Off Topic Why There's No Feeling In Today's Rap Music

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Why? Money. And I don't mean just that the music industry is ruled by money, no. I also mean that the artists today are too focused on money itself when they're rapping and telling everyone how much money they have (or would like to have). We all know it's bullshit because they can't possibly think that the general public is that stupid that we actually think a new artist has tons of cash to throw around while driving in his or her Lamborghini. If you're a rapper like Jay-Z, for example, and you actually have a fortune that you've piled up over the years of making music and building empires, then sure, by all means tell me about the money you have. But if you're Lil' So-N-So that just released his first LP and in your video you're chilling in the club with models on each arm and stacks of cash and champagne on the table, I call bullshit.

The Struggle

When classic albums like Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation to Hold Us Back", Nas' "Illmatic", Mobb Deep's "Infamous", etc dropped, not only did those albums sound dope and/or have deep meaning, but they represented what those artists were actually going through at the time. If you go back and listen to those albums you'll hear something that you rarely hear anymore in any form of music - feeling.

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I've said it countless times over the years when I hear a song; that there's no more feeling in today's music. Anyone can rap (there are exceptions though!) because it's easy to throw on any beat and just start rapping something you wrote. Sure, that's super easy but it's HOW you deliver those lyrics that make all the difference. When Nas was telling us about hanging out in project hallways or hearing gunshots every day just outside his window, it's because he actually lived that shit. When Public Enemy was telling everyone to stand up and fight back against oppression, it's because they were feeling the same thing. When Mobb Deep were telling us about drinking 40's and having 5-0 harass them every day, it's because that's what they were going through.

Fine Dining

Tune into any modern day rap song and what do you hear? Money, sex, fast cars, clubs, models, Moet, more money, private jets, and yachts. This is why today's music fails miserably at connecting to the listener. How many people actually live the life these rappers are trying to portray in their songs? Not many. And out of those few that live that life, how many of them listen to those songs? Next to none. I understand that it's a fantasy and these artists are putting on a gimmick to make themselves look amazing and it's "just a song". What they fail to realize is that this is supposed to be rap music, not fantasy island!

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When I listen to rap music, it's because I want to hear something REAL. Something that I can relate to, something that I can compare my own personal struggles to. I definitely do not want to hear someone telling me that they just landed at the airport on their gold-plated custom jet and are heading to the white house to meet the president. That shit has no meaning to me.

Feeling

All of this leads me to my main point - feeling in music. To make a great song, you have to experience what you're saying in your song. I'm not from the projects, so if I were to write lyrics I would not write about how hard my life is growing up in the projects! I could rap about how I have no money in my pocket or my neighbor is an asshole, because that's real. So by me rapping about that stuff, you would be able to hear the struggle in my voice because I would put my real feelings into that song. It's too easy for these artists to just get in the studio and rap about whatever's on that lyric sheet and have no emotion whatsover, yet the song will blow up and sell millions because it's "catchy".

Conclusion

This isn't meant to step on today's music necessarily, but rather to open every artist's eyes and make them realize that music is not just about dropping a verse or having a catchy hook - it's about feeling. Next time you step in the booth and are ready to lay down your vocals, put some feeling into it! Anyone can spit those lines you have in front of you, but it takes a true artist to tell everyone what you're really feeling.
 
G

Guest

Guest
There's still artists out there with feeling just that the majority don't. And I think with the money, drink and luxuries concepts they can work if done correctly. You have pop rappers talkin about poppin bottles in clubs, throwing money round and shit and, like you, I'm not buyin it. On the other hand, Nas had a track on Life Is Good last year called 'Cherry wine' in which alcohol plays a big role in the tracks concept but I can relate to that song coz there's feeling and the alcohol concept is ran in parallel with the relationship concept. And with the whole struggle concept I can't relate to those talkin about extremely rough lifestyles but I can relate to artists that talk about regular inconveniences like ATCQ- 8 Million stories
 

wizard

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 141
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Why? Money. And I don't mean just that the music industry is ruled by money, no. I also mean that the artists today are too focused on money itself when they're rapping and telling everyone how much money they have (or would like to have). We all know it's bullshit because they can't possibly think that the general public is that stupid that we actually think a new artist has tons of cash to throw around while driving in his or her Lamborghini. If you're a rapper like Jay-Z, for example, and you actually have a fortune that you've piled up over the years of making music and building empires, then sure, by all means tell me about the money you have. But if you're Lil' So-N-So that just released his first LP and in your video you're chilling in the club with models on each arm and stacks of cash and champagne on the table, I call bullshit.

The Struggle

When classic albums like Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation to Hold Us Back", Nas' "Illmatic", Mobb Deep's "Infamous", etc dropped, not only did those albums sound dope and/or have deep meaning, but they represented what those artists were actually going through at the time. If you go back and listen to those albums you'll hear something that you rarely hear anymore in any form of music - feeling.

kenn_shame-subway-graffiti.jpg


I've said it countless times over the years when I hear a song; that there's no more feeling in today's music. Anyone can rap (there are exceptions though!) because it's easy to throw on any beat and just start rapping something you wrote. Sure, that's super easy but it's HOW you deliver those lyrics that make all the difference. When Nas was telling us about hanging out in project hallways or hearing gunshots every day just outside his window, it's because he actually lived that shit. When Public Enemy was telling everyone to stand up and fight back against oppression, it's because they were feeling the same thing. When Mobb Deep were telling us about drinking 40's and having 5-0 harass them every day, it's because that's what they were going through.

