For me it wasn't as much hip hop changing for the newer generation as it was the relevancy in what was being said changing...for example during my prime years, Too Short had been out for a while but his message wasn't really relevant until after NWA came out with "F$^% tha Police". Then we had Luke Skywalker gaining popularity on the east coast with "Banned in the USA". New York was the mecca of rap and hip hop but as these other areas started becoming relevant, east coast hip hop started falling off and my fire with it because that was what I luved.
The West Coast did their thing, Florida did it's thing, then "The Dirty South" Cats had their turn. It was almost like the east coast cats just sat back and watched. Meanwhile, the Record Labels were remodeling east coast rap to fit in and thats when everything went downhill for me. Remember when all you had to do was - be able to rock a crowd to get on? Next, you had to rock a crowd but have atleast 3 parking tickets and maybe 2 moving violations. Before we knew what happened, the criteria had changed to - rock the crowd, multiple moving violations, been in prison and have several unsolved murder charges...
Thats pretty much when I said enough is enough. TCQ, De La Soul, Mos Def, Common and a few others held on to their message but the world of hip hop all around them had changed and they were pretty much labeled as "groups with loyal followers". So once again, it wasn't as much hip hop being for younger cats with me as it was it's evolution to what it has become.
The West Coast did their thing, Florida did it's thing, then "The Dirty South" Cats had their turn. It was almost like the east coast cats just sat back and watched. Meanwhile, the Record Labels were remodeling east coast rap to fit in and thats when everything went downhill for me. Remember when all you had to do was - be able to rock a crowd to get on? Next, you had to rock a crowd but have atleast 3 parking tickets and maybe 2 moving violations. Before we knew what happened, the criteria had changed to - rock the crowd, multiple moving violations, been in prison and have several unsolved murder charges...
Thats pretty much when I said enough is enough. TCQ, De La Soul, Mos Def, Common and a few others held on to their message but the world of hip hop all around them had changed and they were pretty much labeled as "groups with loyal followers". So once again, it wasn't as much hip hop being for younger cats with me as it was it's evolution to what it has become.
