bigted

B.O.B. is definately one of my favorite new mcs out there, he's very versatile with the rapping, singing, and production, it's like he's another eclectic artist like Wyclef Jean since he could do a lot of things at a high level... Everything's instant now which isn't always a good thing in my opinion, not just my opinion since researchers say too much instant stuff is bad for your health, Nas' song "New World" describes it perfectly about how the world has changed, the most basic thing like seeing the day and surviving is more important ultimately 'cause for instance I lost my uncle's girlfriend to cancer last year who was very close to me, no instant thing can replace a good friendship... Now as far as music is concerned you could see how other popular rappers are following Jay-Z' formula of releasing music constantly which is not a good thing 'cause most of what they release is not that good, the only rappers that released quality music at a constant pace between 1999-2010 were Nas, KRS-ONE, and Public Enemy who was the first act in music to release music online in the late '90s so they started this internet revolution, btw I'm buying a Public Enemy box set of all the material that they released since 1998, it's quite a body of work if you ask me, they only get credit for their early Def Jam work but their music today is still just as strong, Chuck D is 50 years old now and he still has the most powerful voice in hip hop, rappers like Lil' Wayne and Drake who are in their 20s don't even come close to matching Mistachuck's energy and intelligence as a powerful mc, on th real the best formula is the way most of the greats do it by releasing music in the space of time since people could take the time to enjoy their material 'cause look at the message by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, that verse that Melle Mel rapped on that song is still as powerful today just as it was back then, real music is timeless, LL said it best that he don't consider himself a old school or a new school rapper, he's a "classic rapper", 2Pac said before he was murdered that he was gonna release music every few years like Paul Mccartney.... In reality as a spiritual person I believe that really that the people who stay true themselves in music or any profession will ultimately be more rewarded when they die than the ones who are the most rewarded down here in this world, God's watching and he knows that the person who does the right thing is making a difference no matter how many people that they touch... Now btw you, me, Da Brakes, Mike Petrow, or anybody out there can join LL's "Boomdizzle".com and post music for people to hear, it's a forum opened to the public.... Straight from the website: About Boomdizzle Are you a superstar? Can you rock the mic? Can you stand up to all those that will try to take you down? Are you ready for fame and fortune? Boomdizzle will give you your shot. It's up to you what you do with it. Want to be famous? Boomdizzle is an online community designed for aspiring artists to record, share, and remix original music and video content. With famous recording artist LL Cool J as part of the founding team, we know what it takes to make it. Whenver I need motivation I like reading this LL Cool J from Allhiphop.com Interview from a couple years ago, he's a true inspiration and that's why I think he should be considered the G.O.A.T.: http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2008/07/18/20306715.aspx

Hey Michael I remember a couple years ago I was talking to you in the chat room about how real artists like LL Cool J and Chuck D should start their own network for quality hip hop to get airplay, ultimately that's something that needs to be considered 'cause real artists need another platform to present their art... LL Cool J has tried to help get some fresh new rappers into the game with his Boomdizzle.com but that don't seem to be catching on as well as it should be at this point.... With rappers like Kel Spencer and Papoose it's sorta like how there's some street ballers in Brooklyn that got as much talent as any high paid NBA star but they just don't get their break to present it to the world... Btw, Rakim's one album released between 1999-2010 "The Seventh Seal" last year is more listenable and is more quality than all of Jay-Z' albums combined in the last 10 years, it's about quality not quanity my friend, the only album that I'd consider a great hip hop Jay-Z album is "Reasonable Doubt".... Most of the great music released is done over a course of time, when music is rushed it doesn't sound that good, that's the problem with a lot of artists, they rush things too much, I think LL Cool J does it best by giving a 2-3 year space between his albums that way he could absorb things as an artist and come out with a quality album rather than rush to put anything out, I could personally wait until 2015 for another Fresh Prince album 'cause "Lost and Found" is a timeless album that's holding up better than mostly anything out these days...

