Why are nigggas like J.Cole considered "Conscious" rappers?

[Wacky D]

against the grain appeal
neo-soul or neo-soulish vibes

as long as you have that, all you have to do is keep a few "conscious" lines on deck and you will get grouped in as a conscious rapper. and you will reap the benefits of it, by having everything you drop be void of criticism by the general public.

 

[Formerly Black Trash]

Don't nobody give a fukk bout that shyt u talkin about

 

[GrindtooFilthy]

the only rappers that i still consider conscious rappers are ab-soul, the underachievers, jay elec, and killah priest

 

[ISO]

Cole has conscious songs and pro-black messages in his music...

You don't gotta be a hotep wearing a kufi to be conscious. Also, that 5%, stuff died out in the 90's...

Kendrick Lamar is the epitome of a conscious artist and is great conceptually. Wale talks a ton about black women being queens, black love, and uplifts black women and has dark skinned vixens as the center piece of his videos.

Kanye at first was conscious he kinda sorta still is. Dude came out with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Consequence. Had songs like All Falls Down and Diamonds in Sierra Leone. He mixed backpack, conscious rap with pop sensibilities.

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

I can't consider someone a conscious rapper if they curse a lot... that's just me.

 

[Professor Polo]

OP is retarted....blame that on the dumb fans, not the artists.

 

[Sauce Dab]

Eh...seems like the agenda of this thread is another those miserable 'lets create a circle jerk against the current generation, while romanticizing the past' type deals. I love the 90s and all, but I dont want to be stuck in it like a lot of y'all are determined to be.

More to the OP's point, I think he's confusing overtly political and 'militant' with "conscious". Conscious is sort of loosely defined, but to me its more about raising issues that relate to the average black listener in thoughtful and meaningful ways. It doesnt have to mean bludgeoning the listener over the head with 'I hate white people' talk every other bar.

To that point, I think Cole is more in the vein of "conscious" rappers like De La, Heiro, Outkast, Tribe, etc who rapped about relatable shyt with insight, but didnt act like sheltered, bookworm dweebs either. They all rapped about fukkin hoes, getting into shyt with nikkas, getting high, etc.

At any rate, hip hop is a business. A lot of "conscious" rappers got pigeonholed as nerds, and Im sure today's rappers have been "conscious" of that, and have been wise in balancing their music with more accessible themes in order to maximize their marketability.

the coli in a nutshell

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

These dudes get branded as conscious when they're really not

 

[Taadow]

Perhaps Fugee-la wasn't the best example, but for you to imply Fugees aren't conscious is ridiculous.

Bruh...i'm waiting...

what was "conscious" about the Fugees?

 

[Black_Panther_JS]

You really saying Kendrick isn't conscious

 

[LEEeveryday]

I think introspection is conscious....

 

[Rarebird77]

Lol at j Cole being art. Lol

It's art 'cuz he's talkin bout his feeeelings. .. . .lol

 

[Rarebird77]

You really saying Kendrick isn't conscious

"Blacker than the heart of an Aryan"

That's deep to me.

 

[blackslash]

Kdot is sorts conscious

Cole isnt

Thats just that roc nation marketing that ppl get okie doked by

 

[RhymesWell]

Bless you for posting Nature of The Threat