Damn all these Rappers must be rich...

Struggle isn't only money
Absolutely right! Some of the songs that I appreciate the most are songs which entail personal adversites & how the artist encourage people toremain dedicated to holdin' on until they meet thier objective. I think that provides people with a greater motivation & influence as opposed tosomeone comin' outta nowhere & talkin' 'bout throwin' 5 thousand dollars at strippers just to do it. If an artist dedicates his first albumto expressin' his hardships & remaining resilent & positive until he beat the odds, I can respect if he talks about reaping the benefits of hisefforts & holdin' down other people that are in the same position he used to be in on his second album. I would personally feel like I shared in hisadversity & I could relate to his struggle & now I'm happy for him. It's like feeling proud of someone in your family. I personally dont listento none of that "trap or die, ghetto millionare" **** garbage. I never been in the trap, never gonna go to one & if I had a millon dollars, Iwouldn't be posted up in the ghetto with it unless I was utlizing it to help others improve thier situation....
 
^^^ That`s word .



The formula used to be balanced . Cats weren't afraid to be political , emotional , sensitive etc.. At the same time you knew these dudes would punch youin the face just for living , lived the life they spoke about , and were respected on their own block . You had flossy cat`s like Kane and Slick still talkingabout other aspects of real life . Nowadays some lame%+%* attempt by a dude like Luda , spitting some cheesy%+%* tale about some runaway chick , gets madpraise . That was just CORNY . I ain`t about consience level joints or nerd rap but I respected Big, Nas, Pun , G Rap , Ghost, Gza, Buckshot , De La , Chuck Detc... for spitting the truth but keeping it in their own style while still keeping it grounded to the streets .
 
I was kind of wondering about this myself. I see this "Young Berg" fellow who i never heard of, and they present this faux image like he was bornrich and always had money (but still a thug).





Can anyone recommend any rap songs that arent about the struggle, material possesions, or politics?
 
I just dont understand how these artists are going platinum naming hermes and louis vuitton when the hood still trynna locate the "hot topic" in themall?

Everyone rockin a snowman shirt aint sellin' coke.

The more Jeezy sells the more wannabes is how I see it, I don't see how even 15,000 people can say they "relate" to that.

Fans frontin' just as bad as the artists.
 
I see where ya'll are going, I think the other reason is because nowadays rappers be surrounded by so many hangers on that lived the same life that catsdon't realy even look at it like it was a struggle that might have built character or anything else its just the way it was. nowdays the disparity orwealth and just how bad %+$+ has gotten makes alotta cats from that type of background not even look at it like a struggle because everyone went through it andthey went through it in an even more +%@%+! up manner cause the whole social additude is different. You got folks on section 8 still tryin to buy new kickseevry week like thats some normal %+$+ to do. spendin 40 on a tee and then buyin spray on deoderant so you can share it with your 3 brothers. society as awhole has looked to hide as much struggle as possible on the superficial levels that people just got it in their minds that shownig any type of that isweakness and unacceptable.



people can say its just the jeezy types that has fans fronting, but theres still plenty of people who have neevr experienced any part of any of the lives ofthe artists no escapin this mentioned that can relate to those basic struggles either, so to me its just like whatever listen to what you like and like it foryour own reasons, I'm personally not interested



I do agree with ya'll, I just feel its a balance thing, theres only so many artists hat do it and then where it winds up. Like to jeezy most of his songsare struggle songs, but even still hes made a few similar to the ones your talkin about like the joit with keyshia cole, but they dont chart so the labels dontsell em.



at the end of the day its just how valid is it and how interesting is it. Most of these rappers experienced the same struggles that every rapper before themwent through and everyone still goes through its just about what sells. Artistically I agree they are great song that you can zone out on, but the label ainteven trying to put them on the album because the beats neccessary to make em dont have the sound they want.



