Are We Ever Going To Take Music Seriously... ?

[DJ_Jay_Deee]

Werd Bpg...You hit the nail on the top of the head. But don't forget there are still heaps of underground cats doing their thing.

No that anyone will care(just like the aus hip hop scene) But here it goes:
The Australian hip hop scene is excellent. Because there is no money involved (only small amounts, that you can't make a living off it) So you don't become a hip hop artist for the money, you do it for the love of hip hop. So there is no commercial bullshit. Nice cheaphip hop concerts, you can meet ur favourite artists down the street or out at night have a conersation with them. No security gaurds or anything.

[Trauma-san]

^^ I agree, that's exactly right.  The radio is about making money, and only crap makes money.  There ARE real rappers out there, and I'm gonna list a few, LOL, along with a few rants about the rest of music.

First off, most of the crap on mtv is junk.  Horrible.  The only stuff that catches my ear is music that actually is REAL, and I mean REAL in just that sense, for REAL.  These guys in Cash Money (And I do like some of their stuff, just because it's catchy and funny to me) Aren't really livin' like that!  That's not what runs their life, and if it is, it's sad... anyways, here's some current hiphop things I think are keepin' the spirit.

Jay Z's Unplugged album - this was cool, because even though some of the songs were typical crap, he was original, and had the roots back him up live, it was just a good album, quality wise.
Cee-Lo Green & His Perfect Imperfections - awesome album, songs like "Gettin' Grown" and "Young Man" were really mature, and really pushed rap to yet another level.  Of course, nobody likes it because he didn't say he killed anybody.  
Snoop's newer stuff - I love almost all of it, because he's going more positive with his music.  It's not all deep (some is) but in general, it's good stuff, even the neptunes produced stuff.  Why? Because he's being real, rapping about his friends, his family, etc.  When he gets into that gangbangin' crap and talkin' about mackin it gets old.. but whenever he's funny on the mic, and just playin' it cool like a pimp without the hos I think it's awesome stuff.  Some of his stuff, like "Fallin Star" and the R&B stuff he's doing is cool, too, because it's showing that it's alright to rep real stuff, instead of being hard all the time
De La soul - Not really current, but they've always repped what's good about rap music.  
Eminem - some of Em's stuff is respectable, in my opinion, because he is trying to change the game, and he's trying to get a message across, even if I don't always agree with it.


As far as collabos, It depends.  When I see Westcoast Connect workin' with Mariah Carey, I think that's cool... why? Because she's an artist... you gotta have respect for her, she has a great voice, has proven her songwriting ability, and is really talented.  Why not collaborate with a musician, you know?  3LW are a joke.  They're fake.  It depends on who the collabo's with.  If it's somebody talented, I don't see a problem with it at all.  Real recognizes real, and musicians refuse to be confined to stereotypical boundries... that's why Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) played drums on "It's all about the Benjamins" because if you wanna believe it or not, that was a dope song.  That's why Michael Jackson gets Biggie on his album, or why Kenny Rogers was on Wyclef Jean's last album.. .or why Paul McCartney gave De La Soul the rights to sample a track of his.  It doesn't matter what genre youre in, if you're a musician, you're a musician.  So, if both the acts are true musicians, and artists, I don't see any problem with collaborations.  You also have to realize that most of these b.s. collabos are pushed by the studios, to promote their artists on other tracks.  

I think what you're saying about Hiphop though is pretty much true of ALL music right now.  The crap they play sucks! Puddle of Mud, Staind, all these crappy ass bands that are out now can't hold the guitars of real bands like the Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters, U2, Weezer, or any of the other dozen or so bands that rule rock and get thrown in the same category with no talent flavor of the month bands that like to scream "SHE F*CKIN HATES ME!@!!!" in the mic.  IT's kids play.  


There are gems out there though, look at Nora Jones, etc.  Missy Elliott, whether you want to admit it or not, is consistantly real as hell in her music, she makes what she wants, not what studios want her to make.  Common is about to come out, and change the game again, so lets just support the dope crap that comes out, and ignore the mess and maybe we'll as fans make the t.v. a little more quality friendly

[elneckio]

This is the best post I've read here for months.  Only people that do turn up on mainstream i.e. mtv, that I bother to watch right now are Nas, Busta and J5.  (and em's track from 8mile is good the two times I've caught it so far). <rant> But if I see Nelly and Kelly pretending to fall in love over that Mercedes one more time I think I will loose the plot altogether. - and TAKE THAT DAMN BAND AID OFF ffs.</rant>

It seems quite comman that the music industry uses mp3 as a scapegoat for low sales at the moment, however when I think part of the problem they have created themselves.  They need to realise hiphop won't be made my takng some advertising execs idea of what hiphop should look and sound like and using it on the nearest person who can hold the beat will not create anything special.  I can't see anyone playing Nelly&co's album in 10 years and calling it classic, unlike something like The Chronic or Doggystyle which probably will be.

Oh and KT - Spot on about Dave G, however I think PoM has superb voice (IMO) but the songs are letting him down a lot (he probably got manufactured before he had the chance to do anything about it ).

[King-Suge]

Music is music.  Take it for what it is--youre already missing the point if youre writing long ass serious posts about it.  IF youre lookin to music for spiritiual guidance youre in the wrong place.

[Suga Foot]

This is a great thread.  I agree that all of this bubblegum hip hop sucks, but i think in order to find good music nowadays, you have to go out and look for it.  You can't expect to hear a quality song on the radio or tv anymore, if you want good artistic music, you gotta go find it yourself.  I have a hard time listening to all of this gang bangin shit sometimes, cuz i know half the stuff these people say are just things they see in movies.  

[Suga Foot]

well, as I sit here listening to 'Take A Look Over Your Shoulder' ... I'm left wondering... where has the music gone?

You know what's kinda freaky?  I've been listening to that album for the past few days too.  Great minds think alike.

[Nima - Dubcnn.com]

well put BP.....agreed with everything you said

[KURUPTION-81]

Hip hop has lost its way in the last couple of years, but there r still good artists around. Im sure a lot of the artists dont want to do theses collaborations with groups like 3lw, but the labels push them to do it. They need a chart hit so the album goes platinum. Styles said he didant want to make an album for the radio he wanted to make one for himself but the label were forcing him to put some radio friendly tracks on it. Its all about money now, just look at tha row trying to get ashanti on crooked i album its a guarentee hit, thats y ja rule is on so many albums he sells to the kids who dont know about ice cube and nwa. And every artist and label want that big hit.