The State of the Game: Hip-Hop for the Unschooled

Posted by Nathan S. on 09/29/09 | Filed under Features, State of the Game

I was having a drink with my boy Mike Mc the other day when, knowing my particular profession, he asked me how I would describe the current state of hip-hop. I paused, thought about it, and then paused again. Goddamn that’s a good question.

Despite his seemingly rap influenced name, Mike doesn’t particularly pay attention to hip-hop. Which is to say that, like most Americans, the only time he hears about rap is when some CNN commentator decides to go on another “hip-hop is turning your child into a serial killer” rant, or when some famous rapper grabs the microphone away from a sweet blond girl at an awards show (you know, hypothetically speaking). So Mike’s question has me thinking: how would I describe modern hip-hop to someone who’s a stranger to the game?

Hence my first annual, or monthly, or however frequently I decide to write it, State of the Game class. Every class we’ll cover some additional aspects of the game that every hip-hop head needs to know, starting with some of the basics today. So pull out a pencil and start taking notes.

Hip-Hop is a Movie

First, we need to establish one basic point: Hip-hop is not a single entity. Anyone who says something like “hip-hop is sexist” or “hip-hop is violent” is making the mistake of treating hip-hop like a single, monolithic entity. In fact, hip-hop is like the movies. Are some movies sexist? Yes. Are some movies shallow and pointless? Even painfully bad? Of course. (I’m looking at you Norbit). But to say “movies are sexist” or “movies are violent” would be ridiculous. Some movies are uplifting and emotionally intense works, like for example Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Same thing goes for hip-hop. For every booty-based banger from the Ying Yang Twins there’s a Talib Kweli track about religion’s potential for inspiring violence. For every shallow trend (You’re a Jerk) is a seriously minded artistic work that pushes boundaries (Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon). From Soulja Boy to Ludacris to Raekwon, for better or worse, it’s all hip-hop. Deal with it.

Hip-Hop is (Not Even Close to) Dead

In 2006 a legendary rapper named Nas (also known as Nastradamus, Nasty Nas, Escobar and “the guy who divorced Kelis after she got pregnant”) decided to make an album called Hip-Hop is Dead. Nas’ apocalyptic pronouncement was like when Bush would raise the terror alert to orange - no one knew what it meant, but it sounded bad - that didn’t stop a legion of writers, artists and fans from jumping on the “hip-hop is dead” bandwagon. First, if you bothered to read the Hip-Hop is a Movie section above you’ll know why this claim was dumber than Lil’ Mama at an astrophysics conference. Second, three years later it’s clear that while hip-hop’s economic model, like the economic model of the entire music industry, is in trouble, reports of its death were absurdly premature. Old school artists continue to drop near-classic works (Raekwon’s OB4CL2) while new artists push the art form in new and unexpected directions (Lupe Fiasco,). Hip-hop wasn’t dead in 2006 and it’s alive and breathing in 2009.

Ringtone Rap

Thanks to the proliferation of cellphones and downloads, catchy singles have become the currency with which the modern rapper gets paid. The biggest beneficiary of this single-fetish so far appears to be Flo-Rida, a rapper who five years ago couldn’t have dreamt of becoming the highest selling artist of the year. Now I don’t blame Flo-Rida for his downloadable success at all. Like a giraffe that grows a longer neck to reach the leaves of tall trees, Flo-Rida and his ringtone-ready brethren have adapted to survive in today’s climate. Also, I just pictured Flo-Rida as a giraffe and started giggling like a stoner. More importantly, it looks like ringtone rap is here to stay, at least until Apple releases a microchip that feeds music directly into your brain. You know what, you’d probably still need a ringtone for your iBrain. Nevermind.

Gangsta Rap

The best way to tell if someone is Amish is to ask them to operate a remote control,and the easiest way to tell if someone hasn’t listened to hip-hop in over a decade is if they use the term “gangsta rap.” Originally coined to describe the rise of rappers steeped in the crack-fueled violence of the Reagan Era (NWA, Snoop Dogg), “gangsta rap” as it was originally known died at the turn of the millennium. Actually, it would be more accurate to say it evolved. From those early days have come two strains of modern day “gangstas.”

The Gangsta CEO – Hip-hop is big business in a way that wouldn’t have seemed possible in the ‘80s, and the most successful rappers are those who have learned how to monopolize their music. These rappers walk the thin line between the streets and the boardroom, insisting they’re still willing to murder on songs one minute, and then launching their own line of Vitamin Water the next (you know, just to name one example). Prominent examples include Jay-Z, Ludacris and the aforementioned Mr. Cent.

The Corner General – These rapper are the most closely related to their NWA forefathers, insisting that they can still be found on the streets anytime, anywhere. While they may also have aspirations of becoming a Gangsta CEO someday, they’re just too hard to ever truly be embraced by mainstream America. Best examples: Young Jeezy, Plies.



Of course this is only a fraction of the current hip-hop landscape, but this should serve as a solid foundation for now. In the coming weeks we’ll be covering backpackers, hipsters, whatever the fuck Lady Gaga is, haters and much more. So the next time you catch your coworker, your mom or yes, even other hip-hop “fans” saying some ignorant ish, just hand them a notebook and point them to Refined Hype. Class is in session, suckas. 

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