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Kids say hip-hop is boring
- Thread starter whit979
- Start date
They're right... at the moment, it is. There's very little interesting music coming out of the genre today. And this quote, from a 12-year-old, says it all:
That tells me two things: one, listeners do know what they like; it's not up to us to tell them what they enjoy, it's up to them to tell us what they enjoy. That's something we somehow turned around over the years, and there are plenty of ignorant programmers out there who think it's their responsibility to tell their audience what's good and what's bad.
Secondly, it tells me that age doesn't necessarily reflect intelligence and wisdom. This kid is twelve and he's the one telling us what we're doing wrong... and he's right! Sure, some will write it off as some kid who doesn't know what he's talking about... I'm 22, already have 14 years of experience under my belt, and people STILL tell me I'm a know-nothing wannabe. But Marco is absolutely correct, whether people choose to accept it or not.
Rap has become nonsensical, ESPECIALLY since about 2003, though I noticed it starting to happen around the late 90's. Rap was more intelligent and engaging back then, but you could hear it starting to slip. Now nearly a decade later, it's gotten to the point that, as one of the quotes in the article points out, artists aren't just rapping about themselves, they're rapping about rap (i.e. Mims' "This Is Why I'm Hot"... the definition of a sh***y track if ever there was one). You can't get much more pathetic.
That tells me two things: one, listeners do know what they like; it's not up to us to tell them what they enjoy, it's up to them to tell us what they enjoy. That's something we somehow turned around over the years, and there are plenty of ignorant programmers out there who think it's their responsibility to tell their audience what's good and what's bad.
Secondly, it tells me that age doesn't necessarily reflect intelligence and wisdom. This kid is twelve and he's the one telling us what we're doing wrong... and he's right! Sure, some will write it off as some kid who doesn't know what he's talking about... I'm 22, already have 14 years of experience under my belt, and people STILL tell me I'm a know-nothing wannabe. But Marco is absolutely correct, whether people choose to accept it or not.
Rap has become nonsensical, ESPECIALLY since about 2003, though I noticed it starting to happen around the late 90's. Rap was more intelligent and engaging back then, but you could hear it starting to slip. Now nearly a decade later, it's gotten to the point that, as one of the quotes in the article points out, artists aren't just rapping about themselves, they're rapping about rap (i.e. Mims' "This Is Why I'm Hot"... the definition of a sh***y track if ever there was one). You can't get much more pathetic.
L
larsonthebeat
Guest
Hello "This is Why I'm Hot"... "I can make a mil' sayin' nothin' on da track"...
Please. Shoot me now.
It's pure nothingness. That's why I'm glad that artists like John Legend and (yes) Justin Timberlake, with the exception of "Sexyback", are writing and coming out with songs that actually have some meaning...
Yep, that track is terrible, but the survey documents some kids in Chicago. The whole US loves that song, if that wasn't the case, it wouldn't have been a #1 hit. I think it's on the standards of "We Fly High", "Chain Hang Low", "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It", and dare I mention "Laffy Taffy". Catchy rap tracks that don't go anywhere.
Everyone says D4L was the low for hip-hop. And there's those that think the South is destroying hip-hop. Not so, they are just adding to it. Rap songs like these started appearing sometime in 1999, although they weren't as bad. (like Sisqo's "The Thong Song" just to mention a random one, which was actually just a flirt song rather than a musical takeover) The first actually so bad it's unlistenable catch-crap song was "Country Grammar" by Nelly in 2001. And then terrible acts like aforementioned Nelly, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, 50 Cent, Ashanti, and dare I mention Chingy started doing well in 2002 and 2003. That was pretty much the ultra-low for Rhythmic. The only 2002-2003 quality act was Eminem. This is just from viewing hit tracks from 1996-2003. And now the 2006/2007 period just hit another low when D4L, DFB, Jibbs, Mims, and Huey are doing well.
If you look before 1999, you'll see Bad Boy was very popular, and the Notorious BIG/Tupac age was around 1994-1997. 1998 was straight-forward R&B.
