This is an important time for Hip Hop. Specifically speaking, rap music is now so widely accepted as a mainstream mainstay that everybody from Rebecca Black to A. Samuels is busting a rhyme, word to your mother. As hard as the ghetto tried to own & oppress rap music, it’s finally broken past the gate keepers & fled into suburbia America – the most dangerous place in the world.
These days, it’s commonplace to see/hear/watch rap songs got molested & smeared across various company advertisements. Or worse; covered on Youtube by some talentless teenager who’s made whatever song their theme music for that angst-filled moment. Whatever the scenario, the point is that assimilation is taking place. Like it or not, there isn’t a damn thing any of you so-called purists can do about it.
While The Machine reforms, restricts, & refurbishes Hip Hop to it’s own liking, it’s important that we hold tight to “our” identities. One way to do so is by finally categorizing the music for it’s specificities. “Rap” is too broad a term, but only an insider or participating party would know that. Rick Ross & Freddie Gibbs are in 2 totally different arenas, for instance, even though to the untrained ear, they sounds the same. Ross’ songs appear more on the fictitious side of life, while Gibbs’ music is clearly based in reality. Those little nuances may not mean much to the casual listener, but Hip Hop knows differently.
I’ve made the argument a dozen times that music is entertainment. However, everyone doesn’t agree on that. So for those who can’t digest the aforementioned Rick Ross as a good rapper (whatever that means), there’s the Fiction Rap category. This is where anonymous tales of drug dealing & murder roam free without their respective authenticity being questioned. With this section being devoid of any actual “Keepin’ It Real,” there should be less wiggle room for complaints about what’s true or not, like with Star Wars fans. On the flip side of that coin is Reality Rap, where proven Hip Hop criminals use the 5th Amendment as their proverbial shield of truth. This category is more documentary than entertainment, though, as several of it’s spokespersons publicly live the lives they make songs about. Rapper X-Raided (regardless of the quality of music) would be on top of that list, allegedly.
As of late, Socialite Rap (which is rich people who rap specifically for rich people) has been getting a bad reputation, but it’s been an intregal facet of rap music since it’s origin. Some years ago, it was called the “Shiny Suit era,” but since everyone’s favorite rapper helped helm it, the backlash was minimal. Today, though, with so many economic pitfalls, people aren’t all that receptive to open-faced brag sandwiches. Meanwhile, Socialite Rap almost goes hand-in-hand with WASP Rap, the suburban, tattoo-clad, young, White, male rappers best friend. These songs are generally called Frat Rap also, because they reak of privilege without the struggle that should usually go along with it. Many of rap’s gate keepers try denying access to the WASP’s, but no dice. They’re as much apart of the culture as graffiti & breakdancing, regardless of how you feel.
Hip Hop fans, unlike any other genre, get inexplicably emotional over their music. If you don’t believe me, check the comment section of any prominent rap music website or Hip Hop blog. Perhaps with the proper categorization, meaningless arguments will give way to actually enjoying the music without shiftless scrutiny.
You know I’m all the way with this, I been sayin we need to break rap down into genres like movies forever (anyone who doubts me see for yourself: http://thetonygrands.com/2011/02/10/no-really-stop-snitching/#comment-3842). Side note: While WTT inspired you to invent the term Socialite Rap I wholeheartedly disagree that it actually fits your definition.
You saying you disagree w/my definition but not giving yours doesn’t allow for dialogue, juice.
i have sorta categorised rap music for years, without really giving names to the different subgenres. i can quite happily listen to Brother Lynch Hung or Necro, then flip tracks to Yeezy or De La soul or whatever. Fiction rap, i don’t have any real problem with, because for the most part it quite obvious it’s fiction. half them rappers would if believed, would have an effect on the GDP of the US with all their coke selling. But i still listen because to me it’s entertainment. as long as the rhymes are tight and the beats are banging all good.
Reality rappers i dig too , as long as their musical craft is up to par i can dig it. but on top of the musical side the reality rapper can give a lil bit of insight to something i may not be familiar with, especially if they are from a part of the world i don’t know much about. don’t mean i agree with what they are speaking, i agree with them being more like a documentary, but documentarys drop knowledge and i get dig it in that i enjoy learning whilst stepping into someone elses shoes for a bit(not that i am a stranger to the underworld and the shady shit in real life but different places have different realities)
another of my patented long winded comments, but for me hip hop/rap is like a pizza. myriad of topping selections but I might prefer certain toppings over others but at the end of the day a pizza is pizza, and i quite enjoy it in all it’s forms…. if it is well put together.
Dunno the WASP thing is weird to me coming from OZ, the rich live in the inner city here, whilst the poor live in the ‘burbs
You are really onto something with the rap categories, my man. Though I’m sure there are some of us who would undoubtably find SOMETHING to complain about, that would squash a lot of the hip hop vs rap beefs that many still have.
I’ve BEEN saying break this music genre apart. Even typed dissertations on XXL about this…
contemporary rap (sykoticfiles gets hits…Wu, Jay, Nas & old r & b get the most views)
mainstream rap
…fiction (fantasy), reality & socialite rap all get the co-sign as categories
good subject Grands…
actually, im sure ive discussed this topic with all yall over the years. its a culmination of all th0se think tanks. it just seems like more than ever it makes sense to categorize it its not going anywhere.
yo….we lost when we stopped implementing protocol ( i.e. no biting allowed,,,keeping it real…)
It was all about the Benjamins….baby
and what I’ve BEEN typing, it’s becoming a farce by the mantra…how a WGM gonna convince me Chuck was “entertainment”?
And shouts 2 Nagan…believe we wanna hear/see what’s popping over there
you may of opened a can of worms there $yk mate lol regulars here know i have a penchant for long windedness but here goes some of my fave oz youtube vids of late.
hilltop hoods – fifty in 5 ,last 50 years in a rhyme recap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFCWHshsw_M
funkoars- where i am, latest vid from funkoars high in my rotation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICQ7JSCBZn0
vents- history of the world dope arse track socio-political hip hop to a dope beat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXJo0A9pUR0
diafrix- simple man oz/african hiphop done by african immigrants http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATSNwF32Hf4
bliss n eso- bullet and a target vid filmed in africa when they were doing hiphop workshops there http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCIfpZp7YcA
just a small selection, different accent mostly caucasian but dope in my opinion holler back if you dig
the real fifty in 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkfB-KTdBCU&feature=mh_lolz&list=LLFZCpbFZpt-KBNLjyOrAzIw the hard road is dope but
That 50 in 5 was dope! I love the fact that they ain’t try to cover up an accent and come across as inauthentic. And them dudes seem to have a better grasp of U.S. history than most U.S. residents. Thanks for the exposure to something that feels “real” coming from the other side of this rock.
Here’s the shame: If them cats got any play over here, they would be labled as “conscious” or “underground” and get nowhere. But have some tornado bait white trash bitch drop some N-bombs and a million dollars falls out of the sky.
*WE know what’s right, THEY pick the the playlist*
Rappers with accents >>>
There’s some dude from Europe named K.I. & his voice/accent are hella dope, I just can’t understand wtf he’s saying!
Yes categorizing is necessary. That way radio can stop false advertising that bullshit they pass off as hiphop. Hiphop hasnt lived there in quite a while. We might get lucky and get a visit every now and then though.
say word…
all that music is dope Nagan…I’d play all of that heavy before I download a Wale mixtape