Is Hip-Hop Really Dead?

Can we compare Hip-Hop music legends, like Tupac Shakur & the Notorious B.I.G. to rappers of today? Are there any equivalence? Well, I must say, the music industry and especially Hip-Hop has evolved so much throughout the years and some things, including the musical culture of those days are no longer attainable...or are they? That is not to say that we don't have conscious rappers in our most recent years, but most of them, and I know plenty that would agree, that rappers of today have no substance, no message in their music anymore. When trying to compare a rapper such as Tupac, to someone more contemporary, whoever it is would have to be a poet most of all. I don't know about you all, but when I turn on the radio I hear nothing close.

There are artists that can possibly be comparable, but I wouldn't say quite made it to that point as yet; The legendary point. Rappers such as J. Cole and Nas, I would say are the most comparable to Tupac and both of which are still not huge mainstream artists. Why? Are modern day people more prone to listen to the crap that comes on the radio and or TV? Is Hip-Hop really dead because no one is interested in hearing it anymore? For the people who are trying to keep it alive, they aren't being rewarded with much opportunity through their attempts to relive it. So is Hip-Hop something of the past? And what does that say for contemporary music?

Despite the different approaches of Hip-Hop artists back in the 80s and 90s, rappers seemed to be working more together to speak out on the black experience and what was going on within our communities. They had a message and they were heard. Today, the only message being delivered is most of the time, if not all the time, dealing with money, drugs and women.

Bill Stephney, one of the co-creators of Public Enemy, feels that "music has gone so far from it's roots that it is almost a parody at this point", and I agree with him.

He says, "There is an over-representation of the criminal aspects of black youth culture from the videos and the records."

That comment supports my beliefs of the negative influence of our modern day "Hip-Hop culture". I feel music has desensitized our youth and is continuing to desensitize black men and their approach to life. Rapping about "cutting off bitches", "snorting coke and then fucking", "popping mollies and partying" is the message that young kids are receiving now and I am so scared to see what they too grow up and rap about.

So do I believe that Hip-Hop is really dead? Well if it isn't then the music industry is to blame for it's inability to give opportunities to rappers who actually have something to say, a positive message to convey.

Why was the first song that I ever heard from J. Cole, Workout? His most publicized song was the one that talked about what every other rapper is talking about; money, sex, women. Artists such as J. Cole and Nas are considered conscious rappers in my book, but is the pursuit of riches worth the message conveyed through their music? Was Hip-Hop once Tupac's definition of riches and is it possible to get our rappers back to having that same mentality? That would put so much life back into music.