That’s quite a bold statement isn’t it? Some people would say all hip-hop sucks but as someone who’s been a fan of hip hop and a DJ who spun mostly hip hop this is hard to say.
The fact is over the past 3 or 4 years there have been very few memorable rap songs with staying power. There are more 1 hit wonders than ever in the hip hop world. While songs from nearly 10 years ago like Big Pimpin by Jay-Z and Party Up by DMX still get the crowd moving, rap songs that came out last year are now old news and the crowd stares at you like you’re some kind of idiot for playing it.
There have always been 1 hit wonders with a short shelf life for DJs but from where I sit lately the “expirary” on tracks is a lot faster than it’s ever been. None of the new songs seem to be a hit with the teens and 20-somethings for more than 6 months.
I also blame the big drop in BPM, no longer are the good hip hop songs in the 95-100+ BPM range, they’re in the 80 BPM range, you cannot really dance to that, that’s grinding music. Studies have shown the less beats per minute the more likely people, particularly males, will be aggressive. For Bar and Club jocks this is a cause for concern as music sets the mood for the entire club. Now the manager is breathing down their neck because people are going crazy but the new stuff is what’s requested.
There are no NRG (Energy) hip hop songs in recent memory, songs like Party up which people could really fast almost break dance too. Why is this? Part of it is I believe a lot of newer rap isn’t coming off the coasts, it’s coming from the south. It’s a slower lifestyle down there, perhaps it’s just a carry over. It so popular down there that it blow up in the big cities too.
Another aspect of it is the internet. No longer are teens only exposed to what the radio plays. There are thousands of internet radio stations, you can preview tracks on iTunes before you buy. Ring Tones allow songs to be played right on their phone and they hear that ring tone umpteen times a day. Hear a song enough and eventually you will like something about.
So my question is, what the hell is going to happen?
I’m so goddamn sick of shitty “hip hop” songs invading dance clubs.
I like a broad range of music, particularly old 70′s punk rock and electronica. Dance music sucks, sure, but the ridiculousness of some dance music is great. Take disco. Take some acid house circa 1992. It was fun to dance to. Even the crappy stuff about six years ago that hailed sixty remixes was acceptable at this point. A good steady repetitive beat with interesting sounds, even pop remixes were staples for years.
Hell, I even like hip hop and rap.
What a lot of dance clubs play isn’t really dance music, or music at all.
Playing music about thug life or “urbana” et al, isn’t the problem, it’s the unbridled bullshit like “bling” and other nonsensical waving around of fake money and lifestyle. At least gangsters that rapped about it sort of earned it in a dark way by shooting someone’s ass and writing about it. Not my style, but at least real. You still can’t really dance to it, with exceptions.
These dance club idiots that dance to the shit that’s dripping from the speakers that calls itself “hip hop,” have no idea what they’re doing. They’re listening to a jerk that was a bagger at a grocery store that either sucked the right dicks or walked into the right conversation, brought along a Casio keyboard and a local open mic night recorded for lyrics, with drunken nonsense mixed in for fun.
Here let me take a crack at it:
“Haaay monayyyy gimme dat honaaaay,”
“Wanna plaaaayyy at div-naaaay”
“Rollin wet wet taking thet thet”
“Makin cash I can get get.”
“Haaay ooo ugh hhaaay… bling blang ugh haaaay”
(Throws in irregular high-pitched fake twitch cymbals and random bass sine noise)
Yet they still dance to it.
Assholes.
Bring back shitty club music so I can bitch about that instead. At least I could dance to it and have fun.
KW
I don’t seem to be doing quite as many hip hop events, now that the Crazy Horse is closed.
My daughter helps me in keeping up with the best of the new stuff (she’s 17).
I still do a handful of parties & school functions where a lot of current hip-hop is expected. I wouldn’t say it sucks but it is nothing compared to the old-school stuff. And it’s not as easy for everybody to dance to. Especially the hyphy music. Older people have no idea what these kids are doinf when that stuff comes on.