Lil Wayne has “Swagga” because he is confidant in what he say and do, not by the way he dress or him speaking about him selling drugs, read his interviews, listen to his interviews, and remember that he is still young; he will mature in time…it may seem that he is older than what he is because he’s been out since he was 14. Sweet T, did you forget that along with me Biggie was your man…and he rapped about what? Again when your life style change your rap style change; more one that in a few, lol
You all know I love all music but my heart lies in Rap, Hip Hop, and R&B and again I can agree with some of you points because I do just miss the days when a song come on and I can jump up and try to do the dance from the vid…but I can also appreciate SOME of the newer rappers out here today. I’m sick of auto tune so I’m on the D.O.A. bandwagon, it was kewl when T-Pain made it popular again but geesh not everyone can do it year after year, song after song, or even album after album!
part 2
Now going back up to when I reference rap/lifestyle change…My beloved Jay-Z rapped about selling drugs but change it up when he could no longer relate to that life. What happened people started calling him soft, started saying he was not number one any more, started saying he would never make as much as he did before. LIES! He proved them wrong all day everyday! IT’S THE ROC!
Kanye ooohhh I have no words for him…been a fan love him!
Common was a huge disappointment to me this year! Common did what we didn’t want him to do and that was jump on the bandwagon of just talking about NOTHING! Common went from people saying OMG he nasty but in a sexy non-direct way to just talking about F*&king some random chick. What happen to COMMON SENCE, I miss him every time I hear him today.
T.I. when did T.I. become the do gooder? Again he is the same one who was the “RUBBERBAND MAN” oh don’t get me wrong T.I. is the best and ohhh how I love him, but I was listening from day one so I know how he has switched up in the music game.
Nas, oh he out here got his latest cd too, but nothing will ever beat “Illmatic” some things come close but never the same. The hunger is gone!
Remember swagga is not just one thing…it’s many things but only the one you speaking to or about can tell you what their true swagga is…SWAGGA LIKE US!
Check out K’Naan been around for a minute…6 albums deep but not many can quote his stuff, check out. Sareem Poems, I stumble upon him oneday and happened to like what I heard….and you know Rakim got a new single out!
I agree that son’s music should be censored! It will give him the power to listen to anything and tell the difference in what’s real and what’s fake and can become a music connoisseur like his big cousin ;-).
now i'm gonna update my blogs, lol you have inspired me!
The biggest problem with the music today is that there's no integrity or creativity in it. I think Al Sharpton said it best (and I'm not the biggest fan of his) when he stated that, "the rappers today entertain other ethnic groups worst opinions about black people." In other words, these ignorant "musicians" validate every negative stereotype that others have of black men and women.
For some reason, our kids have a tendency to become whatever they listen to. Just look around, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Our kids, unlike other ethnicities, are dealing with self-esteem issues that are killing them. It didn't start with this generation; we did the same thing. The fashion and trends of the 80's and 90's were all born of the hip-hop community. The problem with this disfunction (it's a sad reality that we face) is that we have young girls who have no idea how to respect themselves around young boys who're trying to be like Lil Wayne. We HAVE to stop defending the music when it's OBVIOUSLY having an adverse effect on black youth. I listen to some of it too, but I'm an adult and can tell the difference between life and art. What's ironic to me is that if Lil Wayne or one of his clones were a white male and he were saying the same things about black women, we'd be marching and picketing daily!! The hypocracy that we live by is embarrassing.
P.S. I can't believe that these young dudes are actually wearing "skinny jeans" and looking a mess in the process just because they see these artists wearing them. Like Jay, "I can't wear skinny jeans cause my knots don't fit."
Well Blaque Diamond, I can't agree w/ all that you said. Music is not what it used to be and it's no longer fun to me. I know sometimes you have to let go and have fun, but how much fun can you have when all you hear on the airwaves is sex, drugs, killing, B's and Ho's to a bangin beat? I get that J started off rapping about his reality of selling drugs, however he's shown that he is CREATIVE with his flow. He still raps about the girls, the party and the clothes, but I'm speaking more of his word play. I get that rappers are very bragadocious, that's how it's been since the beginning, I'm not knocking that. It's not even that they are rapping about clothes that no one can afford, hey LL wore a fat gold chain that none of us could afford, but his words is what i'm speaking of. Yes he spoke of sex, one of my favorite songs of his is Doing it well, we all know what that's about, but today,it's so vulgar, no one is creative and no one leaves anything to the imagination. Most times we had to figure out after hearing a song many times that the song was about sex. Now, it slaps you in the face. You are correct, I loved Big, he is my #1 for life, and yes as I said he spoke on some things that I'd rather not listen to, but you can't knock his flow, and you know that what he was speaking of was the truth. As for Common, I think to a certain extent he sold out in order to sell records. He proved that he can flow, but no one listened. I still love "Go" tho. LOL!! Kanye, I can't say enough that he can rap, and is one of the best, however it pains me to say that. I can't knock his flow at all. And he is the best example of what i'm trying to say, flow is great, creativity is awesome, and he's just as arrogant as they were back in the day w/ what he brings to Hip Hop. I will never agree w/ Weezy being one of the best, I don't need to hear his underground. J gave him props on D.O.A., however to me, he's the image of black men that I'm getting sick of seeing. With all that said, we can agree to disagree, music to me is painful, I miss my old school, I miss the days when it was fun, when we as women were a little bit more respected, and when rappers were actually lyricist, poets from the streets.
KD, I totally agree w/ what you said. What about the kids who don't know that what they see and hear are not real? They mimic what they see if they don't have ADULTS around them to let them know the truth. I miss HIP HOP!
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