Part 2: Make 'Em Say Uunngh!!!!

In this next part, we will discuss one of the biggest names in rap history, in my opinion. Before I begin, I would like to point out that not every artist that I feel has contributed to rap's decimation has done something wrong to destroy it. Some were just springboards for the others who did. Master P is one of them. What I mean by this is someone may have stolen their formula and misused it, not that these artist brought untalented acts with them ( though some did). But one thing that's for certain is that Master P resurrected rap after the deaths of its two most beloved stars( See Part 1). His outstanding run in the industry not only spawned the careers of his label mates and similar copycats, but he also established an empire that stretched in film/t.v., real estate, clothing,etc.. He single-handedly transformed from a drug dealer-turned-rapper into a rapper-turned-mega-mogul/ great father. So how does a man who has done so much for a genre become liable for its descent. Here how:

After the death of 2PAC and Biggie, the rap world was in shambles and was taking a turn towards more of a pop feel. More and more artists began rapping about settling drama and uniting, which there is absolutely nothing wrong with, but when EVERYONE is preaching the same message it gets a bit mundane. Therefore, the people wanted something new. Something fresh. anything that could return them back to the way things were when rap told it like it was. Enter Master P. With his storming bass lines and and array of talented rhymers( he wasn't half bad himself), he reminded fans of the genre of what they had been missing . Drugs, money, bitches, blunts, and another view of what the ghetto was like. This time, it was New Orleans instead of California or New York. And it showed that there were still people who had something to say.
But during P's meteoric rise, something strange started to happen. People became, sort of, dependent on P. He was expected to keep up with the pace he made famous, dropping 22 albums in a twelve-month span. Due to certain and uncertain circumstances, the No Limit camp was slowly chipping away as they made roster moves like an NBA team and disbanded with Beats By Da Pound. No Limit( or Beats By The Pound) was never the same after that. Couple that with the fact that the Mannie Fresh-produced Cash Money Records was up-and-coming( and also from New Orleans), and you have a recipe for dropping the ball. And P did. that's his crime. He allowed his rap empire to be destroyed from within, though his son carried on in his name. He went on to do big things in other aspects and still has his hands in the game and will always be a legend. But his drop of the ball ushered in a new brand of rap, led by the same Cash Money Records. Though they held the crown for some time, they also were victims of dropped-ball syndrome and, therefore, culprits in the decimation of rap.
Tune in next time as I discuss further the involvement of Cash Money Records in this fray( maybe more than once). Again, everything I've written has been strictly my opinion and should be treated as such. I harbor no feelings towards any of these artists and many happen to be my favorites( I'll let it be known who's Not). I liked to thank you, The Reader, for taking your time to check this out and sincerely hope you return. And, as always, tell a friend. Sharing is caring.

Part 1

First and foremost, I wasn't one of the first people to say hip-hop was dying. I didn't believe it myself at first. I mean, c'mon, REALLY? The music of my generation's time is up? This can't be so. So I kept this thought in the back of my head while I'd listen to the latest tunes and you know what? I started hearing what the people were talking about. It now was starting to seem that only a few artists were standing out, in my opinion. Others somehow pulled it together by combining subpar lyrics with superb beats or doing a collaboration with a r&b artist to make the song at least relevant. The point I'm trying to make is only a few are really hot. Meaning, if a different MAJOR LABEL artist were to release a CD every day for the next 30 days, only about 8, maybe 9, of them would actually do well, depending on the artist. About half of that would sell a million copies before their next album. And yeah, I know the economy is a mess, but this decline started way before then.
As a matter of fact, that sort of brings us to today's main topic: The Actual Death(s) Of Hip-Hop: The Murders of Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.

2Pac and Biggie revolutionized the whole east coast-west coast scene. Though this exercise brought alot of people together on one front, the premise of the whole idea was totally bogus. Since I from the same side of the country as one of the artist's, is that supposed to mean that I automatically have to pull for said artist. What if I like the other artist too? What if I like the other artist, but not the one from my side? What if I like both?(I loved both, by the way). There was no endgame in sight for such madness except for the fate that was. I am in no way saying that they got what they desrved, more like saying they predicted what woould happen to them.
But what does this have to do with hip-hop's decimation, you might ask. And I'm glad you asked. The answer is this: The message that they were sending had worked and built sort of a following for both.The untimely deaths of both left a void for these millions of fans, as well as for those enjoy both equally. Both had garnered so much attention while performing that the audiences were left confused as to who to turn to for their musical needs and many east coast reppers still resented the west coast and vice versa. This lead to a short, sad times in hip-hop when record sales slightly declined as way was made for up-and-coming talents and existing stars alike. Some stars shone, some faded, and some were born. After east coast-west coast was over, listeners began to relax again and most became more open-minded. Enter The South. With its hard-thumping bass beats and its laid-back southern drawl, it was destined to take off at some point or another. Fortunately for Southern rap, it's time was now. Unfortunately, the path to rap's decimation has many miles in the South. In my next blog, I will highlight another artist who is considered in my opinion to be one of the drivers of that bus: Master P and No Limit Records.

Tune in next time andd please remember: This is all my opinion. I wrote this for that satisfaction. This blog is not meant to hurt, nor influence anyone to feel anyway contrary to your normal thinking. Thanks for listening and hope to see you again soon.

ROD D

Introduction

In this blog, I will discuss some of the routes taken in rap over the year which lead to its current, dying state. I will explore people and topics of the industry that caused this form of artistic expression to become what it is today. Some will be great, and some not so, but all will be relevant. None will be in any particular order, though as time progresses, this will be considered an option. I encourage agreement comments, as well as disagreements,as long as you respond with honesty and respect. Who knows? Your comment might lead to the subject of the next post. So don't be shy and don't hold back. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Truly,
Rod D