Is Rock 'N Roll Our Blueprint?
words by Gabe, It's A Lifestyle correspondent
So Jay-Z is back from his 'retirement', (yeah, I didn't believe it either.) Shawn Carter is back from his three year vacation, claiming to be the savior of hip hop. On the other hand Mr. Nasir Jones is parading around proclaiming that hip hop is dead. I suspect that the poor reception of his last album may have something to do with that, Streets Disciple was anything but commercial, another attempt by Nas to punish us for making him a commercial success. Welcome back gentlemen, we need you. But I'm here to tell you that hip hop isn't dead, it's not even in danger. Well, not commercial danger that is. Rap continues to gain popularity throughout the world, but contrary to popular belief, real hip-hop music is still being made. Check the releases from the fall of this year if you need proof. And that winter quarter? Oh boy! What's the problem then? If Nas is content with hip hop being dead isn't that enough? What do we need Jay-Z for? If he wants to retire, let him go.
No.
A Bigger Bang went platinum last year and Honkin' on Bobo, that one went double two years back Never heard of those albums? I'm a little surprised, but not really. The former is the latest album from The Rolling Stones and the latter is the most recent offering from Aerosmith just a couple of bands that that have been putting out albums since 1964 and 73 respectively. Do the math, that's about six years before Rappers Delight. Today's rock and roll isn't your daddy's rock and roll, and neither is today's rap. Rock music has seen it's ups and downs, big hair, grunge, alternative. It's seen unbelievable popularity thanks to the MTV generation and of course competition, there's this little fad called rap music. I hear the kids love it. Through it all, fans young and old have had the Stones rocking through it all. Aerosmith cleaned up their act and rocked their way back to relevancy. Hip Hop's founders are nearly unrecognizable to the new breed of hip hop fans. Jay-Z is hip-hop's Rolling Stones, he is an artist we have seen through hustle, success, mega-success, and now hiatus, we anxiously wait in the wings for the next offering, hoping that in this era of thugs and drugs we can still connect, that someone in the game can still spit something we can relate to. In Nas we hope for hip-hop's voice to emerge from his furlough, rejuvenated, mature. Nas has always had knowledge for us, we're just now ready to hear it.
Hip-hoppers are now in their mid 20's and 30's and we still love it, we still need our voice to be heard. No offense to Jeezy but I left coke rhymes with Reasonable Doubt, I left the thug life with All Eyez on Me, I left my dreams of being a kingpin with It Was Written and I left my thoughts of immortality with Life After Death. We need to bridge the gap (word to Nas). If Rock music is the blueprint we need Jay-Z and Nas to put out albums for the heads who appreciated when rap moved up from a hip-hop ahibbit a-hibbit to tha...(no offense). We need for our Stones and our Aerosmith to change the game. I'm looking forward to Kingdom Come and Hip Hop is Dead for the simple fact that I think that rap music can learn a thing or two from Rock music, the times will change and artists can and need to change. If the music is good, we will survive. Hip hop, can survive artistically and commercially.
The Rolling Stones raked in $162 million in concert ticket sales in 2005, it was the top-grossing tour of that year and of all time. Who are you going to see when you're 40? Too bad that King Tim II concert never came around huh?
posted by Eric @ 6:12 PM
<< Home