Call me Old I dont care, but WTF is backpack music?

T

The Arkitekt

Guest
lmao pug that back pack looks like some storm trooper shit from star wars
 

Shonsteez

Gurpologist
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 33
I think Drama Boi said it best on page one.....The shit is silly.

But more so, at least to me - its a stereotypical label thats been attached to some pretty decent music over the years typically by hiphop heads that enjoy the more commercial side of the game.
It seems more like a "I'm better then you because of this label" type of bullshit then anything else.

I mean, first of all: How does that sound cool in any way?
Your right, it doesn't and the idiot that birthed that challenged name knew that and intentionally decided to label that form of hiphop that way for a reason - because he's closed minded!

My 2 yen.
 

tricky spinz

Dead Man Walkin
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 12
i've noticed that for me, the point of dividing music by genre really comes down to categorizing it by what i feel like listening to. like, as far as i'm concerned, the whole point of having all these different genres and subgenres is just to make it easier for when i'm trying to find music to fit my current mood/taste. i'll oftentimes label music with a certain genre, even if it technically isn't, just because it's the kind of music i like to listen to when i'm in a certain mood.
 

skidflow

Boom Bap is precious art
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 214
Yep.... exactly. Most times all it does is cause conflict within a genre. Hip Hoppers don't like backpackers, backpackers and hip hoppers don't like Rappers, Old skool doesn't like Nu skool. One thinks the others music is "bullshit" like already stated. Does nothing for the MUSIC. It's that old "divide and concur mentality". Easier to control what we do like that. I don't buy into it!
some of this new music is bullshit. Well atleast whats played on the radio. (not trying to start a debate)
 

Iron Keys

ILLIEN MBAPPÉ
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 544
When I first heard the term backpackers I thought it was down to the fact that underground cats rolled about with a backpack full of their mixtapes selling them around. But I always associated it more with 'intelligent'' rap. And as that shit dont often sell as much / as easy, dudes are most likely to be still selling out their bags. Thats what I thought, but I hear alot of terms being randomly used.

But still if you get a east coast rapper, on a westcoast beat (for example), or whatever, it starts becoing difficult how to label a track in a certain sub genre.
 

Ash Holmz

The Bed-Stuy Fly Guy
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 207
"elistist" and "backpacker" to me are switchable terms... to me they both mean people that only like "intelligent" music and trash anything not up to their intellectuall standard. and they tend to spend alot of there spare time hatin on all forms of mainstream music. I happen to think backpackers are more interested in bashing mainstream artists than they are supporting their own. and judgung from record sales im probably right. Me personally i can appreciate all forms of hiphop and music in general for that matter. I only see it as good and bad ... i love some ignorant shit sometimes and other times i love some complex shit.. but there are good and bad music that comes with both in in my opinion.
 

Formant024

Digital Smokerings
ill o.g.
backpacker shit= atmosphere, blueprint, anticon, prefuse, jzone, mr lif, edan, louis logic...pretty much all the non boombap related hiphop, but not specifly...most backpacker stuff have either a lot reference to old skool, avant garde/electronica or just plain abstract stuff. In any case it refers to non stereo typed hiphop, i self just consider it indy in general perspective but backpacker from a hiphop perspective, same thing, different name. It also refers to lifestyle preferences and perception of life reflected in hiphop, i mean, these backpackers know all the classic mob deep stuff but their headcandy anyday would be jack progresso lol.

also in most cases, a backpacker wouldnt be wearing pimp gear and mostly dress casual, plain boring or slight baggy...more likely a skater or just ordinary...at least, ive met some people that from their appearance really surprised when seeing the record collection at home <- mostly a back packer lol
 

LDB

Banned
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 73
some of this new music is bullshit. Well atleast whats played on the radio. (not trying to start a debate)

Your quote un quote "bullshit" is someone else's 7 course meal. There's a new generation in charge right now. What you say is the same thing the old heads said and are still saying about hip hop in general.

Harping on a music being bullshit only makes you a bitter dude. It serves no purpose and definitely won't stop or reverse the trend of todays music. It makes you an outsider and if you're cool with that "carry on soldier", I ain't mad atcha!

When you put your music out there amongst the "bullshit" and that "bullshit" moves units and yours doesn't what does that make your music?

Embrace what you like and don't listen to what you don't. Just don't paint yourself in a corner calling "todays" music "bullshit" or you'll never get on! If you like the underground stay there.....there's room for everything under the sun ya dig? ONE!
 

