This guy is on point.

THE BARBERSHOP NOTEBOOKS:

Why Hip-Hop Sucks, Part 1
By Marc Lamont Hill
Special to SeeingBlack.com

Talk about hip hop music here!

Hip-Hop sucks. There, I've said it. After years of ignoring my feelings and hoping that things would change with the next album, video, or artist, I have finally accepted the fact that hip-hop simply isn't good anymore. The swagger is gone. Hip-hop is still cool but it's no longer fly. It's still hot but it's no longer dope. Most important, hip-hop is no longer fun. I can't say for sure when it happened, but somewhere between Wu-Tang's grimy "Protect Ya Neck" and the Ying Yang Twins' disgusting "Whisper Song", hip-hop became boring and predictable.

To be sure, my disaffection is likely a natural response to having recently suffered the indignity of turning to the local urban radio station and discovering that one of the songs that I listened to in high school had been relegated to the "old school lunch hour". Consequently, like any newly made hip-hop "old head", I now invoke a degree of nostalgia in order to protect my most precious memories of the recent past from what Stuart Hall calls the "tyranny of the new". As such, I must hate a little on the new stuff in order to keep the old stuff fully relevant and valuable to me.

Nevertheless, I maintain that we have reached a low point in hip-hop culture. But unlike most of my friends who have elected for early retirement from hip-hop fandom, I am not content to simply walk away in a self-righteous huff. Instead, I am willing to put my issues on the table in the small hope that things can turn around. After all, unlike Common, I still love H.E.R. I just can't find H.E.R.

In this recurring series, I provide some of my explanations for hip-hop's decline. Moving beyond the more frequently discussed issues like wanton materialism, female objectification, or corporate co-optation, I point to some equally critical issues within hip-hop that have pushed me to this point. Here goes:

Where my girls at?
Although hip-hop has always been a hyper-masculine boys club, quality female representation has dipped to an all-time low. No one has picked up the baton once carried by MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, or Salt n' Pepa and successfully run with it. Even the sex driven (and often ghostwritten) acts of Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown have been reproduced as uninteresting caricatures like Khia and Trina. While Missy Elliot's creativity and old school flavor keep the music fun, her lyrical abilities are drastically sub-par. Artists like Bahamadia and Jean Grae keep the underground alive with their top shelf skills, but their lack of selling power makes it difficult for them to start a movement. Our brightest hope was Lauryn Hill before (she became) Unplugged, when she ranked among the illest MCs on the planet, male or female. Word on the street is that she's on the road to personal and lyrical recovery. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

They don't freestyle no mo'
Not so long ago, freestyling was a centerpiece of hip-hop culture. In order to be considered a complete MC, an individual had to be literally battle tested in the world of improvisational rhyming. Until the mid-'90s, the mixtape market, live shows, and local ciphers all served as fertile sites for freestyle raps from both seasoned veterans and hungry up-and-comers. Today, mixtape and live show "freestyles" are little more than album pre-releases and verses retrieved from the cutting room floor. Even worse, many underground and national rap venues (like BET's Freestyle Friday) privilege predictable one liners, insults, and clearly rehearsed verses over the raw, perfect imperfections of an authentic freestyle. There are exceptions, of course, like Toni Blackman's "Freestyle Union" movement, as well as rappers like Common who aren't scared to drop a verse from the dome in front of thousands. Nevertheless, the future of the freestyle is pretty grim.

Manufactured rap wars
Like the freestyle, MC battles have been the lifeblood of hip-hop culture since the '80s. LL Cool J vs. Kool Moe Dee, Roxanne Shante vs. Real Roxanne, KRS One vs. MC Shan, and most recently Nas vs. Jay-Z, have all marked highpoints in hip-hop history. While there is certainly no shortage of battles in today's rap world, there has been a dramatic shift in the quality, authenticity, and motivations for the latest rap wars. Since the overwhelming commercial success of the Nas vs. Jay-Z feud, it seems that every new MC must find someone to beef with in order to make his or her mark and boost record sales. Perhaps the most transparent example of this is 50 Cent, who managed to stir controversy with Nas, R. Kelly, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, and Game right around the time of his album release date. In addition to the WWF-esque feel of the battles, the lyrical quality of the latest feuds has waned considerably. Instead of engaging a spirited game of the dozens filled with personal and professional disses, most rappers use the songs as a space to make personal threats and air dirty laundry. For this reason, it is no surprise that so many of today's beefs have extended beyond the songs and into the streets.