And it seems like the people that are enjoying these tracks are higher aged teens and early 20's females. My local Rhythmic station battled Huey's "Pop Lock and Drop It" against Snoop Dogg's new song. If I remember correctly, Huey's track got about 85% vote while Snoop Dogg's got a sad 15%. That's not to say that SD track may be a classic, but it is way more quality than what ridiculously untalented acts like Huey would churn out.
Tracks like these work, unfortunately. And believe it or not, it is all based on hip-hop's history. It'll be interesting when these 12-year old kids grow up and are still bored with this wack sound and hip-hop loses its once powerful audience.
DISCLAMIER: This is not to say 2002 or 2003 were bad years for CHR, actually both years were good. This is more towards hip-hop.
Everyone says D4L was the low for hip-hop. And there's those that think the South is destroying hip-hop. Not so, they are just adding to it. Rap songs like these started appearing sometime in 1999, although they weren't as bad. (like Sisqo's "The Thong Song" just to mention a random one, which was actually just a flirt song rather than a musical takeover) The first actually so bad it's unlistenable catch-crap song was "Country Grammar" by Nelly in 2001. And then terrible acts like aforementioned Nelly, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, 50 Cent, Ashanti, and dare I mention Chingy started doing well in 2002 and 2003. That was pretty much the ultra-low for Rhythmic. The only 2002-2003 quality act was Eminem. This is just from viewing hit tracks from 1996-2003. And now the 2006/2007 period just hit another low when D4L, DFB, Jibbs, Mims, and Huey are doing well.
If you look before 1999, you'll see Bad Boy was very popular, and the Notorious BIG/Tupac age was around 1994-1997. 1998 was straight-forward R&B.
And it seems like the people that are enjoying these tracks are higher aged teens and early 20's females. My local Rhythmic station battled Huey's "Pop Lock and Drop It" against Snoop Dogg's new song. If I remember correctly, Huey's track got about 85% vote while Snoop Dogg's got a sad 15%. That's not to say that SD track may be a classic, but it is way more quality than what ridiculously untalented acts like Huey would churn out.
Tracks like these work, unfortunately. And believe it or not, it is all based on hip-hop's history. It'll be interesting when these 12-year old kids grow up and are still bored with this wack sound and hip-hop loses its once powerful audience.
DISCLAMIER: This is not to say 2002 or 2003 were bad years for CHR, actually both years were good. This is more towards hip-hop.
larsonthebeat said:
Well...he was wrong.
I think the most interesting thing with these type of tracks is that the albums do TERRIBLE on the charts.
Yeah, it's true; hip hop's been about nothing more than T&A and cash and bling for awhile, now, and while you can ASK people for quotes to go in an article about rap's absurdity, the bottom line is this... you go to the club, and here "This is Why I'm Hot" and watch the damned dance floor fill up with folks of all races, genders and social strata.
Once living in Alexandria, La., aka "small southerntown, U.S.A.," I'd witness this PHENOMENON happen every time I'd go out to G.G.s. This club was country/zedyco til about midnight, when a 20 year old DJ would take over, and start playing Ying Yang Twins, 50 Cent, MIMS, etc, and the same folks who were boot-scootin' to cajun country zydeco were out there, women on all fours, thrusting their @sses into their dates' pelvises like it was no big deal.
These songs are guilty pleasures. Do we, as a society condone the language? No. But we sure as hell like dancing to it.
Once living in Alexandria, La., aka "small southerntown, U.S.A.," I'd witness this PHENOMENON happen every time I'd go out to G.G.s. This club was country/zedyco til about midnight, when a 20 year old DJ would take over, and start playing Ying Yang Twins, 50 Cent, MIMS, etc, and the same folks who were boot-scootin' to cajun country zydeco were out there, women on all fours, thrusting their @sses into their dates' pelvises like it was no big deal.
These songs are guilty pleasures. Do we, as a society condone the language? No. But we sure as hell like dancing to it.
