Is Hip-Hop Dead? Rappers vs Trappers

If you ask anybody that isn’t a millennial, or somebody born around the time of the inception of Hip Hop about what they think of the culture and the music today, they’ll tell you that Hip-Hop is dead. If you mention the names of popular mainstream rappers today, people cringe, laugh, and a great deal just rub their foreheads in disbelief, for what has become of the art form they grew up listening to, and fell in love with. So, is Hip Hop dead? Well… No, it isn’t. But it is dying.

Where ’em defibrillators at, homie? Mic’s won’t suffice no more!

Hip-Hop is defined by these five elements;

1. MC-ing: Spitting a cold 16/Rapping.
2. Graffiti: Spraycans. Yeah, this one might spark some trouble.
3. Breakdancing: Spinning on yo’ damn head!
4. DJ’ing: Spinning your homie’s record.
5. Knowledge: Spinn… No, I’m kidding. This stuff is power.

Let us not overlook that last element! Knowledge is the quintessential element in the preservation of Hip-Hop. You see, it was with knowledge that the pioneers of Hip-Hop transcended beliefs that they were lesser men simply because of their ethnicity, and used the rest of these elements in an effort to destroy the prominent racial barriers existing at the time. Tony Tone of the Cold Crush Brothers said that Hip Hop saved lives. And rightly so; instead of engaging in senseless violence and fighting each other, people took to breakdancing or rapping against one another.

Rap Battle, anyone?

Most of these elements were tools for young African Americans to share the hardships of living in poverty, and other social issues that kept them on the receiving end of the cold hand of injustice, whilst being an outlet about the violence of the gang lifestyle.

Out of all the above elements, the rapping flourished the most. It did so well because it resonated profoundly with those living in the impoverished ghetto areas; about the struggles of institutionalized racism, and a lack of economic wealth amidst darker skinned people. But even with the success of the music and the message it tried to instill within the minds of those affected the most, the violence only escalated. It grew so big and gained so much momentum, that a hideous subgenre of the art form developed – gangster rap. At some point, the message that the founding fathers of Hip Hop tried to convey became distorted, withering down into the dirt you hear now, and out of it, sprouted a mentality to perpetuate the violence by glorifying it within the music. There seems to be a cool and attractive quality to gang violence depicted by many mainstream rappers of then and now. The reality is that it’s extremely detrimental to the mindsets of young men and women who not only have to live in a place where there is so much violence, but also have a means of justification for these actions. One may lose his or her life for being in the wrong neighbourhood wearing the wrong coloured clothing. That is only scratching the surface, but in all honesty, having lost a child to some senseless violence of that sort; I too may “chip a nigga, then throw the blower in his lap, walk myself to the court, like ‘bitch, I did that.’ ” That is a reference to a Kendrick Lamar song titled “XXX”. Do yourself a favour and listen to the song if you haven’t already. You will not regret it.

In the Hip-Hop world, the rap forefathers turning in their graves constitutes the spin of the globe on its axis.

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As a Hip-Hop artist myself, I subscribe to the premise that the real culture killer is mainstream rap. Not because its artists aren’t talented, but rather that they fail to address real world issues with their form of entertainment – therefore causing a great disservice to their listeners and even themselves…

I got racks on racks… I’m doing a disservice to myself?

But I’m sure they would beg to differ. And so they’ll continue to bombard us with music about women, cars, murder, and money – all in the wrong fashion. I’ve always loved rap music, but as I matured, I grew increasingly disturbed with the content I was exposed to. Luckily, I dug deeper – much deeper than any commercial record label has – in attempt to find rappers that weren’t praised for being misogynists, but instead praised for their ability to appreciate women for all that they are, and opening their own and our eyes to the struggles women have had to face throughout history until today; or rappers that spoke about being fiscally responsible and not blowing your money on a Ferrari once you achieved “success”; or rappers that poured their hearts over the topic of killing somebody without due process, and the pain that it causes; or rappers that broke it down, explaining the insidious implications of this form of currency we all chase in an effort to live comfortably – and how many of us are privileged because we don’t have to sell our kidneys to put food in our stomachs.

But I don’t blame Hip-Hop for all of this, because misogyny, greed, and murder are thriving without the promotion from it.

Sir, it looks like you have the human condition. Take this daily, and you may or may not alleviate yourself from an insipid mindset.

However, I do blame the horse-manure you hear on radio, or see on television for having non-listeners judge me for bobbing my head, and reciting my favourite lyrics, because they’ve dismissed Hip-Hop completely and associated it with ignorance.

“People have to accept you don’t need to spit a cold sixteen to be a dope rapper anymore.” Hmm, is that so? In that case, I’m a Doctor, because people have to accept that you don’t need to go to school to perform surgery on somebody… SCALPEL!

All jokes aside, Hip-Hop is dying because artists like Immortal Technique or Lupe Fiasco aren’t as popular as Drake, Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Wayne, and Gucci Maine. Furthermore, Hip-Hop will die if it Trap artists are still associated with Rap artists. But if I’m completely honest, I am a fan of Drake and Nicki Minaj – I think they’re music sounds really damn cool. But I do have to be weary about the things they talk about in their music; specifically Drake. I will go as far as saying that I, personally, think that those two are at least Rappers. Damn it, Lil’ Wayne is a rapper too, and he’s good. But what really drives me nuts is that guy up there – you know that guy in that interview – and his counterparts, Lil Yachty or Gucci Maine, etcetera, who claim they’re Rappers when they’re clearly Trappers. I’ve read a dozen books in my lifetime, and sure I write, but I would never put myself in the same category as Philip K Dick. At least, not yet. xD So if there are two things I hope you can take away from this article is the ability to distinguish a Rapper from a Trapper, and knowing that Hip-Hop is not dead.

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Endnote

I know I have a bias towards Conscious Hip-Hop; I suspect that’s because it’s a lot more relatable to me than some of the subjects discussed in other Rap music – those are just things I’ve never had. With that being said, I don’t think it’s cool to make a living off degrading women. Every other music video I’ve seen has pretty women, half-naked, shaking their behinds in front of the camera merely for the fact that sex sells. And those Rappers and Trappers are who I believe to be giving Hip-Hop a bad name. There’s a market for everything. And the fact that radio, television, and huge labels have no interest in cultured, heartfelt, and knowledgeable Rap music really ushers the subtle perversity of these entities; in that, they’re only interested in the short-term monetary rewards, with very little thought to the form of entertainment they provide you with. I, on the other hand, do care about the power of my words. I may not always be right, but I always hope to be told how wrong I am, in an effort to learn and grow, then I will be able to offer more.

Thank you for reading. :)