Big Ben

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This is the only place I lurk that really talks Hip-Hop and since I never got around to submitting this article for publication and by now some of the references are a bit dated. So I figure I'll post it here and see what you guy's think. Always interested in feedback, and it can be fun to have an actual conversation. This is the only site I've come a cross that people have actual mature opinions on Hip-Hop. So just let me know what you guy's think. Goldilocks and the Hip-Hop Elders You’ll often hear ten-year-old kids begging the powers that be to make them older, and at the same time you’ll find any number of citizens whispering to the same powers to make them younger. Age is something that’s often looked at under the lens of the Goldilocks Doctrine: for every activity there is an age that is deemed desirable for the task at hand - too young, too old, or just right. Nowhere is this more prominent than in hip-hop, where aging MCs find themselves under fire simply for taking their passion beyond the threshold of “just right.” It doesn’t take much - often just a few mouse clicks - to find disparaging comments, usually misspelled and disorganized, at attacking the age of an artist. “He’s fell off,” “His voice is gone,” “Just retire already,” and the ever original “Wack,” are just a few of the comments you’ll find on the internet when the likes of Chuck D and Ice Cube release new music. These two artists have released new music this past summer, and at the respective ages of 50 and 41 they fall far out of the “just right” sector of the Goldilocks Doctrine. It’s often been said that hip-hop is a young man’s game, but I ask you to show me the evidence to support that claim. Hip-Hop as an art form is relatively young, and it’s just now that we’re seeing artists move beyond the “hill” and we should really see what’s on the other side. I once had a professor who said something along the lines of: The great thing about blues is that a Blues singer can lose their voice, but that’s ok, because they can just find another one. Blues has always been closely related to hip-hop. They parallel well in their origins, rise to popular culture, and lyrical content, so it would be wise to look at the older art form of blues and see how well it’s aged. Perhaps it can shed some light on where hip-hop will be in years to come. Though blues is no longer ruling in popular culture, its influence and the enjoyment many people get from it has not diminished. There are many artists in blues who have continued long into the age that many people consider too old for hip-hop, and they have often continued their success. Blues is ripe with talented individuals whose albums still do well on the charts even after they crest the “hill”. B.B. King, at the age of 82, reached number 37 on the Billboard 200 and had the #1 blues album with One Kind Favor. Following a similar trend, Buddy Guy reached number 68 on the Billboard 200 with his album Skin Deep, and it too reached #1 on the blues chart, all at the age of 72. Many of these artists reach these positions following a period where they fail to chart: so why quit after a sales slump? Louis Armstrong defied the odds, and at the age of 62, reached the number one spot. Recently, the hip-hop group Public Enemy, which includes member Chuck D, released a new song, “Say it Like it Really is,” that responds to many of the criticisms one can find plaguing internet blogs and message boards. In regards to age, Chuck D has a number of things to say. One such response includes, “Who dat? Gonna tell ya’ll we too old, but we still bold, plus I got soul.” In regards to record sales, he goes on to say, “I know this record’s too hot for the radio.” The group has long given up on radio play and record sales, believing what is important is the lyrical content. The song, often an anthem for those tired of being counted out for their age, is not deprived of substance delving deeper than age: “Who shoulders the burden of all that murdering… the People.” This should remind the audience that just because the artist is old does not mean we shouldn’t listen. Ice Cube addresses the idea that he is too old in a different fashion. His response is much more direct and in his famously rough style. One can picture Ice Cube wearing his trademark scowl when he addresses the young rap community about counting him out in the song “No Country for Young Men,” saying, “Ima kill one of you young punks, with a old school flow.” He starts out rather abruptly letting you know exactly what you’re in for. He continues angrily letting you know that retirement is far from his mind: “I see you cruising for a bruising, F*@kin with a principal that don't like students, don’t you know detention is a lynchin', And if I fail to mention I'm spendin’ up my pension.” One can see there is still a lot of fight left in Ice Cube, so forcing him into retirement may be unwise for anyone to attempt. He goes on to mix social commentary into the song and takes shots at pop culture figures. In one of the earliest versions of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” the bears try to kill the invading woman, so perhaps it would be unwise to judge an artist in this way. The likes of B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Louis Armstrong have shown us musical artists can have success long into their golden years, and Ice Cube and Chuck D show us that many hip-hop artists still have a lot of fight in them, so maybe we shouldn’t give them a gold watch and send them packing. There are many things that can be looked at through the Goldilocks Doctrine, like pants for example, but Age is not one of them. Artists need to be allowed to experiment and grow, or else the world could miss so much great music. And if you’re a fan of any form of music, you know just how tragic that would be.