I figure I'd post the introduction of Kool Moe Dee's book again 'cause it's relevant to how people just don't seem to give credit to the true artists of the game since their knowledge for the music is limited: ASK A HIP HOP FAN, "Who's The Best EMCEE?", and immediately they begin naming the hottest rappers of the day. Some start naming their favorite records, and maybe quoting a few or more simplistic one-liners or popular hooks that they can sing-a-long with. But if asked the difference between a rapper and an emcee suddenly there's a look of confusion. Or if you ask the difference between a rapper, an emcee and a hip hop artist they won't know what to say. The difference between a lyricist and a flower? A rhymer and a poet? Or any combination of the above and forget it. Rarely what you hear is expertise. I hear a lot of a passion and a lot of emotion but no expertise. Of course music is an emotional vehicle, and it is about emotion and passion and feeling, but it will take a trained ear to be able to hear the emcee. Like in the NBA, the fans get to vote on the All-Star game which is about the favorites, but that's not necessarily who is the best in the league. When it comes to the MVPs and the All-Time greats that's beyond the fans voting. That's where it takes expertise to break down the nuances of the game. One might ask, "What about the journalists?" For the journalists or scibes of the Hip Hop industry there are major problems, three in particular. One is the payoffs and the labels contribution. A lot of fans don't really understand how much money it takes to run a magazine. They may not understand how much money labels, publicists and publicity departments contribute to the writers and what they're paying for. They're literally being paid for their opinions. Usually, as we say in the industry, they're the best opinions money can buy. When you see a favorable opinion it's usually based on who's being marketed or promoted at the time, rarely are these journalists honest. Once in a while the KRS-One's, the Rakim's, the Kool G Rap's, and similar emcees will come alongs that are so lyrical and so great in their prowess that you get some form of honesty, but it's usually not case. Usually it is definately about how much money is being spent to make sure that the artist receives a favorable opinion. Thesecond problem I have is the voting by committee, after all the money is spent creating the images and personae and in many cases record sales theses same writers vote on who's the best of thesecreations. It is amazing to me to see when people spend money to promote an artist as if he's one thing even though his image and his lyrical skill level may not have anything other than you spent money to promote him. People will start to buy into these very highly promoted personas and start to treat the artist as if the personae are an actual real fact. There are a few emcees that mandate the respect based on their skills, but more times than not based on the money spent and image created people are voting on the personnas. A lot of journalists don't have the heart to against the grain of the popular artist at the time. I call this the Godzilla syndrome. You create a fake monster, and then respond as if the monster is real. Welcome to the music industry. The final problem I have has to do with credentials and credibility. What reference point does the journalist use when forming these opinions? How far back did they go? Usually, if you do the numbers and the math you'd see that the average journalist writing on Hip Hop is somewhere between twenty, twenty five, maybe thirty. Which means if you go back ten years ago that person is somewhere between 10-15. So if you were 10 in 1993 that means you missed 14 years of recorded Hip Hop and another nine years of unrecorded Hip Hop. So your opinion has to be formed on a combination of other writings and other opinions you've seen over the years, or the short window of information that you may have on Hip Hop based on how old you were when you were able to experience it and comprehend what was going on. This is a very big problem in the industry because this is how you see a situation where an icon in Hip Hop like Afrika Bambaataa or DJ Hollywood goes unrecognised for his contribution because the person who is 10 years old in 1993 is born in 1983, he doesn't really know. Finally, like rap fans, there are few experts, and of the few experts that are even fewer that go beyond hit records and hot artists. So then one would ask, "Why me?" What makes me so different? What seperates me from the pack? What seperates me from the pact of opinionated fans, artists and scribes- allow me to count the ways. First off I have extended experience. I've been rhyming at a high level since 1977, and at an elite level since 1979. I'm one of the few artists who was able to make the transition from the street era before there was records, to when they finally made records, to when it became a full out business. I have hits as a group, I have hits as a soloist, and a writer. I've been making hits since 1980 to 1992. I've been undefeated in all Hip Hop battles. I'm the first rapper to win an NAACP Image Award, and also a multi-Grammy nominated and Grammy winner. Number two, there's no payola, no one can buy my opinion. My integrity will not be compromised by popularity. I have nothing vested in this other than passion for clarity, and to give acknowledgement and recognition to those who usually don't get it. Finally, no one to my knowledge has comprised a more extensive list with the intricacies of breaking down so many aspects of emceeing. Because of my experience or intimate understanding of the aspects of emceeing that are usually overlooked when determining whose the best emcee in the game, I can break down emcees from the past to present with a clear understanding of the different jobrequirements of each era of emcees. I absolutely know the difference of what a storytelling emcee is going for as opposed to what a braggadocios emcee is going for. I can thoroughly explain why Missy Misdemeanor Elliot is not a great emcee as lyrical as Cannibus can be relatively unknown because hasn't had a hit record, yet he's still one of the best rhymers in the game today. I understand this is a business and emcees, rappers, and artists all have to make hits to survive, but as with most big business it is always solely about the money, and whenever that's the case then usually the art is compromised. So big respect and much love to all of the successful rappers and Hip Hop artists, but this book is about the emcee. Let's get crackin'.

