hip hop is dead so who killed it

[MpenA]

ok now on the album of the year hip hop is dead the original name was hip hop is dead ... the N

on the back of the cd there to rows of tracks the first 6 are him explainin why hip hop is dead then blackrepublicans starts the albulm part called the N nd its 10 tracks like illmatic and he puts those 10 fire tracks out that are all placed properlly mabe with the exeption of play on playa nd blunt ashes but there still hott

ok back on topic the song who killed it is complicated so tell me what you thing of this explanation.

First The LYRICS:

look here see, pretty mike shanked two face al

over some gal

find the body dead in the aisles

death by strangulation, microphone cord a dirty broad

guess theyll never play it again Sam

damn that was my jam

now she's on the lamb

she made it out wit 200 grand

what a scam

while these two compete on who's the star of the show

golden legs there makes off wit the doe

I read the paper there wit joe da butcher

he said "one glance is all it took ya, she's a real looker

they say her old mans a bootlegger

transporting in any weather and at this rate we'll never get her"

fellas think its time to call it a night

all this talk of this mystery dames gettin me tight

thought I saw her in my eyesight, right

hate to spoil the party

what are you guys havin? the same?

waiter another round for the gang

its strange how I always felt outta place

joe da butchers my ace, but in comes freckle face

so I said see you later

fore hurt him and his two ugly thumb breakers

met them in louisiana wrestling gators

and any idiot can tell there involved wit the caper

so I pulled the revolver on my waist up

between the patrol car and the grey truck behind the streetlamp was a silouhette

white gloves and a real long cigarette

whattya ya know all this time she's got me in her scope

she spoke says " the devils got you guys be the throat

your conspiracy theories won't work without evidence

that's the reason why eric b is not president"

ya see?

look here see, I know you got soul your trying to hide it

how did you kill a man out in cypress?

one eyed charlie

he only hangs with the criminal minded

says you guys did it doggystyle is he lyin?

she says " walk this way ill tell you a childrens story

we hit the bodega got her a few 40s

we jumped in my ride

we drove and she cried

twist off the cap there and opened her mouth wide

swallowed it

whole bottles half empty

drinks like a fish, now she's past tipsy

truth came out as we got to her suave house

chopped and screwed her mouth and sat me on the couch

I said its gettin late cmon give it to me straight

who's ya sponsor lady?

she says bill gates

whattya born 77? 78?

she says "nah it goes way to an earlier date, slave times

claims the slaves said rhymes but she fell in love wit some fella named clive

who?

clive campbell from sedgwick ave, the bronx

now she shows me the cash

I said who's clive? don't play wit me skirt!

she said clive campbell.....he's kool herc

Ahaaa Ahaaaaa

listen up sweetheart, now we gettin somewhere

as she's talkin she starts vanishing in thin air

but before she drops the money bag on the floor and died

she said if you really love me, ill come back alive

----------------------------------------------------

SYNOPSIS

Now lets get some things straight since its a story there's characters, setting and plot

the plot is who killed hip-hop?

the setting is 1930s the golden era; the manifestation of jazz, mobsters, bootlegging and organized crime

the characters are nas the detective and his partner joe da butcher

freckle face who is joe da butchers connection to the underworld

and hip-hop who is the girl in the story a.k.a. the gal

now what happens is pretty mike and two face al kill each other and the gal runs off with the money

pretty mike and two face al are B.I.G. & Tupac and its a psuedonym for Hip-Hop maximizing its commercialism which is why the gal runs off with the money

the murder of two face al is directly referencing tupac dying first

now this all occured at some club where the classic jams go on sung by the gal

that is why nas says damn that was my jam because she will never be singing there again

the setting is further portrayed through the uses of a microphone cord as the murder weapon and the fact the body was found in the aisle

Now, Joe Da Butchers represent the average hip-hop listener

His name simply breaks down to joe a.k.a. the average joe schmo and da butcher part is a reference to "chewing the fat" which means just kicking simple convo chillin

Now after joe mentions to nas that he realizes he's falling for her nas hits the bar a lil aggitated.

He realizes its the same scene at the bar but says **** it and drinks are on him. That represents nas going commercial and he admits it, but tries to counteract that by saying "but I always felt outta place" which means he sold out but still puts out real Hip-Hop.

