Can an argument be made that todays rappers are more talented than "golden era" rappers??

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

No, because being marketable is not about progression...see I already know where some people will head with this. Like Rakim was supposed to switch up his sound or "progress" by ultimately not being himself just to "keep up" with what the music industry was selling.

The growth rate of Hip Hop from Ra's prime til the mid 90's was like watching new technology take off and change the world in a few years. You had regional acts, more marketing dollars, less control in the hands of the people. That's not a skill deficiency or lack of quality. That's Hip Hop growing exponentially partly due to what he put down until it became a global phenomenon controlled by corporate interests.

Breh PE were controlled by corporate interests. NWA was controlled by corporate interests. Def Jam was controlled by corporate interests. The idea that commercialized rap in any form was not just isn't true.

And Rakim got left behind because he couldn't advance his sound, period. No disrespect to him. But compare him to rappers who had solid 15-20 year runs. Many of them stayed relevant without going Flo Rida corny. And high key Rakim never had broad appeal to begin with.

Truthfully what it comes down to is rappers today are much better song writers than rappers from back in the day. Its not just bars and cadence and picking beats anymore. It's hooks, it's adlibs, its arrangement, it's harmonics- even without singing, the way rappers choose to layer vocals and vary vocal inflection within those layers, etc rappers use a lot more of the musical tools they can deploy on songs than they used to. Admittedly this has come with a backslide in lyricism and all that, but for most people that's just a piece and not everything.

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Bone is an exception and are rarely herald when 90s heads romanticize about the golden era.

Bone was so ahead of their time that they appealed to the south more than Biggie, pac, Wu tang, Nas, Mobb Deep ever did and thats because of their musicality which is what the OP is talking about

Nelly too

High key he birthed the whole current sound But he could still rap. 50 too

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

They are better at making music that women can ride out and vibe too.

The golden era artist had no need to appeal to this demographic because R&B was big at that time.

No swipes to women but I think that's a bad thing. Women aren't the only ones who appreciate musicality, and women seem to prefer more mainstream shyt. Someone like Max B or Young Thug is preferable to me as they bring musicality into their craft while still maintaining an edge.

 

[Henri Christophe]

Truthfully what it comes down to is rappers today are much better song writers than rappers from back in the day. Its not just bars and cadence and picking beats anymore. It's hooks, it's adlibs, its arrangement, it's harmonics- even without singing, the way rappers choose to layer vocals and vary vocal inflection within those layers, etc rappers use a lot more of the musical tools they can deploy on songs than they used to. Admittedly this has come with a backslide in lyricism and all that, but for most people that's just a piece and not everything.

end thread.

 

[mobbinfms]

definitely werent as musical in terms of melodies or crafting new flows

Flows in the 90s >>>

 

[mobbinfms]

I know the whole "shyt on everything new and romanticize the past" thing is a popular stance here, but I do think rappers nowadays are a hair more dynamic. It's painful to say, but rap is a lot more dynamic now musically, with all the adlibs, singing, different flows etc. There has been progression too.

Rapping is not singing. Rapping does not become more dynamic with singing. It becomes singing.

 

[mobbinfms]

harsh realities bro.... they had to sample hit records and get females forreal... them nikkas had zero musical value.... they were just poets honestly, not artists or musicians

Sampling is musical.
I don't think you understand what hip hop is.

 

[mobbinfms]

Breh PE were controlled by corporate interests

Explain how that control worked.

 

[mobbinfms]

The idea that commercialized rap in any form was not just isn't true.

A&Rs in the 90s were far less involved.

 

[mobbinfms]

And Rakim got left behind because he couldn't advance his sound, period. No disrespect to him. But compare him to rappers who had solid 15-20 year runs. Many of them stayed relevant without going Flo Rida corny. And high key Rakim never had broad appeal to begin

Rappers who stick around for 15-20 years are usually propped up to a certain degree. Hip hop was different back then. The shelf life was just shorter.

 

[mobbinfms]

No swipes to women but I think that's a bad thing. Women aren't the only ones who appreciate musicality, and women seem to prefer more mainstream shyt. Someone like Max B or Young Thug is preferable to me as they bring musicality into their craft while still maintaining an edge.

Young Thug is garbage.

 

[Henri Christophe]

Sampling is musical.
I don't think you understand what hip hop is.

I love the golden era... I'm just sayin, them nikkas were lacking in certain areas. They weren't these god level musicians and song writers that we claim them to be.... and you're talking to someone who was a snob and hated all the new shyt a few years ago.... but I'm just being honest.


that era was closer to poetry...

this era is closer to musicality & song writing & melody... you know, the three things that almost all forms of recorded music is based on globally....

 

[Ol’Otis]

shut the fukk up

on pie-rooooooooo!


we need to start banning muthafukkas from the booth

 

[mobbinfms]

love the golden era... I'm just sayin, them nikkas were lacking in certain areas. They weren't these god level musicians and song writers that we claim them to be....

I hear you. But they were rappers. You're criticizing them for something they weren't trying to do and that isn't even part of hip hop (singing).
The mumble singing shyt shouldn't be classified as hip hop. Not to say it's wack (I think it is, but that's not the point here) but that it's just something different. And honestly the fact that it's being forced in with hip hop and thus we are being forced to compare it to Rakim and G Rap takes away from it.

 

[Ol’Otis]

song writing

they literally say the same thing over and over again