1. Everybody wants to be a gangstaThere used to be all sorts of MCs rhyming about all aspects of life. Hip-Hop used to be enjoyable. Hip-Hip used to be social conscious. Hip-Hop employed to political and militant. Hip-Hop utilized to be grown and sexy just before Jay-Z created the phrase popular on his song, "Excuse me Miss".Hip-Hop has generally been gangsta. Lots of credit Schoolly D with creating the first Gangsta rap record, "P.S.K." Ice-T came out with "6 N inside the morning". Boogie Down Productions released "Criminal Minded". And how could everyone fail to mention "the most risky group", N.W.A. and their infamous classic record, "Straight Outta Compton".What I am saying is the fact that Gangsta rap is not new and most of the so-called gangsta rap acts today all sound the same (irrespective of exactly where they're from) and are usually not almost as good and cutting edge because the pioneers of that sub-genre within Hip-Hop.Bottom-line: Hip-Hop requires to diversify by returning to its correct tradition of telling stories that reflect various perspectives and not only the identical ol', similar ol', "shoot 'em up, bang, bang" mentality and lifestyle.

2. Hip-Hop is driven additional by industrial success than cultural integrityHip-Hop is no longer a culture, it's a business. But the truth is Hip-Hop is indeed a culture which has been commercialized, hence, compromised. Corporate America, regardless of whether you happen to be speaking about corporate-owned record labels, magazines or cable channels, are in complete manage of Hip-Hop.Hip-Hop is major small business and is making a great deal of people today lots of revenue. But how numerous of individuals who profit from Hip-Hop are actually accurate towards the preservation of your culture? And just how much with the earnings are being recycled back within the communities around the globe that gave birth, raised and praise the culture like a proud parent?Bottom-line: Hip-Hop, as a culture, requirements to become resurrected and moved forward in obtaining an impact around the world socially, politically, religiously, economically and not just exploited to produce greedy opportunists wealthy.three. BEEF
Let me commence out by saying that there is a massive difference amongst "beef" and "battling". Beef is what happens on the streets and even in the boardroom. Battling is competition; what takes place in sports as an example and of course Hip-Hop music. Battling may be the foundation of MC'ing.Battling separates the thorough MCs in the "Sucker MCs". There have been legendary "battles" throughout Hip-Hop history; KRS-ONE & BDP vs. MC Shan & The Juice Crew, L.L. Cool J vs. Kool Moe Dee to name a couple.But beef is another whole can of "words". Beef can (and has) spread outside of records and onto the streets. Beef, real beef, is about a lot more than words. Beef can be hazardous and should be taken serious. Beef is harmful to Hip-Hop because it damages the culture's credibility and hinders its accurate intent. Hip-Hop as a culture and rap as a form of music was not founded on "greasy talk" and violence.Bottom line: Beef may garner some publicity and sometimes, tragically claim lives but it does nothing to uplift Hip-Hop culture and the communities it represents.

4. One of the most preferred MCs are often essentially the most overratedYou can ask today's average fan to list their 10 favorite MC's and at least half of your ones they name are average at best or downright wack. The MCs who get one of the most attention in radio, print and television are often not MCs at all; they're rappers, or I guess you can say, entertainers that rap. Your favorite rapper may have a hit song getting 100's of spins a day on the radio but that doesn't necessarily mean that he or she is really a correct MC.Most rap songs played around the radio are the weakest lyrically. A lot of the elements of Hip-Hop are completely absent in the music videos that serve as a visual for the songs. These entertainers benefit from many different factors that put them at the forefront of Hip-Hop. But often lyrical prowess isn't one particular of these factors. Meanwhile numerous of your best MCs that have mastered the art of MC'ing (see #9) receive little to no promotion from corporate America and their great talents are heard and witnessed by few.Bottom line: True MCs who are in the game for the love of it should be more visible and the a lot more well known MCs who dominate the charts and grace the covers of magazines should challenge themselves and be challenged to step their rhyme game up.

5. Hip-Hop journalism desires to step their game upI'm a writer. I grew up an avid reader of Hip-Hop themed publications. There was a time when I thoroughly enjoyed reading these publications waiting anxiously for the new issues to hit the newsstand or be delivered in my mailbox.But the last 5 years or so, the "Hip-Hop press" has let the culture down. By way of example, the two biggest and most successful magazines (I won't name them. You know...) in my opinion have perpetuated, instigated and contributed to pushing on-going beefs involving rap crews. And these publications themselves have engaged in on-going beefs in between each other!This doesn't happen in other publications unless you happen to be speaking about the tabloids. And if it does happen inside other publications, the ramifications usually are not as detrimental towards the overall well being of your "profiles" featured in their pages or the readers of their publications.Plainly, the Hip-Hop press has a responsibility to the culture it covers. It should challenge the culture while celebrating it. The Hip-Hop press shouldn't lower their journalistic standards or "dumb down" just to sell magazines. I hate to say this, but some of the best pieces I've read on Hip-Hop have come from mainstream publications which really have no authority to speak on matters of Hip-Hop.Bottom line: At times, the Hip-Hop press comes across cartoon-ish and for numerous of us that grew up in Hip-Hop, we expect and deserve better. The younger generation of Hip-Hop desperately need better (even if they don't realize it). There are great writers inside our culture but we all must present Hip-Hop in a shining light while being objective. The Hip-Hop press has a credibility problem (and I ain't speaking about street cred).
six. Radio & TV has yet to step their game upRadio and television programming as it relates to Hip-Hop is wack. One of the most preferred Hip-Hop show on TV (You know what I'm speaking about) will be the wackest. And it's not because of your hosts or the young, ill informed audience. The blame could be spread across the board amongst the producers and the corporate companies who are responsible for putting the show around the air.I don't want to pick on a single particular television show. The point is radio and television do a terrible job of how they present Hip-Hop culture towards the masses. And, frankly, advertisers don't care; all they want are the eyeballs to whatever they're peddling.Bottom line: Radio & Television need to create extra formats and programming that celebrate all the elements of Hip-Hop so that much more eyes and ears will see and hear the quite a few faces and sounds of Hip-Hop and not only the often negative stereotypical stuff.

7. The younger generation doesn't know or acknowledge the pioneers on the gameWhen I was a teenager, I loved Huge Daddy Kane but I also loved and appreciated the soulful sounds of Marvin Gaye. I was a student of music, fairly knowledgeable about history and not only hung up on the latest song around the radio. Quite a few of my peers were the identical way.On Nas' new record, "Hip-Hop is Dead", 1 of my favorite songs is "Carry on Tradition" where Nas challenges, "Let's see who can quote a Daddy Kane line the fastest." The younger generation need to become more informed about Hip-Hop pre-2004. I love fire-spittin', Lil' Wayne, or the charismatic, T.I., but there's been lots of Hip-Hop prior to the new school or next school of Hip-Hoppers.I've normally said that the pioneers from the game don't get the proper platform that they deserve. That's why I like VH1's Hip-Hop Honors. It really is not the best way to pay tribute towards the MCs on the past but at least the producers are trying.Bottom line: The pioneers with the game paved the way for the MCs that you see now. The MCs of today, radio, television, print and just the average Hip-Hopper on the street should pay homage towards the legends. The culture has a history and that history may be the foundation from which the future of Hip-Hop should be built upon.