hip hop has changed so much....

Some people HATE the constant transformation and evolution of Hip Hop culture.... I am NOT one of those people. In fact, I am truly inspired by the current artistic exploration evident in the craft of mainstream and underground artists. It seems like people are finally admitting that a synthesis of outside genre and influence is a thing of beauty, whereas before you either brought it all Hip Hop all the time or you went home.... I still have love for the aggressive spirit of "pure Hip Hop", but I must admit that the diversity of sound present in the current generation is refreshing. We are making up for the gimmicks of the late 90's and early 00's... Beyond the music, what grabs me most is the evolution of branding and image.... oh how things have changed:

The ruler...

It's becoming very clear to me that the music industry is one big cock measuring competition. Put your balls on the table and hope your shit is longer than the man/woman next to you. It's competitive out here and everybody you meet has a promise to make. Everbody claims they can get you in touch with the right person. There are some people that I believe and others that I don't. What hurts most are the people I want to believe but can't.

Peace.

-Dekk-

808's & Heartbreak Review

I've been listening to the final version of this album for a little more than a week now. Instead of blogging my opinions on the day it got leaked, I decided to take some time and fully internalize the approach and execution of the project.

When "Love Lockdown" was released I was instantly skeptical of what was to come. Those of you who downloaded the original version probably remember how poorly it was mixed and how careless the autotune processing was. The final version is completely different and so too is my impression of it. When it dropped... I thought it was garbage.... now I think it's genius...

In fact, I think that this album as a whole is a strong work of art. Kanye manages to turn the redundancy of autotune and synth heavy melodies into something completely new and unexpected. 808's & Heartbreak finds a way to defy genre. For most artists that would be a task of great challenge and risk, for Kanye it's as simple as a few weeks in Hawaii.

We have not seen an icon in Hip Hop culture break the rules like Kanye does on 808' since Andre 3000 crafted The Love Below. It is now fair to say that Mr. West, much like 3 Stacks, is simply more than a producer or a rapper. He is a visionary and an icon of artistic expression. I have been scanning forums and blogs and to my surprise there are a great deal of people out there bashing this album. The same was true for The Love Below. What I've come to realize is that the Hip Hop community can be extremely conservative. Whenever something changes in the sonic landscape of rap music there are always thousands who complain about it. Their small minded critiques often come with a flood of homophobia and synthetic claims of violence, leaving their arguments unsupported and vague. We have reached a moment in time where our political system can act as a metaphor for our music. "Real Hip Hop" seems to operate on a conservative agenda that insists upon preservation and nostalgia, whereas a project like 808's & Heartbreak anticipates the future and guarantees inspiration for generations to come. I am not opposed to the recognition and appreciation of the roots of Hip Hop music. What bothers me is that those who insist upon the roots often fail to recognize the forest that now rests above them. Thanks to Kanye we now have another branch to enjoy.

-Dekk-

The BEST hip hop artist of all time is.....

Yes.... Mr. 3 Stacks.... Keep in mind that I say BEST hip hop artist, not rapper..... Not only is Andre arguably a top 5 MC, but he is an extrordanary producer and song writer. 3000 is the most imaginative inventor that the hip hop community has ever seen. He has managed to transcend genre while maintaining credibility within circles of rap nostalgia (heads) and mass consumers alike.

NO RAPPER (dead or alive) has a "LOVE BELOW" in their catalog.... NONE... Some will be mad about this post, here is my response before your response:

• Tupac, although great, is overated (and was at times extremely unimaginative) . He was also not a producer.
• B.I.G.- I have a feeling that if he were alive his catalog would be the most redundant collection of music of the "greats"... BIG never made beats... He could breathe hard though..
• Jay-Z- Definitely below Pac... anyone want to argue that?
• Nas- Wonderful lyricist, horrible producer..... kind of boring too.... Neck and neck with Jay...
• Q-Tip...... I must say that as an overall "artist," Tip is superioir to Pac and BIG. He was behind the scenes on some major albums, not to mention his acclaimed work with Tribe.
• Big L.... Shut up...
• Dilla.... Great producer, horrible MC, extremely one demensional (even his producion).... Sorry Couture....
• Pharrell Williams..... Hmmm.... Honestly, Pharrell is (in my opinion) the best producer ever... Well, he's part of the best producer team ever at least (The Neptunes if anyone is way behind). Add his production skills with the fact that he can kinda rap and that he'll make your hook somehow magical with his horrible voice ..... and you have a contender for Q-Tip's position... Sorry Pac fans, as an all around "artist", Pharrell is superior...
• Dr. Dre..... Move over Tip and Thelonius P.... Dre's catalog of work is astounding... even though he is responsible for 50 and Snoop.... If you want to argue Dre, I might be stumped...
• Eminem.... Yeah he produces and yeah he can rap, but..... there are waaaaaayyyy too many garbage moments for Em to be considered the best.....