mfuqua23

Sometimes I wonder what is the argument? What the **** (and I mean that) is Hip Hop suppose to do? As much as KRS-One runs his mouth, where is he at? What's his take on all this? (btw, what happen to Nas honoring his word of "Unauthorized Biography of KRS-One"?) What has Chuck D said? What has the DJs (THE REAL DJS that were around at HIP HOP's START SAY). What the ****? Granadmaster Flash, Furious Five, Melle Mel, Rev Run, anybody, GEEZ! Maybe all this talk ain't worth the air it's being spread into. Or people really are blind and don't give a care anymore what happens? What is so bad about Hip Hop being out of the corporate world? Then we see how much of a businessperson some people really are. Can anybody name the last legitimate female emcee? Lil Kim (The Truth)? Are Hip Hop fans being too picky? What the heck? As much hip hop artists that are out here, we can be just that. 1,000s of artists and you can't pick a couple?!? I guess not, because on top of that, while guys like Tim are enjoying Hierglyphics, Colossus, etc, some punk is gettin' at his ear about this 25 Cent nobody that's the next big thing, and it's a conversion. Artists themselves end up like a politcal party or religion it seems. I mean, everybody has their taste. It can't hurt to make mention, "hey, you should check out. you might like them". Ok, it's a choice put on the table. Not a demand, just so some punk bastard can take your hard working money (some of us) and buy a diamond chain (that's controversy in its own right). The world has changed but some history is repeating itself. Slave/Goverment owners are on our American dollars. They controlled you alive, and are controlling you dead. You went from chains on your ankles, to chains on your neck, and it's basically the same disrespect. And history can be expanded. I got Chamillionaire's mixtape, and the words are right in your face if you listen to it. Try "Hip Hop Warning", which uses Nas's "Hip Hop Is Dead". All this mess about the south. Man, whatever. Cham is in the game to prove the south got lyricists. Yeah, some guys are sickening to your ears or annoying. I understand that. I'm not so open myself. How can Yung Jock or whoever call himself a "motivational speaker" and put on the singles he did? Maybe the worthwhile songs are on the cd and not radio. I almost find it amazing a lot of us are arguing about the music just like our parents it seems. "The music ain't what it used to be." We can all say that same thing. "This rap won't last". Maybe they're right, and it just took longer than they anticipated? Didn't somebody on this board say "Hip Hop Is Dead" before we saw Nas's title come to a news headline awareness? If Nas is just "tryna sell records", what the heck? Perhaps consciousness is the in thing now, or will be? Jadakiss with his "Why". And Nas backed him saying something like "Jada is the truth, put my money where my mouth is, let's do something bout this". Nas changed "considerably" with "I Am...". How about Ja Rule? Where is his credit for at the end of his "The Reign" video, 'Hip Hop is Dying'. Or was that just a fluke. KRS-One did not change his lyrics based on some everchanging fanbase or executives. He only grew thru his own understanding as an artist and a human being. So did, Talib Kweli, Common, Will Smith, Ice Cube, Rakim, 2pac and I'm sure there are more. Is all this argumenting worth anything? Seriously. What are these new kids into "hip hop" (the likes of Yung Joc, T.I., Chamillionaire, older Snoop Dogg, older Jay-Z etc.) gonna know about a genre dying they're barely into or know the history of yet? They don't even know it 5 years ago. This is for all the heads that follow it. Hip-Hop is Hip-Hop is Hip-Hop. End of story. (I don't even know if I vented any sense.) EDIT: OK, I'm done. Now, I'm just gonna be a pair of eyes for this topic. Anybody wanna get at me, PM. Peace!

Chamillionaire - Get Ya Umbrellas Out [The Mixtape Messiah 2] Available at www.chamillionaire.com until 1/1/2007

Robin Thicke - Complicated (The Evolution of Robin Thicke)

Wow. That's an amazing analysis. Someone should get Nas clips of him being the guest on Rap City. Nas said a lot of things that got you to think for a minute. I tuned in when I could. I still don't know where I stand when Nas says such things. Like, I can agree and disagree with the same point. But some things, I definitely side with Nas on. At this point, I just can't break that down. mPenA, if you truly did that all on your own (and even if you didn't), I give you my undeniable respect and props for that.

