¤ Hip-Hop "Saved" My Life ¤

In a time where capitalism has become an unspoken religion, the pursuit of the almighty dollar is not as elusive as it once was. Self-made entrepreneurs are burgeoning for big business, but none more than those who have a pension for rap.

Yes, even I, too, have had this dream at one time or another but, eventually, reality sinks in past a certain age. Would I love to live the "Hip-Hop lifestyle" for a day? Sure, who wouldn't? But bear in mind that beyond the girls, cars, and clothes lies a naked truth that people rarely get to see. Simply put it's called relevance.

It can never be overstated as to how highly competitive Hip-Hop is as a genre of music; therefore, the lifespan of a rapper can only be compared to that of a running back in the NFL. Plain and simple, a rapper is only as hot as his last hit. The unfortunate thing about it, however, is that the misguided message being sent to our youth would suggest otherwise and therein lies the root of the problem.

Far be it from me, but Hip-Hop just seems overly populated. Everybody wants to rap these days and instead of embracing individuality, too many people sound the same.

Now, I could understand how you admire someone as your favorite rapper, but admiration and emulation are two different things. So many people get the two confused and I think that's why we have a lot of "comparisons" in Hip-Hop. You always hear "this guy sounds like this guy" or "this guy sounds like that guy". Never "this guy sounds different".

It's refreshing almost when you do hear it but even that comes few and far between. Is it a product of complacency? Yes and no, I suppose; but, if you ask me, I think the problem is more with the bullshit music we accept as Hip-Hop.

Gucci Mane, for example, is not Hip-Hop. Even he would tell you that himself. The thing is, he's smart enough to know what's going to sell records and he capitalizes off it. He doesn't try to be something he's not (lyrical), yet the strong following that he has could care less. They absolutely love his watered down music and, admittedly, I guess a part of me does too.

But only in moderation. Real Hip-Hop music has meaning. It has definition. It has soul. Today's music lacks all three of these basic components and I blame that on the 50 Tyson/YouTube generation that we live in. Like it or not, we're all one "Pants on the Ground" hit away from being the next big thing. My only question is, what's going to happen when things eventually fade to black?

To Be Continued...