Back in the late ‘90s-‘00s I was definitely a refusenik/backpack-rap fan who was angry at where hip-hop was going and I remember this place had some lively… debates on the subject, but maybe “hate” is bit extreme. For me, the music always came first.
These days even mainstream artists are using great beats and melodies again, but I’ve lost a bit of interest in what they have to say.
No. But as Duder says, music first. If the music is weak, I'll struggle to be interested regardless of how good the rhymes are. And always sounds better in Da Clurb. I believe that is the correct context. Alas I am now too old for Da Clurb. I would be like a poundshop Michael Rappaport.
I'll settle for (holds finger to imaginary earpiece feed) "Bomping it in da whip with wifey."
I don't hate Hip Hop. I still love what I love. But my time now is so limited that I can't really give the attention I once did. This really isn't a hop hop thing. Most of the things I love I have a hard time finding time for.
The question I more have is this. Has youth culture stalled at all when it comes to things like music and youth fashion? Obviously not when we talk about technology into the mix. We used to have these somewhat generational changes in things like music and youth fashion. But are we really doing that anymore? I mean, this is anecdotal. But I've been working at a major University for the last 15 years. One of the things I've noticed being around these kids for the last 15 years is they kinda still all dress the same through the years (Even wearing the same things I did when I was their age) and listening to the same music. There are some slight changes obviously in the genres , but it's all more of less the same. But what happened to major shifts in things like music and fashion around every decade. Where the youth rejected their parents music and created their own completely different thing?
I think (generally) that the youth have a bazillion micro-scenes now, via the magic of social media, and so whatever mainstream media says is The Next Big Thing™ is of less consequence.
Also, I'd say since the 90s, anything goes. Hipster to hippie. Longhair to Mohican. Fuck, even Crocs have cred. You could dress like a charity-shop trolley-dash and you'd be judged as a savant/ironic.
I observe the same as @DOR - the kids are still wearing what my cycle of student wore BITD. I was like tail-end of grunge/Madchester/Indie and it's still utterly legit to be rocking plaid and Chuck Taylors or DMs.
And the Pandemic/work-from-home-I-don't-give-a-fuck dresscode has made almost anything acceptable. That "Boneless Lifestyle" as @DocMcCoy put it : The clothing of least resistance. Sweatpants and hoodies 24/7.
Only thing I guess that is frowned upon is traditional office attire, trousers, shirt and tie. Only valid for court, funerals, weddings and interviews(? depending on the job). I have about 30 ties. I don't know when I'll ever wear them outside of such scenarios.
I've got half baked ideas about why youth culture has formed a kind of stasis in some ways - not every way obviously, but it's an interesting thing to think about:
- regarding music, some of the biggest changes in pop/youth music were technological, e.g. sampling, electric guitars, synths, etc. and maybe it's my lack of imagination but I don't see what's on the horizon that will enable new kinds of music to arise in the translation of musical norms through a new technology - ready access to all past recorded culture means newness is less important, maybe leading to less drive to CREATE new culture - that ready access also eliminates a lot of the mystery appeal of subcultures that previously had gatekeeping and had to be sought out, that weren't really advertising or welcoming - maybe, by noting that it seems weird how kids are now, we're basing our standards on how far a generation can leap from their forebears on what's clearly now an extremely unique time historically, basically the first 50 or so years of the boomers; their wealth and freedom and lack of responsibility will never be repeated, sure, but I doubt if they ever happened before. maybe slower evolution is closer to how the kids normally did it, and gen X etc. were just echoes of the boomers' unique privileges as they slowly decayed. the privileges, not the boomers. though I guess we're all slowly decaying
edit: i honestly can't keep up with hip-hop these days, but i do know that whenever i go looking, i find interesting music being made. and that's good enough for me.
since freshness is part of the dna, the longer hip-hop goes on, the more micro-segmented sounds and ideas will get. and there will always be "regional" greats who are fresher than most. and regional doesn't just mean geographic anymore.
are there any writers out there who are on top of the scene at-large? do ppl still have blogspots? is noz still writing? even he must have had to start narrowing in at some point.
are there any writers out there who are on top of the scene at-large? do ppl still have blogspots? is noz still writing? even he must have had to start narrowing in at some point.
YES I want to know if there's any good blogs that attempt something wide-ranging. Occasionally I'll stumble across a few but they don't stick with me.
are there any writers out there who are on top of the scene at-large? do ppl still have blogspots? is noz still writing? even he must have had to start narrowing in at some point.
YES I want to know if there's any good blogs that attempt something wide-ranging. Occasionally I'll stumble across a few but they don't stick with me
Dude that is so perfect, I go to the main page and the top post is about Billy Jam's youtube channel, and Cap'n Crunch from Rated X... extremely niche Bay shit. Like I was listening to Parts Unknown's Rated X diss to-DAY. (BTW it fucking rules, it's called 911 Funk and sounds like the instrumental cuts out on every bass drum hit due to the hardness of the beat).
Thanks for the link. I feel like trawling for music is really missing something without first reading somebody's effort to write a couple lines about why they like it. Hence still reading forums I guess. A personal recommendation of something, even if it's from a stranger, is better to me than just clicking around youtube or spotify's automated selections.