Even with that said Turntable, we have to consider where the music has been going too. It just won't mix together. I don't think, but who knows.

Wow Ted. The song was awesome from all sides. I'm still lookin to figure how you flow your joints, because everytime I try, I get twisted. It was a great song to read tho, for sure.

Who does rap support? Them darn selves! In all honesty, I think the ones rap would support to their fullest isn't so much together anymore. Run DMC (considerin' JMJ death, DMC's vocal change, Run's new dealings), 2pac (all that's took is his death), JJFP (but schedules conflict and we never see it). Maybe fans of the genre as a whole ask too much. It can't be Jay-Z, it can't be NaS, and I think there is something lacking when it comes to LL being considered. There's two sides as to why rap/hip hop should be a lot like other genres in that sense TopDawg mention, and reasons why it isn't. A general difference back then, was people didn't let the money fully dictate how they produced their sound. They was gonna try to make it with what they got. Now it's fully, I'll give you what you want for the money. At least, that's my take on all this.

J Dilla - You & Your Smile (Instrumentals Vol. 1)

Strong Arm Steady feat. Talib Kweli - On Site [blacksmith: The Movement]

I'm not overracting. I can be just as calm listening to "Switch" as I am to "Kick, Push". And my point was calm. I was not screamin' that stuff out. Just philosphically stating it. I'm saying for what "Switch" was itself. It's not like I was comparing it to Rakim rockin' a party, or even Lil Jon. Of course there are other "club records" that put "Switch" outta place. I'm not gonna deny somethng like that. And of course it's opinion. -- OK, I just listened to "Switch" again. It's just lyrical nice and decent. But it's still a cool record, as far as the club scene goes. I mean, look at what the song got Will. Anyway, I hadn't played it so long. Point to Turntable. It's not lyrically genius, but it's cool.

I'm sorry, actually I'm not, haha but "Switch" is lyrically genious. You don't always have to use large words for a song to be genius. It's just the how the words are put together and said. It's a lot like love songs you hear. Maybe you hear a lot of the same words but it's how it's put together and said. We heard it time and time again about what's wrong with Hip hop, record executives, wack emcees, etc. Kenn Starr has said it different, Hieroglyphics have said it different. Jean Grae, Talib Kweli, Kel Spencer, even someone on your block just writing. One day, "Walk It Out" came on the radio, and my dad foolishly got into it just to poke fun at me. I was like, I don't like this kind of rap. And I turned the station quick. The "Walk It Out" beat alone is better than the song as a whole. They could just say "Walk It Out" once in the chorus, and the song would be a hint better. Seriously, listen to "Switch" again if you haven't in a while. That is a genius "club/pop record". You can dance and listen at the same time; it ain't like drinking and driving.

Bun B, Papoose, & Shaq - You Can't Stop The Reign (2006)

Hieroglyphics - Third Eye Vision (album)

Right Ash Trey. But that's just part of it. Not all of us who are tired of this hip hop purposely go listening to it. Think about it, you're hanging out with your friends or family or whatever and these songs come on the radio, tv, however they come about, and you don't wanna discontinue being connected with these people around simply because of strong distaste in this music. But that's just it. It's that strong to make you feel that way. One of the quickest generalizations everybody wants to make is that "rap music is nothing but cussing". (and I think they say rap, instead of hip hop because it's one word) The industry for the music will plummet and the artist themselves will make what money they can honestly make based on their own work ethic and those that share with their vision somehow. People don't like to be called stupid for what they listen to. One friend I was around was really like Mike Jones. And I asked simply "Why?". There wasn't much of answer. And I remember at the 2005 BET Awards after show, Mike Jones or some southern rapper, got asked about Will Smith, and he didn't answer the question, just simply BS'd it. Nobody in this thread thusfar has said anything out of context to be wrong. We all know what we're witnessing. And I almost don't want to say it, but I believe TopDawg is right when he says "it's gonna get worse before things get better." At least it can't go too much further.

