Emcees used to make their records with passion, with their lyrics based on their life experiences, emotions and aspirations. Now most of Hip-Hop like this remains underground, but if it’s not like that, can we still call it hip-hop? The majority of mainstream (commercialized) Hip-Hop lyricists use their fortunes and girls to create records. I think this is a decaying state to the Hip-Hop culture. Hamelock Nelson states that, “The quality of rap music has suffered a serious condition of commercialism” (1). Basically, the key to get into mainstream Hip-Hop is to completely change your image and your music.

Hip-Hop is really a beautiful art of music. Using your passions, dreams, aspirations and life experiences and putting it into a rhyme that just makes your head bob and body rock. Speaking your mind. But Hip-Hop is now deteriorated by the mainstream. Putting bad names on the music. Most of America can’t experience that true hip-hop because the embodiment of mainstream. I know most of America preferably would listen to mainstream because that is what they are used to hip-hop being like. Most record labels make records so that it would be mainstream, so it could be heard on the radio and make more money. The record labels think the people want to see cars and girls in their music videos and now everyone is so used to these videos and now that is what sells. Money, money, its all about the money now. Not about the true love for making hip-hop music, music that was originally made to speak your mind and for b-boys to dance to and deejays to spin and make cuts.

It wasn’t too long ago that everyone was rapping about meaningful things. We had immense artists like; The Notorious B.I.G., KRS-one, Run Dmc, Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur, Death Row records, Bone Thugs n’ Harmony, Wu-tang Clan, Method Man and Redman keeping it real like it should be. Emcees I think keep hip-hop real come mostly from the underground now. One emcee I think is a great lyricist that can rock both the mainstream and underground community is “Nas” Jones. He can go mainstream but keep his street credibility. He raps about life and reality; speaks his mind. He inspires people with his lyrics, not by how much cash he has. In Nas’s “I can” 2003 debut, he raps, “Be, B-Boys and girls, listen again, This is for grown looking girls who's only ten, The ones who watch videos and do what they see, As cute as can be, up in the club with fake ID, Careful, 'fore you meet a man with HIV, You can host the TV like Oprah Winfrey, Whatever you decide, be careful, some men be Rapists, so act your age, don't pretend to be Older than you are, give yourself time to grow, You thinking he can give you wealth, but so Young boys, you can use a lot of help, you know You thinkin life's all about smokin weed and ice, You don't wanna be my age and can't read and write ,Begging different women for a place to sleep at night, Smart boys turn to men and do whatever they wish, If you believe you can achieve, then say it like this”(2.1-16). Professor Wright of the University of California states, “I applaud Nas for his courage to speak truth to power and highlight the corruption inherent in radio and corporate co-option

Some topics in this essay:
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