IS HIPHOP DEAD???

Is hip hop dead or have we all just grown up and matured? In order to understand the evolution or lack thereof in the music industry one must first realize that the world has changed. We are no longer a society focused on substance but on flash and star power. Look at the changes in the NBA where people have outgrown the sport with the attraction of streetball players. Also we must decipher between hip hop and rap. There is a major difference. Hip Hop is a way of life while rap is an art form used to express your hip hop life. Some artist are still very much true to their views of hip hop while rap has in recent years stepped up to prove their place in the rankings. Music nowadays focuses on me, me, me, me. Who I am and What I have. I'm better than you, got more money, more women and more cars than you. Previous hip hop artist focused on topics of social injustice, uplifting our community and trying to reconcile a life of poverty amongst our brethren. Artist such as Nas (despite his efforts to straddle the fence between hip hop and rap he has still managed to touch on sensitive issues in recent years), Tupac, Krs-One (although he is too old for this younger audience to identify with), Ice Cube (Cube has been dropping knowledge for quite some time now..do your history), Common, Talib Kweli and the list goes on. I will even throw David Banner in here because he stands up and fights for economic and social equality when it comes to the South and especially Mississippi (listen to his music). There are newcomers who are trying to bring hip hop bacc to the forefront but media outlets are quietly silencing the voice of hip hop. Hip hop has no voice anymore. There is no distinguished face of hip hop. Jay-Z is a rapper, a hustler and darn good at it. He manipulates the market whenever and however he feels like it when he has the sole power to bring about so much change. I am only one man and no I'm not the most pure hip hop artist in the world but I am trying to refocus the enegry and message behind music that is leaking into the mindframes of our youth. Youth are more concerned with being dope boys than graduates now. Hip hop provided a way out in the past but also made you think and want to learn more through the lyrics that were spoken. There is nothing to learn anymore. What are we being taught? How to snap our fingers and walk it out? How to move hard up and down the interstate? How to shoot? How to not get any further in life but to the cemetery or prison by striving to get our money through the dope game. The media is exploiting our voice and artist don’t care anymore about the issues pertinent to our everyday living as long as they have a new Bentley, House and and an OZ of Barney. Where are we headed because many don’t know where we have been? Everything that WE as African Americans have started has been stripped and reinvented to destroy its first conception. Craft is craft and regardless of what I say rap has provided for some to get out but these artist must realize the power of their words. If Geezy is on record talking about how cool it is to shoot someone, be in the fedz and trap then what will a feeble minded 13-25 year old gather from that? Well let me think. Uh probably that shooting and trapping is the coolest thing in the world cuz hey Geezy is balling and he did it. (so he says) So to speak on my question. Is hip hop dead? Naw I just aint signed yet. No hip hop is in a coma and we need some well trained doctors to bring it out. Hip hop artist that we grew up on are not equipped to reach this audience of dancers and dope boys. Plus they don’t have patience for the constant nonsense. We need the T.I.'z, the Ludacris's, Geezy's, 3:16'z, Cap's of the world to speak to our youth before hip hop and our generation as a whole does die. It is not too late. Hip hop started as a movement and must continue in this manner. What was the last cd you purchased? (bootleg doesn't count) I know there are several hip hop artist out there who are still true so let's support them. Feel free to share this with others if you want but this is just my viewpoint. I respect Nas for his depiction of hip hop and how he feels but instead of bashing one must explain your position and focus on trying to improve hip hop's current state. Rap is more than likely here to stay and I have no problem with that. Just like streetball is a fixture in the hood and is here to stay. We just need to learn how to balance rap and hip hop just like streetball and the NBA. 3:16 (I waited manipulated the gift that God gave me and now im sitting on a million dollar baby)