Quote (8Diagrams)
Booo that sucked as much as me on Render's mom's titties.

I already told you before not to bring up a joke like that it's tasteless

you might not ever understand but its ok because many dont

We are about what is "real" whether Rakim or Lil Wayne is making it. Any artist can make real shit. All real hip hop is is hip hop that stays true to the culture and consists of artists staying true to themselves and attempting to make art and not blatantly trying to sell records and say "fuck art" (not in a literal sense). Real hip hop can be wack too as long as the artist is actually trying to express himself artistically. For example, I hated Nas' "Untitled" album, but it's still real hip hop because it was artistic. As for politics, hip hop has it's origins in social issues. Look at Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation. They formed in reaction to social marginalization and that would've never happen if it weren't for hip hop. Hip hop is definitely political. It is a vehicle to express our pain. And ftr, I work with Leila Steinberg (2pac's manager. In all of his documentaries. Extraordinary woman) twice every week. I go to her "Microphone Session" which is a venue for artists to go to and share their art and politics is a heavy focus there as well so to say politics shouldn't be a focus here is absurd. Hip hop has been focused on politics forever and let's remember, it's bigger than hip hop. If we have a chance to create social change why don't we go for it? Think about it. We could change the world as a group because we will have power in number and also we can strengthen each other's minds toward issue we would never have otherwise known about.

Did I deny that? I like plenty of dance songs. Unfortunately many if not most new dance songs in hip hop are created to exploit hip hop culture. And I don't narrow that to current dance songs. I see people like Young MC and Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock as people who were there to exploit the culture as well and in that sense are equal to Soulja Boy and co. The funny part is I actually like songs like "It Takes Two" though haha! It has nothing to do with preference. If someone's sole goal in making a track was marketing and stacking chips (which shows in the music. The music has a completely different vibe about it. If you listen you can hear it and distinguish) it leans more towards being pop music. And when I say "leans more towards" that should make you guys realize something. Ill especially. Just like in politics you make the mistake of saying "it's either _____ or _______." You can't do that with anything. Some shit is closer to real hip hop than others. Some is borderline. It's like in politics or even race. People always try to categorize themselves (and I've been doing the same lately and I need to stop it but it's hard because everyone wants to ask what your political views are and it's so easy just to say "I'm an anarchist.") and it's usually "republican" or "democrat" and those terms are even bullshit but furthermore, people need to realize it is a spectrum and views change from time to time depending on political climates. Race may be a more direct analogy though. People always say "I'm white/caucasian" or "I'm black" or whatever, but how often is that person 100% a certain thing? I'm as white as can get but if you look deep I'm from about 20 different European nations as well as being part Cherokee and a member of a few other non-white races. It's a spectrum. I know very few things that are cut-and-dry like that. Same with many other forms of music. For example, Herbie Hancock was considered jazz but if you listened to him you would say "fuck no man! This is funk!" Well, if you listen, his chords are jazz, so it's really funk-jazz. Same with Miles Davis' album "Bitches Brew." That's Rock-Jazz fusion. A Tribe Called Quest, believe it or not, is considered Acid Jazz. So is Gangstarr's early work. It's not so easy to just say "hip hop" and "not hip hop" but many things are more real (AKA pure) hip hop than others. Mainstream rap is pop music infused with ideas taken from hip hop, therefore it is pop rap. Some artists in that genre are more "hip hop" than others and some individual songs by each artist reach further in one direction than others. For example, Soulja Boy, especially his song "Crank That" are so far on the spectrum towards pop music that he retains almost not elements of hip hop. Therefore we call his music pop, pop rap, rap, or commercial rap (or I call it "commercial ©rap" but that is because my opinion is that this style of music is awful. Not at all objective though). Artists like Lil Wayne and TI who, for the most part, are pop rap artists on occasion make hip hop tracks and are MUCH closer to hip hop than Soulja Boy is. Black Eyed Peas actually delve even further into the pop realm than Soulja Boy does and retain virtually no elements of hip hop other than the fact that Will-I-Am's outside works with artists such as Common and Talib Kweli and even some of his solo stuff are VERY hip hop. And that actually leads us into our next category of hip hop artists: the ones who are so close to the middle that it is nearly impossible to categorize them. Artists such as Ludacris, Kid Cudi, Kanye West's earlier music (he's been much more pop lately), Charles Hamilton (though he's a bit closer to pop), etc. And the label "pop rap" doesn't simply bind to mainstream artists. There are plenty of underground cats who fit in the "pop rap" category better than the "hip hop" category but they are harder to find because those are cats looking for corporate sponsorship that can't come by it. It is harder than you think to become a pop rapper. It has nothing to do with the music but rather your obedience. That is why I try not to blame the state of hip hop today solely (or even mostly) on the artist. These cats have no control over it and if they don't make that kind of music, someone else will. Now, some blame can be placed on them, but not all or even most of the blame because we could stop pop rap entirely, but that would require every artist in the entire world to say "hell no I'm not obeying you!" and that is just unrealistic. There are too many people that they can pick from for that to happen. That is partially why the music business is in a steady decline. And btw, to address the dance thing again, just because a song is a dance song doesn't make it any closer to being pop music. You have to analyze the music further than that. You'll know whether a dance track is closer to hip hop than another if you listen critically just as with any other music.

