Chicago Changing HipHop?, Unpublished, rough draft Options

[fameONE]

I'll post this on 'fameONE' when I work out the kinks, but I figured it's a decent topic of conversation that the other hiphop heads on cB could rap about (no pun intended).

The world is changing. Music is changing. More specifically, hiphop is changing. As a matter of fact, the change that hiphop is undergoing is the much needed change that people have been begging for, but not enough heads are wise what's going on. Not yet, at least. The world wasn't built in a day, and hiphop didn't establish itself overnight, so this change, that we are in the process of seeing, won't be an immediate one, but that doesn't mean that it isn't happening. Although the change is a nostalgic return to the storytelling of life experiences, playful boasting of lyrical supremacy, old school hiphop-inspired beats and other throwback styles, it's a fresh step outside the box that the music industry has built of the genre. Really, all it took was a breath of fresh air and a step outside of what has been the norm.

So let's take a look at a few artists that have successfully geared hiphop in the right direction again, shall we?

KanYe West - Love him or loathe him, his legacy in music, as a whole, will be epic. For the impressionable minds, he made it acceptable to wear fitted clothing again. Why it became unacceptable in the first place is beyond me, but that's neither here nor there. There's no doubt that he's a celebrity fashion icon of the 21st century. As a producer, he can actually stake his claim with hiphop's greats. In an impressive time span of four years, his name can be mentioned in the same breath as Just Blaze, Guru, J Dilla and MF DOOM. Although he may not be as lyrically gifted as some of the top seated emcees in the game, the combination of his personal style, production and lyrical content (and that egotistical public persona that everybody "loves"), he's successfully planted roots in music history, helping to bring about change in the hiphop.

In early 2006, Lupe Fiasco released three mixtapes prior to the drop of his first album, 'Food & Liquor.' The Fahrenheit 1/15 mixtape serious was just the spark to ignite the flame for one of the coolest dudes in the game. Right off the bat, you knew he could freestyle. Right of the bat, you knew he was versatile by changing is flow to match with every beat that he rhymed over as if each one was initially intended for him. Right off the bat, just by what he talked about, you knew he was different. Skateboards? Pink Floyd references? Revenge of the Nerds? A GorillaZ inspired mixtape? What is this?! What happened to the 'bling bling' of a diamond-studded Mac-10?! With his casual style, he represented the look of that young male who loved hiphop but didn't fit into the 'thug image' that has often been associated with the genre. As time went on, he also wasn't afraid to diversify the subject matter of his songs, either. Everything from a crew of skateboarders on the Westside of Chi-Town to gun control, and with his most recent album, a warning against keeping up with all things 'cool.' Which, in turn, made him one of the coolest dudes in the game.

Following up with the success of Yeezy and Lupe, Kidz in the Hall, the ivy league grads (one from the Chicago and the other from Jersey) began to be heard by mixtape enthusiasts and MySpace music junkies. Now, you're going to have to keep up because this producer/emcee duo is a multi-faceted one. Take the swagger of whichever studio gangsta is big right now, whether it's Lil' Wayne or 50 Cent, then take away the pseudo-gangsta mentality and rhymes. Add that swagger to the classic American prep look, complete with Ralph Lauren, Polo rugby shirts. Combine that swag, and the preppiness with sneaker game that would make the editors from Hypebeast drool. Then, with that potluck of goodies, throw in the talent of an emcee who can structure songs by himself, freestyle flawlessly and deliver with a punch; along with the talent of a producer who actually can hold his own on the vinyl and composes tracks that have a reminiscent heir of A Tribe Called Quest with a whole new sound, and you have a duo that isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

This is the change in hiphop that is needed. This is the change in hiphop that we've been waiting for. With all this talk of change, I can't help but think about Barack Obama's successful campaign that has now landed him as the president-elect of the United States. Additionally, I can't overlook that all that the above named artists (with the exception to Double-O, producer/DJ of Kidz in the Hall). The exciting possibility of listening to something decent on regular radio rotation is refreshing. Solid proof that change can be a good thing.

--fameONE

[brooklyneast05]

it feels like something is missing. not that you asked for criticism of the writing or anything.


i couldn't agree more though. chicago has done a lot for hip hop over the last few years. thank f*ck too because someone needed to carry hip hop in the opposite direction while the south was dragging it through the mud (yeah i do give props to the very few southern rappers who have talent. my northern bias is forever strong though.)


oh yeezy


hmm yeah, i'll add more later when more people chime in with something to agree or disagree with.

[fameONE]

I have yet to bring it full circle, and since I'm on the topic of change, it wouldn't hurt to mention Obama earlier in the article to keep the whole thing relevant to the times. After all, until January, they still reside in Hyde Park lol.