Distant memories fill my mind when I hear someone speak about The Golden Age of Hip-hop. It is now something that has long been forgotten, and replaced with "the rap crap" the mainstream airwaves continue to play. I remember the days when Hip-Hop was real and raw, back when "Rap Artist" were known as MC's, when lyrics spoke of more than sex, drugs and alcohol. This was the music that I had to sneak and listed to in my Mothers house, she was saved to the bone and didn't want any secular music in her house. My only escape was being with my Father who loved Hip-hop. I remember riding with my Dad blasting"Follow The Leader" by Eric B and Rakim and then flipping over the tape and playing "Brand New Funk" by Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince. Those memories will always be fresh in my mind. I remember when Queen Latifah spoke of "U.N.I.T.Y" and said you didn't have to be a Bitch or a Hoe, but now thanks to Nicki Minaj calling someone a Bitch is a term of endearment. How did Hip-hop stoop this low? Or was Nas right when he said Hip-hop was dead? Thinking back on those times, I never thought our form of expression that empowered and strengthened us would be so commercialized. Once so forbidden and bold it is now heard on TV commercials with dancing hamsters. Years ago Chuck D screamed "Fight the Power" and people held their fist in the air proclaiming their fight and taking their stand against mainstream America. Now today we have some big-headed tattooed fool singing with auto tune. What happened to good music? What happened to MC's that could crush the competition? Have we sold our souls to mainstream Rap Music that is laced with filth and perversion? If I could have it my way I would tell Drake, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Soulja Boy, Rick Ross, T. Pain, Jay Z, and every other person in mainstream rap to have a "HOE SIT DOWN" year. So they can bring back my Fresh Prince & Jazzy Jeff, N.W.A., MC Lyte, Eric B & Rakim, Cypress Hill, Special Ed, Dougie Fresh, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, and all the others MC's from that era. So they can blast the air waves with real Hip-hop and not this junk they have been playing for soo long. I want my old Hip-hop back.
No comments:
Post a Comment