I hate Brexit man Hip Hop colonialists moaning about the Super Bowl halftime show on Facebook
I didn't see the SB, but one of my neighbor's buddies, who I have chitchatted with about 80s rap before, casually mentioned to me how he liked the show due to the supposed lack of Satanic/Illuminati iconography "this time". Okaaay...
Satan is the only reason I tune in, so color me disappointed.
I don’t hate modern rap but I do hate auto tune. There is something about it that is unlistenable to me. Unfortunately it feels like every new rap song has “random note singing” style popularized by drake (I think?) that somehow manages to be auto tuned and yet be in no particular key (or simply off key).
My son is 13 and he is excited about new Kanye music. I’m not (he has noticed that old people only seem to like the first two albums) but I’m happy to see him excited about new music getting released.
It’s youth music so I can be grumpy old man and hate on it, but I don’t hate the people making it (get that money!!) or those that enjoy it.
I love hip hop. There is plenty of it I don’t like but that’s with all music. I still keep up and think plenty of artist are doing great stuff and I like how beats are more futuristic sounding. People were obviously doing that back in the day but it’s more common and you can do so much on the computer now. Run the Jewels is great and EL P was doing the future beats earlier than most and is still going.
The main thing I don’t like is people still rapping like it’s the club 90s talking about bitches and bottles. That wasn’t even cool back then and now it’s played out and just offensive. Don’t degrade women over and over, be original. Nobody cares about your bling and BS. It’s like that new Too Short, E 40, Snoop, Ice Cube joint. The beat is cool but their raps are doo doo and I love all 4 of them. But it’s just played out talk about bitches rap. They have families and daughters. Grow up man!
Comments
For me, the music always came first.
These days even mainstream artists are using great beats and melodies again, but I’ve lost a bit of interest in what they have to say.
But as Duder says, music first. If the music is weak, I'll struggle to be interested regardless of how good the rhymes are.
And always sounds better in Da Clurb. I believe that is the correct context.
Alas I am now too old for Da Clurb. I would be like a poundshop Michael Rappaport.
I'll settle for (holds finger to imaginary earpiece feed) "Bomping it in da whip with wifey."
Also, I'd say since the 90s, anything goes. Hipster to hippie. Longhair to Mohican. Fuck, even Crocs have cred. You could dress like a charity-shop trolley-dash and you'd be judged as a savant/ironic.
I observe the same as @DOR - the kids are still wearing what my cycle of student wore BITD. I was like tail-end of grunge/Madchester/Indie and it's still utterly legit to be rocking plaid and Chuck Taylors or DMs.
And the Pandemic/work-from-home-I-don't-give-a-fuck dresscode has made almost anything acceptable. That "Boneless Lifestyle" as @DocMcCoy put it : The clothing of least resistance. Sweatpants and hoodies 24/7.
Only thing I guess that is frowned upon is traditional office attire, trousers, shirt and tie. Only valid for court, funerals, weddings and interviews(? depending on the job). I have about 30 ties. I don't know when I'll ever wear them outside of such scenarios.
Oh, and Goths seem pretty thin on the ground.
I guess there's a filter for that now?
- regarding music, some of the biggest changes in pop/youth music were technological, e.g. sampling, electric guitars, synths, etc. and maybe it's my lack of imagination but I don't see what's on the horizon that will enable new kinds of music to arise in the translation of musical norms through a new technology
- ready access to all past recorded culture means newness is less important, maybe leading to less drive to CREATE new culture
- that ready access also eliminates a lot of the mystery appeal of subcultures that previously had gatekeeping and had to be sought out, that weren't really advertising or welcoming
- maybe, by noting that it seems weird how kids are now, we're basing our standards on how far a generation can leap from their forebears on what's clearly now an extremely unique time historically, basically the first 50 or so years of the boomers; their wealth and freedom and lack of responsibility will never be repeated, sure, but I doubt if they ever happened before. maybe slower evolution is closer to how the kids normally did it, and gen X etc. were just echoes of the boomers' unique privileges as they slowly decayed. the privileges, not the boomers. though I guess we're all slowly decaying
edit: i honestly can't keep up with hip-hop these days, but i do know that whenever i go looking, i find interesting music being made. and that's good enough for me.
where are they now?: byron crawford.
YES I want to know if there's any good blogs that attempt something wide-ranging. Occasionally I'll stumble across a few but they don't stick with me.
I hate Brexit man Hip Hop colonialists moaning about the Super Bowl halftime show on Facebook.
I hate what Kanye has become due to severe mental illness.
But I will always heart Hip Hop.
Thanks for the link. I feel like trawling for music is really missing something without first reading somebody's effort to write a couple lines about why they like it. Hence still reading forums I guess. A personal recommendation of something, even if it's from a stranger, is better to me than just clicking around youtube or spotify's automated selections.
I didn't see the SB, but one of my neighbor's buddies, who I have chitchatted with about 80s rap before, casually mentioned to me how he liked the show due to the supposed lack of Satanic/Illuminati iconography "this time". Okaaay...