The symbolism in the bar scene is that joe the da butcher is nas partner but his southern connects (freckle face and company) are involved wit this crime

joe is none the wiser a.k.a. the average listener supports southern music regardless of all this south trash talk (jeezy,ludacris,lil jon,rick ross)

nas gets a lil ticked off and heads outside and realizes the gal has been trailin him the whole time

that's basically saying that even though he didn't know it, Hip-Hop HAS been followin him for a while

next thing she steps out the shadow and he says "all this time she had me in her scope"

in her scope = interscope

nas starts the story saying "death by strangulation" but "death" = Def(Jam)

Basically he was saying that Def Jam started the "killing" (when it commercialized hip-hop) and now interscope

runs it

at this point he is saying the Crackers took control of the art hence the reference to "Conspiracy Theories" behind this "whodunit"

"that's why Eric B is not president" pretty much sums it up

so Def Jam chokeholded the game and then other labels like universal picked it up.

at this point nas has some evidence so he starts interrogating the broad

"I know you have soul quit tryin to hide it" is obviously saying that hip-hop has soul but its obscured by the commercialism

NaS uses the interrogation wisely by bringing up cypress hill and snoop dogg referencing the classics just flippin the phrases

If you can't figure this out then your pretty ****in stupid:

She (Hip-Hop) supposedly killed a man in cypress - Cypress Hill "How I could just kill a man".

(Alternate Meaning/Possible Reference: When "she" {Hip-Hop} supposedly killed a man in cypress it could also be a reference to the beginning of the The Bridge Wars and the Death of DJ Scott LaRock. The Bridge Wars was a Hip-Hop rivalry during the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s, that arose from a dispute over the true birthplace of hip hop music and retaliation over the rejecting of a record for airplay. The Bridge Wars originally involved The South Bronx's Boogie Down Productions, led by KRS-One, and Marley Marl's Juice Crew, hailing from Queensbridge. The rivalry resulted in DJ Scott LaRock being killed in the South Bronx, Cypress Projects....but I think there's a Cypress Projects in B.K so i'm not sure.....Nevertheless the The Bridge Wars was the beginning of the BEEF Era when Hip-Hop started gettin' Violent over lyrics)

And one eyed charlie (krs-one) who only hangs with the criminal minded (BDP) said they did it doggystyle (snoop dogg) but obviously referencing sex

at this point she puts everything in perspective for nas IN ORDER because nas was out of chronological order by mentioning 92 then 91 then 88:

so she begins by asking him to "walk this way" (run dmc) and she will tell him a childrens story (slick rick)

this is starting out raw hip-hop in the 80s

"got her a few 40s" is now referencing the west coast era domination as well hoppin in the "ride"

at this point hip-hop started losing "it" because it was being bombarded by commercial gangsterism and losing its origins

The getting "tipsy" part refers to hip-hop totally losing control and becoming almost completely pop (the bad boy era). It can also be a refference to J-Kwon and the beat he sampled which NaS is rappin' over.

"as we got to her suave house chopped and screwed her mouth" is now moving on to the south moving on in at the close of the shiny suit era and is cleverly flipped to nas getting oral sex by hip-hop he finally gave in

after he ****s her, she spills the beans and tells him that Bill Gates sponsored her to destroy hip-hop through means of downloading and extreme piracy

Remember, hip-hop's father was a bootlegger and now her sponsor is one of the largest helpers in the creation of bootlegging

at this point she just breaks down and admits she is IMMORTAL because no regular human could be alive in BOTH slave times AND the Present.

she says she came from that era and had many lovers since but her one true love was kool herc (pioneer of hip-hop, some say sole creator)

But then she obviously ****ed him over and fell to the pressure of the root of all evil, money (the 200 grand) (by the way 200 grand in 1930 is worth MILLIONS)

At this point the gig is up and she begins to fade away magically but lets NaS know it's his inner spirit that really keeps hip-hop alive.

She really didn't need the money in the End

This song is pure genius. All you stupid young mutha****as listening to Young Jeezy, Dipset and the rest of all that New BULL**** would've never have understood it until I decrypted it.

HIP HOP IS DEAD.

