The Miseducation of Hip Hop Music

Kiss the better days of rap music goodbye. Seems anybody capable of putting together a rhyme gets the radio station salute and a record contract, whereas some of the most prolific lyricists and educators are tossed to the side. But what IS accepted is the usual persona that is used against its listeners.

Nowadays the record contracts and radio play is reserved for the same type of music that the rap game is criticized for: Unrealistic and unoriginal intent, drugs, violence, sex & lyrics which don't make half sense. There's no median for the profound artist who's looking to garner attention thru the use of his vocabulary and knowledge. Yet, the controversial artist is glorified for the same reasons they once seek to ban rap music. Music videos aren't any different either. Most of the videos today have beautiful background dancers wearing virtually nothing as they get in tune. Just as lyrics are turned away, the originality in music videos is no longer apparent.

There's an apparent conspiracy as Hip-hop is geared to misdirect and mislead it's young followers of today, particulary the African-American listeners who listen to the bulk of it. For those who do complain about the lyrics and its content, complain at the record executives and radio stations for feeding into the trend that's gotten us off track. Complain to them for allowing it to come thru and continuing to promote it. We're probably the only genre of music that actually accepts calling our own derogatory names and keeping our sisters out of their clothes for music video shoots.

In the majority of today's Hip Hop mindset, there is less originality and more focus on making money. For those who do gain a record contract, the artist is exploited and his/her creative ideas are shelved. Instead, executives push them into a more commercialized musician or artist - baring less of their own ideas and taste in music. The artist is encouraged to "play to the crowd" instead of playing from the heart and soul which got them to the dance in the first place. Under contract, the artist has no choice but to follow the guidelines of the executives.

Getting in the game

Throughout the years, hip-hop has had a severe impact on its followers. Nowadays to get a record contract - most rappers are crossing over to the other side and following the new style & trend of music instead of defending what was once theirs. In the end of all this, you have to wonder where rap music will be in the next 7 to 10 years when the last few down to earth artists we have are own their way out. As for those who continue to glorify today's new era of hip-hop will keep shaking it in the club, bobbing their head to the beat without even processing the words.