Prelude to a Legacy 07.10.09: Hip-Hop is Dead?

Posted by Fred Richani on 07.10.2009

No, this isn't about Nas's near-classic album. It's about the state of the game. Allow The F-Bomb to explain...



This column is not really about Nas's near-classic album Hip-Hop is Dead. Do not let the headline fool you. There has been a problem with hip-hop the last five years. It is a problem that people suffer from too and can ultimately and negatively, affect their occupation. If enough people in the same field of work have this problem, then the entire industry suffers. This is the case with the music industry today for the most part, but more specifically, this problem applies to hip-hop. Hell, you can even throw R&B into that category to a certain extent.

Hip-hop is suffering from a problem called complacency. If you don't know what that word means, let me give you the definition, straight from the dictionary: A feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy.

Now I know what you're thinking....What the hell does a rapper or record company being satisfied with their work have to do with the worsening of hip-hop through the years? I'll tell you: EVERYTHING. You see, there are too many artists being content with a hot single or two. Rap today isn't about the best album. It's about making quick money with a hot single. For every Jay-Z, Nas, and revolutionaries like Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and even Soulja Boy (hate him or love him, he came out with his own style, dance, and catchphrases at age 17), there are artists like MIMS, who are put out there by record labels to fail.

Yes, to fail.

For every great artist like the aforementioned, there are rappers like MIMS that, no disrespect intended, don't light a candle to artists on the sidelines that could carry an album. Keyword, people—album. Record labels look for the quick fix, inserting a hot producer with a so-so rapper, who outside of a few hits, may have less shelf life than a father's already-grown-up daughter's Cabbage Patch collection. I got into hip-hip in the early 2000s because of rappers like Saigon, Papoose, Joell Ortiz, and Maino.

What the hell have they done outside of some hot mixtapes?

Well, outside of Maino, who is FINALLY getting his album released one year after "Hi Hater" was rap's soundtrack of the summer in 2008, Papoose, Saigon, and Joell Ortiz have done absolutely nothing. Papoose was signed to Jive, a more R&B oriented label. I don't think it would have been too difficult to pair up DJ Kay Slay's star with an equally talented singer in Raheem DeVaugn or even the now-infamous Chris Brown (when he was a youngin'). Instead, Pap put out a bajillion mixtapes until he was released from his deal around a year later because Jive had nothing for him. Likewise, Papoose had an altercation with Fat Joe sometime ago, one in which he could have signed with Joey Crack's rival G-Unit and put out a hot album with a ton of exposure.

Did that happen? Nope.

Joell Ortiz is a different story. The rapper has drawn comparisons to Fat Joe and Big Pun in their primes. He signed on with Aftermath for two years. The anticipation was huge for a Dr. Dre-produced Joell Ortiz album. It never happen. Two years later, Joell Ortiz is back on the mixtape circuit. Sound familiar? It gets worse.

Brooklyn, NY rapper Saigon signed on with Atlantic Records in the mid-2000s. The man was supposed to be different from all the other rappers that rotted to the waste side, due to label woes. Saigon had it all—hot raps, though-provoking lyrics, and mainstream appeal. For God sakes, he was on the HBO-hit Entourage between 2005 and 2006! Surely that and the ton of exposure Rolling Stone and other publications had given him would be enough to catapult Saigitty to the top of rap's totem pole. That never happened. For whatever reason, Saigon never actually handed in an album to Atlantic Records and the two sides had creative differences. According to Saigon, one of the problems he had was that Atlantic wanted him to do a song with then-R&B collective Pretty Ricky. I don't know about you, but one single with Pretty Ricky wouldn't have killed Saigon. After all, would you rather hear a rapper such as, say....Webbie all over the radio or Saigon, who can add depth and lyricism to a single?

For those who answered Webbie, sorry I offended you (not really).

Okay, so Saigon has released a slew of mixtapes, along with All in a Day's Work, an album recorded in just 24 hours with Statik Selektah that was excellent. And while it was one of the highest selling rap albums of iTunes for a bit, his long-awaited, super-duper hyped "classic", as he called it, The Greatest Story Never Told has still not been released. Nothing says maintaining your buzz by keeping the master copy of your apparently classic album, only to not let it see the light of day. If Saigon fears working for labels so much, then there's no reason why he shouldn't release it independently and make more money that way. Bobby Valentino has cashed in on the independent route, as has Joe Budden.

Before I totally lose my readers, the point I'm trying to make is Saigon, Papoose, and Joell Ortiz are great rappers that were once in a position to help evolve hip-hop into a better genre; one that is more consistent in-terms of good quality singles and ALBUMS. There are other rappers that have been in those positions too, but they are my examples. The record labels and artists both should share blame for stagnant, complacent, and similar-sounding songs on the radio. Jay-Z was right when he made "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)". Every rap song sounds almost the same in terms of effects, production, and subject-matter.

Even R&B has suffered. If you don't believe me on that one, just tune into your local radio station.

'Nuff said.

Record labels should put people like Papoose in a position to have a hot single, blow up, and have consumers purchase their album. I don't get why labels would rather have a person that can carry a single and not an entire album. The point of a hot single is to get people to purchase an album that should contain great tracks and production. If a rapper (and I use that term loosely here) such as Gucci Mane can't even put together a decent album, why not just have him release singles and give an album date to a deserving artist, who has had to wait in the wings?


Don't tell me you'd rather have Gucci Mane on a "mainstream" single than real talent like David Banner

The bottom line is this. Rappers like Plies, who know hot to make hot songs, need to step their game up and start producing actual quality albums. Record labels need to worry about long-term artists that they can build around, not one or two-hit wonders who we will never hear from again (I'm talking to you, Shop Boyz). Until they start doing that, my radio will probably be blastin' Lady Gaga and sales will keep dropping for new and/or less established rappers. Hey, at least GaGa's original.

Don't get me wrong. I love hip-hop. That's why I wrote this column. At one point I wanted to do something behind the scenes in the music industry and still would down the road, but I can't sit back and watch the genre that helped me get through my toughest trials and tribulations die a slow death. People aren't buying albums most of the time as it is. I hope the industry doesn't completely drive away the consumer from ever confidently purchasing a rap album by an artist not named Jay-Z, Nas, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, 50 Cent, and Eminem again. Wait, I think they already did...


You were right, Nas

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about Nas's Hip-Hop is Dead!. Great tracks, stellar production, and the usual Nasir Jones goodness. Did I mention Nasir Jones was completely right about his observation back in 2006? Did I also mention that Nasir Jones should be considered a visionary? Who would though hip-hop would sink to new lows outside of a select few? Oh, whoops. I guess we should have listened. Sorry, Nas.

Rappers like Saigon or David Banner should be poster boys for hip-hop. Rappers that can get toe-to-toe with the best, make hot songs, but ultimately send a good message. There can be room for Flo Rida and rappers named Saigon, Papoose, Joell Ortiz, Bun B, etc. There shouldn't just be one sound of hip-hop on my radio. Bear in mind, I don't hate hip-hop. I love hip-hop and I will continue writing about up and comers, along with old favorites. It's just tough comparing Dr. Dre or 2Pac's stuff to that of today. Why? Well, there's just no comparison.