Will Smith Feat. Snoop Dogg "Pump Ya Brakes", I just did a search on Snoop and found out that today's his birthday, so happy birthday to a legend!

Levert "Good Ol' Days"

Em, Kanye, and 50(Jay-Z too even though he ain't listed) are definately better than half of the rappers on that list but I just haven't really been able to get into them that much to say that they're among the greatest, in other words when I compare them with the other BET rappers they're listenable but when you compare them to the greats that don't get much airplay these days they fall short, people over the years been trying to get me into them, I got used CDs from them that just collect dust it seems, I just can't and won't believe the hype, if I list them as the greats of the 2000s decade then it'd be a disrespect to the great artists out there that deserve more credit.... Luda and Jada are closer to being among the greats than they are to me, Jada's first solo album came out in 2001 even though there was a couple LOX albums out already and Lil' Wayne's first solo album was '99 even though he was out before with Cash Money Millionaires, Lil' Wayne has always been one of the most annoying rappers to me, he only got really popular in recent years 'cause got more trashier taste in music, back in the late '90s and the 2000s at least there was the Ruff Ryders putting out quality music on the mainstream front as an alternative to that garbage bling-bling rap out there but now there's no more variety in the mainstream, Will summed it up perfectly on "Lost & Found" about how 99% of the videos and songs are all the same... Oh yeah, Chamillionaire really emerged as one of the best and creative southern rappers but people always seem to forget that, "Ridin' Dirty" put him on the map in 2005 after several creative mixtapes and he released a profanity free album in 2007 in 'Ultimate Victory' which is one of my favorites in recent years, he's intelligent, witty, and a skillful mc, he has potential to be another southern legend like Scarface, Bun B, and don't forget about Big Boi and Andre 3000 from Outkast who released the diamond album "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" in 2003 which was worth the hype without a doubt to me, sure they came out in the mid 90s but they were dominating the 2000s with creative music and that film "Idlewild" is one of the DVDs I constantly like playing.... Snoop Dogg should be given more credit than he gets as well, he put out a lot of quality music in the 2000s, his music videos are very creative as well, I think he kept the west coast hip hop scene alive along with Game and Ice Cube, he's a bigger west coast legend than Dr. Dre to me....

LL Cool J "Hush"

Game "400 Bars"

Craig Mack, LL Cool J, Biggie, Busta Rhymes, & Rampage "Flava In Ya Ear"(Remix), one of the best posse tracks ever http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLXYXyAgJTY

DJ 4Sho "The Pioneers" mixtape, this shows you how the best rappers of today are from the golden era: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/3314/the_pioneers.html

2Pac "Brenda's Got A Baby", man rappers today like Eminem and Jay-Z don't have the heart to make songs like this, what happened to hip hop

Jay-Z is like Eminem and 50 in the sense that he's been popular but not consistant, a lot of the music he put out isn't as great as his 1st album and besides Nas beat him in the battle, sales don't mean everything, that'd mean that Nelly is a better rapper than KRS-ONE, he's a good songmaker but he ain't no legend

I'm with you Turntable on the point that there's no definative list, the way BET did it was way off, I think they should come with a list of the top rappers between 2000-2010 and it shouldn't matter if they debuted in 1984 or 2004 to me the best is the best no matter what, it's just like in rock where people consider Rolling Stones one of the best groups even though they came out over 40 years ago they're still selling out shows just like the newer groups like Nickelback, in hip hop Public Enemy still does their thing just like newer groups like Little Brother do their thing, other forms of music recognise artists from all eras but hip hop messes up and just plays stuff from today..... Kanye made an impact when he came out that shouldn't be forgotten but his downfall is when he tried doing too much pop stuff, that happens to a lot of rappers though it seems, if he does more work with rappers like Common and Rhymefest and less with Lil' Wayne and Young Jeezy then he could get back on track.... "Laffy Taffy" was a hit record for the time being but now it's look at as a joke, it's like Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby", the majority of radio stuff today won't last but the real fans know what's up.... Bun B is dope too, you could say it's a toss up between him and Scarface...

