Before you guys Start in With the “What the Fuck you On?” and “Get the fuck out of here” Sentiments, Please allow me to explain this in Detail.
Rick Ross’s Music did not save Hip Hop nor did He Intentionally set out to save Hip Hop. Now, Not to say i dont enjoy his music..under the right circumstances, his music is actually enjoyable. I think He makes High Quality Gangsta Rap music. I can Appreciate the Over Hype and sensationalism in the content and the celebration of the Good life aquired through Hustling in the streets. It’s Great…But Again, this has nothing to do with why i think he saved HIP HOP, and i wont even begin to get into the Issues of Validity on whether he really lived that Life he boasts about.
When the Story broke about about William Roberts, Aka RICK ROSS being a prison guard, it wasn’t met with too much more than a “So the Drug Kingpin was a C.O?”. It wasn’t until he Vehmently denied the allegations and it was Later verified he was, that he was lambasted by every one under the sun, but too his credit he weathered the storm.(even fighting off a round of hilarious 50 Cent attacks). He released highly entertaining Music and for the most part the public forgave whatever hip hop law he had broken because the music was that good….and at that point hip hop gained back what it once was known for…the audience only cared that the music was good. This was a core value that was non existent over the years. We in the hip hop community were too caught up in the street cred hype…the Stop Snitching movement…so caught up that we overlooked what made hip hop great in the first place…the music itself.
Most Rappers are creatures of habit. Most are young oppressed outcasts who want a way out of poverty and suffering, and a career in music provides that opportunity. So these young men follow trends and gimmicks in hip hop thinking it’s there way in ( or way out-depending on how you look at it) many have copied and mimmicked the over sensationalism to gain acceptance…some went as far as commiting actual crimes to justify there lyrical content. Getting “shot” became a badge of honor in justifying how “real” you really were. These rappers began forgetting the fact that the music was entertainment. Not reality.(peep SouthBound’s “That Ain’t Right” video feat. Greezo-great song giving example of what I’m talking about)
But after Ross won out his skeptics with downright good music…this changed. Most fans doubt many of the things Rick Ross raps about, yet the music was ENTERTAINING, so it became less about how real it was, and more about whether it was good music. This changed the landscape of hip hop because the young men who were so worried about “Street Cred” now realize it has no bearing on whether they’re successful. So the trend changed….
This opened the door for hip hop artists who were rooted in being just that…artists. Artist began getting noticed for just making ART. Drake was a mixed kid from the burbs’ who starred on a TV Show, but the music was GOOD..there was no denying that. So people overlooked his lack of “Street Cred” because it was no longer a credible reason to hate on an artist. It is now a state of real authenticity that is the norm….fans are supporting artists for shedding the Excess Over- hype and showing vulnerability. The new trend in hip hop…..being yourself.
This is what’s saving hip hop…because now the excess bullshit is being stripped away. The suburbs and the college crowd are supporting the cause again. Artists aren’t concerned with looking hard anymore….they wanna look Smart. They want to look and sound organic. They want to be respected for the music…not how expensive there chain is or how many guns they holding.
It’s almost 2011….and believe me, hip hop Is in the best place it’s been in years. Radio no longer dictates who’s hot (because let’s face it, not much hip hop is played on radio) and BET/ MTV don’t play videos. Hip Hop is an organic thing Again….where fans support it because it sounds good, not because someones “Real”…
Trust me..”keeping it Real” is played out.
Thank you Rick Ross
-Question
22. That Smell (Live Dead Broke Version)
THE DOPE ATTIC 