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

[Ku$h Parker]

I thought if anybody got dissed by Common it was Onyx & Das Efx....Cube and Mack definitely jumped out that Window too hard that time

 

[FunkDoc1112]

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.

What makes it a contradiction wasn't the supposed fraudelence, but that Jay-Z was one of the biggest culprits of commodifying the genre and selling out. Everything that ?uestlove complains passionately about, Jay was one the flag bearers; Jay just happened to be really fukking talented too.

 

[Rell84shots]

I think it's interesting that roots dropped this and de la dropped stakes is high in what I consider the best year ever in hip hop album wise lol. I keep this in mind whenever I wanna call the current gen of music ass. oldheads were calling my favorite music ass too

The old heads back then were hating, I'm 100% sure the music put out now will have zero lasting power.

 

[YakSpiller]

strongly dislike that hip hop elitist bs because they were hating on the south

Questlove/The Roots never hated on any of the artists you posted.

 

[Braman]

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,

Your whole post sounds suspect. How old are you, where you from, what’s your race, what year did you start to listening to hip hop….bc why are you talking down on ‘alternative’ hip hop. Sound like an outsider breh

 

[ABlackMan]

Add this to your playlist

First dude sound like Mase lol I know Brand Nubian but never listened to they albums. Bout to get on fasho

 

[ShaDynasty]

It was pretentious but theres a crazy amount of underground rap songs saying the exact same stuff about mainstream Hip Hop.

I think theres always going to be valid things to criticize about Hip Hop. But also this was just a song, and its a really smooth song with broad appeal that you could play in almost any setting. A few years later they started doing even more commercial songs like You Got Me, that one with the Rolling Stones sounding beat etc and living the Jay-Z, Jimmy Fallon celebrity party life. I'm not even saying that was wrong for them, but it was their decision so yeah hypocrisy. All that "keep it real" shyt turned out to be just another trend just like the shyt it was criticizing.

At the same time, Hip Hop became more and more saturated with bullshyt until it completely hit rock bottom by the mid 2000s. Roots for the most part were at least able to make good music during that period. Even then they had a few pandering shytty moments where they were just trying to read the room in that era, shyt that they never would have made in 96.

 

[FunkDoc1112]

Questlove/The Roots never hated on any of the artists you posted.

Yeah I don't what that nikka was talking about lmao the biggest targets of those videos were Bad Boy and Death Row.

 

[FunkDoc1112]

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.

Stakes Is High and What They Do were aimed at Bad Boy and Death Row and that whole extravagant gangsta aesthetic, not the south. Bad Boy was pretty much public enemy #1 to backpackers in the mid-90s. The south had nothing to do with that

 

[Dynamite James]

I always felt J Cole had a catalogue full of pretentious records

 

[jshani]

First dude sound like Mase lol I know Brand Nubian but never listened to they albums. Bout to get on fasho

Breh...if you dont put some respect on Grand Puba's name

 

[BigTyme Records]

You know what’s wild? The “wack”shyt they were talking about……..absolutely SHYTS on todays rap. And it’s not even close

 

[Ku$h Parker]

A few years later they started doing even more commercial songs like You Got Me, that one with the Rolling Stones sounding beat etc and living the Jay-Z, Jimmy Fallon celebrity party life. I'm not even saying that was wrong for them, but it was their decision so yeah hypocrisy. All that "keep it real" shyt turned out to be just another trend just like the shyt it was criticizing.

I mean its either level up to where New Doors are opened up for You or just continue languishing in the Streets of South Philly in the name of being 'underrated'

 

[Bolzmark]

What makes it a contradiction wasn't the supposed fraudelence, but that Jay-Z was one of the biggest culprits of commodifying the genre and selling out. Everything that ?uestlove complains passionately about, Jay was one the flag bearers; Jay just happened to be really fukking talented too.

What in your opinion did he do to “sell out”? Wouldn’t you agree he has been a major player in calling out the music industry and helping artists get better compensation?

 

[spliz]

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

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

“I wasn’t salty she was with the Boyz In The Hood..”