MY VISION ON HIP HOP'S FUNDAMENTAL VALUES

One of the influential rappers I respect is Ice-T. He brought the west coast rap to a major level. The term O.G was instantly blown even for the people who never read Ice Berg Slim. I think he could even label him self as Rakim of west coast. I think the statement he made on one of his songs 'Black men we all related'. This was the whackest statement ever. I rather go for a statement Killah Priest made 'we all have the same skin? we all have the same king?. I never called anyone my brother, because I do not have one.

Anyway what I do not understand is the hip hop artists constantly trying to break the fundamental values through starting to make rock music. For Ice-T's case is that he started to make rock music with the Body Count. This means a major downfall for his image as a hardcore rapper. He set trend with his album called Original Gangster. Since he started to make Rock music, His original fan base felt like he is trying to gain broader attention from the mainstream audience. I think he was already a commercial rapper and making moves to make rock music really can harm his status and the respect from the hip hop fans. This is also the case with Mos Def. His first album contains dope tracks such as a collabo with Busta Rhymes. His second album was the worst hip hop album I ever heard. Even Vanilla Ice can be labeled more hip hop than Mos Def, who I started to respect as a major underground idol.

Another rapper who chose the side of the rock music. I am a true hip hop fundamentalist I rather not have the true essence of the hip hop culture goes up in flames and rather not listen to rap music with rock backgrounds. Why I have so much respect for rappers like Rakim, Nas and Blu and Exile is these rappers make hits to preserve the hip hop culture in it's authentic form and I think there should be space for rap music to expand out it's boundaries through influences of black music. Soul, Jazz, B-bop, Doo Wop, R&B, Gospel, funk and there is enough new sub genres that can be created without breaking the fundamental values of the hip hop culture.