Fury

W.W.F.D
ill o.g.
backpacker shit= atmosphere, blueprint, anticon, prefuse, jzone, mr lif, edan, louis logic...pretty much all the non boombap related hiphop, but not specifly...most backpacker stuff have either a lot reference to old skool, avant garde/electronica or just plain abstract stuff. In any case it refers to non stereo typed hiphop, i self just consider it indy in general perspective but backpacker from a hiphop perspective, same thing, different name. It also refers to lifestyle preferences and perception of life reflected in hiphop, i mean, these backpackers know all the classic mob deep stuff but their headcandy anyday would be jack progresso lol.

also in most cases, a backpacker wouldnt be wearing pimp gear and mostly dress casual, plain boring or slight baggy...more likely a skater or just ordinary...at least, ive met some people that from their appearance really surprised when seeing the record collection at home <- mostly a back packer lol

wowwwww hold up J-Zone is far from a back pack rapper that nigga is just silly in his rhymes hes never serious hell rhyme about banging sluts commiting underage sex acts or just while out and make a song like he did about cock blocking..nuttin back pack about him..everyone else u put i agree
 

Krazyfingaz

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 2
I think alot of cats have it mixed up what "backpacker" music is. started in the 80's "Backpacker" originallay a Graff artist who kept their book bags full of graf material and music not to mention it wasnt JUST HIP HOP. but the music for Hip Hop entails cats like The Suga Hill Gang, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Krs One, Grand Master Flash and the Furious 5, Public Enemy, Rakim, UTFO, Gangstarr just to name a few. 90's DMX, Cool G Rap, Cannibus, Big L Wu tang, Black Starr, B.C.C., O.C., Camp Lo, Onyx, Red Man, De La Soul, Biggie, Mf Doom, Slum Village, Def Jux, Little Brother, Pre and Post -Aftermath Emenim, Jedi Mind Tricks, Jurassic 5 . 2000+ Anyone From Stones Throw Records, Murs, Lupe Fiasco, Cool Kids, Hezikiah, Wale' yo the list goes on, so for someone to say Backpack music is gay really got it confused and need to do the research. Oh and also most "BACKPACKERS" were the first supporters of most big name artist that started on the UNDERGROUND but when they hit MAINSTREAM they next to nolonger were supported by "BACKPACKERS". - Edit
 

The Mastermind

This Illuminati Be Illin'
ill o.g.
I didn't know what backpacking music was before I read this thread and now I have even less idea.

Still I think if I ever suss out what backpacking music is I'll probably like it because some pretty good artists might be backpackers.
 

Relic

Voice of Illmuzik Radio
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 83
I used to rock the backpack, kept notebooks with my rhymes in it and thesaurus, copy of "there is a river" by vincent harding and pistols and a half gallon of seagrams 7 and some dank.
Oh yeah and a walkman and tapes. I love all the artists named...
To me that was backpacking lol
 

Formant024

Digital Smokerings
ill o.g.
wowwwww hold up J-Zone is far from a back pack rapper that nigga is just silly in his rhymes hes never serious hell rhyme about banging sluts commiting underage sex acts or just while out and make a song like he did about cock blocking..nuttin back pack about him..everyone else u put i agree
^^^ yeah meet my cousin lol biaaaatch!

yeah definitly, but backslap has grown somewhat and established his sound (which i really dig), when he was here he was confronted with a copy of the first 500 releases of music for tu madre and got awestruck cuz my friends wanted it signed of course...maybe im out of date but none of 2pac fans i know, even back then even heard of jzone and that still counts for the most new skool cats. So yeah you're right and im just refering to backpackers 10 years ago lol but still the cats who goes out to buy music for tu madre, even if its just for candy razors than you're a backpacker lol. The thing is, say brawl for example with R.A, id expect these tracks to be more popular to the general hiphop audience, but its not.
 

Shonsteez

Gurpologist
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 33
Not that this thread really needs to keep going, but Ive been to countless shows that could be considered "backpack" music according to this thread and I've honestly never seen a dude with a backpack on! I'm assuming this must occur in more inner-city areas such as NY or LA and maybe the Bay as far as USA is concerned...I just dont get it I guess, ive always thought it was stupid.
I mean, lets say everyone WAS wearing backpacks at all those shows I attended which would be a little weird I suppose but honestly - who cares!?.....Im there for the music not to look at some other asshole thats there to do the same thing!
 

mono

the invisible visible
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 20
i dont think the label came from backpackers themselves. when i was a teenager we used to take our eastpacks everywhere, since they carried blackbooks, markers, papers, cigs, beer etc.
very substantial equipment.
there always were people who did not care that much about the elements. we hated on them for not doing so and they hated back for being repellent sectists. it was in that context that i heard it the first time years later ("yeah, those fuckin backpackers..."). is it only my experience, or is the word a bit derogatory?

theres not necessarily a connection between conscious rap and the backpackstyle, but theres a great overlap
 

Shonsteez

Gurpologist
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 33
I agree minus the whole gung-ho-ness towards the elements thing. I mean, I dig hiphop for those elemental reasons but I could care less about emphasizing that I know all the elements more then someone else. I just like to listen to good music, period (whatever that is?). Anyways back on topic...
 
Top