I know AJ. I understand you entirely. I would sound off, but I've done it enough. I know where I stand, and a change is gonna come. I am beyond guessing what record companies are thinking. I mean, they even make Diddy's rhymes look good don't they? (even the ones he wrote himself) There are literally 1,000s and 1,000s of hip hop artists out there. There's gotta be a lil something for everybody. Watch them in your local area, look at the internet, maybe they're a bright spot in the mainstream you didn't see before, maybe you overhear a song. AJ, Kel is goin' back to Maryland. I know you're hype about that. If it wasn't for Dave Chappelle, I wouldn't have been exposed to the Hip Hop I have been (not that was listening to anything "bad" before), or opened up to it so fast. His Block Party was unbelieveable. Where are those at anymore? If it wasn't for reading Michael Eric Dyson's "Holler If Ya Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur", I wouldn't have been exposed to new references or hip hop's connect game. If it wasn't for coming across this board, seeing new talents and musical tastes of people being expressed, I probably wouldn't have been inspired the same. If I didn't see Kweli live, I wouldn't have truly felt the effects Hip Hop can have, moreso than I already did. If it wasn't for the in short or exclusive feedback I'd been given on my music, I wouldn't have easily known what effects I could be making. There's a whole lot more to this whole Hip Hop thing. All this "bad" hip hop, 'that shouldn't be classified as hip hop', just simply stay away from it. Maybe you're just sick of everywhere you go, someone has to actually believe that it's good music, simply because they can move to it. I really don't know what to think when Nas (who has been one of my favorite artists) says "Hip Hop Is Dead"; regardless of what context he puts it in. Now if he's saying it because it seems as if the main four elements is gone, ok, I understand. America is dead? How can that be? You criticized the same country time and time again some time back, and back again. There is no one way to say what America stands for, so how can it be dead? (again, I'm just saying, regardless of context) Well, at least we have something to talk about and keep us busy on this earth. Let the argument, agreements, thought-provoking conversations begin!

Mos Def - What's Beef

Ok, I don;t know how specific I can get. I just today got a copy of my performance on this DVD. Thing is, the dvd is about an 1 hr, and my segment isn't until like 35:35- 44:45. I would appreciate a suggestion of programs or series of programs to get so that I can make this work, and rip that segment of the vid. And I also wanna use th audio from it, so i need to be able to get that off of it if I want. I seem to be able to open up files if they are avi or mpeg vids. and use the audio alone if I want. So if there's a program that can do that, and won't give me hassle or limits, I'll be all set. This is some big time help that I need.

I dont know what I was thinkin'. I'm so used to seein' it the other way. My bad Dawg. Thanks for the songs and influence to purchase Robin Thicke.

The first verse was great, but I just don't like the 2nd verse. I mean, you could be figuratively speaking, but it would help to connect it to something more positive. I mean considering the subject matter. 1st verse and chorus are fine. I just don't like the 2nd verse. It either needs to be expanded, or otherwise it just doesn't fit. I just wouldn't put Chris Gardner's story like that. That's just me tho.

Hey TopDawg. Are these songs suppose to be this small? There like in KB, and a lot of the times, there in MB. So yeah, something got messed up. btw, I just got Robin Thicke's album. Woooooow.

Robin Thicke - The Evolution of Robin Thicke WOW! Awesome album. Did I mention I'm only on track 4. lol

Yeah, thats always a possibility. It would probably only be a track or two tho, instead of a whole album. I wouldn't knock that idea at all.

Hip Hop For Respect EP hey ash trey, glad u posted that. I didn't know there was a remix.

I think that would be a lil risky of a marketing move. Granted it would do wonders for Kel possibly, it might not do everything it should. After all, everybody wants to see Will with just one more album, but it's with "we all know who". Maybe Will and Jeff just don't know the demographic of how many people actual wanna hear a new JJFP. Actually let me rephrase that. A JJFP in 2000-something. It seems like the JJFP situation is kinda like the Black Star (Mos Def + Talib Kweli) They think people would really feel the maturity of them together again. "Born & Raise" and "Supreme, Supreme", wasn't as great as people wanted it to be. Me personally, I enjoyed those joints. It's no telling what can happen tho. I trust the moves Kel is makin'. I mean, he knows his goals and what he wants out of music, and outside of music as well. I got a feelin' his track record will be pretty impressive when he's done with his career in music.

Talib Kweli feat. Jean Grae - Hush