The New Generation of Hip Hop: Then and Now

           When talking about today’s hip hop what comes to a fan’s mind? Is it that the genre has become universal brand of music? Could it be that the violent and misogynistic lyrics still exist? To contrary, the world of hip-hop is at it’s most peaceful compared to the era of greats such as 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.

Some would disagree with that statement after the deaths of young talent such as Doe B and Lil Snupe last year along with Chicago rapper Chief Keef saying the release of his mixtape Bang 3 would raise the murder rate in his hometown of Chicago. How does Kanye West feel about that? How does Common feel about that? Chief Keef saying his mixtape will raise the murder rate in not only makes me worry about the city of Chicago, but also makes me say this absolutely cannot be the future of hip-hop. It makes me worry about the future of hip-hop as a whole.

         With this new generation of hip-hop, a few new styles have been introduced to the genre. Rapper Future brings a futuristic-sounded wailing in his music with a combination of hard and gritty trap beats. This style has been used in the success of up-and-coming rappers such as Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug. The three artists mentioned all hail from Atlanta, Georgia; the Mecca of hip-hop in the South that has brought fame and notoriety to artists such as T.I., Ludacris, OutKast, Gucci Mane, and others.

         The topic of who is the “King of New York” has been a topic of conversation since Kendrick Lamar’s “Control” verse. Lamar’s verse sent waves throughout the city and artists such Joe Budden and Joell Ortiz came to silence “Kendrick is the King of New York” talk. With artists the caliber of Jay-Z and Nas still writing and putting out music it would be blasphemy to say neither of them have claim to that name.

There are always young and hungry artists trying to take claim to the “King of New York” title. With that hunger most hip-hop heads would think of the “Beast Coast” movement. The “Beast Coast” refers to the young, talented underground artists that on their way to receiving the spotlight along with trying to show superiority over the resurging West Coast. Groups such as A$AP Mob, Pro ERA, Flatbush ZOMBiES, and The Underachievers would fall under this label. A$AP Mob gained notoriety after the success of member A$AP Rocky and the blow up of member A$AP Ferg in 2013. Who’s the next to get that needed spotlight?

Personally, the resurgence of West Coast hip-hop has featured a few of my favorite new artists. At the top of that list is Kendrick Lamar, arguably the best rapper out right now and the greatest West Coast rapper since 2Pac. The whole Tog Dawg Entertainment label made the most noise in 2013 without releasing one album. The label president, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, promised that he would be dropping six albums in 2014, which means one album from each artist on the roster including ScHoolboy Q’s highly anticipated Oxymoron.

West Coast hip-hop is not solely TDE. The West Coast resurgence includes artists such as Problem, Kid Ink, Ty Dolla $ign, YG, Tyga, and the HBK Gang. Personally, I give credit to the artists such as Mac Dre, E-40, and Too $hort for the sound you hear in the music of those artists mentioned. The “hyphy movement” influence of those three made songs like Sage the Gemini’s song “Gas Pedal,” Problem’s “Like Whaaat,” and Kid Ink’s “Show Me” so popular.

Maintaining relevancy is a topic I touched on last year. When I think of West Coast artists that have maintained relevancy, I think guys like Snoop Dogg, E-40, Too $hort, but more importantly, Game. In my opinion, Game has gained the respect of his peers and fans through his music. The growth of an artist can be seen in through their music and Game has came a long way since his days with G-Unit. Game’s ability to maintain relevancy and create great music was shown on his 2012 album Jesus Piece and this has caught the attention of labels like Cash Money Records since the Compton rapper’s contract with Interscope ended over the summer. 

Everyone has his or her own definition of musical knowledge. Some are fortunate to have the knowledge to know whether or not an artists has true musical talent or not. In hip-hop music, beats, punchlines, and lyricism are the main focus points for an MC. This generation of hip-hop has demonstrated an “ineptness” to lyricism. This is not necessarily a bad thing because not every hip-hop music fan wants to hear the flow of a lyricist. An exception would be sophomore Cody Cummings who enjoys listening to the lyricism and fierce metaphors of West Coast rapper Hopsin. “I don’t have a favorite rapper right now, but I would have to say my favorite up-and-coming rapper would have to be Hopsin,” said Cummings. “Hopsin’s flow, in my opinion, is very similar to Eminem because of his ferocious, cutthroat flow and his funny, clever punchlines.” I could not agree more with Cummings. Other than compared to the legendary Eminem, Hopsin’s flow would be considered untouchable. In my opinion, Hopsin is one of the top five artists to come from the West Coast and will represent the West, and hip-hop as a whole in the years to come. 

Twitter: @OddKingz