What is Hip-Hop?

I was having a conversation with this girl on Myspace, bc she said that she loved all types of music except hip-hop...stating that hip-hop was nothing but gangsta talk, commercialism, and degrading women. I told her that the bs she was hearing was not hip-hop at all, & it was sad to me that Teena Maria on "Square Biz" & "Losing my Way" by JT sounded more like Hip-hop than the majority of the stuff on the radio. So I told her I'd make a list of music for her to check out that best defines hip-hop. I'm doing every category too...not just straight Mcing, but "Best hip-hop love song", "best hip-hop dance song", "Most controversial", etc. Could use some help from people. Then I started looking online to try to look at other hip-hop lists to see if I could find some that I didn't remember off the top of my head, and I came across this:

http://stereogum.com/archives/vh1s-100-greatest-hiphop-songs_024391.html

It's VH1's Top 100 hip-hop songs, and I was like "Wtf!!!!! the majority of these songs aren't even hip-hop!!!" See the way I see it, Rap is the label for the whole genre of music, and inside of rap, you have sub-categories, like: Hip-Hop, Gangsta Rap, Ringtone Rap, Bubblegum rap, and Nerd Hop. Hip-Hop would be something like "End to End Burners" by Company Flow, Gangsta Rap for an Example would be like that "I'ma kill you...I ain't Playin" song by 50 Cent. It's basically all of the gratuitous shoot em up/Gangsta/hustler songs, which seem very popular today.

Let me digress for a second and talk about Gangsta Rap. The thing that I don't understand is, a lot of the rappers who are producing songs in this genre today have actual rhyming talent, and it's completely wasted. When I was growing up, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Dr. Dre's "The Chronic". My Uncle tried to get it for me as a Christmas present, but my mom wouldn't allow it. At first I couldn't understand it, but as I grew older, I began to understand how damaging that type of music is. It's a touchy subject, because everyone has a right to free speech and to say or make whatever the Hell they want to make, but I'm sure people see the effects that Gangsta rap has had on the urban community. It's one of my problems with Tupac and Biggie, though I know what I'm about to say next might be pretty unpopular. Take for example Tupac. The guy has all the talent in the world. Delivery, Wordplay, and is really a poet. He'd put out songs like “Until the End of Time”, “Dear Momma” “So Many Tears” “Keep Ya Head Up” which are hip-hop at its finest, and then he'd go and do the gratuitous shoot em ups. I understand growing up in certain enviroments makes certain aspects a part of your mindset and life, but it's one thing to talk about what you've been through and what you've done, like Styles P has done on some tracks. That is Hip-Hop. It's another thing entirely to glamorize Gangsta life. I grew up in North Philly around a bunch of shit...people getting shot and killed, people selling drugs, people going to jail...none of that is good or should be glamorized. People may not want to admit it, but the NWA, Tupac and Biggie era spawned a ton of copycats...those figures are absolute ICONS in the urban community, along with, of course, Movie Scarface. And since they came and completely changed the landscape of rap, things have gotten progressively worse. Now we have people like 50 Cent. This is my problem with him. He's another person who I believe has actual rhyming talent, and I also think he's a good business man...which is one of the reasons why I don't understand why he hasn't grown as an artist. If you look at every album that 50 Cent of G-Unit has put out, he's trying to recreate his first album. All of the songs are exactly the same. If I hear 50 is coming out with an album, I'll automatically go in my head "Ok well, there's gonna be some shoot em up gangsta songs, probably a beef track, a couple club tracks, more than likely degrading women, and some hustler tracks. Every. Single. Album. A friend of mine (Brandon V. what's up) once stated it perfectly...he said "50's doing positive things with his life now like selling Vitamin water and he has a clothing line. Why hasn't his music changed or grown at all?" It just seems like rappers get stuck in this stupid box where there are only like 4 subjects, not realizing that outside of that box, there are about a million other things to talk about. And THAT, my friends, is my problem with Gangsta rap. The worst thing about it is, it has such an appeal. I remember when I was younger, growing up in the environment, I used to like listening to angry shit because I was angry...and everybody secretly wants to be tough. The music pumps your chest up. Combine that with some nice beats and its enough to brainwash a young mind into thinking stupidly. I just wish when rappers were going to make music, they'd put some thought into the consequences behind what they say.

