Music

Now hear this: First chivalry and now hip-hop?

by Alexandra Pauline

Thursday February 15, 2007

Well Common “Used to Love H.E.R,” and according to Kanye’s new album “Graduation (set release 2007)” he still loves H.E.R., but unfortunately the self proclaimed God’s son himself has set out on global campaign to tell the world that our beloved hip-hop is in fact…dead!

No if anyone were to know whether our dearly departed had actually left us high and dry it would be the infamous king of Queensbridge known Nas; who has served as on of the Queens, New York’s many gifts to the genre dating back 1991. In 1994 when his debut album Illmatic dropped I can still remember listening ti “The World Is Yours” on the radio, as it was accompanied by other hip-hop heyday classics like The Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By” and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Electric Relaxation.” And like Nas himself I too lament and wonder where these days before whips, rims and hos reigned supreme in the cipher have gone, and why?

This veteran stands strong in his convictions of H.E.R. death in his thirteenth album, “Hip-Hop is Dead (December 2006).” I initially thought that he was referring to the death of originality in the hip-hop world, after listening and noticing that a whopping nine out of sixteen songs are samples of everyone from Nat King Cole to Steve Miller Band, to Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida…” again, it dawned on me that what Nas is trying to tell us is that originality goes beyond beats hooks and sounds. According to an interview with British radio show, “Westwood” Nas said, “Hip-hop is dead because we as artists no longer have the power.” This prophetic statement shows how the problem is actually much deeper than originality. It has more to do with the fact that many artists are co-operations created caricatures of what the suits think will sell well to the public to make money for them, and subsequently the artists. Nas is here attempting to criticize what is wrong with the industry through his art. “Hip-hop is Dead” is brilliant, if for nothing else because of this attempt to critique the hip-hop game for what it really is…a game.

I have nothing but the utmost respect for a seasoned businessman who will risk album sales for a message this important: to move on from this rut of commercialization of hip-hop a look a music’s history is imperative to a resurrection of the genre. Hence sampling in this situation doesn’t just to make for a hot sound, but it too is a part of the message. Between addressing the modern day slavery that runs rampant through the hip-hop would today, to the responsibility of the rapper, to the dichotomy of money over substance, to paying homage to the greats of yesteryear, “Hip-Hop is Dead” is necessity for every music lover. So go out, “cop dat,” and do your part to keep H.E.R. alive!

Now Hear These!

1. “Black Republican”
2. “Blunt Ashes”
3. “Can’t Forget About You”