I think I should play the lottery because that 5% seems to have won. I just couldn't swing the living expences of NYC so I'm gonna be heading to Fresno. Just thought I'd update if anyone really cares :laugh:

If any of you guys are like me, and i'm guessing a lot of you are, you can't always afford brand new albums. So where do you guys go for a deal on music? For me I love hitting up goodwill. Since I didn't start listening to Hip-Hop until late Junior High so it's pretty easy to find early and 90's hip-hop I've never heard. Over the last year or so I've gotten a lot of CD's all for $2.99 or less, and I've only ever been burned once. List of Just the Hip-Hop-ish albums: Montell Jordan : This is How we do it New Jack City Soundtrack Young M.C. : Brainstorm Young M.C. : Stone Cold Rhymin' Warren G : Regulate... (The one I got Burned on, really scratched.) Heavy D & The Boyz : Big Time Tone-Loc : Loced After Dark Arrested Development : 3 years 5 mounths and two days in the life of... Obie Trice : Cheers Ja Rule : The last Temptation Busta Rhymes : Woo (single) Snoop Dogg : Da Game is to be sold, not to be told. Warren G : I want it all Digital Underground : Sex Packets Fugees : The Score Sir Mixalot : Mack Daddy Wild Wild West soundrack Romeo Must Die soundtrack Naughty by nature : ninteen naughty nine (whopping .49 cents) De la soul : Art official intelligence mosaic thump I love finding stuff that I haven't heard of, especially when I can't afford to spend $15 on something I may not like. So where do you guy's find your stuff?

Just curios what it's like. I just got accepted to John Jay for graduate school and am 95% sure that's where i'm going in the fall. The only other choice is Fresno State. I'm just wondering what kind of culture shock I need to be prepared for.

You guys might like to see that the daily show had a blast with it. http://www.2dopeboyz.com/2011/05/12/the-daily-show-takes-on-the-common-controversy-video/

The only other one that comes to mind is this one.

Good luck!

Voted. Good Luck!

My co-worker texted me yesterday with the bummer news. I grew up on oldies until I hit Junior High when I branched out into Blues and Rap. My Coworkers are all younger then me by a few years so i'm always finding them stuff they havn't heard before. Recently I'd introduced both of them to Nate Dogg, and even just last week we were talking about how we hoped for a comeback for him. Really didn't expect the news.

But that's why I think people are excited about them signing to Shady. They took six days to make the record, now give them more time, more access to big names for beats and guests it should be a very good album.

I have to agree that the slaughterhouse album was good. From what i've heard there was some type of mixup with Joel Ortiz's album, the physical album come out later but aparently Amazon didn't get the message and made it available for download.

Both albums?

I like that they signed to Shady Records, i'm not the biggest Eminem fan but I do think it will give Slaugtherhouse more mobility. I also notice a lot movement in big name signing throughout the Hip-Hop community, it's really got me excited, hoping for a shift in what's big. I've been digging Royce a lot last year but I havn't gotten an album from him minus the slaughterhouse album, any recomendations?

Have you guy's ever found an old peice of Hip-Hop or any music for that matter, that you discover but can never find any information on it? And I mean really just hit a dead end. A few years back I found an artist online just like that, listened to the music, but could never figure out what happend to them. The artist I found was Lord Aaqil, I listened to his album, you can also hear it on you tube: His other songs are on youtube aswell. But the point is the most I could find out was he was from Philly, and the album goes for crazy money on ebay. Anyway if you guy's have any info on this guy let me know. But also let me know if you've ever hit a dead end on an aritist before.

Was this the album that had the Soul Bossa Nostra remake with Ludacris and Naturally 7?

I really do think that there is a ranking system in that, it's the same kind of ranking system as in college sports. If there was no ranking, there really wouldn't be a number associated with anyone.

I thought he was giving props, but I didn't know after seeing this. http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhK7XfvNltS0vKGo0f All he says is 'come on' in response to Will's place at 15 but doesn't say if it should be higher or lower.

Not really a questions, I just thought it might me something you guys might want to talk about. I'm way to tired to know exatly what he'd saying but I'm curiose if Joe Budden is really saying Will Smith is the greatest. I'm thinking there may have been a double meaning but again, too tired. Lets discuss. 4:40 into the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLBazq7V3Vw

Thanks for the responses guy's. I agree I'll stick with spendin.

Hey guys. I'm writing and article for a class and was hoping you guys could help me out with a lyric. I want to get it right but i'm a bit conflicted. The song is Ice Cubes "No country for young men" I think the lyric is "And if I fail to mention I'm spendin’ up my pension." but a lot of sites state spinnin in place of spending. I know thos sites are not always reliable and the CD booklet doesn't have the lyrics. If you guys could give me your opinion that would be great. Here's the song.

I always thought he did a nice job with this.

Thats an American Comedian saying it though, just saying...

Thats just it, whether he found god or not, he always seems to be a hypocrit. I've got nothing against an artist who doesn't swear but Eminem has always argued for it. It comes down to the Will Smith diss that really bothers me.

Didn't Canibus record the diss to KRS-One after the two had already made a track together?