The Superproducer
While hip-hop has always had its share of elite producers, the last 10 years have given birth to a new breed of "superproducers". Beginning with the ever-present P. Diddy (née Puff Daddy), this group of overexposed hit men has moved from behind the boards and into the videos and songs of their artists. Superproducers like the Neptunes (particularly Pharrell) and Kanye West have become so large and appear so frequently on the songs they produce that they almost always overshadow their artists. Furthermore, superproducers have created sounds so distinctive and, as of late, predictable that the hip-hop Top-40 sounds like one big remix album. For example, even Lil Jon' himself would have difficulty distinguishing between the beats for his 2004 mega-hits "Freek-a-leek" and "Yeah!" Another consequence of this sonic oligarchy has been the construction of barriers for many talented young producers to gain access to the big stage because of their lack of star power or failure to reproduce the sounds du jour. The only viable alternative for many is to serve as a ghostproducer for the giants of the day and patiently wait for a chance to get noticed. The only catch is that the role of ghostproducer requires them to constrain much of their own creativity in order to approximate the sounds of the superproducer. The rich get richer...

To Be Continued.

Marc Lamont Hill is an assistant professor of Urban Education and African American Studies at Temple University. Trained as an anthropologist of education, he holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Its better than it was 1994-1997 The West Coast East Coast years

Good Gawd I'm glad those days are gone!

I agree except for "superproducers" have always existed. In hiphop, the producer is the friggen band and often the DJ.

And don't front like you didn't see Hurby Luv Bug in all his acts' videos back in the day.

I agree with Hill on these passages.



Often times, it's too angst-ridden for me. I enjoy my share of dark music, but not dark drama music which tends to be all that's pumped in the clubs and blared on the radio. Yes*! I will get nostaglic. I miss cuts like Chubb Rock "Treat 'Em Right," groups like Stetsasonic, even J.J. FAD. There was room for folks to be different back in the day. Now everyone's on eternal materialistic drama-soiled bools**t mode.



Plus, the beats nowadays are too dark and monotone. I don't even CARE to listen to a lot of the s**t, I have enough drama in my life than to dance to somebody elses. "I'm A Hustla," "White Tee," whatever. I rarely frequent hip hop clubs anymore. If I do, I check in, check out.



I still believe in what hip hop *used* to be and what it *used* to represent. The game got skewed, and like Doug E. Fresh said, in the '90s "a lot of the respect was lost" by artists, execs, people behind the scenes, etc. I hold a spot in my heart for hip hop, but for some reason it ain't lovin' me back.

RIGHT ON !!

paisleypark4 said:

paisley, I will simply remind you that 1994 was the greatest year in hip-hop history. the overhyped east coast-west coast feud actually set on in late 1994 and early 1995, overshadowing a slew of classic albums diverse in scope, region, style and subject matter.








Not to mention bangin' singles like "Bring The Pain," "The Most Beautifullest Thing In The World," "Flava In Ya Ear," etc.

To cite just a few.

I DEFY YOU . . . find any year since that has produced this much quality hip-hop.
[Edited 6/21/05 10:48am]

CinisterCee said:

Damn right! and TEDDY RILEY - Yup Yup!

I agree with the article 100%. Especially on the freestyle stuff.

If it weren't for the underground, hip-hop would die a cruel death.

I honestly think that fans are so intimidated by the mainstream artists (and make no mistake, these gangsta poseurs are mainstream now), they're afraid to say it's boring.

JANFAN4L said:

This angst is as fake as Britney Spears' alleged drama.