I dunno if that answers anything but like it or not thats just where the art form went. Ive seen it change myself, I dont even care whos the new artist is nomore, enough music has been put out in my lifetime so far I know who to go to when I want that. Most of the people who make these complanits dont wanna hearanything from new artists anyways so why worry. Soldier boy, jeezy, ludacris could make the deepest song ever and most people who express the opinionsya'll are would refuse it anyways cause of crank dat. Its just where you are personally I hated luda for dumb years, but Ive grown to respect him becausehe is GREAT at the type of rap he does, I'm sure I'll catch flak for this but his ability to RAP is 20 times greater then rakims, but he represents adifferent era, mindset and subject matter so I would never compare them artistically. Like Im glad you had me typin this cause now I had to throw on do itagain by DTP



ow but please throw scarface on your list too though
 
I think it's a phase and the real will return. I remember 9th said in one of his classes that we rap like we made it out of the struggle which isn'tthe truth. Anybody else think the mood of hip-hop changes with each president
wink.gif
?
 
Blu, Common, Jay at times, Atmosphere, Lucky I Am, Joell Ortiz, pretty much all the cats that are underground. Not everyone struggles, as blacks move out ofthe "hood" and move into suburbia the music follows suit. I grew up in Mo County a suburb of DC, the cats that were on that struggle stuff werereally lying to themselves, but the cats that were talking about Flossing used to get no play, so pretty much everyone listened to/talked about eitherhustling(cuz thats really what a lot of cats did) or they were into other types of music. I remember long long long time ago, all we bumped was kast, Jay andeveryone else that makes music somewhere in the middle of Strugglin and Ballin, thats were a lot of current blacks seem to find themselves imo. People like Bluspit that stuff I can relate to, it's not like he's ballin, but hes not really struggling anymore than non-hustlers that is what I relate to, Lupe,Atmospher Joell Ortiz(I don't listen to him much but I like when I do.)
 
I just think there's a difference between state property and The Godfather.
Same subject matter but you don't need to be part of culture to appreciate a masterpiece like "The Godfather" Its about artistic integrity.
Pac rapped about many things, you can view him as confused or having a variety of sides to his personality, but in any case you can feel him when he sounds"hopeless", you can feel him when "he's rollin".
His portrayal of emotions and lifestyles aren't as simple as just punchlines and descriptions of his car. Everyone can agree that Nas didn't sellanything but he chooses to be a powerful voice and exercises much responsibility to keep his craft on point and due to that he'll get my respect. Emhasn't killed kim but he sure sounds like he would when he goes off on a track about it.

Most newer artists think they are born with a gift to ride a beat and just use some marketing knowledge to involve dancing and materialism that misguidedyouths and adults with low self worth eat up.
I just don't believe most Jeezy fans can relate to his subject matter because he's not even portraying a picture or describing any emotion, justreciting 1 liners.
A good artist can depict a picture of wealth and luxury better than "I make it rain", "my cars the same color as ____ _____"
 
Joe Budden



this man isn't rappin about money, cars, and clothes. he talks about life. callin his mixtapes "Mood Muzik" is dead on. His verses change basedon his moods and the topic.



"Music is what feelings sound like" - Joe Budden
 
I think Lupe does a good job topping about the struggles in the black community...he just does it in different ways...so I'm sure people in here prollywont give him credit for it....



for the most part it is missing in hip hop...but there are some moments...just not enough
 
Originally Posted by The Jersey Shirt

jeezy definetly depicts emotions, maybe YOU just dont know anyone who can relate

Thats more than possible, I just cant see a million plus fans that aren't locked up, buying the actual cd at a store that say they can relate to 1liners about brand names, coke, and partying.

sometimes the fans make the product look worse like when kids are happy to camp at Supreme.
 
