Is Hip Hop Dead?

(http://www.cratekings.com/official-top-11-reasons-why-hip-hop-is-dead-dj-trends/)

Many people who are fans of classic hip hop say yes, hip hop is dead.  These are usually the same people that grew up listening to the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, Big L, and Dr. Dre, just to name a few  What makes all of these rappers similar is the fact that they are all very lyrical rappers that were prevalent during the era of gangsta rap.  Their style of music relied heavily on complex rhyme schemes and less on complex beats littered with a heavy bass.  Their music had much more of a shock factor and was not produced to be played on the radio.

At the turn of the 21st century rap music began to morph.  It became less negatively stigmatized and radio stations began to play it publicly on one condition.  It had to be enjoyable and appropriate for the public to listen to, and the audience had to be able to relate.  The birth of pop rap emerged and artists began to use less lyrical complexity and more catchy beats and hooks.  The kids forgot all about the pioneers of rap music and started listening to the next best thing.  If they could dance to it then it was an instant hit.

Individual artists will continue to push their fame to the limits by trying new things and experimenting with their music.  In the case of Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Wiz Khalifa, and Meek Mill this tendency can be seen easily.  In the end it really just matters what means more to the rap artist.  If you have to tweak yourself to become more famous then is it really worth losing your fans in the process?  Even of those fans are the very reason that you gained your fame in the first place? 

To the critics of rap music, hip hop is not dead.  There are still rap artists out there that imitate the classics.  Listen to rappers like Jon Connor, Odd Future, Kendrick Lamar, Yelawolf, and Nipsey Hussle to name a few.  They make music to show off their ability to manipulate words and make them rhyme together in ways that literally blow your mind.  They have that shock factor that is reminiscent of the rappers that were prevalent from the '90s.  Since the radio doesn't give them any play, it just makes it that much harder to find the quality rappers in the mess of one-hit-wonders.

Meek Mill: The Effect of Going Mainstream

(http://pcradiolive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/profile-meek.jpg)

Meek Mill is probably my most favorite Philly rapper.  Although he is not the most lyrical, his songs really bump.  This makes them perfect to put on a party playlist or to listen to in the car.  Like most underground rappers, Meek's music was distributed primarily through free mixtapes.  His best mixtapes were the Flamers Trilogy which were made up of the Flamers, the Flamers 2, and the Flamers 3.  Every single song on those mixtapes was enjoyable to listen to because the beats were so complex that they caught your ear.  Meek Mill's music really pumps you up.

However now that Meek Mill is a member of the rap group Maybach Music, headed by Rick Ross, his music has toned down as a result.  Though his beats are still heavy, complex, and ear catching, Meek just does not rap the same.  He raps a little bit slower and is quieter when it comes to the delivery of his bars. A criticism that many had of Meek Mill prior to going mainstream is that he yelled his lyrics rather than rapped them.  But honestly that's just who Meek Mill is.  It's what got you so pumped up when listening to his songs because you would literally yell his lyrics with him.

In no way is the music Meek Mill makes now bad or not enjoyable to listen to.  He still raps over complex beats with a heavy bass, and he still makes bangers that can be bumped for days in your Toyota.  It's just upsetting that going mainstream has caused him to shift his rapping style.  This is just the sad fact associated with going mainstream as a rap artist: If you can't get played on the radio then you have to change.

Kid Cudi: Don't Change What Ain't Broke

(http://benzandabackpack.com/tag/kid-cudi/)

Kid Cudi, a rap artist that appeared seemingly out of nowhere in 2009 with his hit single Day'N'Night, is an alternative hip hop artist.  Alternative hip hop is rap that does not conform to the typical stereotypes associated with rap (i.e gangsta-rap).  

Kid Cudi's rap songs in particular have a jazzy, funk kind of sound. Simply, his rap music is something you can listen to at anytime, anywhere, and anyplace.  It is soothing yet it can pump you up.  Kid Cudi's voice is also very unique sounding.  It goes perfectly with the jazzy sounding rap beats that he makes.  The production, his voice, his lyrics, and the beats come together to make a smooth sound that you can vibe to.

However on February 28th, 2012 Kid Cudi released the album WZRD.  This was his attempt at a rock album that just did not have the it factor that made other fans, and myself, love his music.  Similar to Lil Wayne's attempt at rock music, this fell very short of the mark.  Kid Cudi is not a rocker, he is a rapper.  Though he does sing in some of his rap songs, singing in a rock song requires actual singing talent which he does not have.  The album's songs contained mixtures of electronic instruments and a drum kit that made it lack authenticity as a rock album.  It was just not an enjoyable album from beginning to end.

I do not understand why Kid Cudi decided to switch genres out of the blue when everybody fell in love with his rap music.  Unlike Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi does not have they years of experience to pull this off.  He was in the prime of his rap music career and this experiment can possibly knock off a good portion of his fan base.

Where did Slim Shady Go?

(http://justshady.com/eminem/pictures/photo-shoots/v/eminem-the-pope-smokes-dope-03-slim-shady.html)

And it has us all saying the same thing: "Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?"  As of late Slim Shady has been M.I.A (missing in action).  Slim Shady, which is the raping, killing, crazy alter ego of Eminem, had been rumored to be killed off by Eminem himself.  It is an Eminem fan's worst nightmare because Slim Shady's controversial lyrics were what made people become fans in the first place.

In Eminem's most recent album, Recovery, the insanity that is Slim Shady was completely absent.  This has led many fans to fear that Eminem killed his own alter ego, and this led to the assumption that the drug riddled side of the rapper WAS Slim Shady.  Now that Eminem is off drugs does that mean that Slim Shady will cease to exist?

Much to the relief of Eminem fans, Slim Shady is not dead and buried.  In an interview conducted right before the release of Recovery, he stated that his alter ego was not gone forever, but that Shady just did not fit with the mood of the album.   Thank goodness!  Now we can look forward to hearing Slim Shady rap more about killing his mother, his ex-wife, his secretary, the woman that cut him off on the highway, the rude barista, the teller at the bank....

*Parental Advisory: The song below is a classic Slim Shady song, but it is suggestive and has very explicit content