Last night, I was granted the "pleasure" of seeing several rap videos, in a row, from 2002 and 2003.  While watching these, I suddenly realized how low rap has sunk since then.  Sure, rap videos from 2002 and 2003 were flashy, but they weren't cheesy.  Cheesiness and flashiness are two different things. 

The rap videos I saw from 2002 and 2003 were flashy, but they weren't cheesy at all.  OK, maybe it had some cheesiness.  Still, they weren't nearly as cheesy as rap videos are today.  Compare 50 Cent's "In Da Club" to Nelly's "Grillz or D4L's "Laffy Taffy" (I'm ashamed to know who made that song).  You'll see rap videos nowadays are much, much cheesier than they were in 2002.  Sure, the videos from 2002 had flaws, but at least I wasn't laughing out loud at them like I did when I saw Grillz.

Does anyone else think that rap videos are much cheesier today than they were 3 or 4 years ago?  If so, how did this happen?  When did rap videos go from just plain flashy to being so cheesy it's not funny?

Maybe they didnt seem quite as cheesy because they weren't so tired in '02. I really cant say if there's a difference or not as I haven't really seen many rap videos but maybe they just seem cheesier in 2006 because they've been watered down over the last 4 years.

Of course they're cheesy.

NWA, Ice Cube and Tupac aren't my favorites, but they're not cheesy.  At least they were innovative and creative, and not solely out to make a buck (well, Easy E was  ;D).  Rap in 1996 wasn't especially cheesy.

Cheesy rap started with Puff Daddy.  Most rap from 1997 to 2000 is pretty corny.  Then, in 2001-'02 there was another wave of rap, glam rap, which was fresh in 2002 but is extremely formulaic in 2006.  Nobody can honestly tell me "My Humps", "Pump It", "Grillz", "Ms. New Booty", and "Laffy Taffy" aren't cheesy.  ;D

Rap videos used to be cheesy, but that was okay because the music was good and the video was just an afterthought.  I liked old-school rap; Beastie Boys, Fresh Prince, Public Enemy, Tone Loc, artists like that.  Pretty much the mid to late 80s and the very early 90s.  Once gangsta rap took over, I quit listening.  I just couldn't stomach it anymore.

Now, the "music" is so bad, the videos have to get more and more outrageous to detract from the sh*tty song, that these artists are going to disgusting lengths to get attention.  I can't understand how any partially-educated woman would allow themselves to be degraded like that.

Rap videos used to be cheesy, but that was okay because the music was good and the video was just an afterthought.  I liked old-school rap; Beastie Boys, Fresh Prince, Public Enemy, Tone Loc, artists like that.  Pretty much the mid to late 80s and the very early 90s.  Once gangsta rap took over, I quit listening.  I just couldn't stomach it anymore.

Now, the "music" is so bad, the videos have to get more and more outrageous to detract from the sh*tty song, that these artists are going to disgusting lengths to get attention.  I can't understand how any partially-educated woman would allow themselves to be degraded like that.


I think the Golden Age of hip hop was about 1986 to 1992.  The gangsta era is late 1992ish to 1996, and glam rap is 1997 to the present.

I think the Golden Age of hip hop was about 1986 to 1992.  The gangsta era is late 1992ish to 1996, and glam rap is 1997 to the present.



Yeah that sounds pretty right. btw has anyone seen the video for Ms. new booty? Reluctantly I have ::)

Yeah that sounds pretty right. btw has anyone seen the video for Ms. new booty? Reluctantly I have ::)


Check out my bling, yo.  :D

http://funweb.epfl.ch/site2004/celine/nelly.jpg

Yeah that's cheese !  ;D

Definitely cheesy. But then again, the whole music video genre is cheesy.  The video age kicked off with The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star." It doesn't just look cheesy in 2006, it looked cheesy in 1981!
Now, there's GOOD cheesy and there's BAD cheesy.  Most rap videos fall into the latter. All that booty-shakin' and bling-bling is what you get when rappers have nothing to say worth hearing!
::)

They should just make one generic music video...full of scantily clad chicks, and lots of dirty dancing so that whenever a new rap or hip-hop act wants to release a video, they can save the money and get the rights to this 'generic' video and play their own track to it. It would loop, so it would fit songs of all lengths. Cos' that's what it looks like to me. Just like a formula - if you have this, this and this it'll be a success. Some people are creative...just creatively boring.

Notice how most rap videos have fire or flames in them?  ??? ::) ;D

Maybe it goes back to a tribal custom/ritual...