Kanye West's Mom Shocked on How much he spends on....

[bigted]

I didn't say I blame "The Chronic" but after that a lot of rappers started to immitate that sound and it was just watered down on the most part except for Warren G and a couple others just like a lot of groups started to come out after New Edition and started to sound watered down except for Boyz II Men and a couple others. Yeah if y'all think hip-hop's state is bad, r&b is much worse, I can't really think of anybody that came out recently that could sing, they don't write or produce their songs either, the only thing a lot them get signed for is the way they look, well Paris Hilton has a record deal now and is making an album so that must be the case, J-Lo's career is in jeopardy now. :lolsign: Another problem is that entertainers go from one type of entertainment to another and they struggle, Will's like the only one of few that could drop a great album and a great movie at the same time, basketball players shouldn't rap, models shouldn't sing, and most rappers shouldn't act either, they're taking places away from those who really do have talent trying to get in the game. I honestly can't see many of these new artists coming out on the charts now still in the music buisiness 10-20 years from now or even 5 years from now for that matter 'cause gradually not being able to sing/rap and write/produce will catch up to them, they're gonna be older and record labels'll be looking for more fresh faces, if you could sing/rap or write/produce though there'll be always something you could do even if you sell less, longevity is better than just selling 10 million in 5 years and disappearing forever. 50 Cent thinks he's the next LL 'cause he has his shirt off in his videos but LL has "mind, body, and soul" so even when he don't have the body anymore he'll still have mind and soul which makes him "The G.O.A.T." if he didn't have that his career would've ended 15 years ago "body" could you so far , 50 Cent just has a "body" so when that goes he's done.

Edited October 16, 2005 by bigted

[Jazzy Julie]

This whole christianity mind control thingy is crazy.

I disagree with ya on that. I've talked to many people who think homosexuality is wrong, the reason why they think it's wrong is because "The Bible says so." The way they know that the Bible says so? Their pastor told them. Why is it that evolution is wrong? "The Bible says so." Why is pre-marital sex wrong? "The Bible says so." Many, many times I've asked them for logical reasoning to back up their opinions on a variety of subjects, they can't provide it. They don't want to provide it. They simply claim that they have a relationship with God, so they trust what's in the bible and what their pastor tells them. That's their religion dictating how they think, and I'd say that's a pretty good description of mind control.

Now, the above doesn't cover all religious people, and I'm definately not claiming that it describes anyone on this board. However, I've been fortunate enough to meet a lot of different people from a lot of different regions of the US, from a lot of different walks of life, and the above describes many, many of the people I've met.

well the mind control didnt work on me then. I think gay people are great, i have a few friends who are gay and they are the most hilarious people u will meet, and sex before marriage is fine to me too. I think the bible is hard to relate and to follow nowadays. i mean we arnt supposed to work on sundays either but i work every 3rd sunday and if i didnt then Gods creatures would die bcoz i wouldnt be there to help administer emergency treatment.

Call me an on- off christian bcoz i suppose i am. Its the fundamentalists that follow religion that closely. And you can find people like that in all religions. Is all religion mind control? nope each person has a choice to believe what they wanna believe and how closely they want to follow those beliefs.

if it was mind control, millions of people wouldnt be able to sneak under the radar.

[bigted]

Well commercial rap and all music genres appeal today is less universal and is particulary aimed for a younger audience, it always has been but it's more than ever, I doubt there's many people over 30 who watch TRL or listen to 50 Cent and Britney Spears, maybe 20 years ago more over 30 would watch MTV or listen to Run-Dmc and Michael Jackson 'cause the music appealed more to all ages, it was the type of music that everybody in the family liked, the kids thought it was catchy and their parents thought it was also genious, hip-hop in particular was "Bridgin' The Gap" but no matter how much the gap is bridged hip-hop is a culture for the youth and the youth at heart, KRS-ONE said in the speech he made when he was touring in the UK on that BBC.com audio that hip-hop makes him feel like he's 20 years old still. The older heads probably still listen to ol' school music but nothing out now appeals to them to watch MTV anymore since the music's more watered down than ever, the problem with music now is that it just doesn't reach all ages anymore like it used to and the older heads don't realise that there's still some hip-hop out there with that universal appeal but they don't take time to search for it, if we had some real hip-hop artists selling millions it'd really get everybody in the family listening to the radio again.

Edited October 16, 2005 by bigted

[bigted]

Y'all just have to check out the introduction of "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" that was written from Kool Herc, hip-hop pioneer and role model!

“Hip-hop has always been about having fun, but it's also about taking responsibility. And now we have a platform to speak our minds. Millions of people are watching us. Let's hear something powerful. Tell people what they need to hear. How will we hear the community? What do we stand for? What would happen if we got the hip-hop nation to vote, or to form organizations to change things? That would be powerful.

Hip-hop is family, so everybody has to pitch in. East, west, north, or south-we came from one coast and that coast was Africa. This culture was born in the ghetto. We were born to die. We're surviving now, but we're not yet rising up. If we've got a problem, we've got to correct it. We can't be hypocrites. That''s what I hope the hip-hop can do, to take us all to the next level by always reminding us: It ain't about keeping real, it's about keeping it right.”

[Turntable]

“Hip-hop has always been about having fun, but it's also about taking responsibility. And now we have a platform to speak our minds. Millions of people are watching us. Let's hear something powerful. Tell people what they need to hear. How will we hear the community? What do we stand for? What would happen if we got the hip-hop nation to vote, or to form organizations to change things? That would be powerful.

