12 thoughts on “The Breakdown: For Better Or Worse: Has Money Ruined Hip Hop?”
Focusing on the money yes, but who wants to be a broke lyricist. Its always about balance, get the cash you deserve for the success and craft (art not that mumble shit) you give.
Complicated! It really depend on the rapper you are looking at. Commercialization of the art of rap doesnt have to lead to sub par contents. But then again, money has moved the industry to where it is.
This is something I discuss a lot with others. When you look at the debut albums a lot of our favorites dropped and drop as of now it has a completely different tone. Jay-z is a great example. Just going to his beginnings of the struggle of living the drug dealing life of NY in the 80’s and 90’s is something more people can relate to because it is something many people are dealing with on the daily. Where as now he is rapping about having investments in paintings for his child and its like who the fuck is buying some art and investing in that shit for their kids who can relate to that except people with money. The raps about emotions and mental struggles still resonate but when its day to day life how can they make art that relates when their life is so much more different and obscure to the masses. Very interesting topic to debate.
Here we go again with the state-sponsored, contrived, drivel that all non-white artists must remain starved, socialist, illiterate and broken in spirit to remain in the best graces of the masses. A semi-wise, man-child once said, “There is an (economic) war going on outside”, but it was nullified right after by said artist with “no matter how rich he got that he would remain in the projects forever”
Another wack breakdown. In 1982 Busy Bee Starski had his biggest hit single titled “Making cash money”. And what about Eric B and Rakim’s “Paid in full”? “Rhyme Pays” by Ice-T? Man, hiphop is a segment of the music industry. And this is an industry cuz it’s about the money from day 1. Goldchains, lyrics, they all about the fashion. You can find a lot of great rappers nowadays who don’t talk about money. But I’m not mad at anyone who brags about his wealth, cuz it can be the part of his artform. Murs, you betta stick to making music, too. Don’t want to be a journalist cuz it’s seriously NOT your cup of tea.
Day one? So was bombing trains, block parties, breaking and shell toe adidas. How much of that do you see in hip hop anymore? $ in the game can be a little overkill and it changes the essence of the culture.
Why is Hip hop ruined?? I think hiphop is good it’s ok not ruined. I think a lot people that feel like it’s ruined only focus on the mainstream part of it, their is a lot stuff on the radio that I don’t like, so I stop listening to the radio, I can listen to the artist I like at anytime thanks to youtube, web spotify etc. One issue to me is we rather talk about who sucks now a days vs who we like, cats be like man 21 savage sucks, man future sucks, bro tell me something I don’t know like give me some info on a dope artist I never heard of that you think is dope, check out Nick grant, check out Freddie gibbs, Big krit new album is a classic that new Bone thugs and wu tang was fresh. Hip hop needed money and cats to talk about because it provides a certain inspiration from someone coming from similar circumstances, Majority of the cats in the 80’s couldn’t benefit financially from their rap in that was sad to see, but the ones that came in the 90’s made rap like rock meaning that been making money off rap for like 20+ years
this is a capitalist society. if there wasn’t any money to be made in hip-hop it would have never got out the south bronx. the music that we hear in the mainstream now is not hip-hop. it’s ghettofied pop music. hip-hop in its pure form still exists off the grid. the business of rap allowed a lot of people from the hood to make a living, and make it out, and we can’t be mad at that.
Focusing on the money yes, but who wants to be a broke lyricist. Its always about balance, get the cash you deserve for the success and craft (art not that mumble shit) you give.
There are plenty of rappers/ MCs who are talented but broke. Just like singers, they are a dime s dozen.
Complicated! It really depend on the rapper you are looking at. Commercialization of the art of rap doesnt have to lead to sub par contents. But then again, money has moved the industry to where it is.
This is something I discuss a lot with others. When you look at the debut albums a lot of our favorites dropped and drop as of now it has a completely different tone. Jay-z is a great example. Just going to his beginnings of the struggle of living the drug dealing life of NY in the 80’s and 90’s is something more people can relate to because it is something many people are dealing with on the daily. Where as now he is rapping about having investments in paintings for his child and its like who the fuck is buying some art and investing in that shit for their kids who can relate to that except people with money. The raps about emotions and mental struggles still resonate but when its day to day life how can they make art that relates when their life is so much more different and obscure to the masses. Very interesting topic to debate.
Here we go again with the state-sponsored, contrived, drivel that all non-white artists must remain starved, socialist, illiterate and broken in spirit to remain in the best graces of the masses. A semi-wise, man-child once said, “There is an (economic) war going on outside”, but it was nullified right after by said artist with “no matter how rich he got that he would remain in the projects forever”
Another wack breakdown. In 1982 Busy Bee Starski had his biggest hit single titled “Making cash money”. And what about Eric B and Rakim’s “Paid in full”? “Rhyme Pays” by Ice-T? Man, hiphop is a segment of the music industry. And this is an industry cuz it’s about the money from day 1. Goldchains, lyrics, they all about the fashion. You can find a lot of great rappers nowadays who don’t talk about money. But I’m not mad at anyone who brags about his wealth, cuz it can be the part of his artform. Murs, you betta stick to making music, too. Don’t want to be a journalist cuz it’s seriously NOT your cup of tea.
Day one? So was bombing trains, block parties, breaking and shell toe adidas. How much of that do you see in hip hop anymore? $ in the game can be a little overkill and it changes the essence of the culture.
Why is Hip hop ruined?? I think hiphop is good it’s ok not ruined. I think a lot people that feel like it’s ruined only focus on the mainstream part of it, their is a lot stuff on the radio that I don’t like, so I stop listening to the radio, I can listen to the artist I like at anytime thanks to youtube, web spotify etc. One issue to me is we rather talk about who sucks now a days vs who we like, cats be like man 21 savage sucks, man future sucks, bro tell me something I don’t know like give me some info on a dope artist I never heard of that you think is dope, check out Nick grant, check out Freddie gibbs, Big krit new album is a classic that new Bone thugs and wu tang was fresh. Hip hop needed money and cats to talk about because it provides a certain inspiration from someone coming from similar circumstances, Majority of the cats in the 80’s couldn’t benefit financially from their rap in that was sad to see, but the ones that came in the 90’s made rap like rock meaning that been making money off rap for like 20+ years
What kind of stupid fucking question is that? Money has definitely ruined this wack ass website tho.
Boring and pointless breakdown this time
A little late to be asking this question?
this is a capitalist society. if there wasn’t any money to be made in hip-hop it would have never got out the south bronx. the music that we hear in the mainstream now is not hip-hop. it’s ghettofied pop music. hip-hop in its pure form still exists off the grid. the business of rap allowed a lot of people from the hood to make a living, and make it out, and we can’t be mad at that.