Do you believe rap will ever be as good as it used to be?

[M Dogg™]

Rap is dead.. Thats y 7 outta 10 of the top ten billboard artists are rap. They may not be good artists but as I see it rap keeps growing. Some people refuse to believe that because they are stuck in the past. I understand if you only like westcoast music because it was in its peak in the early-mid 90's.

That's true. If you asked any hardcore rap fan in the early 90's they'd tell you rap is dead because people like Dre and Eazy are just commercial rappers, and Dr. Dre ain't no Jam Master Jay, Coolio and Ice Cube were sell outs, and 2Pac was ruining rap with his Thug Life. In the mid-90's rap died with Biggie and 'Pac dying, and Puffy selling out and Ma$e wearing flashy suits. In the late 80's early 90's, rap died with M.C. Hammer and Vanilla Ice, and 3rd Bass and all that. Hell, some people will tell you rap has been dead since 1988 and a bit of hope in 1994 and 1999. To you guys now, rap doesn't mean as much to you, it's a fad that when you're 35 you'll look back, see your kids listening to music you don't like, and say, I remember when my parents got pissed off I listen to rap music. My dad said the same thing when I liked Snoop when I was 13, and I was rapping his lyrics and he just said, well my dad didn't like the Beatles... lol. So if to you, rap isn't as good as it used to be, and you can't see the growth, and the fact that it's reached hights that the old school could only dream of, then rap is not your music. But if you can see the growth, see people like KRS-One who said you need the commercial part of rap to spread the culture, see that BREAKDANCERS ENTERED THE VATICAN TO PERFORM FOR THE FREAKIN' POPE!!! How much bigger can you get than to perform for a conservative religious leader. Hip-Hop, thanks to commercial has spread, and you see people like Jadakiss, like Talib Kweli, like a Nas keep a message in the music, and don't clown Kanye West. That man is soulful, and his right, his the new age Pete Rock. He took traditional hip-hop sped up samples, and put a more modern sound to it. No one said shit when Dr. Dre made Chronic 2001, when he took westcoast sound to the next level, so don't hate on Kanye for doing the same thing. To you, hip-hop is dying, to you hip-hop is not as good. But rap music and hip-hop is growing, and artist are still putting out good music, coming out with new sound, or modernizing old sounds like Kanye does, like Dre did. I've been a hardcore rap listener since I heard South Central Cartel on the radio with You Gotta Deal Wit' It and N2Deep has Back to the Hotel, and Hi-C had Sittin' in the Park all in regular rotation. Some of you guys would wet yourselves to hear that, but at the time people were talking about Eric B. and Rakim, Run DMC and Kool Moe Dee. You'll never make everybody happy. But if you truly love the art form, then you can see it's growth. If you can't then stop listening.

[M Dogg™]

Rap has died a slow painful death, and has been dead for years.  All the creativity and genius has left it, it's not as groundbreaking and new as it once was, and in my opinion in it's current state doesn't have the legs to survive much longer as any credible main stream music.  They'll always be underground stuff, but then again there's also still bands doing disco and hair metal. 

an example of someone who rap was only a fad to them. IMO Kanye, Nas, Ghostface Killa and some others have plenty of creativity. More than in the early 90's when the only creativity was how big of a gangsta you were. Really listen to the lyrics back then, and see no one was saying shit. Just, I'm a gangsta, I can kill you, I'm a gangsta, you a pranksta, nigga I pull my trigga. That was it back then. Some had flashes, like 'Pac and they'll forever be remembered. But I ask you to name more than 10 artist in regular rotation in the early 90's that can be considered legendary. I can name a few, but not 10. Just like now I can name a few, but not 10. Same old shit, just a different day.

[M Dogg™]

Twista's album Adrenaline Rush was wayyyyy better than his new album. 

agreed, but Illmatic is the best album Nas ever did, and that was 10 years ago. Does that mean Stillmatic and God's Son sucked balls

again opinon comes into effect.  the south imo sucks balls. 

