Rap Music Generation Gap Debate
 

I figured this topic would be a good one to touch base on and see if we can collectively come up with arguments for both sides of the coin and hash this out a bit.

Complex had some kind of convention recently and I will link to the 22 min video that goes in depth with French Montana, Vince Staples, Raekwon, Scarface and Pete Rock.

They ended up chopping up the differences between Hip Hop nowadays and how these cats need to get back to lyricism as opposed to how it was in the 90s. I'm sure they are mainly talking about mainstream trap artists and not heavily lyrical underground artists.

Video Link

I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face
You get sprung, wanna pull out your tough
'Cause you notice that butt was stuffed
Deep in the jeans she's wearing
I'm hooked and I can't stop staring
Oh baby, I wanna get with you
And take your picture
My homeboys tried to warn me
But that butt you got makes me so horny
Ooh, Rump-o'-smooth-skin
You say you wanna get in my Benz?
Well, use me, use me
'Cause you ain't that average groupie
I've seen them dancin'
To hell with romancin'
She's sweat, wet,
Got it goin' like a turbo 'Vette
I'm tired of magazines
Sayin' flat butts are the thing
Take the average black man and ask him that
She gotta pack much back
So, fellas! (Yeah!) Fellas! (Yeah!)
Has your girlfriend got the butt? (Hell yeah!)
Tell 'em to shake it! (Shake it!) Shake it! (Shake it!)
Shake that healthy butt!
Baby got back!

(LA face with Oakland booty)
Baby got back!
(LA face with Oakland booty)
(LA face with Oakland booty)

I like 'em round, and big
And when I'm throwin' a gig
I just can't help myself, I'm actin' like an animal
Now here's my scandal
I wanna get you home
And ugh, double-up, ugh, ugh
I ain't talkin' bout Playboy
'Cause silicone parts are made for toys
I want 'em real thick and juicy
So find that juicy double
Mix-a-Lot's in trouble
Beggin' for a piece of that bubble
So I'm lookin' at rock videos
Knock-kneeded bimbos walkin' like hoes
You can have them bimbos
I'll keep my women like Flo Jo
A word to the thick soul sisters, I wanna get with ya
I won't cuss or hit ya
But I gotta be straight when I say I wanna ******
Till the break of dawn
Baby got it goin' on
A lot of simps won't like this song
'Cause them punks like to hit it and quit it
And I'd rather stay and play
'Cause I'm long, and I'm strong
And I'm down to get the friction on
So, ladies! (Yeah!) Ladies! (Yeah)
If you wanna roll in my Mercedes (Yeah!)
Then turn around! Stick it out!
Even white boys got to shout
Baby got back!

Baby got back!
Yeah, baby... when it comes to females, Cosmo ain't got nothin' to do with my selection.
36-24-36? Ha ha, only if she's 5'3".

So your girlfriend rolls a Honda, playin' workout tapes by Fonda
But Fonda ain't got a motor in the back of her Honda
My anaconda don't want none
Unless you've got buns, hun
You can do side bends or sit-ups,
But please don't lose that butt
Some brothers wanna play that "hard" role
And tell you that the butt ain't gold
So they toss it and leave it
And I pull up quick to retrieve it
So Cosmo says you're fat
Well I ain't down with that!
'Cause your waist is small and your curves are kickin'
And I'm thinkin' bout stickin'
To the beanpole dames in the magazines:
You ain't it, Miss Thing!
Give me a sister, I can't resist her
Red beans and rice didn't miss her
Some knucklehead tried to diss
'Cause his girls are on my list
He had game but he chose to hit 'em
And I pull up quick to get wit 'em
So ladies, if the butt is round,
And you want a triple X throw down,
Dial 1-900-MIXALOT
And kick them nasty thoughts
Baby got back!
Baby got back!

(Little in the middle but she got much back)

THE RAP MUSIC GENERATION GAP DEBATE | Complex Conversations

Thanks Nea. I should've looked for the Youtube vid. I will add more later.

i seem to remember Vince Staples (correctly) bringing up how overrated 80s and 90s hip-hop is. nobody needs to go back to anything, rappers who make trap music without any lyrical substance do so because they're not talented enough to do more than that. that's fine, there will always be a surface level to every genre. hip-hop is in the best state it's ever been. i would put El-P, Billy Woods, Kendrick Lamar, Danny Brown, Earl Sweatshirt, Open Mike Eagle, Aesop Rock, Joey Bada$$, and quite a few other emcees up against any of the best rappers you can name from the previous eras.

here's the Vince quote btw: http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/10/v...ere-overrated/

i dont like vince staples , hes got an ego like kanye

?

you don't like artists because of their ego?

Yeah that is strange especially in hip hop where being braggadocious happens often.

You have to admit that surface level nowadays is pure trash compared to surface level in the 80s and 90s.

When you have so many trash artists the few that are decent are hyped up so much because the bar is set so low. For instance Kendrick's latest release.

I'd have to disagree. Even the surface level now is at least entertaining and the beats are interesting enough. Surface level in the 80s and 90s was like literally ****. From your MC Hammers to your Vanilla Ice's to your other incredibly stereotypical bland hip hop artists, I'd say it was the worst era for rap music overall when it came to the popular stuff.

i mean i think we live in an amazing time for hip-hop because artists like Chance, Kendrick and Gambino (depending on your thoughts on him, I guess) are able to break down the barrier between being talented and being accessible on a mainstream level.

i agree with you that a lot of current surface level hip-hop leaves a lot to be desired, but that certainly is no different from other decades. i would say the biggest issue atm is how over done the trap sound has become, and how mainstream rappers seem to be struggling to do anything new or innovative.

Whatever music you hear on the radio and is considered "mainstream" appeals to the lowest common denominator pretty much by default. It's a direct response to popular trends and what the majority of people who purchase or request tracks on the radio actually want.

It's less about the musicians than it is about popularity.

mainly just the personality, how they do interviews and answer questions.


:shycouch:

I guess you should ask yourself whether an artist should be allowed to have an ego when their music is actuslly good. I'd say they should be allowed to. Artists spend sometimes years perfecting their craft. They should absolutely be allowed to showcase that through their own ego. I will agree that some artists go overboard (Kanye) but that's part of the niche. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing unless an artist is blatantly insulting other artists for not being them.

You have people that don't make great music and they still stroke their ego. Is there a line of which an artist can cross where it becomes too much?

im not sure, i started out liking vince staples music but then when i sawhim on the breakfest club interview, i just started to not care about his music or anything about him. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But that's you mixing their personal life with their music which imo is a big no no. You could be listening to someone that has done some bad time, but that doesn't automatically make their music bad. Same goes for drug addicts, alcoholics etc. I learned that you cant intertwine the two. You'll never win.

Exhibit A

https://boxden.com/smilies/nHXEgl8.pnghttps://boxden.com/smilies/RxgTKgw.pnghttps://boxden.com/smilies/olFIL9r.png

Is the guy in the middle wearing a mask?

https://boxden.com/smilies/lCWW8SB.png maybe

This isn't the response I expected, but it is secretly the response I wanted.

Most artists nowadays, especially trap artists, don't claim to be poets or the best lyricalists. I honestly think that people need to get over themselves because we aren't in the 80s or 90s anymore, there's a new generation and this **** we hear today is what they want. The lyrical music you had in the 80s and 90s is still there and it's not gone- just harder to find.