X-Style you get a high 5 man that real talk. Its not enough to just be a rapper or an emcee and have absolutely no business sense. You'll get absolutely shitted on. And labels have a lot of shit to give. You gave me an idea for another topic.
yes sir i truly beleive hip-hop is dead and i think its our fault the record industry wouldn't push these artist to dell us this ignorance if we didn't buy it. but like my girl lauryn hill said we would rather live in fantasy than in reality. so if we want more visionaries in rap and less hollow words we need to buy more concess rappers.
Hip-Hop is not dead as long as creative artists continue to evolve it started in the seclusion of the streets and home studios, stop and record tape decks, one turntable and a pitch control will it die not as long as we decide it aint/ the underground and unrecognized is the real hip-hop shit any way fuck main stream and goofy ass media tactics, from street hip hop to knowledge hip hop to dance and progresive keep it movin Peacze!!!
"You know what's gonna happen with Hip-Hop?
Whatever's happening with us"
If we smoked out, Hip-Hop is gonna be smoked out
If we doin alright, Hip-Hop is gonna be doin alright
People talk about Hip-Hop like it's some giant livin in the hillside
comin down to visit the townspeople
We (are) Hip-Hop
Me, you, everybody, we are Hip-Hop
So Hip-Hop is goin where we goin
So the next time you ask yourself where Hip-Hop is goin
ask yourself.. where am I goin? How am I doin?
Til you get a clear idea"
- Mighty Mos Def - Fear Not Of Man - Black on Both Sides (Rawkus/Priority 1999)
I personally don't think Hip-Hop is dead, but I can understand the reasoning why Nas would say that. Keep in mind that as far as people who don't really know hip hop, or for lack of a better word, the mainstream, who think hip-hop is what ever gets radio play and/or what videos make 106 and park. I feel the comment is directed towards those people who don't know any better. So what Nas is saying is that what they think is hip-hop is not, and that for what they are seeing (the limited commercial stuff), hip-hop is dead. I hope I said that right. Anywho, according to the lyrics, he is saying we need to bring it back to life by promoting more real lyrics and emcees to the forefront. My opinio anyway
