Struggling Times

After the whole Nas expression, saying hip-hop is dead, everyone has been running with it. In my opinion, it's not dead; it's hurting. If you look at the start of hip-hop, it started off with the DJ's. The MC's were there to keep the parties hyped. Further on, rap was fun when it started; there were party songs meant to make you dance, and then there were rappers that used their music to send a message. Until N.W.A. hit the scene, there wasn’t any gangster rap. Then when that hit, everyone wanted to reveal the hood, and the struggles with a little of "I’ll mess u up" in it. The "bang-bang, shoot them up" was okay. I can't lie; I used to bang it too. Later, there were pure lyricists around through the mid and late 90s. It was changing so much from Tupac, and the Notorious B.I.G, to a disgruntled caucasian from the trailer park, breaking into rap, dominating. Most people never thought that could or would happen. There was also a time when each region had their own all-stars thriving.

When year 2000 come, "beefs" were going around, but that’s what comes with hip-hop. People were calling themselves the best. Others were being called the best, and didn’t want the title, for example Eminem. In 2005, rap went through, what I think should have been, years of waited evolution. Yet, it only took 15 years for it to go back to its roots of play rap.

Now I don’t like some of the new artists' music, but I can't say it's their fault that people say it's dead. I believe in four different reasons why it is hurting:

1.)The rappers need to become more clever. I know you made a name about talking about this and that, but try to switch it up. Even if you are not a lyricist, which are very few, deliver your message differently. As a fan, I don’t want to always hear the same thing; switch it here and there to be different.

2.)The corporation now feels they have all rappers and listeners in the palm of their hands. It’s up to you as the artist to follow yourself, not the corporation. Don’t let a 55-year old white man tell you what to rap about, because they wouldn’t care if they dropped you. They feel they can get another person in your place. They're going to just keep doing what they feel is making them money. Think about it. When rap was just starting out, white people said it was a fad, and it would go away. Don’t let that happen.

3.)Listeners you all need to expand your minds as a rapper. If I know that talking about "busting dudes," and "trapping all day" is going to make you buy my album, I'll do it. Only because I have a job. You as listeners can make a artist change because without you, rappers have no jobs.

4.)Last but not least, what is really hurting rappers is ilegally downloading songs. Think about it. If you were a rapper, and the person beside you is listening to your song, and said they got it from downloading the song free, you would be upset. The reason being you are not getting what you worked hard for, and then you would think you were robbed. Downloading free songs is killing our artists,which is the main reason why hip-hop is hurting, and will eventually die.

Justin Stills
Summer '08