Anyway, back on subject lol, Ringtone rap is rap that has more lyrics in the chorus than it does in the actual verse, like Soulja Boy's "Turn My Swag On". That song is unintentionally hilarious haha I listen to it sometimes when I need a pick me up...it's so dumb you can't help but laugh. Bubblegum Rap would be like the radio songs that are kind of poppish that aren't degrading or defamatory in any way...nothing wrong with it or having a good time and dancing, it's just not Hip-hop. A good example would be the recent Black Eyed Peas stuff....their older stuff was hip-hop, even the radio ready-tunes like "Hot". Nerd Hop is like some the Kanye West, Pharrell, and some of the Lupe stuff. It's kind of like a sub-category of hip-hop...like Paranoid by Kanye West, or Universal Mind Control by Common. That song's kinda R&B, but it's rhyming and Storytelling too. Then there's also the radio ready stuff that is degrading, like "Every Girl" by Lil Wayne and Co. which is very catchy, but very very ignorant hahaha. Anyways, that's how I tend to seperate Rap into Categories, but the purpose of this blog is for anyone who is trying to discover what REAL HIP-HOP is. To paraphrase KRS ONE, "Rappers say rhymes that are mostly illegal...MC's spit rhymes to uplift there people". Here's a list that I'm putting together that I'll be constantly updating when I remember songs, or if someone reminds me up songs that should be put up:

*General (Dope Hip-Hop Songs): Check the Rhime by Tribe Called Quest, Fu-Gee-La by the Fugees, Rosa Parks by OutKast, Definition by Blackstar, If I Ruled The World by Nas, The Roots - "What they Do", Ms. Fat Booty by Mos Def
*Best Dance: Superstar by K-0s
*Most Controversial: Tell the Truth by Immortal Technique, American Terrorist by Lupe Fiasco, "Cleaning Out My Closet" by Eminem
*Raw Hip-Hop: Layered Prayers by Canibus, End to End Burners by Company Flow, Hip-Hop by Dead Prez, Benzi Box by MF DOOM, Danger Mouse, and Cee-Lo, Mic Mastery by 7L & Esoteric,
*Best Love Songs: Passin' Me By by Pharcyde, You got me by The Roots f/ Erykah Badu, Sunshine by Lupe Fiasco, PM Dawn - "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss"
*Most Thought Provocative: Eat to Live by Talib Kweli, I used to love her by Common, Intruder Alert by Lupe Fiasco, Streets on Fire by Lupe Fiasco, Respiration by Blackstar f/ Common, Dance with the Devil by Immortal Technique
*Best Old School: Rock Box by Run DMC, Sucka MC's by Run DMC, "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y) by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Paul Revere by the Beastie Boys, "Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang, Planet Roc by Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force, Rock the Bells by LL Cool J, The Breaks by Kurtis Blow, LL Cool J – My Radio
De La Soul - "Me, Myself, And I", Mona Lisa - Slick Rick, Funny: Biz Markie - "Just A Friend"
Whodini - "Freaks Come Out at Night"
*Best Swag Songs: I got it Made by Special ED, Gold Watch by Lupe Fiasco
*Best Storytelling: Ladi da di by Slick Rick and Dougie Fresh, Kick Push I & II by Lupe Fiasco, Stan by Eminem
*Most Poetic: Trying to Find a Balance by Atmosphere, Poet Laureate II by Canibus
*Most Uplifting: A Dream by Common f/ Will.I.AM, Young Man by Cee-Lo, I Can by Nas
*Best Battle Tracks: Bitch in You by Common, 2nd Round Knockout by Canibus
*Best Alternative Collabs: Day Dreamin' by Lupe Fiasco & Jill Scott, US Placers by Child Rebel Soldier f/ Thom Yorke of Radiohead,
*Tupac: “Until the End of Time”, “Dear Momma” “So Many Tears” “Keep Ya Head Up”
*Outkast: "Elevators", "Rosa Parks", "Ms. Jackson"

Anddddd I'm Spent lol. I'll add more later. I'll have to add some choice Biggie tracks that I feel are representative of Hip-hop...I'll also have to throw some Chino XL and a lot of others in there. This is just one sitting hahaha Peace. I'd appreciate some help actually lol

Alloyius McIlwaine
Cultures Clothing Co.