“Biggie Smalls fell! Anyway, it was never this nice! I mean, Life After Death for me was better than Ready To Die and even that could have been one CD instead of two.. “As I sit here and conjure up all kinds of imaginary vitriol that one could have encountered on social media today if Biggie had still been alive, I can’t help but wonder if there are any rappers whose legacy hasn’t been tainted simply by staying? live?
All other genres, sports, and special interests seem to have untouchable heroes and legends representing their brand. So why not hip hop?
Hip hop is a relentless genre. It has its roots in urban culture, and if there is one thing that has always been lacking in urban culture, it is long-term praise for our heroes. Whether it’s a learned or an innate attribute, a Mount Rushmore of hip hop could probably never be built by virtue of the dissent in our ranks. No one would give in enough to formulate some kind of general consensus (aren’t there three hip hop museums in New York alone ?!) The neighborhood may sing your praises, but you better believe someone has a problem with every component of your ascension. (“Why are you working so hard?!? Why is your girlfriend so pretty? You’re not special!”) Be that as it may, all other genres, sports, and special interests seem to have untouchable heroes and legends representing their brand. . So why not hip hop?
At no time was hip hop expected or intended to go as far as it has. Competition has also always been a sourcing component of rap. But is it possible that all the emcees have fallen or have never been so good? Each? Slippery Rick Fell? Did Rakim fall? Nas fell? Isn’t there a rapper who has maintained some kind of complementary trajectory throughout his entire career? Do we really believe that there is no Tony Bennet of this rap? That seems ridiculous to me. Of course, no one is above reproach and no one is infallible, but shall we go now? Does everyone stink except the dead?
For every “top 5 debate” that has been held, there is so much acrimony as to why everyone we love shouldn’t be so hyped that I’m not sure if these debates should be called “top 5” or “top 5 things. baddest with your favorite emcee (“Jay -Z is a biter, Nas can’t pick good beats, Andre 3000 doesn’t record enough, etc.”). Even dead guys get it from time to time (“Tupac doesn’t it was as lyrical as Rest, BIG doesn’t have a big enough body of work. “) The” battle “has taken hold of” rap “in all cases and containment is the ONLY order of the day these days.
Could it be that all of our favorite emcees didn’t turn terrible and our irrational formula of [nostalgia + consistent innovation/newness * personal expectation= all emcees will eventually suck] is what can be the driver? I’ve said it before, but you can only lose your virginity once and with each additional occurrence, no matter how pleasant it is, the novelty will eventually wear off and you start looking for other benefits to satisfy your needs. In other words, a dumb ringmaster is a dumb ringmaster.
If the only artists you can really appreciate are the dead, then it may not be the artists who have changed for the worse (hint; it’s you, curmudgeon curmudgeon).
