Mr. Watson
English 2
25 February 2015
The Art of Hip Hop
The thing I like most about music is how much someone from across the country can touch us on an emotional level. That's been the case since at least 1968 (that's the year Led Zeppelin formed; my dad told me that music really started exactly then), and has been one of the major appeals for every genre. Its crazy to think about, but with every new group or phenomenon, we're riding the name sensation that our grandparents felt at Woodstock. It's an endless cycle of generations receiving real purpose through music.
That being said, all genres are not of the same quality. Though my relatives have tried their best to submerge me in their tales of classic rock and metal (my mom even tried to turn me on to Michael Jackson while I was in middle school), its clear that in 2014, hip hop is where it's at. There's no other genre where you can be totally free, without any real worry. Even more than music, its a lifestyle, and it's been that way every since N.W.A. shifted the landscape of the United States with their landmark debut, Straight Outta Compton. Hip hop (which is the real name, not "rap") is about expression, and not conforming to authority.
Even more than the reasons that I just listen, hip hop is important because it connects with the real youth, not the youth shown by commercial America. As I've stated, every generation has a musical scene to connect with, and hip hop is how I learned most of my lessons of adolescence (not school, which is only really necessarily until the 6th grade; if you drop out then, you'll know the necessary fundamentals of knowledge, but none of the nonsense taught in the later years of middle school). It may sound like hyperbole, but trust me when I say that Ready to Die was like a bible to me.
All that is exactly why it makes me so aggravated to see hip hop in the state that its in. With so many phony rappers taking over the radio, it feels like we've lost touch with the true art of rapping. On one side of the spectrum, we have Drake watering down the genre with his emotional/emo garbage (let's be honest, the reason hip hop rose to the top in the nineties was to get rid of grunge/sappy stuff), and Rae Sremmurd topping the charts (not that sales even matter, by the way). I like Kendrick Lamar, but even he comes off too preachy every once in a while. His voice is annoy too.
Heck, just this week we got a collaborative album from Tyga and Chris Brown. I mean, are we even trying anymore? Its times like these that honestly make me a little embarrassed to wear the genre on my sleeve everyday. How could the music possibly be taken seriously when the lead single to that album is called "Bitches N' Marijuana" (please excuse the language).
Which makes it all the more incredibly that we could receive such a terrible album and an amazing one at the same time. Last year, J Cole saved what was an otherwise dismal album with one of the best albums of the decade so far. This year, things are looking ever worse, with Joey Bada$$ dropping the only album worth while. That was, until Big Sean, a true Detroit spitter, made his first classic. Yeah, I know the term gets thrown around loosely, but I can assure you, the music on Black Sky Paradise is excellent, and quite frankly, undeniable.
I feel like this record was made just for me by super-smart hip hop gods or something, because it's just like a cross of 1995 and 2001. Imagine, like, Biz Markie (Big Sean can be hilarious at times, in the best way) if he had the technical rapping ability of someone like Nas. Even though its his shortest album, it's still his best because he's finally talking about real things. I got the leak about a week ago, and ever since, my boss has been getting on me for taking my breaks 20 minutes too long, but that's how long the album is and it just sucks you in. Admittedly, I can't even fully support the lead single "I Don't Fuck With You" (although it sure was playing in my head when's I bought my ex-girlfriend a shake from Sonic; she's vegan and there's egg powder in there), but while that may be a little corny, Big Sean passes on his usual corniness to provide vulnerability and truth. Its heavy stuff.
Kanye West is the best producer in hip hop, dispute that and I know you are a dunce. Here's a list of rappers that wouldn't have careers today without him:
Pusha T
Drake
Childish Gambino
Chance the Rapper
Jay Z
I could go on all day, but I figure it'd be rather boring listening to be name nearly every big name in the genre. To some, he's a bit of a jerk, but you know what he is to me? A rock star. He's the leading figure in modern music, and my music collection shows my admiration. Albums, shirts, shoes, show tickets, they're all there, right under my Kid Cudi poster. My reason for saying all this, though, is that Kanye executively produced Dark Sky Paradise. The Kanye cosign is as important as anything these days, and his production on this album is really, really good. When its mixed with Sean's rapping, my head goes to another planet.
Big Sean's first two albums were good, but I could see his technical skills going over some heads that are focused on the hit-or-miss production. This album, like I said, is undeniable. I could write about Sean and hip hop all day, but its hard for me to talk directly about Dark Sky Paradise. Sometimes, the music just overwhelms me and I'm speechless, kind of like how I am now. I'm sure a more talented writer could put these songs into words, but for me, I'm left speechless. Some of my favorite songs are "Blessings", "One Man Can Change the World", and "Win Some, Lose Some". The albums is best listened to as a whole, though. You just have to go though the experience of getting lost in the record. There's nothing like it. I know this may sound like too much praise for a simple hip hop record, but if you can actually appreciate lyrics, I'm not using hyperbole. It's that good for sure.
Rating: 2/5