[ash trey]

Yeah "who killed it" is by far the most creative and lyrical track of this year....I couldnt decrypt lot of the metaphors without doing some research...so that was some fun but the voices are quite annoying....

[Turntable]

This could have been a legendary track, if he would have rapped it in a normal way. I mean, I didnt even took the time to listen caus it's so damn annoying.

[mfuqua23]

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.

[Bob]

yes this song!

when I first heard the beat, I thought it was sickkkkkk, and then I got pissed by the way he rapped it. But then I realized that it was some kind of detective story. I miss stories in rap.

Thanks for the full decipher, I picked up some hints, but I still am new to alot of the old.

[DaAce]

hiphops not dead... if you keep repeating it then your mind will subconsciously begin to re-act and think in that manner

i disagree with Nas on toooooo many things to believe that he will save HipHop

for example... cough*cough*, song with jay-z and signing with DeafJam (yea i spelled it right)

For all the Jay-Z fans, take a look at this and tell me if this is suppose to represent HipHop

"...and the music i be makin'/ i dumb down for my audience/ and double my dollars/ they criticize me for it/ yet they all yell holla/ if skills sold, truth be told/ i'd probly be, lyrically Talib Kweli/ truthfully, i wanna rhyme like Common Sense/ *but i did five mil* i aint been rhymin like common since/ when your sense got that much in common/ and you been hustlin since/ your inception, f*ck perception/ go with what makes cents/"

First Jay-Z admits to dumbing down his lyricism for marketable themes and more listeners. Second he's basically saying, im not going rap how i want to, but by what sells and how much i can make off the listeners. He's affraid of going against the grain and being himself. He wants the money, he's recording and dumbing down his rhymes for more money. Thats not HipHop at all. I was pissed off when i heard that because i knew millions of people would hear that and think it was cool and the right thing to do because "Jigga" said it. He's always been a joke to me and i can not respect him at all for that.

ps. Where Big L's respect for putting Jay on back in the day. This dude is a devil in HipHop, im serious.... fooling the majority to gain his own riches. Now he's the Pres. of DeafJam, hmmmmmm yea... and Nas is with him now... i hope Nas watches his back.

[Hero1]

great analysis of the song.. :thumbsup:

[bigted]

i'm a lil' upset that i didn't get that nas cd in the mail yet, i won't be able to listen to it by christmas like i thought i woulds, i put the damn cd on preorder, hiphop ain't dead, just in a sleep, i think there are enough real artists and fans out there to wake it up though, everybody gotta step it up, fans have to support quality music, artists need to step it up...

[Mike]

wow matt, you wrote a lot

great synopsis

[bigted]

Yo this is freaky as **** that James Brown dies the same week that hip-hop is dead album comes out, maybe if the hip-hop community could come together to preserve James Brown's memory it could be the rebirth of hip-hop, there could be life after death here for the industry, now is the time...

[Bob]

hiphops not dead... if you keep repeating it then your mind will subconsciously begin to re-act and think in that manner

in this instance, it isn't "repeating it until you believe it yourself" but rather, someone "telling you what you don't want to believe/hear"

ya it sux to admit it, but hip hop is dead. and by dead I mean not popular. Anyone can come out with a Hip hop album. but it won't be as successful as gangsta rap. period. nas won't sell 50 cent numbers. and some may say, "well 'Hip Hop is Dead' is a Hip hop album, and it's getting support, so how can Hip hop be dead?"

well let's be real, the only reason why the general fans and media care is because he's created controversy over the title, not because of his content.

and as Eric Bischoff says "Controversy Creates Cash"

[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!

Edited December 27, 2006 by mfuqua23

[Guest Guest_bigted_*]

"Now in order to know who we are we need to know who we was

And once we know who we was

Then we'll know what we're gonna be"

"Now the old must pray

If they don't communicate the young can't get it

Problems need to solved, they won't go away

So be what you say and don't sway"

- Chuck D "Pride", which is actually a tribute to the 60s civil rights era that he grew up in, mentions James Brown in there too, now really the reason why hip-hop is at a regressed state at the very least is 'cause there really is this gap building between the younger and older generations, the way I see it really the younger generation just goes off blindly and ignores the guidance the older generation that's dying off given, you hear a lot about how kids kill their parents so how thew **** will they respect any other older folks? Parents are also too busy to take care of their own kids as well it seems that's why the kids run around like idiots, I know if it wasn't for my parents I wouldn't have my head straight, and of course if my parents weren't there I would need another strong guider to show me the way, the youth don't know unless they learn...

