I was listening to radio today, my typical top 40 station, and the DJ was talking about how hip-hop is basically dead nowadays. They were talking about how it's all the same now, and that nobody is doing anything new. Now this is on a top 40 pop station, basically saying that today's hip-hop sucks. I kind of basically think the same. Hip-hop has declined into pretty much joke status in the last few years, and really it's getting worse. I've always liked hip-hop as like a side taste, but lately it has gotten so bad that it's hard to like anymore. I think the fact that it got so popular will probably end up killing it, at least in a sense. As it gets worse and worse, more people will rebel against it, you can already see it now, there's so much negativity towards hip-hop now though it remains dominant. Eventually though I think the negativity will wind up killing it at least in the current form in a few years. The concept of hip-hop is not bad, it's the way that it has been used and sold that has made it bad.

Hip hop is slowly dying it seems.  I know here in Canada, there is almost zero hip hop in the mainstream.  It seems as though Alternative Rock and Country Music is dominating the market. 

Hip hop is slowly dying it seems.  I know here in Canada, there is almost zero hip hop in the mainstream.  It seems as though Alternative Rock and Country Music is dominating the market. 


I think it'll take awhile here in the US, I'm kinda sad that sucky artists like Jibbs are leading to it's demise, but that's just how it is I guess.

I think it'll take awhile here in the US, I'm kinda sad that sucky artists like Jibbs are leading to it's demise, but that's just how it is I guess.


Jibbs might have single handedly brought down the Hip-hop world.  It might be all in the name.  I mean, how do you take a guy named Jibbs seriously? ;D

Jibbs might have single handedly brought down the Hip-hop world.  It might be all in the name.  I mean, how do you take a guy named Jibbs seriously? ;D


hahahaa...Jibs...hahaahaha...Jibs

hahaahaahaha
hahahahaahahaha

ahdfh'adfhadfa;shf;aoshdfasdfjs'a

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9gnMiMWJH5Fh9cAKM.jzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NDgyNWN0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=12mvr1n87/EXP=1165981078/**http%3a//www.giornalisti.it/binarioloco/archives/Laughing_Snoopy.jpg

Sorry...I just couldn't take it seriously. ;) :D ;D

Some hip-hop artists are good and deserve to hang around, but it seems like more than half of what they play on the "urban" radio station down here is just crap.

Some hip-hop artists are good and deserve to hang around, but it seems like more than half of what they play on the "urban" radio station down here is just crap.


Very true, unfortunately those good ones don't get the exposure the crappy ones like D4L, Dem Franchize Boyz, etc. get. Urban radio was still darn good in the '90s and still decent in the early '00s, but lately it just blows.

I was listening to radio today, my typical top 40 station, and the DJ was talking about how hip-hop is basically dead nowadays. They were talking about how it's all the same now, and that nobody is doing anything new. Now this is on a top 40 pop station, basically saying that today's hip-hop sucks. I kind of basically think the same. Hip-hop has declined into pretty much joke status in the last few years, and really it's getting worse. I've always liked hip-hop as like a side taste, but lately it has gotten so bad that it's hard to like anymore. I think the fact that it got so popular will probably end up killing it, at least in a sense. As it gets worse and worse, more people will rebel against it, you can already see it now, there's so much negativity towards hip-hop now though it remains dominant. Eventually though I think the negativity will wind up killing it at least in the current form in a few years. The concept of hip-hop is not bad, it's the way that it has been used and sold that has made it bad.


Yeah, even though I'm not a major rap/hip hop fan (though I like some scattered songs), as a casual observer over the years, I think if a Top 40 DJ says that, it's kinda a sign that it's become overmainstreamized.

It might be dead in the overall sense, but in years to come, I think the core hip hop years will be thought of as 1988-2003 or so, ending with glam rap, sort of like the glory days of rock ended with grunge being the last sweeping change (with it being around, just in a reduced form today).

I've felt like for about the last 2 years or so that hip-hop was on a decline. Ever since it seemed to peak in about 2003 the quality has been steadily declining since then. I'd say by the beginning of the next decade it'll be completely gone(at least in it's current glam form).

I've felt like for about the last 2 years or so that hip-hop was on a decline. Ever since it seemed to peak in about 2003 the quality has been steadily declining since then. I'd say by the beginning of the next decade it'll be completely gone(at least in it's current glam form).


It's more glam rap that's dying, hip-hop still is very dominant but it's just different than it was in 2004, it's more pop now.

I wonder if gangster rap like that of the early to mid 90s will ever make a comeback? Perhaps it was just a product of a particular time.

It's more glam rap that's dying, hip-hop still is very dominant but it's just different than it was in 2004, it's more pop now.



Yeah, come to think of it that's true. I do think though that if the line continues to blur between hip-hop and pop, that hip-hop runs a great risk of alienating its core fans, who might want to listen to more hardcore stuff.

I wonder if gangster rap like that of the early to mid 90s will ever make a comeback? Perhaps it was just a product of a particular time.


It could, though I don't think it'll be in the immediate future, maybe next decade?

Yeah, come to think of it that's true. I do think though that if the line continues to blur between hip-hop and pop, that hip-hop runs a great risk of alienating its core fans, who might want to listen to more hardcore stuff.


Look at Fergalicious, My Love, Wind It Up, Say It Right, most of the popular stuff now is crossover type stuff. Even Akon, really isn't true rap imo.

Thats weird somebody would even post a "Hip-Hop" is dead thread since rapper "Nas" has a new song out "If Hip-Hop Is Dead". I don't think its dead its just not as popular as it was from 03-05. Hip-Hop has been more pop-based since 1997 starting with the Puffy Daddy amd Mase "Shiny Suit Era" of Hip-hop.