BET don't play real hip hop so what could you expect from them, real music fans don't take em seriously anymore, especially since "Rap City" is gone, Big Tigger would kill a lot of the popular rappers in "The Booth" with his sick freestyles

Papoose never put out an album yet but with all the mixtapes and guest appearance he's done in the last 10 years he should get some credit for, he put in a lot of work, he would destroy a lot of people's top 10 rappers of today, I believe he's like Kel Spencer in a sense that he can't over the hump to get the big break, his wife Remy Ma is a lyrical beast too, she's a way better female rapper than that garbage Nicki Minaj even though she ain't that easy on the eyes, btw they're playing TLC's "Waterfalls" on the radio right now that I'm listening too, Left Eye is the female version of 2Pac it don't get no realer than that.... Nelly and Ja Rule made the formula like I mentioned for what it takes to make a hit record in the new millenium, Kool Moe Dee gave them acknowledgement for that in "There's A God On The Mic", Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, and Drake wouldn't exist if it weren't for them.... To be honest with you Jin your list isn't that much better than that crap BET list since you mention most of what they did, for instance if the list was made 5 years ago I would consider Kanye West one of the top rappers but he don't do it for me no more, his skills don't live up to his ego, LL calls himself the "Greatest Of All Time" but he puts out classic music to back that up, Will says we're living in the "Willenium" now and the way his entertainment is impacting the world proves that, but Kanye talks how he's the second coming of Jesus while he's basically an average rapper who could produce an occasional hot track, the best song he made was written by Rhymefest in "Jesus Walks" as well, I think Rhymefest is a better rapper than him too even though he ain't that famous, come on now, the real hip hop ain't on the airwaves... I had to come back to say one more thing: I would like to see a logical explanation of how you could put Lil' Wayne on the same list as Little Brother, haven't heard one yet, that has me scratching my head, not many people recognise the greatness of groups like Little Brother but when you listen to them it makes rappers Lil' Wayne and TI sound like children, that's like saying Kanye's on the same level as Q-Tip...

I'm a fan of the original Ruff Ryders producer Swizz Beatz, not the corny pop producer Swizz Beatz he became today, if he goes back to making raw beats like he did on DMX's early stuff and the Ruff Ryders 1st album then I'll be a fan again, I really think that track he did for LL called "You Know Why" should've made it onto the "G.O.A.T." album....

Yeah when Luda first came out 10 years ago I thought he looked like another annoying dirty south rapper but he's really improved into one of the true artists on the commercial front, especially in the latter half of the past decade... Btw I truely believe that Eminem and 50 are mirror images of each other, I thought that they both released great 1st albums but then they went downhill fast, now in the last year they're actually making better music, 50's "Before I Self Destruct" is the best since his 1st just like Eminem's "Recovery" is his best since his first but like AJ mentioned that don't justify most of the last 10 years being the most annoying rappers, if they were that inconsistant during the golden era of hip hop they wouldn't have survived but today you could get away with being wack it seems but whoever's a real fan of hip hop knows that they don't come close to the consistancy that the true legends of the game have... They also all know that Scarface is the real king of the south, not TI.... Public Enemy said it best "Don't Believe The Hype", but most fans do seem to believe it and that's why they argue over who's the richest more than who's the most talented...