There's not enough love, pride, and respect out there between generations, this is a reflection in music and life in general, art reflects life, society as a whole is in shambles, it sure sometimes feel like the world we live in is hell, the few of us that actually care just have to make the best of it while others are making it worse for us, I'm sure James Brown's in a better place right now why we're all suffering here, I remember him saying in an interview on BET a couple years ago that there really ain't that much of a difference between now and 40 years ago and well he's right, the way that the people at Katrina were treated would've probably been the same 40 years ago, a black man getting shot 50 times by a cop would've happened 40 years ago, what the **** is going on for real? Society is not progressing, more regressing than progressing, and well Nas is just speaking it the way it is really, hip-hop don't have much soul these days that's why it ain't what it used to be at the very least, really a lot of these so called hip-hop fans, really he's keeping James Brown's legacy alive 'cause he ain't afraid to say how he really feels about things, when you put out music with soul that's what you're doing, I actually got the album yesterday and nearly played it all day, probably one of the best albums I heard in a good while

[ash trey]

First time I heard the statement "Hip Hop Is Dead" I was definitely offended....it's like did Nas just say the music I love is no longer being made...is he being incredebly close minded...arrogant...stupid?

Later on after hearing several interviews etc...I realized that I really have no right to agree or disagree with a statement such as "Hip Hop Is Dead" because I just love the music...but how many of us in this board actually live the culture?

Nas, Monie Love and Melle Mell all seem to think that "Hip Hop is Dead"...Is it due to lack of versatility...due to little commercial exposure when it comes to talented cats....due to a lot of garbage flooding the market...or all the above?

So is Hip Hop dead....I really don't know, but I do know that a lot of quality music is being released. Cats like Nas and Melle Mell (more so for Melle Mell) have been on the scene for a while and rightfully have their reasons to make quotes such as what they have made. And if Chuck D ain't mad at it...I don't see why any of us should be. :shrug:

Edited December 28, 2006 by ash trey

[bigted]

Great minds think alike, MC Hammer basically said the same thing I said in my last post, music is basically a reflection of life, the industry's in a rut right now 'cause life is in a rut right now, if life don't improve the popular music sure won't that's for damn sure, and well really Chuck D basically is a student of the game, he knows that really there's always been problems in the industry the way labels treat their artists and a lot of the pioneers get thrown to the side, the original motown artists were treated like the pioneer rappers are treated now, it's a revolving door and tradition ain't celebrated like it should be, this ain't nothing new, believe me if 50 was shot right this minute BET would be doing a 24 hour dedication but where's the love for James Brown now?

the music industry's been dead, the real music never died though in the hearts and souls of the fans and artists that love it:

http://mchammer.blogspot.com/

Life is a dance. The imperfections, trials, test, adversities and strife, mold and make us. We see the real us when we are tried in the fire. We then have to decide if we like or can live with the man in the mirror or if change is in order. Being made whole is and ongoing and evolving process. The tempo and rhythm of the dance of life changes. We have to adapt. From ballroom dancing to the mash potatoes, time and season always requires a change of step.

The void of leadership in Hip Hop became more apparent as the year went on. Hip Hop reflects the current mind set and condition of the community. Rather than complain about the music or debating which region is the hottest, the real question is why is the majority of the songs about the same subject matter, even though the community faces a plethora of challenges. Music program directors need to balance the meals that are being fed to their public, the listeners. Artist make songs that they feel radio will support. In 2007 I hope to help balance the meal and provide leadership.

Life did become more violent this year. Wars and rumors of war escalated. Homicides in my hometown reached a ten year high. Homicides in Philadelphia topped the 400 mark. More than a funeral a day. This trend was repeated throughout the country. Unless we raise the awareness level of this new civil war against the system and self, we are doomed to repeat the riots that plagued this nation over thirty years ago. This time it will be more violent and bloody because the people feel there is no hope. The rebellion will be broadcast on demand and generated by the people. Jobs and education are key to resolving the conditions that create this culture of hopelessness.