No longer do we have a critical mass of MCs like the Native Tongues crew, PE, Digables, et al. that talked about things other than themselves. They used to talk about the plight of the streets as a call to action. The psuedo-minstrels now proclaim it as an excuse to rhyme about violence and materialism ("I can be ignorant cuz I'm from the streets, etc. etc. etc.").




JANFAN, MF Doom, De La, Common, Quasimoto (a/k/a Madlib), The Roots, and others are still holdin' it down. If Mos and Talib get their butts back in gear after subpar efforts, and if Digables and Tribe indeed reunite, they'll help too. Hip-hop remains alive because of the underground.

namepeace said:

That kinda reminded me of a part from Jay-Z Fade To Black documentary, where they are in the studio talking about their responsibilities of representin'. Have you watched it? It's right after the short bit with Q-Tip.

CinisterCee said:

Yeah, I've seen it, very good movie.

Mos Def's "Beef" puts it better than I could!

"Manufactured Rap Wars" He also forgot to mention the guest appearances on every track.

Hey I thought of a good "whisper" song from the golden age:

De La Soul "Can U Keep A Secret" (1989)

prince paul... needs a haircut!

namepeace said:

Oh, I'm totally cognizant of that. Just look at someone like Snoop. Who I detest, but I di-gress.

I can't remember the last time the hip hop community got together for a track like "Self-Destruction" or "We're All In The Same Gang." Both of those tunes were recorded back when the jheri curl was falling out of fashion and, baby, that's a hot a** minute ago*!

Back then, there were definitely more checks and balances when it came to emcees holding each other accountable. On the "Manufactured Rap Wars" passage, I find it hella sad that the beef between 50 and Game could've lead to death. That's where line between bravado and downright savagery was crossed.

I really don't have to be hit over the head with a message to dig hip hop. I just want some fun thrown in there again. I feel cheated. It's best days came when I was still in prepubescence. The same with a lot of genres today. Yeah, the underground is holding it down, but I really wish it would foment to the mainstream.



Oh, ya. I give props to Common. "Electric Circus" was quality. Quasimoto's "The Unseen" is STILL bumpin' five years later. I will not lie. And I do dig the tracks you introduced me to last fall -- "Champion Sound" and "Starz" (Thanks).

Would you classify Talib's "Quality" as sub-par? That CD as a whole was nice, but, of course, it was no "Reflection Eternal."

Haven't checked for Tribe since pre-"Love Movement," but there's a new Q-Tip song I heard that's cool. Don't know the name of it, though.

The underground is the only thing keeping me from fully turning my back on hip hop. As evident in many, many, many "what are you listening to" threads. And I buy their albums as soon as I find out they're available for sale.

JANFAN: My comments were jumping off of what you said, I wasn't trying to rebut anything at all.

JANFAN4L said:

Quality is Kweli's best, better than RE. The Beautfiul Struggle was a big disappointment to me.



Agreed there.

i'm at a point where i'm hesitant to check out new hip-hop stuff...like i keep hearing about mf dooom and quasimodo, and how great they're supposed to be, but i have this fear that these days, it's not considered cool to have melody or rhythm in hip-hop. i don't mind dissonance, but i can't get with this mumbly non-expressive macho posturing bullshit, and if that's the state of hip-hop anymore, i don't have a bit of time for it. i know it's not all fiddy and game - there's more going on out there than thuggy mouthbreathers blathering on about their superior genitals and how i'm gonna get violently attacked if i don't watch out - fine, whatever, you've got a big cock and my days are numbered, we get it - but the whole idea of being too cool for making proper music really...REALLY...gets on my nerves. or maybe my ears aren't evolved to the point where i can listen to atonal, arhythmic mumbling and consider it music.

Anxiety said:

97/98 were the last good years in hip-hop, 93-95 was a classic era. Jadakiss is the nicest rapper out there now imo.The industry has the whole game on lock, even mix tapes are now being sold commercially.

Music sucks in general now.

