I kinda see music forming this fusion just like it has started to do, but even more so

By the way its lookin now...the name says it all...its a wrap!

Rap will be Disco today. Everything, including music, creates more tension between skill vs. talent. Will music be alive in 20 years? If life makes it far enough to see the day, then my guess would be Rap, Hip Hop will die out in a few years. Newer styles are born, and we learn from the greatest musicians who inspire us to be original. Hard telling to be honest. Rap and country may be mixed, Rap could be called "straightland". Let your imagination build the next 20 years.

Don't you think that's just a bit melodramatic? I'm hoping to see the first good (I mean good not decent) album from Mos Def since Black on Both Sides and possibly Lauryn Hill's sophomore album: "The Remiseducation of Lauryn Hill: Rasta Chronicles) but I'm not holding my breath...

In all seriousness, contrary to my previous post, it's becoming more and more difficult to say what is and is not underground. Take Mos Def for example, he's sold over 1 million cd's (Black on Both Sides alone went gold) but he maintains a sound that is fairly underground, and you don't hear him much- if ever on the radio. Is he still underground even though he is fairly well known? A better example would be his fellow black star- Talib Kweil. He's sold plenty of records, he's on MTV/BET but his lyricism strays from the dumbed down topics of a "mainstream" rapper- is he underground or mainstream? You could also take Jay-z and Soulja boy. Jay is a mainstream rapper while Soulja is more of a bubblegum or hip-pop rapper. So the question I'm asking is what is underground? Is it the guy that sounds like a MIMS, Soulja Boy, or Luda but hasn't been discovered ye? Is it the guy who's sold millions but stays away from MTV and the radio? The way I see it, the term "underground" is more to describe the sound or "feel" of an artist rather than a status.

RAP will be horrible in 20 years, its already horrible now, except for a few releases, like Nas's new cd, but other than that, rap is horrible. Back then (and im talkin like 8 years, not that long ago), even mainstream rap was sick. then came cash money records with bling bling, which kinda brought hip hop down but was still alright. then came Crunk with Lil Jon, which was not good hip hop but got the dance floor poppin. Then comes snap and bubblegum, NOW THAT **** IS ****IN HORRENDOUS. hahaa JayZ is what mainstream rap should sound like, not soulja boy. but the underground will always be dope IMO

holy contradictions, batman.

what contradictions? the thing I said about Jay Z? Jay Z is pop, but he can rip a beat if he wants to, and if hes the leader of mainstream hip hop, im cool with that

In 20 years rap will be a joke. You know how we watch the retro '80's videos and say "Wow, They actually thought that was cool?"? Rap will be like that.

^^

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Seeing as there was Rap 20 years ago...