Bad Rap

Domestic hip hop has a reputation for being all about the bling bling. But is that an accurate or fair represention of the hip hop community from the East to West coast?

I feel like in a few articles I've read recently regarding international emcees, the comparison is made that U.S. hip hop is basically about "money, cash, hoes."

Of course Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Dead Prez, and Immortal Technique have albums that beg to differ. But let's take a look at the more "bling bling" style emcees:

Jadakiss- suprised everyone with organically intellectual "Why"

Jay-Z- got more personal than we thought he ever would in "Moment of Clarity"

Nas- just check out It Was Written, Lost Tapes, and Stillmatic; there are quite a few songs (let's just forget the "Oochie Wally" phase, shall we?)

What? Did you say something about Nas always being psuedo-intellectual? Maybe we do need to remember "Oochie Wally," or even the banished "Hate Me Now"

Hip hop as it is practiced in its birth country is more complex than just "conscious" and "thug" rappers. A true hip hop head can appreciate the entire spectrum of hip hop music, or at least not just one category.

I love me some positive, complex rhyme-scheme hip hop. I grew up on Public Enemy, Sista Souljah. But I can appreciate some Lil' Jon, some Yin Yang Twins, some Ludacris, some Nelly, some Jay-Z, some Snoop D-O-double gizzle. It's all good.

As Mos Def said in Black on Both Sides, hip hop is about the people. When the people narrow their view on hip hop, the people narrow hip hop.