CinisterCee said:

sorry, i just had to get that out of my system.

hip hop is still around because of creativity, originality and an endless supply of music to sample/rework/borrow/re-invent or whatever you want to call it.....i will always love it and am not really staying on top of what is out there but the new Quasimoto and Mos Def takes hip hop into new directions.....Eminem is entertaining and creative.....these are my 3 current favorites.....back in the day it was LL, Run DMC and the Beastie Boys.....all creative and taking hip hop into new directions.....not much has changed except for $$$$ in my opinion....the thread should be re-named..."Why Hip-Hop Lives!!"

namepeace said:

Hmmmmm, well, I don't know what year U were born but U might want to rethink that statement.

1988 - no comparison!

http://www.amazon.com/exe...11-6131814 - 1988 albums

hating on HIP HOP is sooo 2001. Have you ever thought maybe your just out of touch??

goat2004 said:

goat, I've been down with hip-hop since the days of the Sugar Hill Gang.

I've thought about it, and re-thought it.

'94 is still better.

PE, BDP and EPMD dropped some of the greatest albums ever. Slick Rick, Eric B. and Rakim and Kane dropped jewels as well. That list drops off precipitously after that.

For the depth of quality and classics (both well-known and unappreciated), I stand by my statement. 1994 was better.

twink69 said:

Being out of touch doesn't mean the author or the orger is wrong, twink.

laurarichardson knows her stuff. If she's off base, then speak your clout and explain why.

namepeace said:

Also, NWA (put the West on the map) with their PE inspired Straight Outta Compton - (the most authentic gangsta record) in 1988.

ok, we both have made our cases. Let the orgers decide - best year - 1994 or 1988?

goat2004 said:

So many people praise this album. It was distinctive and groundbreaking in its lyrical delivery and the way it exposed L.A. thug life on a national and international scale, but at the same time it really did a lot of damage.

The city of Compton is STILL recovering from the effects of this record. It had gotten so bad that a neighborhood in Compton voted to rename their area "Rosewood, California" just to escape the stigma and to avoid their property values from further plummeting.

The reputation of Black Los Angeles got f**ked up after this record came out (and was further mucked about with the rise of the "gangsta flicks" in the early '90s). As a Black Angeleno, I'll tell you firsthand that you can't go anywhere in the world without someone thinking you have drive-bys on your street and you're ducking bullets and s**t.

I'll never forget my first year of college. "OMG, you're from L.A.?! Have you ever been shot at? Oh my g*d, WESSSTSIIIDE*! :::"W symbol":::"

If I was a white kid, it would've been. "OMG, you're from L.A.? Wow. It's so cool out there. Do you surf?"

goat2004 said:

Well, you make good points, had De La dropped their album in '88, there'd be no question. But when you consider the fact that all of these albums were out there in 1994, PLUS the '93 joints from Wu-Tang, Tribe, Black Moon, et al. were still in "heavy ro," man, the year is just too deep!

Nation of Millions is the undisputed greatest. No one album from '94 can match that, BDP, NWA or EPMD. 1994 is simply deeper in quality.

namepeace said:

Also, in 1988, rap music still felt authentic - it wasn't commercialized - MC Hammer, Young MC, & Vanilla Ice were all unknown at this time. U get my point? It was a better time for hip hop - especially in New York. It the early 90's is when rap turned into a corporate entity, hence - Vanilla Ice, Young MC, & that Rico suave kid...too many commercial acts. U feel me?

goat2004 said:

Absolutely. No argument there. I agree with you.

PE singlehandedly put hip-hop on the map as a creative and revolutionary force in American culture in 1988, and there was no "filter" for the music (record companies, corporate sponsors, radio, videos, etc.).

"RADIO . . . suckas never play me . . ."

But, then again, that only illustrates the greatness of 1994. Most of the releases I refer to were from then-underground artists or acts with small sales and limited promo, in the post-Hammer/Vanilla Ice era, that led an artistic renaissance for hip-hop. None of the albums I am thinking of struck me as anything but authentic. Because the radio and video stations had seen what true hip-hop was capable of commercially, some of them, most notably Biggie, got airplay and more hype.

So 1994 was great for similar reasons. It proved that hip-hop could sustain its artistic merit after the V-Ices, Hammers, Young MC's, et al.