Fresh to Death not Def

If hip hop isn't dead it's on life support

...even new underground stuff is wack

I got the new Roots CD



...didn't really move me...

Lupe?



It's okay....nothing groundbreaking, could do with or without it.

I think it's close to impossible to make a 'classic' anymore...the closest thing we've had in the last 5 years or so

would prolly be The Blue Print and/or College Dropout...and that's me saying 'the closest thing'

Who's to blame?

The artist? The talent? The audience? The Companies/labels? The producers?

I say...yep.

The biggest thing that's ruined hip hop (in my opinion) is success and acceptance

Hip hop was supposed to be a fad...supposedly it wouldn't last; it was an alternative to everything else on the radio

the biggest and best form of expression for people with next to nothing...or just with something to say

No one was going platinum...nobody was really going gold

..what's more is 98% of the MC's ever talked about it...didn't care; they rhymed because they wanted to

sure, there was money in it; but it was more of a cultural thing....it was just what you did.

The difference.

What use to happen was when a MC rhymed his or her only task was to show and prove that they were the best at it...better than the next person.

The wordplay, the story telling...how they could paint a picture and/or put you down in the most different or creative way as possible

THAT'S why you had so many flavors...the artists and performances, the music was so different...you didn't want to sound like someone else, you wanted to sound better/different.

Once upon a time there was this thing called "Biting" see that was when you copied someone's style, beat, dress, flow,look...or all of the above.

It was the Number 1 Taboo of what NOT to do

NOW?

Everyone rhymes the same for the most part.

They steal/take/borrow each others lines (It's not paying tribute or honoring if they're dead either...it's biting and jocking)

They re use the same beats or flip them a little bit

Biting is the Number one way to get ahead these days

...that or call someone out that's on top...but they dont even battle right anymore.

Battles:

KRS didn't sound like Shan
LL didn't sound like Kool Moe Dee
Lyte didn't sound like Antonitte
Roxanne Shante didn't sound like UTFO (or sparky D)

The battles weren't about killin anyone, or f'n they mother, or robbin' em...it was more of using metaphors to humiliate them and crack jokes...make them try harder to come up with something that would more or less impress who ever you were battling.

..it's like snappin on someone with lyrics

Examples: LL vs. Kool Moe Dee



LL: to the break of dawn

"Homeboy, hold on, my rhymes are so strong
Nothing could go wrong, so why do you prolong
Songs that ain't strong, brother, you're dead wrong
And got the nerve to have them Star Trek shades on
Ha, you can't handle the whole weight
Skin needs lotion, teeth need Colgate
Wise up, you little burnt up french fry
I'm that type of guy"

Kool Moe Dee: Let's Go

"You need a hand, you got hands for
Tryna be me, now LL stands for
Lower Level, Lack Lustre
Last Least, Limp Lover
Lousy Lame, Latent Lethargic
Lazy Lemon, Little Logic
Lucky Leech, Liver Lipped
Laborious Louse on a Loser's Lips
Live in Limbo, Lyrical Lapse
Low Life with the loud raps, boy
You can't win, huh, I don't bend
Look what you got yourself in
Just usin' your name I took those L's
Hung 'em on your head and rocked your bells"

KRS One & Boogie Down Productions Vs. The Juice Crew

KRS One (BDP): The Bridge is Over

:They wish to battle BDP, but they cannot
They must be on the dick of who? DJ Scott LaRock

Cause, we don't complain nor do we play the game of favors
Boogie Down Productions comes in three different flavors

Pick any dick for the flavor that you savor
Mr. Magic might wish to come and try to save ya
But instead of helpin ya out he wants the same thing I gave ya

I finally figured it out, Magic mouth is used for suckin
Roxanne Shante is only good for steady fuckin

MC Shan and Marley Marl is really only bluffin
Like Doug E. Fresh said "I tell you now, you ain't nuthin"
Compared to Red Alert on KISS and Boogie Down Productions"

"What's the matter with your MC, Marley Marl?
Don't know you know that he's out of touch

What's the matter with your DJ, MC Shan?
On the wheels of steel Marlon sucks

You'd better change what comes out your speaker
You're better off talkin bout your wack Puma sneaker

Cause Bronx created hip-hop, Queens will only get dropped
You're still tellin lies to me

Everybody's talkin bout the Juice Crew funny
But you're still tellin lies to me"

Roxanne Shante: Have a Nice Day

"I chilled for a while, I put down my pen
But now some suckas from the Bronx got me started again

Now I'm not out to diss the whole Boogie Down
Just a featherweight crew from that part of town

You made a little record and then you start frontin'
Tried to diss the Juice Crew but ain't hurt nuttin'

Now KRS-ONE you should go on vacation
With that name soundin' like a wack radio station

And as for Scott La Rock, you should be ashamed
When T La Rock said "It's Yours", he didn't mean his name

So step back peasants, poppin' all that junk
Or else BDP will stand for Broken Down Punks

Cos I'm an All-Star just like Julius Erving
And Roxanne Shante is only good for steady servin'"

(I love her...that's my GIRL!)

