Is "What They Do" the most pretentious Hip Hop song of all time?

[UpAndComing]

Yep.

Nas would’ve Ethered Thought though. He never really fukked with the Roots like that and sonned Questlove so bad back in 96 that he still hasn’t gotten over it

How, what happened?

 

[Gritsngravy]

Honestly who really gives a fukk, the beauty of hip hop is you can listen to whatever you like, rather you a junkie, true to the game hoe, anti establishment , or pro establishment

And I guess at that time some dudes really felt the way the roots felt, y’all can shyt on I used to love her but that’s one of the best songs ever in the history of rap and will live on forever because the message actually meant something, if it didn’t nobody would even care and cube wouldn’t had made a diss record

 

[GunRanger]

1:25 always makes me laugh. He says dumb motherfukkers with so much anger

 

[Art Barr]

Common had that line in I Used to Love H.E.R

"I was offended she was with the boyz in the hood"

Back in the day.

gangstas did not used to listen to rap.

they did not even wear designer jeans like Giraud in the new school way of thought.
As more and norms make gamgst anything taboo in hiphop.

Gangstas do not like hiphop frfr and resent hiphop culture to be real.

The only people fooled are the consumers of the communications act, oversaturation of playlist method and universal viacom gateway generation.



Art Barr

 

[Bolzmark]

working with Jay z 6 years later is what the issue is

Why was that an issue?

 

[Cladyclad]

Why was that an issue?

No issue. Nas fans still hate the roots for working with Jay Z on Unplugged. Something that took place 23 years ago.

Go on the first page and see the post that got the most daps lol

 

[Bolzmark]

The Roots will drop songs like this in the 90’s then Questlove would spend the 00’s sucking Jiggas dikk

I don't consider that a contradiction. I always considered the song to be more about rappers on some fake sh!t with those images in their music trying to sell records. Rappin about a lifestyle they do not live. Jigga was really living that lifestyle tho. That has pretty much been confirmed, even by his detractors (Dehaven, Calvin Klein). If they wanted to criticize the lifestyle that's one thing. But to criticize a rapper about his raps that are accurately describing his life don't make much sense to me.

 

[FunkDoc1112]

Art Barr's hatred of The Roots is so fukking random

Then again that nikka probably thinks having actual instruments is "non-cultural" or some bullshyt

 

[FunkDoc1112]

The Roots were 100% right about where Hip-Hop was headed, though. 95/96 despite being a creative peak was when the corporations really started to takeover and the cookie-cutter "Big Willie style" began its grip that took rap away from its roots. There were other factors at hand too, of course - the 96 Telecommunications Act being a big one. But still. You can point to a lot of shyt that went wrong over the past 25 years to shyt that took shape in 95 and 96. Some just didn't see it at the time.

 

[ABlackMan]

It just seems like alot of alternative Hip Hop groups gave off this vibe


I think A Tribe Called Quest and Common might be the only in this genre to put out pure music and never lifted their nose up at other types of Hip Hop


Not gonna lie though, this Roots songs bumps, amazing production

This shyt so cold man. I gotta make a new playlist for the whip. That feel good smooth chill shyt. Can play this and fall asleep or parlay with the bros, talk shyt witcha lady. Play PlayStation. All type of stuff

 

[JustCKing]

Back when hip hop still had artistic integrity
Now it really is all contractual and about money making

LOL. This song was created because The Roots were seeing a lack of artistic integrity during that era. This song wasn't a prophetic vision of the future. This was their view of Hip Hop at the time.

 

[JustCKing]

And this dropped the same year, with the same message as "What They Do". Even has the same feel and vibe:



Difference is they approached the same message with a much less condescending delivery. Both songs are classics though.

 

[Dynamite James]

This shyt so cold man. I gotta make a new playlist for the whip. That feel good smooth chill shyt. Can play this and fall asleep or parlay with the bros, talk shyt witcha lady. Play PlayStation. All type of stuff

Add this to your playlist

 

[FunkDoc1112]

That wasn’t Redmans house?

It was Redman's house. That's what made it so special - he refused to use a rental like everybody else and presented his actual dusty ass house

 

[Shadow King]

This is why I can't stand Quest tbh. I strongly dislike that hip hop elitist bs because they were hating on the south especially when they were producing perennial artists and groups like Scarface, Goodie Mob, Outkast etc. I love some of the records that were posted in here like Stakes is High but in retrospect when looking at the true DECLINE of the genre from the last few years them guys doing those songs in the heat of a prime era is wild CORNY. If your brand of rap is sooo much better make timeless records and stop complaining. This is exactly why most of those MCs met a major decline for a while during that period.

You can only do this in retrospect and make a juxtaposition between then and the wasteland that exists now.

Rappers were still required to be skilled in the mid-90s but the art was being heavily commercialized and trend-driven. It took time to develop but The Roots and De La ended up correct.

And they didn't decline after or because of making those records either, Roots enjoyed more popularity later while De La was on year 8 which is a great longevity marker for rap groups.