Eve Keeps "Lips Locked" On Post-Interscope Release Monday, Oct 18, 2010 11:35AM Written by Rosario Harper Ruff Ryders' Eve has announced plans to drop her post-Interscope Records album on EMI Music in the spring 2011. Click here to find out more! While the project is still in production, Eve hinted at featured collaborations on the album with hitmakers like Akon and Swizz Beatz. "I've been saying the album is coming and it was but I left Interscope and now I'm on EMI so the album is definitely coming," Eve said in an interview. "[it's coming] at the top of the year. It's called Lip Lock. It'll be out at the top of the year, in March, I don't have a date yet. But so far on the album, it's Salaam Remi, Akon, of course Swizz Beatz -- you don't get out of Ruff Ryders. Obviously that's my fam and I haven't wrapped up the album yet so I'm sure you'll hear some stuff from somebody." (Ms Drama TV) Earlier this year, Eve opened up about being dropped by Interscope Records. "[interscope was] stupid because they didn't drop me at first, they [just shelved me] and dropped the ball," Eve explained in an interview. "After 'Tambourine', they straight up were like, 'Umm, yeah, nah, we're not putting out the record.' After that I was like 'Y'all gotta let me go. I've been here 11 years and you're frontin on me?' It got to that point...They promised me the machine. The machine is basically the roll out. It's 'Yo, when ['Flirt'] comes out, we'll give you this, we'll give you that. And that's what made me mad. It'd be different if we didn't have a meeting where people promised me sh*t. If they were just like 'Oh we're going to put the album out and see what happens,' that would be one thing...But they were like 'No, we're making sure this happens, it's coming out on this date.' It was concrete. But it's all good, everything happens how it's supposed to, when it's supposed to." (VIBE) Last January, Ruff Ryders CEO Joaquin "Waah" Dean spoke on Eve departure from Interscope Records. "Eve is pretty much in the process of being released from the Interscope deal right now," he explained in an interview. "We're in negotiations of helping her get in control of her situation, we're supporting her. Interscope is a great label that supported us in our success along with Def Jam and Universal. So we got Eve from Dre initially [and she wanted to go back] and they went through something. Eve was working out that way (Los Angeles), doing movies a lot and they kind of like was clicking at that time so we wanted to support Eve in whatever she wanted to do and that's what we do. We support our artists and our family so at that time she wanted to do that. And we was there to embrace and support her and they didn't do what they was supposed to do on some level but she's getting released and we're gonna be here to support her in whatever direction she want to go." (Hip Hop Wired) Writing via Twitter earlier this year, Eve confirmed reports of her Interscope departure. The rapper-turned-actress revealed on Twitter Friday (Jan. 15) that she has parted ways with Interscope Geffen A&M Records where she released her first three albums. "Let me tell u what happened with music so ya'll don't think I quit," she told her followers. "Left Interscope, free agent now. Went back in re-doing music. Trust me." As for her oft-delayed fourth studio album, the first since 2002's Eve-Olution, she says it's coming this year. "Not letting this year pass wit out an ALBUM! Can't take the non-sense MUSIK." (Rap-Up)

I'd love to hear Kel rip it over a Premo track, that'd be heaven to my ears

**** BET was the exact thought I had when I read that list, there's definately at least 10 amazing rappers out there now doing their thing, BET don't play em Btw, I think I'd come up with my own list of 10 rappers that came out in the late '90s and made impact into the new millenium that BET ignored: DMX(he's a major reason why real hip hop was getting airplay in the early 2000s) Talib Kweli Mos Def Big Pun(sure he died but his impact is still being felt today more than living rappers) Big L(same as above0 Eve Styles P Game Fabolous(slept on) Jean Grae honorable mentions as far as commercial hip hop's concerned they did make an impact in song making in the new millenium and being more consistant than Eminem and 50 combined, I ain't a big fan of them but I give em props: Ja Rule Nelly Now I could come with a list of 10 hip hop legends from the golden era of the '80s and '90s that still do their thing today: Nas(most consistant) KRS-ONE("Hip Hop Lives" when people listen to him) LL Cool J(from "G.O.A.T." to "Exit 13" he still's in his prime) Busta Rhymes (great video entertainment) Fresh Prince ("Willenium" and "Lost and Found" nuff said) Wyclef Jean Ice Cube Common Fat Joe(underrated legend) Queen Latifah Honorable Mentions: Rakim and Heavy D didn't do much since '99 but last year they proved they still got it with their new albums, we all know that if Slick Rick released an album tomorrow that it'd be dope as hell, still doing his shows with Doug E, and btw Pac and Guru are making their impact from beyond the grave as well... Now hip hop wouldn't be dying if the more of the fans and media paid attention to those 20+ rappers I mentioned in this post, but like Kool Moe Dee said "There's A God On The Mic" it's all propaganda and bull**** and that's why the true artists don't get noticed...