LL is the king of battles though...undefeated

LL Vs. Hammer

"Stop dancin, get to walkin
Shut your old mouth when young folks is talkin

Huh, you little snake in the grass
You swing a hammer, but you couldn't break a glass

Gimme a lighter - woof!
Now you're cut loose
From that jherri curl juice

Cool J is back on the map
And when I see ya, I'ma give you a slap

That's right, a little kick for that crap
Cause my old gym teacher ain't supposed to rap"

LL Vs. Ice-T

"How dare you stand beside me
I'm Cool, I freeze I-c-e

On your trail and I'ma cut that pony tail
You're disobedient with the wrong ingredients

But I'ma drink you down over the rocks
While I freak on your album cover jocks"

"I can show you I'm immune to them romper room tunes
You little hip-hop racoon

I'm not Scarface, but I want more beef
Before you rapped you was a downtown car thief

Workin in a parking lot
A brother with a perm deserves to get burned

So tell me how you like your cold cream?
On a cone, in a bowl, or in a wet dream?

With your tv on channel fuzz
Uncle L, that's how much damage he does

Here's 5 dollars, catch a taxi cab
Take your rhymes around the corner to the rap rehab"

Like I said before you could have 15-20 different MC's and they could all be totally different and you could still enjoy each one of them

Lemme put my theory to the test:

1. KRS
2. LL
3. Biz Mark
4. Rakim
5. Fresh Prince
6. Slick Rick
7. Ice Cube
8. MC lyte
9. Kool G Rap
10. Big Daddy Kane
11. Kwame
12. Grand Puba
13. Kool Moe Dee
14. Ice T
15. Doug E. Fresh

fairly easy, you wouldn't have mistaken any of the above for the other...lyrics, delivery, beats, production, Tape/Album/CD cover...nothing.

...Dana Dane DID sound like Slick Rick but damnit; they were both from England....even then the flow was different and the rhymed about different ish

Think young Joc, Rick Ross, Luda, Young Dro, TI, Lil Scrappy, Lloyd Banks, 50 Cent, Jay Z, Diddy dont talk about Money, Sex, Drug, Cars, and murder?

...almost exclusively?

I'm not even saying that there's anything wrong with the subjects...if it's a reflection of their lives or environment, or whatever-whatever...it's cool; but do they all have to talk about it the same way? no originality

same type production, the whole bit...sickening.

NWA They started getting the "Gangsta rap' in the mainstream...and even they were having fun with it

Fuck the Police was funny..Cube playin a white dude in court

Still talkin' by Eazy E ..funny

Automobile

They didnt take all the gun and bitch talk that seriously...cuz Rap was still fun

Remember Rap groups?

not only did they actually exist...they didn't sound the same either.

Run-DMC
Fat Boys
salt n Pepa
Tribe
De La
EPMD
NWA
Nice and Smooth
Three Times Dope
Kid n play

....guess money keeps groups from poppin off these days, since most would figure they'd make more cash solo than having to split it...again, back in the day that wasn't the focus, you'd come up with your friends rhyming and then you made a group

childhood friends, met at school....this that and the third and not only did the groups not sound the same the members OF the groups rhymed differently than the other

Run didn't sound like DMC
Q Tip didn't sound like Phife
Eazy didn't sound like Cube AND Cube wrote Eazy's rhymes!

I dunno

I'm prolly buggin...still got Outkast...for another album or so. (never been a fan)

The Art of storytelling

Telling a story/painting a visual picture with words was like the backbone of Hip Hop music

MC's would craft words and put them together to keep your interest and tell a story just to show their skills as a lyricst

La di da di: Doug E Fresh and Slick Rick

A Children's Story: Slick Rick

Cindafella: Dana Dane

Just a Friend: Biz Markie

Big ole Butt: LL Cool J

Posse on Broadway: Sir Mix-a-lot

Mahogany: Eric B and Rakim

Left my wallet in El Segundo: A Tribe called quest

Esp. Cindefella...Dude took the well know fairytale and made it urban and made it rhyme and make sense

Once upon a time, Brooklyn was the scene
In the project that they called Fort Greene

There lived a young man, Cinderfella's his name
To make it interesting it's me, Dana Dane

I lived in a house with my cruel step-dad
And two step-brothers who treated me bad

I cooked, I cleaned, I scrubbed the floors
And I was like an errand boy runnin' to the stores

My brothers, they used to boast and brag:
"We've got fresh gear and you've got rags!"

