REAL TALK: When Did Hip-Hop Get So Lazy?

[Kingshango]

Right around the time this dropped:


So 2005/2006 ish

 

[Redwood]

after puffy started rapping in the late 90s

Came in to say this. He was solely responsible for ushering in the "jiggy" era of hip-hop. The only good news is that other artists (such as OutKast, Goodie Mob, Ghostface Killah, etc.) stayed true to the game.

 

[Peter Parker]

Don't front on my mans Earl, his album is called I Don't Like shyt, I Don't Go Outside, it's meant to have a depressed tone to it, it goes along with the theme of the album, plus MF DOOM is probably his #1 influence so the lazy slurry flow is kind of embedded into his style

 

[Insensitive]

Modern-day hiphop is purposely kept at a 6-grade level. Grown men are aiming to make music for 12-13 year olds

This is probably gonna blow your mind breh
but the vast majority of popular music is targeting children
and teenagers.

 

[A Tribe Called Quest ™]

Old heads can't enjoy their lives

 

[mortuus est]

listen to retchy p and dash if u want bars

even action bronson got bars, ab soul too

 

[just my thoughts]

Once criticism was no longer allowed. Think about it. Everything is hate if you don't run with the masses. Nobody can tell a story worth telling. Everyone fukking your bytch. New whips and have all the money. No diversity because criticism is not allowed.

 

[facebook]

when trap became mainstream

 

[DrHackenbush]

I can support some of your points. I think part of the problem is TEMPO. The beats are so slow now, so the rapper doesn't have to rap at the pace they did in the 90's or early 2000's. Golden Age Hip Hop usually ran from 80-95 bpm (or 160-190). Nowadays, beats can be as slow as 50, and average at about 60-70. The lyrics CAN be lazy, definitely. To call the producers lazy though? That's not really fair. Some of the beats being made are very layered, and it's way less sample based. Arguably harder to make than a good sample-based beat.

I agree though, I was underwhelmed by Vince's new album, even though some songs I definitely liked, particularly Lift Me Up. Earl's new album was pretty much trash save a few songs. I almost think that Hip-Hop is in a "glam era", like rock was in the 80s. We're all waiting for a new, improved sound with classic Hip Hop in it. I don't count people like Joey Badass, who are really not doing anything new.

100%..rappers just talk over beats nowadays, I can hardly tell the difference between verses and hooks

 

[just my thoughts]

Street rappers don't even sound like their from the street. Just all flash and bullshyt stories.

 

[DrHackenbush]

Once criticism was no longer allowed. Think about it. Everything is hate if you don't run with the masses. Nobody can tell a story worth telling. Everyone fukking your bytch. New whips and have all the money. No diversity because criticism is not allowed.

Yeah this is so true as well...rappers get away with this stupid shyt because no one wants to be labelled a hater. I grew up on hip hop and I got wisdom and knowledge from it, this new shyt has no substance. How can these dudes even relate to these rappers talking about chains and cars when they're broke themselves

 

[The_King_of_Everything]

When business was incorporated into the art it watered down the art.

There's a whole generation of producers execs and artist you could blame to be honest.

 

[keon]

To be honest...hiphop has always been lazy to a degree..the origins of it, as well as the majority of classic hiphop songs are based on sampling other genres of music

 

[CHERUB]

When laffy Taffy took off. Thats when hiphop had a heart attack that very day. Its been hard but it took a lot just to get it back functional. Hiphop is tired

 

[YeLovesBoston]

Mainstream got lyricism and storytellers again

Lots of creative independent/underground artists I notice that don't get mentioned enough. I like the diversity today than the diversity in the 90s tbh.