Where is the Heart of Hip-Hop?

When we think of movements, we think of progress. Hip hop was a movement that created an avenue for young men and women to speak their mind about issues that mattered the most to them. It spoke about love, hate, politics, oppression, depression and the like. These days, hip hop has turned into a money making giant that spreads marketing around faster than the speed of light. Where did hip hop go?

Browse iTunes for thirty seconds, the hip hop tracks that will stand out are the ones that highlight a certain style of clothing, type of car or income bracket that one lives for. Google 'hip hop' and you will find stories of rappers getting arrested or released. One fallen artist that still inspires a hope for hip hop is Tupac. Imagine the emotions that can be felt when listening to one of his tracks. Keep Ya Head Up was one track that made women everywhere stand up and feel the passion that Tupac felt when he said "Since a man can't make one, he has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one." What a contrast to the track with which it's lyrics would make you cringe call Hit Em Up. No matter how vile Tupac's hip hop lyrics could seem, he always offered something else for his listeners. Perhaps this is why his music lives on through time. No matter the situation that you find yourself in, Tupac and his music could offer some type of solace or comfort. He represented hip hop in a way that will trascend through time.

So where did hip hop go? Well, in the 1980s-1990s we saw great artists such as Ice T, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Funk Master Flex, Puff Daddy aka P Diddy and others bring us tracks that we will never forget. Smooth tracks like 'Going Back to Cali,' 'It Takes Two,' or De La Soul's 'Me, Myself and I. Who could forget the female players like Salt N Pepa, TLC, Destiny's Child and MC Lyte. All in all, wish I could say that hip hop has evolved and taken to new heights. But has it? Let's take a look at some of today's popular hip hop artists.

Insight on Today's Artists
Make no mistake, I write not to challenge hip hop artists like Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, T-Pain, Young Jock, Plies, Flo Rida or any of the like. I write to state that these days what's hot undeniably is not what made hip hop popular in its early days. Perhaps, when artists make songs that top charts like 'I look just like a lollipop' and 'I'm a venereal disease, Like a menstrual bleed' it just makes you wonder. Where is hip hop? Are they doing it for the market demand? For the sake of taking on the challenge of giving the majority what they want.

Conscious Hip-Hop
There are still hip hop artists out there who concern themselves with important issues. Such artists that have proved to be conscious despite the the test of time are De La Soul, Mos Def, The Roots, Wyclef Jean, Talib Kweli, KRS One, Common, Lauren Hill, Dead Prez and many others. Of course, The Fugees were one of my favorite groups back in the day. Their music was instrumental in bringing social and economic situations to life. Some female artists that one can look to for insight and inspiration today are the likes of Jill Scott, India Arie, Lauren Hill and a few others. These ladies have never found themselves in sleazy situations and still create music that inspires.

Hip-Hop will perhaps continue to divide itself into different avenues. It may be divided into Pro Hip Hip or No Hip Hop. Perhaps, with the changes that America is about to see, Hip Hop will take on its own new dimension. Young artists who display talent and drive should seek to embrace more conscious topics. After all, who really cares if 'My lip gloss is poppin?'

Closing Thoughts
If hip hop as a unit could attack social issues, then perhaps, positive change could be on the horizon. For now, hip hop is a divided genre that appears to have no game plan on where its headed. Nas said " ...basically America is dead. There is no political voice. Music is dead. Our way of thinking is dead, our commerce is dead. Everything in this society has been done. That's where we are as a country."