i can understand where everyone is coming from but thing is we not just a regular site, real hip hop forever "real hip hop" that reps the culture...was started for hip hop heads that support and rep the culture with pride. j1 named this group real hip hop and not underground because not all underground hip hop rep the culture and keep it real and not all mainstream hip-hop either, some that we love rep the culture so "real hip hop" is just a name heads use that rep both and rep real hip hop in every form not just music or just entertainment .. Number one reason this site and group is here is to represent the culture first and formost.

reason why some say rap and hip hop is not the same thing because hip hop is a culture and you might not ever understand but its ok because many dont. some heads dont consider commercial rap, "hip hop" because they are artists who have alienated parts of the hip hop culture in their work, they put down what we are trying to represent, a "culture" there are very few that understand this. we probably argued about this many times. now its obvious not everyone is here for the same reasons and thats gonna happen everywhere, ur still welcomed here, i doubt we will rep much corporate rappers in here because they do get their share of fame and money lol they dont need us lol, there are many sites that rep corporate out there and not all the emcees will be perfect either and some slip but some dont slip all the way into this corporate greed so some fans forgive them and some dont, to each its own. to understand rap and hip hop u have to also understand the emcee and the rapper, an emcee which is what hip hop heads call it well some of us do and some corporate rappers you are talking about dont rep the culture, most rap and rep the corporate world and don't have full understanding of the culture, puts together lyrics with out thinking of the meaning most of the time or what message is being sent out. is only about getting paid no matter what the cost. needs lots of money and marketing to be recognized and admired..sometimes has no love or respect for his own people, the cultire except money and fame. Now an emcee represents more then music and money, an emcee lives hip hop and represents the "culture" like most of us, maintains an integrity, is still able to have fun but capable to move the crowd physically, but also mentally, mind, spirit, soul, inspire people with well written meaning, loves reaching people, some are politically and consciously aware, do what makes sense and more respect for music and more important life and more aware of his surroundings and trying to make a difference in todays society and jsut has more passion, soul, feel in his lyrics, just wants to be heard by the world and the culture is his life, getting out his message is what he aims for even if money didnt exist.

this is just the way it is amongst real hip hop heads,meaning the ones that rep "hip hop" the culture.

different levels of hip hop

.i who is probably making the most realist shit on the radio

still on that dumb shit

word thats just it, and calling the levels real and fake is, i cant think of a word but its a shit way to do it

hip hop is not a group that you can be in sometimes and not others its a genre and the music he makes falls into it

If you are ignorant enough to interpret me saying "artists that stay true to hip hop are real hip hop" as "you have to rap about the elements of hip hop or you are not real hip hop" then you do not deserve a response from me. That is utter stupidity and shows that you are only out to twist my words and argue for the sake of argument. I'm done with this debate until I get more intelligent and unbiased people to debate against. And once again, you don't get the concept of things in life not being as black and white as you make them. Again, utter ignorance. I can't get caught up to argue with someone like that because they refuse to learn. They are too stubborn and hard headed.

so whos making the realest shit on the radio that actually gets airtime your on some dumb shit cause you can't admit anything you dumbfuck

Joe budden doesn't get any airtime only reason he's famous is because of his mixtapes and that pump it up song. jadakiss and nas are old and have most of these kdis respect.koell ortiz never gets played on the radio. lupe fiasco is a different story. but other then that T.i Luda and a whole bunch of other cats try just to keep it hip hop they don't have that auto tune shit and don't really change themselves to much to stick with the times they just rap but yet you wanna diss them it makes no sense.