Even worse than that, to make me feel low
They gave me a straw hat, while they had Kangols

Girls used to say, "Dane, you're so cute
But you gets no rap with them polyester suits"

Well, one day, up the avenue
There was a man surrounded by the Fort Greene crew

He said, "Hear ye! Hear ye! Come one, come all!
The princess is having a royal ball

If you can rap, also dress fresh
You might win a date with the sweet princess"

Well I, um, ran home when I heard the newsflash
I bust through the door, straight to my step-dad

I said "Step-dad, may I?"
And before I could finish, "Hell no!", he replied

My brothers were goin', they were geared down
Even Pops was goin' for a piece of the crown

They flaunted, they haunted, they knew what I wanted
"We can and you can't" is what they taunted

They all stood there laughing in my face
And as they walked out they said, "Clean up this place!"

Well I shrugged, I hissed, "They're all tryna diss
I'd get them back if I had one wish"

Before I could make my thought a phrase
There appeared a man from a puff of haze

He said, "What's up, Dane? My name is Hurb
I'm your fairy godfather, you know it, word!

Now I've came here with the main purpose
Of granting you your fondest wish"

I said, "Hurb, my man, just make me fresh
And I'm sure that I can handle all the rest"

With a snap of his fingers sparks began to shoot
And I was tough and on my body: a slick silk suit

On my feet there was argyle socks
And a fresh pair of Ballys from the Bally shop

I showed him my hat and don't you know
With a snap the hat became a Kangol

Once again his hands began to flow
Then he changed my skateboard into a Volvo

He checked me over, passed me the keys
And said, "One more thing before you leave...

You must return before the stroke of twelve
Or you'll turn back into your old self"

I jumped in the Volvo, went on my way
I got to the party 'bout ten, I'd say

It was after eleven when I rocked the mic
And by the time I left the stage the people were hyped

The princess was staring in disbelief
Reflected from her eyes were my gold teeth

She waved her hands like 'Hello! Hi!'
Then gave another gesture like 'Come here, guy'

I left the stage, girls came in flocks
Fists were swingin' from the hard rocks

I heard a sound, not a tick nor tock
Gong! First bell before twelve o'clock

No time to waste, I broke out in haste
The princess followed in a futile chase

A quick steady pace is what I kept
Lost one of my Ballys on one of those steps

For the Volvo I continued my stride
About this time I heard gong five

I was down the block when I heard gong eight
And the princess scream out, "Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!"

I was almost home when my luck ran out
And there went my suit, my Kangol and clothes

My fresh Volvo also went too
And there was no denyin' that my night was through

The one Bally shoe the freshest thing I sported
Jumped on my board, for home I skateboarded

Made it to my pad, no time at all
Went to my room, or better yet the far wall

Hid the shoe away still feelin' pleased
Then jumped in my cot to catch some Z's

Early the next morning when I awoke
I threw on me old slippers and me old housecoat

Went into the front, my family stared at me
Sayin' "Wasn't that you?! Nah, it couldn't be"

They kept askin' me as I did my chores
My butt was saved by a knock on the door

"Who is it?", that's what my brothers barked
"The princess", this sweet voice remarked

She said she was lookin' for a certain man
Who could bring her the shoe like the one in her hand

The family ran around with their heads in the air
Bringin' on shoes from everywhere

She just shook her head, a nod of relief
Sayin' "No, that's not the one that I'm lookin' for, chief"

I ran in the room and got my shoe
And said, "Is this the one you're referring to?"

Well she said, "Yes, and you're so cute
But where's your Kangol and slick silk suit?"

I put on the shoe, there came a flash of light
And I was tough in the gear from just last night

Looked out the window, saw the Volvo
Said to my family, "I've got to go"

We drove up the avenue, the princess and I
And in back of me I heard my family cry...

The point was to be able to out do the next person in spittin' rhyme...you can rhyme hat and cat and crack...but can you put it together to paint a picture?

K, post is getting too long ...starting to type like Tenacious LOL; I'll continue some other day.