HIP HOP: State of Emergency

Is it just me or the caliber of Hip Hop music is slowly declining from the stagnant plateau Jay-z and his generation created? Do y'all feel bad for the children just as much as I do when you listen to the radio? S. M. H.

The market's saturated with the same sound, copycat artists, same message. The times we are in are electric! We have a black President of the United States, banks are crashing globally, and the poverty level in the world is rising (heck, even the rich are getting poor). Not to mention that there is a dynamic power shift going on. Have we forgotten Hip Hop is a social outlet and not just made for mind-numbing entertainment?

We need to be in the forefront of all this change. The Hip Hop community cannot rely on major corporations like labels and media outlets to lead its growth. They are just supposed to reflect the growth. WE make Hip Hop grow.

The caliber of Hip Hop music and its content reflects the state of Hip Hop culture.

Simpleton lyrics and non-relatable topics command the forefront of the game.

(Really, you're gonna tell me a majority of people know what it's like to sell crack? And please, don't tell me you're going to steal me from my man. Real women will take offense. In this recession, do I really want to hear how much money you have? Sounds like a mark for a jook to me.)

Let me pose a few questions. Maybe together, with all our brain power, we can spark some positive change.

• Are you tired of songs that make you feel like your IQ is receding?
• Doesn't it make you feel weird when a violent/sexually explicit song comes on and a 5 year old knows ALL THE WORDS to it?
• When was the last time you heard a Hip Hop song (not playing on our old school Pandora station) that you learned something from?
• Or a song that was multigenerationally appropriate (a song that doesn't offend your granny, your daddy, and your little baby)?

I know that Hip Hop is supposed to reflect the streets and it is an art form to help express people's environments.

But really, **enter rapper here** is no Langston Hughes.
Our modern poets no longer paint vivid imagery that captivate our imagination.
Another S.M.H.

Hip Hop lovers have grown up. I know I have.
Are we subjected to mainstream redundancy?
Can people *ahem - major labels* that only see Hip Hop as a capitalistic venture tell us what's quality and what isn't?
Idealistically, I'd like to say NO to those questions.
Does reality say otherwise?