Nelly Feat. Kelly Rowland "Dilemma", this is a nice smooth song to listen to

Jada and Luda are the only 2 rappers on this top 10 that I actually like listening to and respect, this shows you how hip hop is at a dying level, most of the best rappers came out in the 20th century and actually put out better music in recent time than the rappers on this list could dream of, for example "Lost & Found" by Will is better than anything Drake could ever dream of making, and btw AJ you know how critical I've been of Nick Cannon's rapping abilities but I'd even listen to his album before anything by half of the rappers on this list, I'd personally rather eat dog food than listen to most of today's crap: BET held it's round table discussion to determine the "Top Ten Rappers Of The 21st Century" last night October 15. After many heated arguments, the list was finalized. Fans are bound to find the list controversial. Right off the top I noticed one glaring omission. Here's how the list was decided according to BET.com BET’s "Top 10 Rappers of the 21st Century" is a fierce, no-holds-barred, hour-long special that reveals the ultimate Top 10 List of the last decade’s hottest rappers, whose careers blew up from 1999 to today. BET’s "Top 10 Rappers" is the definitive hip-hop countdown by the ground-breaking network that gave love to hip-hop before anyone else dared. BET threw open nominations to BET digital followers, industry bloggers and other social influencers (our “Grand Jury”). More than 25,000 votes later, they returned a Top 15 list of rappers for consideration. Now, our “Hip-Hop Supreme Court” is convening to vote on the final Top Ten, based on a rapper’s: flow, lyrics, subject matter, cultural impact, dough, and as needed in the arsenal of a 21st Century rapper –digital skills (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, their own website, etc.). The Court represents all of the regions of the country, and consists of nine select industry insiders – many of whom were raised on hip-hop: Jermaine Dupri (Producer - ATL); Chuck "Jigsaw" Creekmur (AllHipHop.com); Boy 1da (Producer);DJ Diamond Kuts (Power 99 FM - Philadelphia); DJ Greg Street (V103 - ATL); Tony Neal (CEO, Core DJs); DJ Timbuck2 (107.5 WGCI – Chicago); Chloe Hilliard (Managing Editor/Social Media Manager, Vibe Magazine - NYC); and DJ Vlad (VladTV.com - NYC). In their technologically tricked-out courtroom, the Court is led by the Justice – Big Tigger, who takes them through the debates and discussions about each of their own Top 10 rankings. Live votes allow Court members to sway each others’ minds about their original Top 10 Lists with each countdown position! The Top 10 # 1 Eminem Selling more records than anyone on the list, Eminem is not only praised for his commercial success, but is highly respected by his peers for his skill. # 2 Lil Wayne Lil' Wayne is a rock star. The Young Money Millionaire has shown the most growth in the 21st century. # 3 Kanye West The highly successful rapper/producer Kanye West is more than just a rapper. But the level of his rap game has been elevated since his debut. # 4 50 Cent In less than 10 years, 50 Cent has released four albums, three of which have gone platinum (or in some cases, multi-platinum). This controversial rapper has consistently put out hits. # 5 T.I. ATL-native T.I. may be controversial in his actions, but when it comes to rap, this MC has got the South on lock # 6 Ludacris It's hard to talk about the 21st century without mentioning Ludacris. The Atlanta-based rapper is arguably one of the most consistent when it comes to the quality of his music. # 7 Drake Aubrey "Drake" Graham has managed to win over the hearts of hip hop fans this past year. After releasing his debut album, "Thank Me Later," Drake has shown that he is the one to watch # 8 Young Jeezy Young Jeezy bumps in every whip, from the North to the South. This Southern MC is respected for his hardcore delivery and thug narratives. # 9 Jadakiss Jadakiss has always been praised for his complex rhymes and the meaning behind his words. # 10 Officer Rick Ross Rick Ross bossed up the game in the 21st century. He is one of the few rappers to survive a 50 Cent rivalry by continuing to put out quality music So there you have it. What do you guys think of the list? Who should have been left off and who should have made it in their place?

http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2010/10/12/22435169.aspx

