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Nas discusses why he feels hip-hop is dead in new interview


bigted

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It's too long to post the whole thing, here's the main quotes that he made:

AllHipHop.com: Brother Nas, Hip-Hop is dead…you really think so?

Nas: [Nodding head] It’s been dead.

AllHipHop.com: That being said, how do you bring it back?

Nas: You don’t. F**k Hip-Hop.

....Hip-Hop is dead, it’s not a bad thing. It’s just the acknowledgement. The ones that take offense to it are the ones who didn’t benefit from it, the ones who wanna make it better and the ones who know they killed it. They should have known it’s dead. It didn’t take me to see it....

AllHipHop.com: It’s interesting you say that but when I think Hip-Hop, besides rapping I also think graffiti and, DJing, breakdancing; that’s not dead?

Nas; Well it’s not a moneymaking business to the point of billions in graffiti or DJing. It’s not the main concentration, it’s almost looked at as corny by the kids today. I think those were the first two to go honestly. But there is a strong DJ culture, strong graffiti culture, that I respect and will always respect, that always will be the original elements of Hip-Hop. But, as far as the respect level from today’s kids, it’s been gone. Me saying it’s dead, they’re like, “Oh, now you’re just realizing that?” [laughing] They’re like they don’t want to hear about that. So it’s really me just saying it’s really done. Not just Hip-Hop. I think all music has been dead for a while. Especially R&B, especially Rock, they been gone.

....like they said video kills the radio star. The unfortunate thing about it is when it gets in the hands of business, it turns into an industry. It becomes a different kind of animal, which is good if it can be controlled and maintained right. But the inevitable happens, and you lose it.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of artists in your category are starting to go the indie route, is that something your considering?

Nas: I think we have no choice but to do that. You don’t always want the pressures of a major distributor behind you. You want to be able to see what it feels like to do it on your own. I think every artist in the game would want to feel like what it feels like to do it independently, at least once if anything.

If you wanna see the rest of the interview where he talks about working with Game, being signed to Def Jam, his baby mother Carmen writing a scandelous book about him, then check the links:

http://www.allhiphop.com/features/?ID=1627

http://www.allhiphop.com/features/?ID=1626

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Nas brings up some real strong points there, clearly this'll stir up more controversey, but it just seems that there's a lot of disinterest towards the music industry, people ain't buying music anymore, the way things are going it's a wonder whether anybody'll be even listening to music in a few years, maybe everyone's gonna be like Will and not listen to it at all, lol

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I see where he's coming from....but i'll never say Hip-Hop is dead. That's just ignorant. Sure, when u look at the charts and how commercial rap has taken the turn it has...it is dead. Those guys don't know Hip-Hop from Pop. Alot of the things he said in that bit were kinda tied in what i said may be making FP consider hanging up the mic.

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Nas is basically saying what I've been saying for years. If artists want to maintain integrity in their music, they've got to go the independent route. I'm not saying all artists on big labels have no integrity it's just that if you want true musical freedom then you can't be on a big label. There's too much b.s. in the industry whether it's having to kiss "studio" DJs butt to get your songs played(*cough*Kay-Slay*cough*) or dumbing down your music. It's just not worth it anymore.

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Hip-hop ain't really dead, it just ain't as great as it used to be but there's still some quality music on a mainstream level even though they might not do big numbers(What about artists like Outkast and DMX? That Game album's pretty damn tight too, you could say what you want about his image but his music's great, that song he did with Nas on there was incredible, even Ludacris stepped his game up), I think it's taking steps in starting to turn around, the weak rappers ain't selling as much as they used to, nobody's really selling anything anymore so it's an even playing field, maybe this will be a wakeup to labels to promote more creative music and stop promoting the same bs since nobody wants to buy it anymore, either the music industry keeps taking a downward spiral or something dramatic happens within the next couple years, hopefully these labels wake up and realise that better music needs to be promoted since the crap music ain't selling anymore, btw if Will left the rap game 'cause his album only went gold then I hope G-Unit decide to leave the rap game since they're selling less than that now, well Interscope will be giving them pink slips soon anyway, their 15 minutes are up, lol

Edited by bigted
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As far as the music industry hip hop is not dead...maybe you won't see any evidence of that on the mainstream level. But think of the classics that dropped this year...P.E,DMC,Lupe,Rhymefest...like 5 Wu-Tang affiliated albums,Kenn Starr,Roots,some of the stuff on X's album, some stuff on Jay's abum,Snoop's new album is crazy...and I could honestly keep going.

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Nas' is just trying to start controversey by saying that, if he really meant **** hip-hop then he wouldn't be rapping anymore, that's like saying **** himself 'cause hip-hop is his life

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Nas' is just trying to start controversey by saying that, if he really meant **** hip-hop then he wouldn't be rapping anymore, that's like saying **** himself 'cause hip-hop is his life

Dude, don't you dare even say anything like that. Nas don't even know what he's saying to some degrees, if you wanna nit-pick.

Hip Hop Is Dead? **** Hip Hop? That's like, "I love [insert here] but it's dead, so **** [insert here]. Would you say that about a relative or something. If Nas is saying hip hop is dead, he should take it to an even higher level. Find the murder, solve the case, bring the justice. Nas, you were hip hop before Columbia even picked you up. You were Hip Hop when you was a 9-yr old nobody in the park pickin' up game and tryna get everybody there to see what you got. You were Hip Hop when you hit up the spots. (I can recall KRS-One sayin' "Nas is like the dude who's flow you might here in the club, with hunger" (I'm paraphasing and analyzing, so chill). Man, I love Nas, but I hate Nas. Just like Turntable said, **** him. :lol: Nah, Nas my dude.

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