What does that mean? It does not mean what most people perceive it to be. Most people would say, "are you crazy hip hop is not dead", "Kanye Sellin like crazy", "Fiddy is bananas", Soulja Boy is hot right now", and "Weezy is on fiyah" - true as that may be, that is not a sign that hip hop is not dead.

Now before you go thinking this is one of those "real" hip hop rants is not!


HIP HOP AS WE KNOW IT IS DEAD...

Hip Hop is no longer street, by that I don't mean "gangsta". I am saying it is no longer about the street culture and aesthetic - graffiti, break dancing, block parties, community activism, and things of the like.
Why did NWA say "fuck the police" why was Ice-T a "cop killer"and why is there no groups like X-clan or Africa Bambatta or even De La Soul?

WHAT IS THIS NEW HIP HOP

I swear every one of the mainstream rapper now are "thugs" and "gangstas". I often ask myself "why is this all they offer, why is this the only picture they want painted?".
More importantly the new hip hop is all media driven, you cant sell a single record under a major label otherwise. Now I'm not just talking apperences on MTV and BET and possibly Leno or Carson Daly - I'm talking getting arrested, getting shot at, court for child support, or some fake ass premeditated ultra fabricated beef.

Every since the media lit fire to the Tupac and Bigg beef, they realized how much control they have over this genre of the music industry. Every aspect is driven by the media, more appropriately is all propaganda and publicity stunts.
That's why Puff does not even put out a new group unless they have been on TV for a year before they release the album.

That's why Kanye West and 50 Cent had to have a public competition to sale their latest records.
That's why Lil Wayne had to talk about the Carter III for almost 2 years
That why every year its 1 producer who does pretty much all the hot songs for that year...*ahem* T-Pain currently

So do you now agree Hip Hop is dead?