Fine Dining

Tune into any modern day rap song and what do you hear? Money, sex, fast cars, clubs, models, Moet, more money, private jets, and yachts. This is why today's music fails miserably at connecting to the listener. How many people actually live the life these rappers are trying to portray in their songs? Not many. And out of those few that live that life, how many of them listen to those songs? Next to none. I understand that it's a fantasy and these artists are putting on a gimmick to make themselves look amazing and it's "just a song". What they fail to realize is that this is supposed to be rap music, not fantasy island!

champagne_and_friends-300x277.jpg


When I listen to rap music, it's because I want to hear something REAL. Something that I can relate to, something that I can compare my own personal struggles to. I definitely do not want to hear someone telling me that they just landed at the airport on their gold-plated custom jet and are heading to the white house to meet the president. That shit has no meaning to me.

Feeling

All of this leads me to my main point - feeling in music. To make a great song, you have to experience what you're saying in your song. I'm not from the projects, so if I were to write lyrics I would not write about how hard my life is growing up in the projects! I could rap about how I have no money in my pocket or my neighbor is an asshole, because that's real. So by me rapping about that stuff, you would be able to hear the struggle in my voice because I would put my real feelings into that song. It's too easy for these artists to just get in the studio and rap about whatever's on that lyric sheet and have no emotion whatsover, yet the song will blow up and sell millions because it's "catchy".

Conclusion

This isn't meant to step on today's music necessarily, but rather to open every artist's eyes and make them realize that music is not just about dropping a verse or having a catchy hook - it's about feeling. Next time you step in the booth and are ready to lay down your vocals, put some feeling into it! Anyone can spit those lines you have in front of you, but it takes a true artist to tell everyone what you're really feeling.



Dope article and hit the bulls eyes!
Also because of the loudness war, most just want their music loud not realizing it takes away from the dynamics,
no dynamics no feelings at all
Great share!

Thank you!
 

ApeMade

Member
I feel the exact same way! This here is Honest truth! I think, in my opinion, the main industry, is trying to knock off the realm of truth, for inspiration, or to relate others who felt that artists lyrics, attach to them. There isnt much inspiration today in Rap, anymore. Nothing but Negativity. Its one of the Genre's that can inspire a youth, into thinking, inspiring thought of minds in some way. Hip hop did change the world one time. They know, that to only destroy the culture, is to benefit only the weak contents in Production/Artists to inspire the new generation youth to slowly eliminate it. I also, blame ourselves, for not, teaching the youngins, or our youths, into listening to what real content, really should be about. I have love for all styles of music, but if its making the youths think, in Artists to be basic and lack of understanding in their contents is the new Hott, Im unsure if this is industy will last very long. I highly respect those artists you mentioned, "NAS" Because He and Bone Thugz", in Artists, of my younger years, Are the ones who, inspired me to be Producing today. it was 1995-1998 Ive first heard hip hop. Heard Nas and Bone, album, Ive never heard sounds or any music like that before, which was outer space music for me and drew my attention towards a HipHop Fan. Those beats were out of the world at the time, They have had impacted me in a way, thats for sure!
 

TiSzY

Member
Great article. I feel you @Fade, Real musicians are rare and dying, but this is the same issue with every genre of music. From the industry point of view, The hip hop culture is fairly young compare to other genre, and society is evolving with it, back in the good old days, music production was less accessible, and there were less artist putting out content, that’s why the product was more polished. In my own humble opinion, I think money isn't the problem, the issue is “content”, production got cheaper, there’s the internet, and here we are, fans become artists, anyone with a laptop can put their 2 brain cells together and put out some trash. And they can get their 15 minutes of viral, That’s why we hear no more “classics”, because we are in the days of The “I want everything now, and fast.” Generation, And the media (radio, tv, internet) is catering to that, Fast overly saturated none-sense with no substance. That’s what this narcissistic society wants, at the end, we upcoming producers are in charge of deluding the bullsh*t, we have to find those hidden gems, Fast food music isn’t made for a fine dining listener. ✌Peace
 

OGBama

Big Clit Energy
There @Fade is no feeling because we are in an era where no feeling is a byproduct of people being so connected that they are disconnected, and Hip Hop reflects that, also there is a lack of actual community (which is something I'd kill to experience offline) regarding contemporary music making, and from the racial angle, music lacks soul because people are not spiritually in tune w/the "Creator."
 
There @Fade is no feeling because we are in an era where no feeling is a byproduct of people being so connected that they are disconnected, and Hip Hop reflects that, also there is a lack of actual community (which is something I'd kill to experience offline) regarding contemporary music making, and from the racial angle, music lacks soul because people are not spiritually in tune w/the "Creator."
In the narcissistic world of social media, everybody is about themselves. That destroyed any idea of "community". Community is about helping each other and succeeding as a group, narcissism is about helping yourself and fuck everybody else.
 

OGBama

Big Clit Energy
Offline @2GooD Productions I'm about self only but I'm the type I'd be very selective about who I'd help as there are many wolves in sheep's clothing.
 
@OGBama thats the world we live in in 2019. Divided, weak, and on our knees. Cant trust anybody yet most believe the bullshit if the news is telling them it.Identity politics is a cancer on society, its destroying common decency, People used to think I was crazy when I said that the elites are satanic and like to fuck and murder kids. They dont call me so crazy anymore.
 

OGBama

Big Clit Energy
I @2GooD Productions ain't a conspiracy theorist type but the elites are separate from the rest of society hence why they do what they do and it's repulsive, but there are those on all socioeconomic levels who molest and murder people but the elite have the money and connects to cover their trails.
 
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