The region is has the largest black population in the nation. In case you haven't noticed blacks play an important part of rap music. The southern region is very important for the growth and direction of rap music, for better or worst in your opinion, the south is too important to ignore in rap's growth

game is weak and as avg as you can get. 

I'd put good money that Game would beat most old school westcoast rappers in a battle. Plus his a real gangsta, how much more can you ask for when you are talking about westcoast rap. Personally, I don't think too much of him, but if you wanna take it back to 1993, his the perfect rapper because his still there.

Kayne is just another producer, only poplular because of kids.  He ain't no dr. dre, dj quik, battlecat, warren g, rhythm d, rick rock, bosko, mike mosely, khayree, etc.  You can't judge him like that at all.  He's barely been around. 

His soulful, the main producer for a classic album called Blueprint, put out a few radio hits, and works with people like Talib Kweli, Dilated Peoples and Slum Village to help them emerge from the underground, well trying to put out his own conscience rappers, and he keeps it old school in his sound. I can't think of a better producer, because his sound is something I wished I came up with first... lol. When I was in high school I wanted to produce exactly like that. Stop hating give him his due.

nas ain't gonna ever top his past work.  jadakiss album is the same old shit.  Talib is cool and new, but nothing that gets me excited.  Xzibit is dope, but don't think he'll break any ground.

   

Rakim never topped Paid In Full, Dre never topped Chronic, Jay-Z never topped Reasonable Doubt, but they all grew and put out the 18th Letter, 20001, Blueprint, and all of those albums where still good. Hell Nas said all artist should come out with a classic and that that hurts the game when artist can't start like that. I agree. Each artist needs to show their best to get regonized, not just a hot single.

Jadakiss's album is better than his first because of the growth. His on the news now, getting attention for rap as a political outlet, the first rapper to do so since Ice T, and Kiss the Game Goodbye was the same old shit, Kiss of Death is his maturity as a parent, and someone who care about more things than drug dealing and streets.

Talib is the next great rapper coming out. Listen to his music, listen to is close and try to argue. His the best out right now. Immortal Technique is too underground to be mentioned, but Talib is breaking out and will follow Rakim and Nas as the best lyrist of his generation.

Xzibit, has been expected to break ground for 4 years now. The moment he does, he'll finally take the westcoast crown that's been waiting for him. With Pimp My Ride, and his album called Weapons of Mass Distruction, I have hope he will. The build up to finally break ground gives him no choice but to do it.

[teecee]

To alot of heads older than me (im 24), the golden age of rap was 88-92, with Big daddy kane, kool g rap, P.E., Slick Rick etc.  I see there point, there was an amazing amount of classics made in those years, but its true that 92-96 or 97 were the best years (at least most of our favourites-  i feel sorry for people who are like 16 now that missed out).........

Its crazy, there were so many dope albums dropping, it was impossible to hear everything back then without internet, so im always still catching up on the old shit, this new music will never be the same (although i definitely feel a couple new albums every once in a while)

Rap will NEVER be as good as it was, it hasnt evolved at all in the past 7 years, only taken steps backwards.  Look at the difference from 86 to 90, or from 90 to 96, shit sounds totally different but still very dope.  Now look at 97 compared to today, shit sounds the same still, but with worse lyrics, worse hooks, and more generic beats.  No growth at all.  Someone has to come with some new shit, and i dont mean this horrible crunk music.

Maybe Usher is right, popular rap is and always has been dependant on r&b and soul, and because of te horrible state of the r&b music scene, rap is sounding more redundant than ever.  ANd really, are these rappers gonna sample these same 70's soul records for the next hundred years?  Id  say its likely, because thats all most new r7b singers do nowadays too. 

