Yo, yo, yo, I can’t lie. I really need to go on a rant.
So, the other day I logged onto Facebook only to see that someone had left negative comments on my pictures of P Diddy. I, trying to be mature about things, told this guy to “shut the f*ck up bro”. Long story short an argument ensued in which he told me, “Any hip hop head knows that P Diddy killed hip hop.” Then another salty rapper chimed in and informed me that P Diddy makes music for 18 year old girls–which I’m cool with–and that’s when it hit me, I can’t stand hip hop heads.
Maybe I hate them so much because I used to be one. I listened to Nas and Royce da 5’9″ and thought I knew more than every living soul about music. I used to say things like “I listen to the lyrics”, “you don’t get the meaning of that line” and other crap like that. As I tried to branch out as a song writer I began to find an appreciation for other things. I even spent a few months listening to only old country songs on the radio because I loved the simplicity and storytelling within those songs. I know, you think country lyrics are whack, but country musicians are not worried about having “dope bars”; they are into making good music.
As time went on I began to have less and less of an appreciation for “true” hip hop. I think part of it had to do with the hip hop head crowd. In all honesty 9 out of 10 of them are salty. They say things like “the radio sucks” or “he’s not a real spitter,” when critiquing todays popular artists. I think the other part of it was the repetitive nature of backpack music. I can only listen to Royce complain about having the best lyrics and not being on for so long. (Side note: Royce’s verse on “Lighters” is easily the most terrible piece of music on the radio today, and Ke$ha is on the radio…a lot.)
People grow and change and I moved on.
Artists like Lil B and Soulja Boy seem to be the easiest targets for the hip hop community. I knew about Lil B before he really blew up so it was entertaining to sit back and watch his career progress. I saw my normally rational hip hop friends losing their cool all over Facebook and Twitter—ranting about how wack Lil B really was. The best part about that to me is all they did was promote him. Seven out of 10 people you tell about your hatred for Lil B to will check him out. Out of that seven, five will hate Lil B as much as you and tell their friends about it (You see where this is going).
So I’m sure Lil B thanks you for ensuring he makes 20 grand a show.
(Editor’s Note: Swag.)
I’m not in any way trying to say that hip hop music is wack, but I’m not going to want to have sex with a hot chick less because she likes Katy Perry. In fact, liking Aesop Rock would be kind of a weird trait of a hot girl, but it also wouldn’t make me want to have sex with her less.
Not everyone likes hip hop music and that’s what hip hop heads need to understand. Drake and Lil Wayne appeal to the masses. They make catchy songs about things we can either relate to (like trust issues) or things we dream about having. Brother Ali makes music about his problems, his tribulations and his life. It’s really good music, but it appeals to less people. You can’t really say that one is better than the other. One has better bars and the other has more fans. Music, like all art, is a matter of taste and opinion, but you don’t hear Drake fans complaining about Brother Ali.
I guess what I’m trying to say is lighten up a bit. When I go to the club, I want to hear club music. B*tches don’t shake their asses to lyrics. I want the DJ to play the music that makes them shake their asses. I have a friend that literally does not like going to the club because of the music they play there. Like really bro? You’re going to pass up on being around drunk women because you have to hear T Pain tell you about strippers in auto tune. It’s okay to be opinionated, but in the world of music understand that hip hop heads are the landslide minority, and complaining is only going to turn people away from seeing things the way you do. Instead of telling me that Lil B sucks and making me think you’re a jackass, tell me how awesome Aesop Rock is, or whoever you are trying to convince me to like.
Okay, I think I’m feeling a lot better. So, don’t tell me P Diddy sucks, I already know his lyrics aren’t great, but I like him anyway, so who cares.
Let’s get this money, bad boy for life
Lv Out