I’m very disappointed. The quality of real artists has decreased – severely. I’m not just talking about in the rap game, but in R&B as well. It seems as if people come out with a one-hit wonder and disappear.”Some may call me a hater, but I just may be. But there’s a million other cats who feel just like me,” said one-hit wonder Big Sty. That may be the sentiment you are feeling, but it’s true. There are a lot of people who feel the rap game is just saturated with – for lack of a better word – crap.
Let’s look at it this way. Nowadays, people make one good hit. For example, I do not expect to see Soulja Boy drop another hit. Plies’ CD sucked, so another song from him would falter. Cherish dropped a hit and pulled a Destiny’s Child.
Granted, people have to do what’s necessary to make money, but come on now. Let’s have a little respect about the music game these days. Maybe I’m just too old-fashioned.
I remember when music used to mean more than shake your booty until it hurts. It used to mean more than lay your body down on my sheets and let’s get busy. Music used to be about telling a story that no one else really knew.
Nowadays, it’s the same story being told over and over and over. People came up to me after I rated 50 Cent’s Curtis garbage, wondering why I did it. How many times must I hear about you killing people before I get it in my head that you’ll do it? How many times must you talk about how rich you are throughout an entire song?
I’m a college graduate. I don’t need to degrade my education with a whole bunch of crap. Crap begets crap . or at least that’s what I was taught. Maybe that thinking isn’t in place anymore. Maybe the thinking is produce crap, remix it with crap and deliver it again as crap.
This is why I miss those old school artists like Lauryn Hill, Johnnie Taylor, Mel Waiters, The Temptations, etc. Those artists at least told a story with their music. Their music was deeper than it appeared. Since I like to think critically, I like to listen to some music that challenges me.
There are some flashes of that old school in today’s music. Andre 3000, Eminem (at times), Common, Jay-Z, etc., do make you think sometimes. Maybe if people modeled themselves after those artists when they are thinking deeply, then the world would be a better place.
But then again, what do I know? I’m just a student .