Ron Roberts said:
I think the problem is too many rappers are actually serious about their stuff. The RIGHT way to go about these songs would be R. Kelly's "I'm A Flirt", because it's obvious he's just having fun with the record, while Mims is serious about all the odd things he raps about.
Sponge, you're right on with Country Grammar. That song sucked and I never understood why anyone liked it. Quite frankly I've never really enjoyed anything Nelly's done (with the exception of perhaps Batter Up, that one was just fun to listen to)... he doesn't rap, he sings. Actually, he doesn't really do either, yet he does both at the same time. It sounds like crap for the most part.
The beginning phases of formated top-40 went through the same evolution... Following the payola scandels, pop started to loose it's fresh and creative approaches (with the exception of Gordy and Motown)...We were given what they thought the youth liked (or hoped they liked)... Elvis was getting out of the Army...Buddy Holly was dead and white bread radio had cursed the Jerry Lee Lewis lifestyle and Little Richard excess... Only the start of the Motown sound kept the interest rolling until the guys from across the pond left the Mersey Sound and landed at Kennedy International Airport..... Nothing against the Bobby Vee's, Bruce Channel's, Bobby Darin's and the clean cut pop singers.. But it became 'overload' as Hip-Hop has become...The most creative Amercian pop was the maturing of the Beach Boys and the next step past doo-wop into the sounds of The Four Seasons... Just a thought of times past that this has occured in pop/top-40 radio... 
Josh C. said:
I liked Hot In Herre and Shake Ya Tailfeather. The rest was take it or leave it, with the exceptions of "Dilemma" and "Tilt Ya Head Back" because of the guest stars featured. (Which would be Kelly Rowland and Christina Aguilera...by the way Kelly's new song is FIRE.)
And to the list of wack songs (listening to my Rhythmic KOHT right now)...PLEASE add Paul Wall's "Break Em Off".
Classic Hip-Hop/Rap??? What did you folks like in the early phases???? Funkytown? Rapper's Delight?...Give me some titles.. Just curious.. :
2002 and before: Rap and Hip Hop was pretty good
After: It started to suck.
Either that or I grew up. I'm 20
After: It started to suck.
Either that or I grew up. I'm 20
M
MarcR
Guest
Jeremy Andrews said:
Hip Hop was in decline creatively *Well* before 2002. Most people who grew up with the genre would say that its "golden age" lasted from the late '80s through middle '90s.
Music is just like the movies. There are deep movies (lyrical rock) and their are big-budget special effects movies ("This is Why I'm Hot"). Ones that are both end up being the biggest hits. Think Spider-man and "Gold Digger." Gold Digger is not only catchy, but it's got meaning.
Some deep movies have good monetary success (Davinci Code, Pursuit of Happiness) and some deep songs have good popular success (How to Save a Life, What Hurts the Most). You'll always have the MIMS of the world. But even if you watch the biggest shows for teens, they don't use hip-hop in the soundtrack. They use The Fray, Dashboard Confessional, The Wreckers, etc.
Some deep movies have good monetary success (Davinci Code, Pursuit of Happiness) and some deep songs have good popular success (How to Save a Life, What Hurts the Most). You'll always have the MIMS of the world. But even if you watch the biggest shows for teens, they don't use hip-hop in the soundtrack. They use The Fray, Dashboard Confessional, The Wreckers, etc.
Good point, Russ... I run a 501(c)3 with a board that has a coffee house and a rock venue in the basement a couple of nights a week (local and regional bands play for gas money and we only charge $5 at the door)... Our base is 15 to 25, all ages venue.. Two years ago, we would have a hip-hop/rap act about every 4th group or artist playing (about 25% of the talent)... Maybe only one in ten, at this point.. Funny? We have more minorities coming than we did three years back....??? The Fray and Frans Ferdinand and regional favorites are on the New Rock/Alternative side and a healthy resurgance of harder edge has been in demand...Our LPFM, run by a seperate radio board under the parent board is New Rock / Alternative and has seen this same trend in the last 18 months.. Just an observation... www.wyir.com (96.9/The Wire).....
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