again I relate that EXACTLY back to my first point the same goes about basically EVERY hip hop artist. Can people really relate to the 90% wu tangs material orNas's material and every other so-called "more relatable" classic artists really? to be honest the music is made by people who have VERY littlein common with the average listner so to me its whatever now, just buy what you want, I'm just happy people are buying because the current trend is juststealing it via the internet and NO one wins that way



to me you just don't have to be locked up to wanna listen to jeezy. actually being able to RELATE to him is a whole different story, but again its justlike that for every other artist, i don't hear anyone shouting you have to be a dust head holigan drug dealing kung fu junkie to be a wu fan so why thehate for jeezy. i looked at it your way for so long and its at the point where its like +$#* it buy what you want you dont gotta explain to me, because 90% ofthe people who wind up trying to explain are lying anyways.



as far as the product looking worse, +$#* it the products the product, to me its very simple, if the sonsumer cant pull it off THEY look bad, not the supplier.Supreme is an exccelent example. to me its a classic NY state of mind product, which most of the consumer isnt, but they doesn't effect the product,because if your a true new yorker you could never be fakinthe funk reppin supreme.
 
^ you are definitely supporting your points well but how are you going to bring up drugs as a negative when we're talking about music?



you gonna say the same about Hendrix?

The grateful dead?

rolling stone?

janis joplin?



It opened their minds in a way that created new slang still used today (deeper than a navy seal/ shark Ns) and different philosophies.

When i hear a wu track i hear 5 percenter theology, the strict virtues of martial arts, and surviving in the streets of NY.

and imo it meshes well, not perfect, but well and even if you dont agree I think you see how it can provoke thought.

Rza wrote a book about the Wu theology, and also Rza branched off to morbid "horror" rap, meth kept it street with RED(non wu member), Ghost can goout and incorporate mafia overtones on his works. The Wu bring together a VAST amount of styles that not only come together well but allow you to take what youwant from their catalog.



Only went into that to prove that the drugs if anything helped their cause and that they go deeper than taking Jadas "car same color as ________"punchlines and adlibs.

They went out of their way to be different while not much of Jeezy hasnt been done before, even Star from Star n Buc said he doesnt understand how rappersstill choose to talk about selling coke after Ghost did it to death.
 
honestly what you just said shows that the WU is even LESS relatable then jeezy. they talkin the same drug sellin, plus they talkin kung foolery, and mafia!!#% and a million other odd ball topics. Like the most relatable stuff they talked about in the broadest sense is hood living which jeezy still talks about.You must have MISSED my point I was takling about relatability and how the consumer represents or doesn't roducts as were you now ou going all these otherdirections.

it has nothing to do with using drugs or selling them or anything like what you said about that has NO relevance to what we have been talking about supposedrelatability and emotion. you criticize Jeezy for his emotion and his art. Thats great for you but as soon as you start projecting that onto other people youlook silly because just as many will say the same thing about wu, and just because they talk kung fu this, gambino that doesn't mean its artistic oremotional, to plenty it just sounds crazy. You cant even argue which is art and which isnt because art can be anything as long as you present it right. Andyou dont have to use drugs to make better art. according to the standard of the wolrd the greatest artists weren't druggies. Pablo picasso didn'tbalmed out a blunt before paint mad +@%#. its a stupid criteria, some people do drugs and make great art and some dont do drugs and make great art. Its evencrazier its like you saying tath them being dust heads made them great its hilarious, I got someone who will sell you a water bottle then yall can both raphell be the next jeezy you can be the next inspectah deck

you say they went out of there way to be different, point blank you cant prove that all you MEAN is they were different, sure great, but different does notmean better in any sense, artistic or other wise. the people that bought wu in the 90s wasnt into the supposed art, they bought it because wu was cool, justlike jeezy, you think every one of the white people in the crowd in the its yours video concert footage cares about kung fu movies, drug dealing, mafia and 5percent nonsense? PLEASE. your argument is just bull !!#% and it goes back to what I was saying, 90% of people who try to explain why they like the music theydo can't show !!#% about it. you don't like jeezy, fine do you, but don't like other people liking jeezy, get of his **** and theirs worry aboutyourself
 
