LeRockBox Online Magazine

DOWNLOAD:: Kanye West – Can’t Tell Me Nothing (Full)

My own personal ”renaissance” of hip hop is a five year span from 1993-1998. Given that I wasn’t even allowed to listen to hip hop in my house until about ‘90, and I’m still playing catch up, I think we can all agree that ‘93-98 was a good time in music. Some people point to the late ’80s, some go a bit futher back, but I personally think that any song with “babby-bubby” as a lyric is as rudimentary as doing math on an abacus. Sure it was hot at the time but put it up against pretty much any hot lyric from the mid-90s and there is no contest.

Where exactly is this going? I’m glad you asked. I can distinctly remember the day the reniassance ended for me. I has in homeroom in high school, and Juvenille’s “Ha” video came on tv. I recall thinking, “What the hell is this?” Oh sure, southern rap had been relevant for years, but for whatever reason “Ha” just stood out, along with Nelly’s, “Country Grammer” (yes, I know Nelly is from the midwest, but follow me on this). Those songs slowly grew on me, but they also helped usher in what many people consider the nadir of hip hop, this cookie cutter production/lyrics/formula being packaged and mass marketed out of the south today.

No matter your preference, what’s coming out of the south today is distinctly different from anything we’ve heard from any region’s previous plateau of dominance on the hip hop scene, whether its north, west, midwest, early south movement or the aforementioned No Limit/Cash Money movement of the late 90s/early 2000s. But there seems to be more venom hurled at this particular version of hip hop coming from the south than I can ever remember. And I admit, I barely listen to the radio anymore or hip hop for that matter, because of the influence this new generation has had on the way the music is produced. But keep in mind, while I don’t like it, I refuse to hate on it.

I am totally on board with any artist from the south making the most ridiculous song they can possibly think of. Truncate the lyrics, duplicate the beats, keep those repetative hooks, make up those dances that require extreme muscle contortion with little actual body movement. I am all for it because my self proclaimed renaissance of the mid 90s is littered with one hit songs, copying the pattern of the true greats of the era, that I absolutely love. And you know what, the south had to live through those same craptastic songs too. I can only imagine growing up in the south, hearing some of those songs and thinking that I could do better. Much like the way I feel when I’m told to pop, lock, drop, two-step, snap, shake, or some other crazy song intruction; I honestly think I can do better, even though I’ve never written a song in my life. So keep doing your thing all you new groups we’ll be talking about the same way my friends and I reminisce about “The Box” ten years from now. I see you; I just won’t be listening , unless of course my ipod dies. ONe – J. Geez

You can contact me at john.gartrell@lerockbox.com