Its funny though some people want the 92-96 Hip-Hop era back. Everybody was complaing on how that kind of hip-hop had violent lyrics(think 2Pac.) I guess the 92-96 era was hated on at that time sorta but now its liked because it actually talked about the "Street Life" where as todays rap really doesn't touch on that subject too much.

Also A/C pop and modern rock has gotten eaten into hip-hops popularity over the past 12 months.

Look at Fergalicious, My Love, Wind It Up, Say It Right, most of the popular stuff now is crossover type stuff. Even Akon, really isn't true rap imo.
"Say It Right" is not hip-hop influenced in my opinion is more 80's dance-pop influenced(circa 83-86 Madonna.)

"Say It Right" is not hip-hop influenced in my opinion is more 80's dance-pop influenced(circa 83-86 Madonna.)


probably right, loose the album influenced by several different styles which differ song to song. I think say it right may have a bit of hip-hop influence, but it's a lot less than say promiscuous. As you said it's more 80s dance pop influenced.

probably right, loose the album influenced by several different styles which differ song to song. I think say it right may have a bit of hip-hop influence, but it's a lot less than say promiscuous. As you said it's more 80s dance pop influenced.
"promiscuous" sounds kinda sounds 80's synth-pop influenced to me.

No, but a lot of hip-hoppers are dead!
:P

Hip-hop won't die, it will transform.  I think hip-hop will have an influence on pop music for decades to come.

Can analysis be worthwhile?
Is hip-hop really dead?

Hip Hop isn't dead, coming soon Emo rap!  ;D

Bring that beat back.  Not the 92-96, but the 87-89.

Public Enemy's Beats and Places just came out.  When you've shaped a genre for ~20 years, you don't have trouble getting permission to use samples.  Hell, you can sample yourself and it'll still take 40 seconds to cram an entire discography into a one-sample-per-beat breakbeat.

Thats weird somebody would even post a "Hip-Hop" is dead thread since rapper "Nas" has a new song out "If Hip-Hop Is Dead". I don't think its dead its just not as popular as it was from 03-05. Hip-Hop has been more pop-based since 1997 starting with the Puffy Daddy amd Mase "Shiny Suit Era" of Hip-hop.

Its funny though some people want the 92-96 Hip-Hop era back. Everybody was complaing on how that kind of hip-hop had violent lyrics(think 2Pac.) I guess the 92-96 era was hated on at that time sorta but now its liked because it actually talked about the "Street Life" where as todays rap really doesn't touch on that subject too much.

Also A/C pop and modern rock has gotten eaten into hip-hops popularity over the past 12 months.


Yeah, that's very true about the Gangsta period. When it was actually going on, I remember it was pretty controversial. I'd often hear people say it should return to the Will Smith/MC Hammer lighthearted stuff from the late '80s and up through 1990 or '91.

Although it's not my thing (despite liking the fluffier early stuff), I give Gangsta some credit for being socially conscious or at least gritty and real. Like, you could tell alot of these guys really lived that street life and knew what they were talking about firsthand. Public Enemy and Run DMC spoke out against police brutality and poverty, etc. Again, even though I'm not a rap fan, I recognize the fact that some of those violent songs were actually meant as a message against that kind of lifestyle (just like alot of rock and metal songs were interpreted differently than they really were).

Due to its gritty nature, I wouldn't say that seems "innocent" now, but nostalgic to some people since that was rap's golden age (kinda like how people perceive the '60s and '70s classic rock). I don't think that'll ever come back in the same capacity, even if it'll probably be retro cool around 2013. It's weird how bookended the rap genre is. Like it started out pop-oriented and has since come full circle, albeit in a different way.

Yeah, that's very true about the Gangsta period. When it was actually going on, I remember it was pretty controversial. I'd often hear people say it should return to the Will Smith/MC Hammer lighthearted stuff from the late '80s and up through 1990 or '91.

Although it's not my thing (despite liking the fluffier early stuff), I give Gangsta some credit for being socially conscious or at least gritty and real. Like, you could tell alot of these guys really lived that street life and knew what they were talking about firsthand. Public Enemy and Run DMC spoke out against police brutality and poverty, etc. Again, even though I'm not a rap fan, I recognize the fact that some of those violent songs were actually meant as a message against that kind of lifestyle (just like alot of rock and metal songs were interpreted differently than they really were).

Due to its gritty nature, I wouldn't say that seems "innocent" now, but nostalgic to some people since that was rap's golden age (kinda like how people perceive the '60s and '70s classic rock). I don't think that'll ever come back in the same capacity, even if it'll probably be retro cool around 2013. It's weird how bookended the rap genre is. Like it started out pop-oriented and has since come full circle, albeit in a different way.

Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five were the ones who really broke big with what became known as "message rap."  Run-DMC did some of that, but they also did "My Adidas," an invitation to status-symbol consumerism and superficiality.  I don't think the group was aiming for this, but that's what happened.

Yeah, that's very true about the Gangsta period. When it was actually going on, I remember it was pretty controversial. I'd often hear people say it should return to the Will Smith/MC Hammer lighthearted stuff from the late '80s and up through 1990 or '91.

Actually to be kinda technical it was Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince(Will Smith) in the late 80's/early 90's. Btw, Mc Hammer I like his song "Pray" and "Too Legit Too Quit" is a guilty pleasure for me.

About the gangsta era I like some of 2Pacs songs. Even some of 2 Pacs suff that released after his death was pretty good like Changes, Until The End of Time, and Thugz Mansions w/Nas on it.

Ludacris's new song Runaway Love with Mary J. Blige is really good, hopefully real rap will come back, I still have some hope.