I received this blog topic from a reader and I think it was a good one to address. The official topic of discussion that I received from him was "Will the lack of balance in hip-hop eventually strangle the 'essence' of the art?" Although I feel we have begun to weather the storm and we are finally seeing more and more creative artists get at least some form of recognition (although not as much as they deserve), this is still a very relevant topic. In many cases, the songs that receive commercial airplay and success are those that don't represent the essence of hip hop. Hip Hop was rebellious, youthful energy, political/social commentary, a voice for the underdog, a representation of youth in America, personal creativity and art, AND partying/having fun. Hip Hop embodied all of this, but somewhere along the way, we lost that political commentary and that sense speaking out against the ills of our community (at least in the commercial sector). We turned into nothing more than a people that went out and partied, killed, and destroyed our own communities (with the exception of a few). 

Probably the song that I have the biggest problem with of all current mainstream songs is Gucci Mane's "Wasted." Now while I am admittedly not a Gucci Mane fan, it has very little, in actuality nothing, to do with him and everything that the song represents. This song is in no way representing the essence of hip hop. Getting wasted like a "white boy" is not what are forefathers had in mind for hip hop. We are already put under a microscope, there are millions of people listening to what you have to say, and your message is to get wasted?! There are plenty of examples like this and these types of decisions are what threaten the "essence" of hip hop. Ise Lyfe, a dope Spoken Word artist out of Oakland, CA said in "Oakland Stand Up" from his album Prince Cometh, "What about the year 2036?/When the OG's is dead/BG's is dead/The children play our music just to hear what we said/and we said was f*ck a ni**a, kill a b*tch, get money..." When i listen to old school hip hop right now, people used to say something. Artists were creative. Nobody sounded the same. It seems we have lost that. However, looks can be deceiving.

Although we did lose the essence in many ways on the mainstream level, there are still plenty of artists that continue to represent hip hop with the same values that it was founded upon. Although they may be labeled underground or have some sort of a buzz, many of these artists may never strike that big hit that is considered successful or sell millions of records. However, they are maintaining the "essence" of hip hop. They are creative. They speak for the people. They use and describe their circumstances so that they may help somebody else. They even party on occasion. But they understand that hip hop was created to give a voice to those that didn't initially have one. It spoke out against injustices (in many different ways) and became a safe haven for those that felt they had nowhere else to go.

Given the information above, I would say that while the popularity of certain hip hop in the mainstream has threatened the original essence of hip hop, I think it is safe to say that there are enough artists staying true to this essence and that it has not been lost. Although this is the case and although we are just beginning the recovery process from the blow we took, it is important that we ensure that we maintain and support those that do keep the essence. We can't afford to take another dive the way we have; and I'm not talking about record sales, but just creativity and artistry. As long as we have those that stay true to what hip hop is all about, we won't ever lose that essence. But as fans, we need to make sure that we continue to support these artists and let them know that there is somebody listening and that what they are doing is worthwhile. Otherwise, we will lose the true meaning behind the music.

So, what do you think? Has the essence been lost? Are we making a turn for the better? Leave your comments. If you have any topics you would like posted, feel free to e-mail at straightouttahiphop@gmail.com.


Peace.