Like it or not, music and melody are a huge part of rap and always haev been........what rap needs is an amazingly talented individual to step into the rap game and CREATE an original sound..........i respect people like Dre and Kanye obviously, but trut be told they cannot fuck with true musicians.  Rap needs  more true musicians, until then it is stuck where it is.........


and guys, i wouldnt really worry, if you look at all music today it is at perhaps the lowest point music has ever been in.  Country has gone pop,  rock all sounds like nickelback,  and r&b just samples off old records mainly.........no music genre today is in any better state than rap, it is music as a whole

[white Boy]

im too lazy to read everyones post, but i think rap is dying, but good records are still coming out, 2003 was a great year, maybe for me, cause im not the biggest fan of westcoast rap,.. but exept for the faxct that quality doesnt sell but bullshit pop rap sells, thats my only problem with rap now,.. but eventully i think fans will get tired of the same rap, and underground rappers will get their chance

[Ras Kass' Toothpick]

I think rap is just fine right now.  Maybe I think that way cause I'm not exposed to all the bullshit.  I don't have MTV or BET and I don't listen to the radio so I'm just not as mad as other people that bullshit is selliing.  I've never heard J-Kwon rap, I haven't heard one song from Da Band, Mase is back and I wouldn't have even known if it wasn't for the internet.
I think we're going to end the year with almost twenty good albums, that's a really good number in my books.

[davida.b.]

Sooner or later, people will get tired of the flossing and shit. There will be a point in time where real hip hop will be on top, its just a matter of time. But I agree with M Dogg, you guys have to just realize that hip hop is evolving.

[.:DayGoStyLz:.]

sounds like yur talkin mostly about westcoast rap. Im sure if u ask someone from Down South theyd say rap is better now then ever lol. As for us, there's still really really good rap out there. Its just not gettin the exposure it did before. Most of the mainstream rappers, well...at least the VERY mainstream have been putting out bullllllshit. The underground rappers are puttin out far better shit. But unless u from the same town, u might not even know it.

[Shark]

quik keeps rap fresh

[Smoke]

I don't think it'll ever be as good as it was.

[Darksider]

i can understand some of your points but i dont that shit so negative
there were so many dope records from kurupt, tha eastsidaz, warren g, dre etc
you only take the best 10 cds from that time and say whoa ...but forget that this were about the only recods that came out

[Bojakabo]

yeah the thang is like somone here said that noone is makin good ALBUMS..jsut good songs..thats sad

devin the dude is an exception tho IMO..thats the reason to mah sig...his first album is just as good as his last....and the one in the middle too

[Westcoastfanatic]

1986-1996: 100 classics
1997-2007: probable 10 classics

[M Dogg™]

1986-1996: 100 classics
1997-2007: probable 10 classics

are you talking albums or songs?

[M Dogg™]

The only years with tons of classics are 1988 and maybe 1994, though I can only think of Ready to Die and Illmatic. Go through each year, and you'll see at most, except for 1988, you'll get 4 classics. 2001 produced 2 with Blueprint and Stillmatic, 2002 produced 2 with The Fix and the Eminem Show, we can go on and on. 1991 really only produced a like 3 classics, including AmeriKKKa'z Most Wanted, 1992 The Chronic, 1993, 36 Chambers and Doggystyle. Now I'm talking classics, top of the line shit. 2004 has produced the College Cropout. Yeah, I'm calling it classic right now. It's classic, 5 mics, XXL, whatever you want to call it. So what if Kanye can't rap that well, he did better than Dre on Chronic, and his lyrics meant more than most songs on the Chronic. Take out 1988, and you really don't have many hip-hop classics. The old school gets remembered as classic because we all want to remember it like that. But true classics, I don't consider any Coolio album classic, I like them, but they ain't classic. Ruthless only produced 3 classics, we'd like to think everything Ruthless was classic, but only Straight Outta Compton, Eazy Does It (both 1988) and No One Can Do It Better (1989) were classics. Death Row, only 4 classics, The Chronic (1992), Doggystyle (1993), All Eyez On Me and Makaveli (both 1996) were classics. Classic is a very hard word to throw around.