So not too long ago we (mostly jokingly) mentioned that MTV’s TRL had been canceled. No one really shed a tear for good reason. I mean even mainstream music fans mocked TRL for its overt commercialism.
But the fact that the Rap City Wrap Up (finale show) will be airing periodically this week on BET is truly a sad day for Second Golden Age (1993 – 2000 ) hip hop heads. I mean for most of us Rap City and the Basement with Tigger was a major highlight of each day. I still remember rushing to home in Jr. High to catch the latest videos, and more importantly the freestyle sessions. While probably 60% of the time the artist would spit written flows it was still nice to see people you looked up to rhyming and having fun with it just like you would with your boys at lunch time.
For 21 years Rap City gave a voice to HIP HOP and helped adavance the culture. I’ve never bought into the Hip Hop is dead thing but the cancellation move definitely has thrown her to “the floor of the club”. In memory we look back at one of the best sessions from the basement from Cassidy. This may have to be a weekly feature..”Basement Moment of the Week”
Filed under: Music Tagged: | hip hop dead, rap city canceled
Hip hop is still alive my friend, as a long time follower since the era of MTV raps, i feel your pain and have i must admit lost faith in the new era of hip hop artists and have started to look else where to satisfy my musical quench, but thats just it, the new artists this is what a lot of people get mixed up alot. the new artists of today are using more samples in their sounds from various other records just look at kanye for example. you also have to understand that the music world has taken a massive turn in terms of distribution methods, downloading and the internet has had a huge impact on music, people don’t just have to go to gigs any more to listen to music and those same people don’t have to buy records any more, music storage can be in many formats, which is why there has been a big shift in what content we see on the T.V. such as the classic shows as ~Yo MTV raps, which i solely miss, but why, just because we don’t see such things on the T.V no more doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything worth listening to in the hip hop world any more, for instance-
dj premier is lined up to work with royce da 5’9 and produce an album, and we all know of Primo’s production techniques and quality
black milk is also working on another album who has produced magnificent hits for gza busta and pharoahe monch,
gza’s new album for instance – Pro-tools i have to admit this is no doubt some of the best music of the year 2008, production and lyrical wise
now i may be from the UK and we dont get as much concerts by all the big artists from the US, we still had a rock the bells concert this year featuring Nas, Mos def, Pharoahe monch, and last year we were treated to a Wu-tang concert which i attended at the front line.
People just have different ways of going about things nowadays, T.V. now is fierce, i work in that profession, executives now only want shows that are going to get the audiences, such as all the reality T.V. show junk So the hip hop era we know may be dead, but the soldiers who helped and fought so hard to bring it together and make it an unstoppable force are still enforcing that practice, just search for the music you want to listen to and what you ‘like’ and don’t just rely on what is fed to you through the T.V.
From a long term hip hop believer. Hip hop is not dead
Nice point, I agree with you. Black Milk is nice and Royce and Priem have already shown they can make magic so those are definatley 2 to look out for. True heads will always make and find good music. So that’s not my concern.
I think the cancellation of a show like Rap City just magnifies your point. You have to search for good music these days. Honestly Rap City had stop playing dope music for a really long time.
My hope was that the show wouldn’t go away but that it would return to playing good music like they did when I was growing up.
i think these days the money and not just necessarily for the money, but for keeping the music going, its all in the touring and gigging, not a day goes by without something going on in the city, rap concerts and gigs in smaller venues and DJs etc, but yeah less shows on the T.V kind of gives way to the fact that most people think hip hop has fallen off the face of the earth, or hip hop for this era is all soulja boy, now im not knocking anyone but you get my point.
Any way i don’t know if its true but i heard rakim is working on a new album?? lets hope hip hop fans can be saved.