My Thoughts on the state of Hip Hop Today

In the studio on saturday July 13, 2013 and just finished listening and analyzing the new Jay- Z album which had just came out a couple days before i wrote this blog. I have been listening to it in the car but this was my first time listening with purpose in the studio. I have to say that it is a masterful album in my opinion. I thought that it was well crafted and well produced. Now how that relates to today's state of hip hop, in my opinion, is this. 

I think that creativity is coming back strong, for awhile hip hop was very stagnant and narrowly focused with the same old thing done over and over. The same old beats, sounds and concepts of women, drinking, smoking, ect.

Now we all know those are common themes in hip hop and I am not knocking that, even though coming from a christian perspective there are broader themes to talk about. 

But what I am saying is this, look at Kendrick Lamar, he is very creative and his album shows it. Jay-z is a master, Kanye is super creative. J cole, has a different sound. Hip Hop has to get back to the variety it had in the 80's and especially the 90's in order for it to keep growing. We now have christian hip hop artists that have stepped up their game, like Lecrae and the whole reach records crew.

In the mid 2000's hip hop was bleeding and was dying a slow death with one hit wonder artists that had one song but no substance and were gone within a couple of months. I can name a few but I won't. You know the ones I am referring to. It's not that they were bad artists per say but they lacked substance and creativity  which you must have to stay in the game long term.

I believe Jay-z will go down in Hip Hop history as the longest artist to stay relevant in consecutive years. So if you, as an artist coming up wish to do the same, I suggest you take notes from the elders, do your homework, learn and execute. If you think you know it all and don't have to study your history, you are destined to fail and become the next one hit wonder.

I'm done......