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Lauryn Hill once said, “Hip-Hop started out in the heart, not everybody tryin’ to chart,” and although these lines always made sense, it is beginning to resonate with me more as I take a look around the landscape of Hip-Hop culture. Things change, and for the backpack Hip-Hop heads, listening to music these days is similar to picking between the red and green pill Morpheus gave Neo. Sure, every song has a message and a target audience, but from a substantive level things are different.

I hear songs that tell me to spend thousands of dollars in the club, wear ridiculously expensive sunglasses and stunt my way to the top. I’m not saying those things are wrong, I’m more so saying those things aren’t me and aren’t the side of Hip-Hop I once connected with on a deeper level than simply dancing in the club gone off two or three red solo cups.

As avid listeners, we can spot the differences between music that is put out there to sell and music that is put out there as something real, but most of America does not and sadly may never have this ability. There is nothing wrong with “crossing over” and going mainstream, but to change the scope of what is deemed “Hip-Hop” makes the situation a bit trickier.

I checked out the Billboard awards a few Sundays ago and noticed two things that sit on opposite ends of the spectrum of the mainstream argument. Wiz Khalifa was named best new artist? There is no way anyone could call Wiz a new artist, but as a symbol of his hard work and willingness to continuously grow as an artist, it makes sense. One could make an argument saying that Wiz changed his style, but he seems to grow with every new project. Rolling Papers was a decent collection of songs with some major hits, but it paled in comparison to Kush & Orange Juice. Rather than continuing along the mainstream path, he dropped Taylor Allderdice which is still in heavy rotation and in a way, a step up from Kush & Orange Juice. Whoever decided on these awards obviously didn’t take into account his first EP or his catalog of mixtapes, which demonstrates these award shows are simply out of touch.

The nominees for Best Rap Song included, Flo-Rida, Pitbull, two nominations for LMFAO and Nicki Minaj’s “Superbass”.

Word?

None of these records are Rap records, they are Pop records. I’m appalled that in 2012 these records are given the “Rap” label. It shows just how disconnected these awards shows are when it comes to our genre of music and an unwillingness to listen to the word on the street. No one is checking for LMFAO in the hood; forgive me, but it’s the truth; however from a party standpoint, these records are smash hits, as I have found myself looking out into a crowd of people fist pumping and shuffling off beat. Sure, there are lines that rhyme, but does that  does not equal a rap song.

Once again, as fans of Hip-Hop culture, we must do our part to enlighten those who are ignorant to what is so obvious to us. Perhaps this is just the generation we live in, with rappers delving into techno sound thus opening the door for other artists to capitalize on “Rap” music; however calling a pop album, a rap album, will never work. True fans of music as a whole, understanding and appreciating the differences in genres, will never go for it and must play a part in teaching others.

Times will and always do change. Stagnation and an inability to move forward with ones thinking are two of the fastest ways to lose ones ability to have an impact. From political ideologies to the Dubstep revolution that has taken the world by storm, things change and if you are unwilling to accept this obvious truth, grab a snickers and a pillow because you’re going to be waiting forever for things to go back to the days of old.

Optimistically, I always believed that Hip-Hop was a progressive genre led by legendary artists who always put out definitive work, whether it was; an album that seemed to play out in script form like Ready To Die, or the soulful sounds from The Blueprint, to even the melodic harmonies of 808’s and Heartbreaks. Hip-Hop has always moved forward. These three albums are just examples of major shifts to mindsets when walking in the studio. Sure, everyone wants to find their own way and make their own sound, but it was these albums and many more that paved the way for out-of-the-box thinking.

Unfortunately, it is not always about progression, especially these days. Music piracy changed the way artists market themselves and for the old heads in the game, it has been a humbling challenge to stay relevant. Beefs have been spawned and shots have been fired at younger artists, from the same people who seemingly helped pave the way for numerous careers. I look at both Common and Lil’ Kim as legends in their own right. “The Light” was one of the first songs I can remember hearing a rapper openly discussing love and issues surrounding it. I hear “I used to love H.E.R” and get chills because I can metaphorically break down my love for Hip-Hop in similar fashion. Lil’ Kim, although provocative and perhaps the most respected side chick in the history of side chicks, helped pave the way for women in Hip-Hop. Of course, you could spit the hardcore east coast flows that dominated the airwaves of the ‘1990s, but making it sexy and appealing to a wider demographic was how she found her nitch.

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Nearly three years ago, President Obama gave a commencement speech to the graduating class of 2009 at Arizona State University. It is a longstanding tradition Presidents and government officials alike give these speeches in hopes of enlightening and inspiring graduates as they are thrust into the harsh realities of post college life. Speakers are usually awarded an honorary degree and they go on about their way; however officials at ASU felt that the President of the United States of America had not accomplished enough to deserve the honor and that in the words of a spokesman believed “his body of work was not complete.” Instead of going completely off, as I would have, President Obama spoke on the importance of always “adding to your body of work.” He flipped the script on them with one of his better speeches and to this day, the President’s words remind me of Jay-Z ad-libbing the words, “Keep Going” behind Freeway’s verse on “What we do.”

College students with ambition and a good work ethic may never see the ends of their body of work, and the same goes for Hip-Hop artists. We have become so polarized with wanting things to happen immediately that older adults refer to us as the microwave generation. It is not a far fetched assumption in the least bit, as we are accustomed and driven by the fast pace of today’s world; on the other hand, such a mindset for an up-and-coming artist is dangerous, convenient, but very dangerous.

Instead of putting out a well defined piece of work, with great production, concepts and sequencing, albums these days are merely a group of singles thrown together in hopes of landing a hit.

When my iPod dies and I have no CD’s I’m forced to listen to the radio and I hear nothing but the same songs played over and over again. Sure, there are many big named artists that take up the airwaves, (one would think Drake and Trey Songz were born in Indianapolis…) but there are still many smaller artists with singles that are bigger than them.

Kirko Bangz has one of the biggest singles in the country right now; his flow is infectious, the hook works perfectly and the Chopped and Screwed version is perfect on the ride home after a long day at work. It has to be a great ride for him as he’s blowing up all over, but I couldn’t tell you another one of his songs off the top of my head. No shade to him whatsoever, I just haven’t seen or heard anyone talk about Kirko Bangz without mentioning, ”Drank in my cup.”

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