^ i hope you're not taking it to heart
eek.gif

I'm just happy having someone actually read my replies in the Music forum
laugh.gif


hiphop can be anything it wants, intellectual, boring, exciting, party but when you look at the charts and you hear people complaining about who gets thelimelight the best argument is always, "well did you buy the last Nas album while little kids are buying the soulja boy?"
and its always, "no i downloaded it"
I think hiphop as a whole has its priorities, for lack of a better word, out of whack. If you surround yourself (By supporting) with mindless, materialisticmaterial with no substance its going to dumb you down.
You can even take that as simple as the vocab used, you wont learn anything new if you hear the same words/slang used on the radio all day.
Artists that try something different are cast off as "underground" when a beat twice sampled with a hook sampling biggie and every verse starting offof a dead rappers lyrics is getting play.
I think there isnt much under the surface of Jeezys music and in that case it STILL will relate to some people but not many imo.
I think the more DEPTH to a piece of work, the more people can get something out of it.
my example before was State Property movie to "Casino"
if you really think STate Prop movie relates to you, ok, but I dont think millions will agree because it didnt have much substance.
But Casino on the other hand shows a lot of emotion and depth that it will affect a much larger audience.
 
What a lot of yall are talkin about right now is exactly what Danny!'s Charm album is about its a concept album yall should check it.

smokin.gif
 
I'm not even really arguing with you about the music its all about the LOGIC

I hear that 100% and I guess I'm just saying it how i'm saying it because people CHOOSE to relate to certain things no nonsense. i guess I'm justin a funny position because I'm willing to recognize the art of both sides of the coin. Like a perfect example comes directly from your SP/Casinocomparison. I feel there are parts of state property that are purposely meant to show the updating of a casino type situation. Like people WANT to relate topesci and deniro having to wait 1 minute to talk on the phone to each other, but damn we can then try to #%+@ on what is the EXACT current relation to thatscene in SP2 when Oschino is talkin to beans in the prison visiting room? My problem simply is most willingly choose to write off certain things and give EXTRAmeaning to others to suit their own needs.

like its okay to hate jeezy and gas the wu up because to certain types it vaidates them for liking wu in the 90s. I'm just not with that because in 90% ofthe cases it winds up simply being just so they dont feel bad about liking stuff in the past. Personally I just try to be honest about it, like i don'tfeel the need to validate myself or my choices via what music I listen to because NO ONE possibly can. I know for a fact damn near 99.999999% of wu listenersain't watched enough karate or read enough 5% stuff to know ANYTHING about what RZA is talking about, but he had the pointy rings and iced out fang frontsso he gets a pass because it was art. No one can possibly smoke enough dust to know what ghost was really talking about 100% of the time, but he gets a passbecause 75% of the time hes ill and he dresses crazy so its cool. Same goes with jimmy hendrix and mad dead head type music. Its sounds cool because your high,or because you give the artists the beenfit saying they were high.

at the end of the day if people are so smart why cant they change #%+@? Your first words in that last post say it all. people are so smart and old enough toout earn soldier boys customer base, why cant yall out spend them. You want more ghost, buy more ghost CDs and more ghost ringtones. Like if i was ghost iwouldnt eevn make more music for that crowd because they more you make the more they just gonna steal. Who reallywants that group as a aprecaitor anyways. Imsure ghost is like gee thanks guys for loving my music but soldiers boys fan bought the album he can feed his family beter then me to really go @$%+yourselves.

I also think people ty to write of certani artists and throw them in with others, you cant even compare jeezy or jim jones or wayne to soldier boy or bow wowor the party like a rockstar dudes because whether or not you apprecaite it or relate to it personally they are expressing themselves in a more artistic waythen just a jingle for kids. It may not be appealing to you personally but if you dont respect that even enough to just leave them alone why would anyonerespect your opinion enough to even give ghost face a listen I guess that boils down to my final point hating on someone elses art is NOT gonna earn yourartist any more love. you want people to aprecaite wu saying why jeezy aint hot aint gonna do it
 
Back
Top Bottom