Hip-hop is family, so everybody has to pitch in. East, west, north, or south-we came from one coast and that coast was Africa. This culture was born in the ghetto. We were born to die. We're surviving now, but we're not yet rising up. If we've got a problem, we've got to correct it. We can't be hypocrites. That''s what I hope the hip-hop can do, to take us all to the next level by always reminding us: It ain't about keeping real, it's about keeping it right.”

That is a damn :word:

[bigted]

I think the problem with hip-hop is basically how it's divided up in "commercial" and "underground" before it was just hip-hop, it's like 2 different political parties now, lol, I actually dig a lil' bit of both styles but on the most part you either like commercial or underground but I like anything as long as it's hip-hop, if it goes platinum or sells a few thousand, it could still be hip-hop to me, some underground stuff sucks too just like commercial stuff does, there's no difference, it's all music. Commercial artists should collab more with underground artists, I could actually applaud Kanye for attempting to do that, more commercial rappers need to do that, that'd bring more flavor to the game.

Edited October 16, 2005 by bigted

[J-o-e]

Hip hop's been dyin 4 years, sometimes it comes back up but it hasnt been the same 4 a while

[bigted]

Commercial rappers are afraid to collab with underground rappers on the most part 'cause they're afraid that they're gonna lose their commercial appeal and underground rappers are afraid to collab with commercial rappers 'cause they're afraid that their hardcore fans'll say they're selling out, so how'll they'll ever be a change? :paperbag: Having different styles coming together would make music sound more creative to me, ol' school artists collabing with new school artists would interest fans of all ages for example if parents that're 50 years old and're Run-DMC fans heard Run-Dmc do a song with Jay-Z that person might actually gain interest in listening to Jay-Z and the 20 year old son that's Jay-Z fan might become a Run-Dmc fan too then suddenly the family's listening to both Run-Dmc and Jay-Z!

[Mike]

:word:

Edited October 16, 2005 by WILL IS ILL

[mfuqua23]

Commercial rappers are afraid to collab with underground rappers on the most part 'cause they're afraid that they're gonna lose their commercial appeal and underground rappers are afraid to collab with commercial rappers 'cause they're afraid that their hardcore fans'll say they're selling out, so how'll they'll ever be a change? :paperbag:

I think that is bull. Seriously. Your the same guy that said Hip Hop is Hip Hop. Afraid to lose appeal? Well, it goes with the money. The commercial artist has more power in one sense. And the underground artist has more power in another. Commercial has got more eyes and ears (most of the time). You only lose appeal when people aren't infatuated with your material anymore. And since when does the underground artist need to care what people think? Fans should know enough to respect it. Making music comes before deciding to be underground, or trying to be a commercial success. If anything, underground artists just don't want to. Where they are at in their career is what they are comfortable with. Commercial artists don't what to because they are in it to stay in it.

[bigted]

You misinterpreted what I said, I said that I personally feel all hip-hop is hip-hop but not everybody feels that way, in reality there's too much of a gap between underground and commercial on the most part but who knows maybe that's just my opinion, I just wanna hear good music that's all. :stickpoke: I'm sure a lot of underground rappers would like to have exposure too for what they do but the problem also lies where music channels refuse to play the videos that they make so they don't get it, the problem is more towards the buisiness rather than the artists so this looks like a problem that's gonna be here as long as lots of people buy into the commercial style that's selling a lot, true artists won't get that full exposure that they deserve. Commercial artists come and go though with disposable and short careers if they stick to the same formula all they time, they should try to do different things and that's what I was implying to there, they should try to bridge that gap.

Edited October 17, 2005 by bigted

[mfuqua23]

No, I knew exactly what you were saying about the whole "Hip hop is hip hop and underground vs. commercial thing. I thought it was just not a guaranteed point. I don't doubt that "fear" is the case for some. Seems to be a whole bigger picture.

[bigted]

It might be best if there becomes less interest on the commercial rap scene then maybe when a lot of these disposable commercial rappers get dropped from the record labels maybe they'll sign some underground rappers that've been looking to get some exposure to take hip-hop back in the right direction and bring more of that universal feel to it again. The whole music scene needs repairing it seems though, it's gotten too corporal that artistry doesn't really get the recognition it deserves, there's more focus on tabloids than there is on the songs being recorded, it's more of a revolving door with artists coming and going all following the same style, maybe you'll get a rare handful of those that stand out from the pack.

[Cozmo D]

I think the problem with hip-hop is basically how it's divided up in "commercial" and "underground" before it was just hip-hop, it's like 2 different political parties now, lol, I actually dig a lil' bit of both styles but on the most part you either like commercial or underground but I like anything as long as it's hip-hop, if it goes platinum or sells a few thousand, it could still be hip-hop to me, some underground stuff sucks too just like commercial stuff does, there's no difference, it's all music. Commercial artists should collab more with underground artists, I could actually applaud Kanye for attempting to do that, more commercial rappers need to do that, that'd bring more flavor to the game.

Just like not all Hip-Hop is Rap, not all Rap is Hip-Hop. The commercial Rap industry has been taken over and is now controlled by international corporations, who know and care nothing about Hip-Hop. Their only interests are profits. As in any other modern industry, the formula that they follow is mass duplicating, manufacturing, merchandising and marketing. The last thing that they want to do is to take a chance on an original design. They would rather adapt from or duplicate a successful design and mass market it. THAT is NOT Hip-Hop!

Hip-Hop is a culture based on creativity and originality. The biggest crime you can commit against Hip-Hop is to steal somebody else's "style". Most of commercial Rap on the other hand is created through intentional style duplication and replication. That isn't Hip-Hop, it's Pop Rap. :word:

[mfuqua23]

That's a very nice way to sum it up Coz D. I agree with it.