i dont think that it is vital information in terms of determining one's direction, no.
why? because it is common knowledge! name one artist, ONE, who DOESNT know aobut hip hop's roots. everyone knows where it came from, and yuo are dilusional if you think otherwise. everyone obviously makes different music. you dont think lil john knows his history? does his music sound like hip hops original sound? dont think so..... not unless you use planet rock (read:electric funk,which relied heavily on synths and 808's) as a percurser to his whole style.
so tell me, who DOESNT know about the one-turntable-and-a-record art of producing? who? tell me? everyone knows... and they do the music they want to do for whatever reason, but it doesnt sound like your daddy's rap music.
artists know where hip hop came from and how it sounded and how it was made. that doesnt cause them to make their music a certain because of it. you dont think cash money knows the roots? do they sound like early 80's hip hop? is mantronix considered in yuor "roots" equation?
do i think that we should continue to innovate and move forward and do the things that come natural as artists as opposed to worrying about sounding like what hip hop once sounded like? YUP.
i know what the roots of hip hop are and it has no bearing on my style or my methods. i know the turntable method. does that mean i should use it? if so, why? why, when i am comfortable doing it another way- when i prefer it another way?
and ONCE AGAIN,
i am not saying anything against sampling. i am saying, if thats the way you ge tdown, great, but dont act like everyone should do it that way too. yes, we shuold move forward and innovate... that doesnt mean, and i never said, that people should abandon sampling, or take up another method. you said, "people will get more and more out of touch with hip hops roots", did you not? implying, people will start moving away from sampling more.