I found this when I was researching for more interviews to read and I came up with this interesting feature, which was brought up in the light of Don Imus' comments a few years ago, click the links on the website to see more interviews, this is some enlighting stuff: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/special/hiphop/ Examining Hip-Hop Culture Tavis Smiley: Examining Hip Hop From left: Talib Kweli, KRS-One, Common, Nelly, LL Cool J, Dr. Gail Wyatt, Erica Kennedy, Bakari Kitwana, Heavy D, Master P Since hip-hop emerged from the South Bronx in the 1970s, it has become an international, multi-billion-dollar phenomenon. It has grown to encompass more than just rap music—hip-hop has created a culture that incorporates ethnicity, art, politics, fashion, technology and urban life. While keeping much of its original fan base, hip-hop music and culture have become popular among mainstream consumers—particularly suburban youth. Some believe that as commercial and "gangsta" rap emerged, so did lyrics that glorify drugs, violence and misogyny. Many artists who choose, instead, to feature socially conscious and politically oriented lyrics are considered alternative or underground. Check out some of hip-hop's most contested issues: * Socially Concious Rap * Representation of Women * Hip-hop’s white audience Related Links: * Independent Lens – Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes The new film by Director Byron Hurt examines manhood, sexism and homophobia in hip-hop culture. * Related Discussions (KCET.org) Socially Concious Rap What do you think? Share your comments Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Listen to Audio “It became underground versus commercial, and they put us in a box, me and Mos Def and a lot of artists doing what we was doing. And you would see underground and conscious in front of our names as a prefix, but it would almost be like tongue in cheek. It would almost be like, ‘Well, it's that corny underground stuff.’ You know what I'm saying? It wasn't said in a way that was respectful in a lot of ways, and in the same way that people would talk negative about gangsta rap and not really understand what its roots are. “So I saw the need to break those walls and those barriers down in interviews. So anytime someone referred to me as underground and conscious, you know, I'll wear it, because I am conscious about what I say and do, but I would make the distinction and let them know that I do the same thing as these other brothers. It's just a different part of the spectrum, and I try to celebrate the similarities between me and other artists when people try to divide me with it.” More Talib Kweli Hip-Hop Artist KRS-One KRS-One Listen to Audio “Well, personally, all rap is socially conscious. The concept of rap itself is socially conscious. But the real difference between socially conscious rap and, I guess, another expression would be the personality of the person his or herself. It's not enough to just rap about socially conscious issues. The question is, ‘Are you a socially conscious person?’ So even though your rap may be something that is questionable or controversial or thuggish in nature, but you could still be a socially conscious person and use the resources that you gain in one arena to help out in another.” More KRS-One Hip-Hop Artist Common Common Listen to Audio “I'm very honored to be labeled as conscious, even though I never wanted a label. But just to be called conscious, initially, I was like oh, they trying to box me in. They kind of separating me from the everyday street people. But then, after a while, it was like you know what? I am a conscious artist, ’cause consciousness is about awareness, and just being aware. “And also when I look at conscious artists throughout history, you could think about Bob Marley, you think about Marvin Gaye, you could think about Stevie Wonder, KRS-One. People that spoke consciousness in the music. “And if I can go down anywhere close to them brothers as being a conscious artist, then I'll be very grateful. So I'm happy being a conscious dude, you dig?” More Common Hip-Hop Artist Representation of Women Nelly Nelly Listen to Audio “[The Spelman student protesters] were saying that some of my videos were degrading towards women, which is a controversy because I don't really see it like that. As far as what we did, we got adult women, we went to the clubs. You know, I've been to nightclubs. I've been to adult dance clubs. We portrayed what some would consider a bachelor party. Everybody's been to 'em. Every guy's been to 'em. Every guy wants to go to 'em. I didn't see it as degrading. “We were there on the campus to hold a bone marrow drive, there to save lives, and I just thought that their timing, to pick that opportunity right there to make a statement when the school is 8 blocks away from a strip club. Why aren't they out in front of the strip clubs picketing? They have several students attending their schools that also dance at these clubs, and they didn't make any reference or try to go to any of these students and talk to 'em. “I just feel if you really wanna get the roots out of your grass, don't cut it at the top. Dig down; you know what I'm saying? Dig down deep and pull it from the bottom if you really wanna get this situation resolved. I just think they took a shot at me at a vulnerable situation. “I think we do have some instances where some people push the limits, you know, but that's in everything. Some people push the limits on daytime television. Some people push the limits in movies. Some people push the limits in sports and athletics, you know. We push limits. “I don't really think that anyone is really out to demean women. I know, I'm not, considering 85% of my fans are women. If they thought I was doing something demeaning towards them, they wouldn't support Nelly the way they do. I give women more credit than I think a lot of people do. I think they're definitely smart enough to say, well, this brother is doing this on purpose. He's out to hurt us, and he's not participating in anything in the community. He's not trying to help sisters at all. He