Back In My Day...

I miss Hip-Hop.

I should probably slighter alter that. I miss MY Hip-Hop. (and I'll say from the offset I'm pretty much a commercial whore, 80% of what I listen to is mainstream hip-hop, so apologies those who despise it!)

I think it was best to put some clarity on that, as it's unfair to say something so generic when hip-hop itself is still around, and arguably as strong as ever. Whilst sales may have slumped comparitively to the late 90's and early 00's, music is still everywhere with the strength of blogs, the internet and iTunes. Good hip-hop is still in abundance and even some of the mainstays have released strong efforts in the last few years (Nas, Watch The Throne, Em to name a few).

However to me, it's just not quite the same. I've been wondering why this is, and I think I've put it down to age, laziness, and maybe even a slight arrogance I've taken with the genre. Gone are the days where between the ages of about 15-23, I would religiously check blogs/websites/XXL/Source for new music to listen to, artists to read about, and albums to emmerse myself in. Nowadays I use Twitter for alot of my music sourcing, finding out about album and mixtape releases. I've pretty much given up on tracking new songs, or being the first to listen to the newest rapper. I'll happily go to YT and listen to a new album track by track, and sometimes the odd mixtape if I'm in the mood, but I find nowadays tough for me to really get into new artists.

Is it just me?

Perhaps. But I remember when I first got into hip-hop and was actually a bit of a late bloomer, starting with what was all the rage, Biggy, Pac, Nas, Jay, Em, DMX, Ja Rule and going from there. I caught onto Royce Da 5'9 early in his career and have been a massive fan since, Big Pun and Big L were lyrical gods to me, and I remember at school when no one had heard of Gangstarr apart from me and a couple of mates. Those were the times.

In fact one of my favourite times in hip-hop, that I was a part of and can actually fully remember, was during the G-Unit breakout. I'm sure alot of you are now sighing, or closing this blog page down, but seriously those days were NUTS. It was about 8-10 years ago, and 50 Cent had released the 11million DIAMOND album, Get Rich or Die Tryin' - It was epic. It was 'hard'. It was something that had club bangers on it, songs for the ladies, yet also tough street cuts. The world went APESHIT. Eminem was also in his prime (just about), and along with Dr Dre who had not long released 2001, and wasn't a running joke about Detox - Aftermath were smashing it.

But that wasnt it. No no no. Nas might have been having a strange time of it, but he was still a Titan, and would always be simply due to Illmatic. However God's Son was a strong output that got him back in the public eye. Jay had released The Blueprint, a classic album IMO, and still was not regarded as the biggest living hip-hop artist, hell at that point he wasn't largely known outside of hip-hop circles! DMX and The Rough Ryders were in full stride with Kiss (And The Lox), Eve and Jin all doing good stuff.  Man hip-hop was great.

And that was without me having to be some underground loving fanboy either. Mainstream was accepting club bangers but also just good tracks. Fat Joe had us all Leaning Back, Lil John was all over the shop (though that wasnt a good thing), Fabolous was about to drop what would be the biggest track of his career with Breathe - I actually asked Just Blaze about that when I saw him live once down here, as rumour had it that Jay had wanted the beat but Blaze gave it to Fabolous as he saw it as a career defining moment, he was right - Fab smashed it.

This was all surrounded as I mentioned earlier by G-Unit really leading the way as well, after GRODT - Fiddy basically had a free reign in hip-hop, releasing The Massacre a couple years later and going Plat without even trying. Lloyd Banks was relevent, releasing Hunger For More and actually being a very competent rapper - releasing a slew of freestyles littered with punchlines. Seriously him and Fabolous were KILLING the punchline game, it was disgusting, and I loved it. Young Buck went Plat somehow, fuck EVEN TONY YAYO released an AWFUL album that probably went Platinum - seriously, have you ever heard Dear Suzie? I think it's the worst hip hop track I've ever heard on a mainstream album, it's so bad ITS NOT EVEN ON YOUTUBE!!!!!! Game brought the West Coast back to the masses with The Documentary. Man everything was good. God even Cassidy was doing his thing, and Roc-A-Fella had Beans/Memph/Young Gunz, good times.

I know I'm dilluting the years a bit, this all didnt happen in the space of a week! It was a good 2-3 year period but I still think it was my favourite time, a 'golden era' if you will. I sound awful I know, because after that it's not like things went downhill - with Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, Rick Ross, Drake, J Cole etc coming to the forefront. But still.

To me it's just not been the same. Nas might just have released his strongest album in a decade but to me he's on his way out, maybe one final paycheck before he looks to bow out gracefully? DMX's comeback stuff is such a low standard compared to when he was in his prime. The guy was a Top 10 MC for life, until his awful decline. Eminem and Jay are about still, but somethings not quite the same with them. And this can be applied to a million other rappers. It's weird. and the thing is I don't really even care for many new rappers who are coming out the woodwork on a daily basis.

You know, I like J Cole, alot. He's not going to be the best, or break Top 5, but he's not bad. Kendrick Lamar is getting better and better, whilst Big K.R.I.T certainly hasn't let the South down (don't be fooled, Ludacris/Scarface/UGK have held the South down for a long time now). I did like Mac Miller's K.I.D.S offering, but not really anything since. & Wiz Khalifa is my guilty pleasure, as in reality as MC's go - he's like Pac to me, all delivery but no real skill such as punchlines or wordplay. Wale I've enjoyed over the last few years, however apart from him I can't stand MMG. YMCMB really are awful.

But to me, Machine Gun Kelly, French Montana, and various others just don't do it for me. At all. Drake's already starting to bore me, after only his 2nd album. Big Sean is good, but once more - I don't love him, same goes with B.O.B. Yelawolf/Future/Meek Mill/Diggy/Lil B/Asher Roth etc. None of them do it for me - even Danny Brown I can only take in small doses.

So I think I've sort of made my point, a moan at current hip-hop and saying how back in my day it used to be good. But that wasn't really what I wanted, I just meant that I don't feel hip-hop is like it used to be, not that it's not as good, just different, very different. And I don't think I like it...


Anyway if any of the above didn't make sense, here are a couple of tracks that I used to really enjoy that might have been lost over time now!  Trying to stick away from the Em's/Jay/Nas biggest hits (1st 'club' video is COMPLETELY hypocritical of this, but fuck it, it's my blog!)


Freestyles I loved

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL6wTfTc-uA (This was INSANE)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2s2hTTqIpg (What happened Lloyd, smh)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owPiIve-2xg (Fab at his best IMO)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqtvd6MRH0o ( REAL ACTUAL FREESTYLE!!)



For the Club. (I wanted to insert videos but it was being annoying :()

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qm8PH4xAss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Oux1lN__4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7yzEyO7Wnk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GvB9ySUJ3A


Just some other tracks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLdKmQ1g4YE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeBqAawxl1Y&playnext=1&list=PL8BE809C81CD5C775&feature=results_video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ6ZiJKGJI0&playnext=1&list=PLC46FEFDBA567B98A&feature=results_video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7isHGmwySa0 (1st verse is one of my fav ever)