Today's hip-hop doesn't measure up to the past
Roxanne Bailey, '12 | Staff Reporter
Issue date: 3/5/10 Section: Lifestyle
From the east coast to the west coast, the flow of rap in the 80's to the mid 90's was immaculate. The lyrics were put out in a way where you could actually understand the clarity of what was being spoken of. There was a certain flow and it was as if they were rapping to a beat that wasn't even there. It wasn't stiff and it wasn't forced, it was very free spirited. They were also much more positive. I was born in the late 80's, but I do have a sense of what "good" music is.
There is a noticeable distinction between the subjects that were rapped about in the 80's and 90's and what is being rapped about today. I feel as though rap in the 80's and 90's spoke more about gaining peace, racism, love and poverty. There were a lot more positive rap artists and rap groups. Public Enemy, Slick Rick, Tupac, A Tribe called Quest, LL Cool J, and Bone Thugs N' Harmony all told stories about looking for a way to change the world, to stop the violence and to get the world to think positive; letting certain audiences know that there is a way out, in either having faith in yourself, or having faith in God.
I feel as though nowadays, rap is definitely portrayed in a much more negative way. Almost every lyric of every song speaks of drugs, sex, money and women in a very vulgar way. Gucci Mane, Plies, Soulja Boy, Lil' Boosie and other artists are basically sending out the message that money is all you need to gain true happiness. They are saying that once you have the jewelry, cars, clothes and girls you have reached the last level in life. Rap stopped being poetic and it became more about being flashy and "cool."
Currently, rappers portray women as merely objects for entertainment. Rappers from the 80's and 90's rapped about having goals, making it and "getting out of the hood," or out of poverty. I am not saying that rappers from that time period never spoke of drugs and sex, but there was more of a variety in topics rather than the same ol' same ol' sex, money and drugs.
There is a noticeable distinction between the subjects that were rapped about in the 80's and 90's and what is being rapped about today. I feel as though rap in the 80's and 90's spoke more about gaining peace, racism, love and poverty. There were a lot more positive rap artists and rap groups. Public Enemy, Slick Rick, Tupac, A Tribe called Quest, LL Cool J, and Bone Thugs N' Harmony all told stories about looking for a way to change the world, to stop the violence and to get the world to think positive; letting certain audiences know that there is a way out, in either having faith in yourself, or having faith in God.
I feel as though nowadays, rap is definitely portrayed in a much more negative way. Almost every lyric of every song speaks of drugs, sex, money and women in a very vulgar way. Gucci Mane, Plies, Soulja Boy, Lil' Boosie and other artists are basically sending out the message that money is all you need to gain true happiness. They are saying that once you have the jewelry, cars, clothes and girls you have reached the last level in life. Rap stopped being poetic and it became more about being flashy and "cool."
Currently, rappers portray women as merely objects for entertainment. Rappers from the 80's and 90's rapped about having goals, making it and "getting out of the hood," or out of poverty. I am not saying that rappers from that time period never spoke of drugs and sex, but there was more of a variety in topics rather than the same ol' same ol' sex, money and drugs.