belittles his mother and all the women around him, which is not true. “You know, the precious thing in my life is my daughter. I have an 11-year-old daughter, and she loves her daddy. And she's never seen the video that a lot of these people were [protesting]. Now, how is it that I'm on the road the majority of my time, and I can stop my kids from seeing a video when you can't, and you're at home all the time?” More Nelly Hip-Hop Artist LL Cool J LL Cool J Listen to Audio “The criticism I would give is that there's room for more love in the music. And there's room for better treatment of women in the music. It's interesting, I made songs about women my whole career, and love and relationships, and I did that before I had daughters. “So it's not like my daughters caused that. But as a guy who has three daughters in addition to a son, when I look at the way the girls are treated in the video, it's not that I don't wanna see somebody look sexy. Please. It's not like I don't think a woman can be in a bikini, that's ridiculous. “But sometimes, it's the way they're treated and the way they're constantly portrayed that can be a little disappointing. I think that a woman has the right to look at this music and look at the videos and be inspired to be something more than just one thing. And I think that's the only thing that I see as a problem. “That, and just there's room for more love. I think a little less anger, a little more love; I think the music would be a lot healthier. I think it's just a little one-sided now.” More LL Cool J Hip-Hop Artist Dr. Gail Wyatt Dr. Gail Wyatt Listen to Audio “[The myth that black women are highly sexual] is just as vibrant today as it was 200, 500 years ago. And these myths are over 500 years old, literally. They started in the 16th century, and their vibrancy and their potency has not changed. In fact, we have so many young hip-hop artists and movie stars that emulate that very same image of the she-devil, the woman who's not sexually responsible, who'd bare her clothes in some other format, but certainly not on her body, and that her self-worth is defined by how much of her body she can show. “And this has a lot to do with why people don't take seriously when we become infected with HIV and AIDS or sexually transmitted infections or if our unintended pregnancy birthrates are high. They just assume we've just done something wrong.” More Dr. Gail Wyatt Associate Director, UCLA AIDS Institute Hip-hop’s white audience KRS-One KRS-One Listen to Audio “Well, rap music, and I will say hip-hop culture in and of itself, but rap music as its calling card, offers to young white males a sense of rebellion, freedom, manhood, courage. That's what it means when you see a 50 Cent or Snoop Dogg or someone on television just blatantly defying the law and doin' what they're doin'. “No one sees the thug and the criminal. They see courage. They see, ‘This is my chance to wile out and be rebellious in the form of music.’ Sort of, like, a video game kind of thing. Release certain tension through the fighting of some violent games on your PlayStation.” More KRS-One Hip-Hop Artist Erica Kennedy KRS-One Listen to Audio “I think parents want to know why their kids are up in their room listening to Eminem. It's the same thing as the parent who's like, ‘Don't watch Elvis on The Ed Sullivan Show because I don't like the way he swivels his hips.’ It's just like a different generation. And I think that's why kids love it—because their parents don't like it, but also because their parents don't understand it. Parents don't even understand what they're saying, most of those hip-hop songs. And it's like a thing that kids can have to themselves.” More Erica Kennedy Author, Bling Bakari Kitwana Bakari Kitwana Listen to Audio “I think that we're playing a game of racial politics when we say that white kids buy most rap music. It's suggesting that the buying power of young African Americans is not as substantial as it is. “I think the other thing that it's doing is it's helping to create a comfort zone for people who want to do business with the music industry, and so it's clear to me that the audience of white kids has been partially manufactured by the music industry. Look at the concert attendance, how that's shifted, which is in some cases more radical than the buying audience. Record executives were the ones who first began to say that white kids were buying most hip-hop.” More Bakari Kitwana Author, Why White Kids Love Hip Hop: Wankstas, Wiggas, Wannabes, and the New Reality of Race in America Heavy D Heavy D Listen to Audio “It's not just an American thing anymore. It's a worldwide thing. It's on every commercial; from wherever you go, you can see it in the world. And then another thing that we're responsible for is that we actually are bridging that gap tighter and tighter on the racism, because my nephews, who range from, like, 10 to 15, they don't look at white/black the way you and I, our parents [do]. It's shifted. They look at it like, ‘What are y'all talking about? Who cares?’ You know. And that's because of hip-hop, because MTV's playing all of it. BET's playing, you know, white and black videos. And it's a beautiful thing to see because of the culture.” More Heavy D Hip-Hop Artist Master P Master P Listen to Audio “I got into hip-hop to change my life. I come from the streets, so I was able to make a change. I think it's bad when you got kids get into hip-hop to want to be bad. Most people that's on the street, they want a better life. And that's what me and my friends—we definitely wanted a better life. A thing that makes hip-hop bad is the kids that in it for the glorified, the bad side of it, because they never really lived like that, and they'll be around with millions of bodyguards and stuff, but they're not living like that. So these kids out in the real world don't understand that, so they glorify it.” More Master P Hip-Hop Artist

Ja Rule Feat. Christina Milian "Me & You", Ja knows how to make catchy songs, it don't hurt to have sexy ladies like Christina Milian and Ashanti on your tracks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8vtpLD5-Qw